#HungarianGP2019

Ota Knocks off Fifth-Ranked Tuo, Wins First Career Ranking Series Gold

By Eric Olanowski

GYOR, Hungary (February 23) - Shinobu OTA (JPN) shutout China’s fifth-ranked TUO Erbatu in the 63kg Hungarian Grand Prix gold-medal bout and seized his first career Ranking Series event title.

In the finals, the Rio Olympic runner-up grabbed the 2-0 advantage with a slick duck under, then scored back-to-back front head pinches, extending his lead to 6-0. Ota held onto the shutout and bagged his first career Ranking Series gold medal. 

In addition to his finals win over a top-five opponent, Japan's 2018 Asian Games champion scored his second career win over Rio Olympic bronze medalist Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR), outscoring the Norwegian wrestler 6-1. 

Meanwhile, Tracy HANCOCK (USA) used a late takedown to pick up the 3-3 come-from-behind criteria victory over Turkey’s Fatih BASKOY in the 97kg gold medal bout. 

Hancock’s Hungarian Grand Prix gold-medal win was only the third time an American Greco-Roman wrestler had reached the top of the podium at a Ranking Series event. Dalton ROBERTS and Kamal BEY were the first American's to win a Ranking Series event when they captured gold medals at the 2018 Granma y Cerro Pelado. 

In the 87kg finals, reigning U23 world champion Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) rolled Rajbek BISULTANOV (DEN) three times with a trio of gut wrenches and won the gold medal with a 7-1 victory. 

Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) won the 72kg gold medal after Sachino DAVITAIA (GEO) injury defaulted out of the finals, and Ilkhom BAKHROMOV (UZB) grabbed the 55kg gold medal with a 4-0 record in the round-robin competition. 

SCHEDULE 

Sunday (February 24) 
8.30 - Medical examination & Weigh-in for GR cat. 60, 67, 77, 87, 130kg
10.00 - Qualification rounds and repechage for GR cat. 60, 67, 77, 87, 130kg
16.00 - Finals for GR cat. 60, 67, 77, 87, 130kg and Award ceremonies


Team Scores 
GOLD - Iran (59 points)
SILVER - Turkey (56 points)
BRONZE - Georgia (50 points)
Fourth - China (43 points)
Fifth - United States (35 points)

RESULTS
55kg (Round-Robin) 
GOLD - Ilkhom BAKHROMOV (UZB) 
SILVER - Reza Kheirollah KHEDRI (IRI) 
BRONZE - Javokhir MIRAKHMEDOV (UZB) 

63kg 
GOLD - Shinobu OTA (JPN) df. Erbatu TUO (CHN), 6-0 

BRONZE -  Meysam Karamali DALKHANI (IRI) df. Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR), 5 - 2
BRONZE - Sailike WALIHAN (CHN) df. Travis Michael RICE (USA), 9-0

72kg 
GOLD -  Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Sachino DAVITAIA (GEO), via inj. def. 

BRONZE - Selcuk CAN (TUR) df. Michael Felix WIDMAYER (GER), 4 - 2
BRONZE -  Martin TOTH (HUN) df. Istvan KOZAK (HUN), 4-1 

82kg 
GOLD - Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Rajbek BISULTANOV (DEN), 7-1

BRONZE - Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR) df. Jamal Yadollah ESMAEILIKHATOONABAD (IRI), 3-1
BRONZE - Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) df. Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB), 7-6

97kg 
GOLD –  Tracy Gangelo HANCOCK (USA) df. Fatih BASKOY (TUR), 3-3 

BRONZE - Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) df. Pontus Johan LUND (SWE), 10-0 
BRONZE - Abudourexiti ALIMUJIANG (CHN) df. Hassan Ali ARYANEZHAD (IRI), 6-3 

#UnitedWorldWrestling

International Women's Day: Women ITOs, coaches, members rise at UWW

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (March 8) -- United World Wrestling has made significant towards encouraging women's participating in spheres of wrestling, whether on or off the mat.

  • In 2024, United World Wrestling sent its highest number of female International Technical Officers (ITOs) to 2024 Paris Olympic Games, marking 22 percent of the total wrestling ITOs.

Referee

  • It also amended its constitution to reserve two more seats for women in the Bureau, thereby bringing the minimum number of women Bureau members to five. The number of vice presidents was also increased from the current number of five to six, including a minimum of two women vice presidents.

Read Full Report: Good governance at UWW - most women ITOs at Paris 2024, reserved seats in Bureau

Marwa AMRI (TUN)

United World Wrestling has been one of the most active international federation in the Women in Sport High-Performance Pathway (WISH) program.

  •  Out of the 124 coaches that benefited from the program, 12 are from wrestling. The coaches are from 60 nations representing the five continents and across the 33 Olympic sports.
     
  • Three WISH alumni -- Happiness BURUTU (NGR), Marwa AMRI (TUN) and Jessica MEDINA (USA) -- made it to the Paris Games as coaches.

Read More: WISH Program in London

UWW

At the Bureau level, a historic milestone was achieved in women wrestling leadership in 2024. There were seven female candidates for the UWW Bureau, the supreme body of wrestling, marking the highest-ever participation by women in the process.

Kuniko Tanioka (JPN), Annette Kure (NOR), Lise Legrand (FRA), Cholpon Sultanbekova (KGZ), Buyana Peljee (MGL), Nadine Pietschmann (SUI) and UWW Vice-President, Natalia Yariguina (RUS) took part in the race for the Bureau role.

This was the first time that Women Lead Sports alumni being elected to NF president positions and the highest registered female candidates for the Bureau in the history. Rodica YAKSI (TUR) was promoted to Vice-President and Ye ZHANG (CHN) has two years left in her term.

Read Full Report: Big step in women’s wrestling leadership with new members in UWW Bureau

In different countries, women have take the leadership roles. The most significant among others is the appointment of Nadine PITSCHMANN (SUI) and Lise LE GRAND (FRA) as the presidents of Swiss and French federations, respectively.

Among other achievements, a women's wrestling camp was organized in India with Olympic champion Erica WIEBE (CAN) offering a masterclass. Young wrestlers from Jordan, Estonia, South Africa, Mauritius, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and hosts India attended the camp.

Read about the IIS-UWW camp: Wiebe inspires next gen at UWW-IIS camp in India