#WrestleWarsaw

Poland Open Entries (June 8-13)

By Eric Olanowski

WARSAW, Poland (June 1) --- The final Ranking Series event of the year, the Poland Open (June 8-13), kicks off next Tuesday in Warsaw and will welcome over 365 athletes from 44 nations.

The Poland Open will have massive implications on the remaining '21 event calendar. In addition to serving as the final point-scoring event for seeding (top four) at the '21 Tokyo Olympic Games, it'll also help determine the seeding for October's Oslo World Championships, and ultimately who earns a portion of the 600,000 CHF prize package for the 2021 Ranking Series top-three finishers.

Wrestling at the Poland Open kicks off on June 8 and can be followed live on www.uww.org. 

Ranking Series prize distribution (per weight):
First Place: 10,000 CHF 
Second Place: 7,000 CHF 
Third Place: 3,000 CHF 

Freestyle

57kg
Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG)
Oscar Eduardo TIGREROS URBANO (COL)
Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS)
Stevan Andria MICIC (SRB)
Nathan Khalid TOMASELLO (USA)
Nicholas Raymond SURIANO  (USA)
Makhmudjon SHAVKATOV (UZB)

61kg
Kumar RAVI (IND)
Reza Ahmadali ATRINAGHARCHI (IRI)
Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ)
Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ)
Jahongirmirza TUROBOV (UZB)
Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB)

65kg
Agustin Alejandro DESTRIBATS (ARG)

Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV  (HUN)
Gamzatgadzsi HALIDOV (HUN)
Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ)
Eduard GRIGOREV (POL)
Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL)
Andrii SVYRYD (UKR)
Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR)
Joseph Christopher MC KENNA (USA)
John Michael DIAKOMIHALIS (USA)

70kg
Haji ALIYEV (AZE)
Daniel ANTAL (HUN)
Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ)
Ernazar AKMATALIEV  (KGZ)
Oleksii BORUTA (UKR)
James Malcolm GREEN (USA)
Alec William PANTALEO (USA)
Sirojiddin KHASANOV (UZB)

74kg
Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE)

Jasmit Singh PHULKA  (CAN)
Amr Reda Ramadan HUSSEN  (EGY)
Augusto MIDANA (GBS)
Lennard WICKEL (GER)
Lucas Marco KAHNT (GER)
Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN)
Mostafa Mohabbali HOSSEINKHANI (IRI)
Yones Aliakbar EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI)
Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA)
Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ)
Daniyar KAISANOV (KAZ)
Vadim PETRAUSKAS BABUSKIN (LTU)
Kamil RYBICKI  (POL)
Andrzej Piotr SOKALSKI (POL)
Patryk Krzysztof OLENCZYN (POL)
Tajmuraz Mairbekovic SALKAZANOV (SVK)
Semen RADULOV (UKR)
Denys PAVLOV (UKR)
Jason Michael NOLF (USA)

79kg
Aimar ANDRUSE (EST)
Erik REINBOK (EST) 
Milan MESTER (HUN)
Csaba VIDA (HUN)
Jakub Patryk WLADCZYK (POL)
Mateusz Dariusz KAMPIK (POL)
Jakub SYKORA (SVK)
Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK)
Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR)
Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB)
Rashid KURBANOV (UZB)

86kg
Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG)
Carlos Arturo IZQUIERDO MENDEZ (COL)
Patrik SZUROVSZKI (HUN)
Ekerekeme AGIOMOR  (NGR)
Pool Edinson AMBROCIO GREIFO (PER)
Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL)
Cezary Marek SADOWSKI (POL)
Filip ROGUT (POL)
Myles Nazem AMINE (SMR)
Stefan REICHMUTH (SUI)
Zahid VALENCIA (USA)

92kg
Robin Michael FERDINAND (GER)

Richard VEGH  (HUN)
Zbigniew Mateusz BARANOWSKI (POL)
Krzysztof Grzegorz SADOWIK (POL)
Erhan YAYLACI (TUR)
Selim YASAR (TUR)
Mustafa Kemal KIYI (TUR)}
Illia ARCHAIA (UKR)
Jden Michael Tbory COX (USA)
Nathan Dyamin JACKSON (USA)
Myles Najee MARTIN  (USA)
Rustam SHODIEV (UZB)
Ajiniyaz SAPARNIYAZOV (UZB)

97kg
Mohammed FARDJ (ALG)

Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE)
Alireza Mohammad KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI)}
Ali Khalil SHABANIBENGAR (IRI)
Mohammadhossein Askari MOHAMMADIAN (IRI)
Abraham de Jesus CONYEDO RUANO (ITA)
Serik BAKYTKHANOV  (KAZ)
Alisher YERGALI (KAZ)
Lukas KRASAUSKAS (LTU)
Magomedgadji Omardibirovich NUROV (MKD)
Radoslaw BARAN (POL)
Michal Jan BIELAWSKI (POL)
Kollin Raymond MOORE (USA)

125kg
Djahid BERRAHAL (ALG)

Diaaeldin Kamal Gouda ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY)
Youssif Mohamed Badea HEMIDA (EGY)
Sumit SUMIT (IND)
Amin Hossein TAHERI (IRI)
Amir Hossein Abbas ZARE (IRI)
Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ)
Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ)
Robert BARAN (POL)
Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR)
Nicholas Edward GWIAZDOWSKI (USA)

Two-time Olympic champion Roman VLASOV (RUS) will look to lock up his spot on Russia's Tokyo team. He can do so by outplacing Abuiazid MANTSIGOV (RUS) at 77kg. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Greco-Roman
55kg

Ekrem OZTURK (TUR)

Serif KILIC (TUR)
Max Emiliano NOWRY (USA)

60kg
Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG)

Nikolai Soheil MOHAMMADI  (DEN)
Haithem MAHMOUD  (EGY)
Ahmed Fouad Fouad Hussein BAGHDOUDA  (EGY)
Helary MAEGISALU (EST)
Krisztian KECSKEMETI (HUN)
Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN)
Ildar HAFIZOV (USA)
Mukhammadkodir YUSUPOV (UZB)

63kg
Abdeldjebar DJEBBARI (ALG)

Christopher Josef KRAEMER (GER)
Ayata SUZUKI  (JPN)
Artor Zaitsev HAGERUP (NOR)
Mairbek SALIMOV (POL)
Michal Jacek TRACZ (POL)
Lenur TEMIROV (UKR)
Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB)
Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB)

67kg
Abdelmalek MERABET (ALG)

Julian Stiven HORTA ACEVEDO  (COL)
Mohamed Ibrahim Elsayed Ibrahi ELSAYED (EGY)
Abouhalima Mohamed Elsaid ABOUHALIMA (EGY)
Krisztian Istvan VANCZA (HUN)
Erik TORBA (HUN)
Balint KORPASI (HUN)
Zaur KABALOEV (ITA)
Mateusz Radoslaw SZEWCZUK (POL)
Murat FIRAT (TUR)
Enes BASAR (TUR)
Bohdan KOVERNYUK (UKR)
Alejandro SANCHO (USA)
Mirzobek RAKHMATOV (UZB)
Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB)

72kg
Fredrik Holmquist BJERREHUUS (DEN)
Robert Attila FRITSCH (HUN)
Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR)
Juan Sebastian AAK (NOR)
Mateusz Lucjan BERNATEK (POL)
Roman PACURKOWSKI (POL)
Selcuk CAN (TUR)
Cengiz ARSLAN  (TUR)
Aram VARDANYAN (UZB)

77kg
Oliver Marco KRUEGER (DEN)
Mikko Petteri PELTOKANGAS  (FIN)
Sakke Petteri PUROLAINEN (FIN)
Zoltan LEVAI (HUN)
Tamas LORINCZ (HUN)
Per Anders KURE (NOR)
Gevorg SAHAKYAN (POL)
Iwan NYLYPIUK (POL)
Roman VLASOV (RUS)
Abuiazid MANTSIGOV (RUS)
Yunus Emre BASAR (TUR)
Fatih CENGIZ (TUR)
Artur POLITAIEV (UKR)
Yasaf ZEINALOV (UKR)
Jesse Alexander PORTER (USA)

82kg
Fadi ROUABAH (ALG)

Rafig HUSEYNOV  (AZE)
Rajbek Alvievich BISULTANOV (DEN)
Ranet KALJOLA (EST)
Roni Ilmari PUROLAINEN (FIN)
Laszlo SZABO (HUN)
Tamas LEVAI (HUN)
Magnus GROENVIK (NOR)
Mateusz Lukasz WOLNY (POL)
Filip Kacper KAZIMIERCZAK (POL)
Alex Michel BJURBERG KESSIDIS (SWE)
Yaroslav FILCHAKOV   (UKR)
Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB)

87kg
Bachir SID AZARA (ALG)

Ronisson BRANDAO SANTIAGO (BRA)
Mohamed Moustafa Ahmed Abdall METWALLY (EGY)
Istvan TAKACS (HUN)
David LOSONCZI (HUN)
Viktor LORINCZ (HUN)
Michal Andrzej DYBKA (POL)
Arkadiusz Marcin KULYNYCZ  (POL)
Szymon SZYMONOWICZ (POL)
Metehan BASAR (TUR)
Dogan GOKTAS (TUR)
Semen NOVIKOV (UKR)
Alan Ernesto VERA GARCIA (USA)
Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB)

97kg
Adem BOUDJEMLINE  (ALG)
Islam ABBASOV (AZE)
Mathias BAK (DEN)
Arvi Martin SAVOLAINEN (FIN)
Jan ZIRN (GER)
Ilja KLASNER (GER)
Erik SZILVASSY (HUN)
Balazs KISS (HUN)
Alex Gergo SZOKE (HUN)
Mehdi Mohammad BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI)
Mohammadhadi Abdollah SARAVI (IRI)
Gerard Cyprian KURNICZAK (POL)
Piotr CHUDZIK (POL)
Tadeusz MICHALIK (POL)
Mihail KAJAIA  (SRB)
Ergali AYKHIMBAEV (UZB)

130kg
Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI)
Abdellatif Mohamed Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY)
Heiki NABI (EST)
Eduard POPP (GER)
Adam VARGA (HUN)
Aliakbar Hossein YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI)
Amin Mohammadzaman MIRZAZADEH (IRI)
Amir Mohammadali GHASEMIMONJEZI (IRI)
Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU)
Romas FRIDRIKAS (LTU)
Nikola MILATOVIC (NOR)
Rafal Andrzej KRAJEWSKI (POL)
Dominik Tomasz KRAWCZYK (POL)
Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU)
Lenard Istvan BEREI (ROU)
Cohlton Michael SCHULTZ (USA)
Muminjon ABDULLAEV (UZB)


Two-time world champion Mariya STADNIK (AZE) headlines the women's wrestling entries at 50kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Women’s Wrestling

50kg
Mariya STADNIK (AZE)
Valentina Ivanovna ISLAMOVA BRIK  (KAZ)
Adijat Avorshai IDRIS  (NGR)
Anna LUKASIAK (POL)
Agata Marta WALERZAK (POL)
Katarzyna MADROWSKA (POL)
Emilia Alina VUC (ROU)
Mariia TIUMEREKOVA (RUS)
Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RUS)
Aynur ERGE (TUR)
Oksana LIVACH (UKR)
Erin Simone GOLSTON (USA)

53kg
Samantha Leigh STEWART (CAN)

Joseph Emilienne ESSOMBE TIAKO (CMR)
Annika WENDLE (GER)
Vinesh VINESH (IND)
Sumiya ERDENECHIMEG (MGL)
Roksana Marta ZASINA (POL)
Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL)
Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS)
Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS)
Esra PUL (TUR)
Ronna Marie HEATON (USA)
Amy Ann FEARNSIDE  (USA)

55kg
Aisha UALISHAN (KAZ)
Dominika Ewa KULWICKA (POL)
Alicja CZYZOWICZ (POL)
Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU)
Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS)
Zeynep YETGIL (TUR)
Iryna KHARIV CHYKHRADZE (UKR)

57kg
Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR)
Mathilde Hélène RIVIERE (FRA)
Elena Heike BRUGGER (GER)
Fatoumata Yarie CAMARA (GUI)
Anshu ANSHU (IND)
Odunayo Folasade ADEKUOROYE (NGR)
Patrycja GIL (POL)
Jowita Maria WRZESIEN (POL)
Magdalena Urszula GLODEK (POL)
Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS)
Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RUS)
Valeria KOBLOVA ZHOLOBOVA (RUS)
Mehlika OZTURK (TUR)
Eda TEKIN (TUR)
Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR)
Tetyana KIT (UKR)
Helen Louise MAROULIS (USA)

59kg
Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ)
Nuraida ANARKULOVA (KGZ)
Nazira MARSBEK KYZY (KGZ)
Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (RUS)
Elif YANIK (TUR)

62kg
Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA)
Ana Paula GODINEZ GONZALEZ (CAN)
Marianna SASTIN (HUN)
Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ)
Aminat Oluwafunmilayo ADENIYI (NGR)
Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS)
Liubov OVCHAROVA (RUS)
Marwa AMRI (TUN)
Cansu AKSOY (TUR)
Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR)
Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR)
Kayla Colleen Kiyoko MIRACLE (USA)

65kg
Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL)
Aina TEMIRTASSOVA  (KAZ)
Aleksandra WOLCZYNSKA (POL)
Kamila Czeslawa KULWICKA (POL)
Kriszta Tunde INCZE (ROU)
Linnea Antonia SVENSSON (SWE)
Malin Johanna MATTSSON (SWE)
Henna Katarina JOHANSSON  (SWE)
Asli DEMIR (TUR)
Asli TUGCU (TUR)
Oksana KUKHTA HERHEL (UKR)

68kg
Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)
Danielle Suzanne LAPPAGE (CAN)
Enas Mostafa Youssef Khourshed AHMED (EGY)
Koumba Selene Fanta LARROQUE (FRA)
Anna Carmen SCHELL (GER)
Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)
Battsetseg SORONZONBOLD  (MGL)
Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)
Natalia Iwona STRZALKA (POL)
Ewelina Weronika CIUNEK (POL)
Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL)
Khanum VELIEVA (RUS)
Tindra Linnea SJOEBERG (SWE)}
Nesrin BAS (TUR)
Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR)
Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (UKR)
Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA)|

72kg
Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)

Catalina AXENTE (ROU)
Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS)
Buse TOSUN (TUR)
Alla BELINSKA (UKR)

76kg
Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR)

Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA)
Erica Elizabeth WIEBE (CAN)
Samar Amer Ibrahim HAMZA (EGY)
Epp MAEE (EST)
Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER)
Francy RAEDELT (GER)
Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ)
Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)
Tumentsetseg SHARKHUU (MGL)
Patrycja SPERKA (POL)
Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS)
Alena STARODUBTSEVA (RUS)
Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR)
Dymond Precious GUILFORD  (USA)

Stadnik retires: Europe's best who rewrote history

By Vinay Siwach

BAKU, Azerbaijan (February 4) -- Four Olympic medals, six World Championships medals, 10 European titles, two European Games golds, many triumphs and heartbreaks later, Mariya STADNIK (AZE) has called it a day.

Stadnik, who debuted 22 years ago in 2003, announced her decision to retire from wrestling in an event organized by Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation in Baku on Monday. In an emotional video, Stadnik can be seen removing her shoes on the mat in front of a crowd and then speaking about her career.

"I recorded my name in the history of Women's Wrestling. Thank you to everyone who created this story together with me," Stadnik wrote on Instagram. "Now it's time to close this page of my life and write a new history."

Back in 2003, Stadnik began with a gold medal at the U17 European Championships, won a U20 world title two years later, added senior one as well and had a storied Olympic career which was laden with heartbreaks.

"I always had the motivation and will to win," Stadnik said last year. "I have had this will since early childhood, and this is endless."

READ MORE: Stadnik, 34, remains unbeaten in Europe

Though her will has stretched her career over two decades, Stadnik's decision to retire came after a lot of thought.

"In wrestling, I used all my chances," Stadnik said. "Now I understand that the time has come when I can be useful for wrestling in another role."

The 36-year-old, who was born in Ukraine but competed for Azerbaijan, will be moving into a caretaker role with the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation in Women's Wrestling and will be responsible for churning out new stars.

When Stadnik made her debut in 2003, Japan, China, United States and Canada were top nations. However, Stadnik changed that. She won her first World Championships medal in 2007 and qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in which she won a bronze medal as an 18-year-old.

Soon, she won her first world title in 2009 and emerged as the new force from Europe. She went on to win the European Championships as well. Stadnik brought competition to Women's Wrestling.

"For these countries, the competition with me was always serious," she said. "We always had tense and intriguing fights that were followed by the whole world. Mariya Stadnik from Azerbaijan was always a danger for them."

Mariya STADNIK (AZE)Mariya STADNIK (AZE) won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

Perhaps it was no surprise that she was in the final of 2011 World Championships and 2012 London Games. However, she came up short both times to Hitomi OBARI (JPN).

"I give a lot of respect to Obara because she was stronger than me at that moment and the London gold was hers," she said. "She was my strongest opponent whom I respect very much."

Barring those Japanese hurdles, Stadnik was unstoppable. She added more medals at the continental level and always stood on the podium at the World Championships.

Mariya STADNIK (AZE)A dejected Mariya STADNIK (AZE) at the 48kg medal ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

Then came the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Stadnik was at the peak of her wrestling her. A Olympic gold would take so much off her back. She was in the final of the 48kg in Rio and the gold medal was within touching distance as she was leading Eri TOSAKA (JPN) 2-1 in the final. But Tosaka crushed those dreams in the final five seconds, beating Stadnik 3-2.

Stadnik till today has no explanation as to what happened in those last five seconds of the final against Tosaka.

"I didn't watch my match from Rio for two years and still can't find an explanation why that competition ended like that," Stadnik said. "I knew and felt that the Rio gold should have been mine."

Stadnik geared up for one more time. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics would have been perfect ending for her. But by then, wrestling had changed with two-day weight ins, a newer generation of wrestlers had come up and Yui SUSAKI (JPN) was on a mission.

Mariya STADNIK (AZE)Mariya STADNIK (AZE) lost her first meeting with Yui SUSAKI (JPN) 2-2 at the Klippan Lady Open in 2018. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Max Rose-Fynn)

The first time Stadnik and Susaki faced each other was in the Klippan Lady Open final in 2018. Stadnik was winning the final but Susaki scored a stepout in the final second to shock Stadnik.

People doubted Stadnik and her mental strength. The 2019 World Championships gave a huge boost of confidence for Stadnik who won her second of the two world titles in Astana, exactly ten years after winning her first.

The Tokyo Olympics were just 10 months away and Stadnik was ready for it. However, with COVID-19 pandemic, it got pushed to 2021 and Susaki went on to win the gold medal with a 41-0 record in four bouts including a 10-0 rout of Stadnik in the semifinals.

Stadnik still managed to win a bronze medal, her fourth of the Olympics, tying her with Kaori ICHO (JPN) and Saori YOSHIDA (JPN). Icho was four golds and Yoshida has three silver and one bronze.

"I know people talk about the gold medal but I am so happy with this bronze. It's satisfying," she said back in 2021.

But Stadnik wasn't satisfied with wrestling. After being away from the mat in 2022, she returned in 2023 and won her ninth European title, the most in Women's Wrestling, extending her unbeaten streak in European Championships to 34 bouts.

Then she made a run for the Paris Olympics and though that meant taking losses to opponents she used to toy with in the past, the mother of two secured her place for Paris in the final qualifiers in Istanbul. Her body was ageing, reducing weight was becoming gruesome and her opponents were becoming quicker.

She returned home without a medal but became the first female wrestler to compete at five Olympics. Soon after Paris, Stadnik reflected on what she has left for wrestling and decided that a role off the mat was more suited now. Letting go off something so big in her life was hard and emotional for her.

"When I watched the video in which I take my shoes off, I had tears," she said. "This is the end of an important part of my life. What I loved so much for many years is ending."