#WrestleNoviSad

Russia Reels in Two Day 4 Golds, Takes Team Lead into Friday

By Eric Olanowski

NOVI SAD, Serbia (March 7) – The Russian Federation had a pair of Day 4 champions, and also won two silvers and a bronze. They lead second-place Ukraine by 27 points heading into the final day of women’s wrestling at the U23 European Championships. 

Viktoriia VAULINA and Daria SHISTEROVA were the pair of Russian women who reached the top of the podium on the fourth day of wrestling in Novi Sad, Serbia. 

In the 55kg finals, Viktoriia Vaulina outscored Eda TEKIN (TUR) 6-0 in the final period and grabbed the gold medal with a 7-2 victory. 

Vaulina used an inactivity point to carry the 1-0 lead into the second period. The Russian lifted her Turkish opponent with a high crotch, then transitioned to a turn and extended her lead to 5-0. She closed the matched with a defensive stop and grabbed her second takedown of the match to win her first U23 European title with the 7-2 victory. 

The second Russian gold medalist was Daria Shisterova, who stuck Turkey’s Aysegul OZBEGE in 60 seconds to claim the 76kg title. 

Ukraine sits in second place with 78 points, thanks to their Day 4 gold medalist, Oksana LIVACH. 

Livach fought her way out of a four-point opening period hole and scored the 4-4 come-from-behind win over Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RUS) in the 50kg finals. 

The Budapest world bronze medalist gave up a takedown, followed by a gut wrench and fell behind 4-0 early in the first period. The Ukrainian locked up a first-period takedown of her own and closed her Russian opponent’s lead to 4-2. 

In the second, Livach threw a headlock and slipped her way to a second takedown, grabbing the 4-4 lead, and ultimately the win on criteria. Livach’s Thursday night win gave her a second consecutive U23 European title and fifth overall continental title.

Meanwhile, the final two Day 4 gold medals went to Moldova’s Anastasia NICHITA and Poland’s Natalia STRZALKA. 

At 59kg, Anastasia Nichita improved on her runner-up finish from a season ago and picked up the fall over Ukraine's Anhelina LYSAK with one second remaining in the gold-medal bout. 

Nichita was leading 3-2 when her Ukrainian opponent went for a double over hook throw but gave up the fall instead. 

In the 68kg finals, Natalia Strzalka shutout four-time age-group world champion Khanum VELIEVA (RUS), 3-0, to reach the top of the podium at the European Champions for the first time in her career. 

Russia has 105 points and leads Ukraine by 27 points. Turkey, Belarus, and Poland round out the top-5 respectively heading into the closing day of women's wrestling at U23 European Championships. 

RESULTS
Team Scores 

GOLD – Russia (105 points)
SILVER – Ukraine (78 points)
BRONZE - Turkey (62 points)
Fourth – Belarus (49 points)
Fifth - Poland (41 points)

50kg 
GOLD - Oksana LIVACH (UKR) df. Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RUS), 4-4 
BRONZE - Kseniya STANKEVICH (BLR) df. Katarzyna KAMINSKA (POL), 10-0 
BRONZE - Miglena Georgieva SELISHKA (BUL) df. Turkan NASIROVA (AZE), 5-4 

55kg
GOLD - Viktoriia VAULINA (RUS) df. Eda TEKIN (TUR), 7-2
BRONZE - Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU) df. Ellen RIESTERER (GER), 4-2
BRONZE - Sezen Behchetova BELBEROVA (BUL) df. Szimonetta Timea SZEKER (HUN), 4-1 

59kg 
GOLD - Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) df. Anhelina LYSAK (UKR), via fall 
BRONZE - Zelfira SADRADDINOVA (RUS) df. Anna FABIAN (SRB), 11-1 
BRONZE - Emma JOHANSSON (SWE) df. Yuliya PISARENKA (BLR), via fall 

68kg (Single bronze)
GOLD - Natalia STRZALKA (POL) df. Khanum VELIEVA (RUS), 3-0 
BRONZE - Alina RUDNYTSKA LEVYTSKA (UKR) df. Yauheniya ANDREICHYKAVA (BLR), via fall 

76kg  
GOLD - Daria SHISTEROVA (RUS) df. Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR), via fall 
BRONZE - Georgina NELTHORPE (GBR) df. Enrica RINALDI (ITA), 3-1
BRONZE - Diana VLASCEANU (ROU) df. Romana VOVCHAK (UKR), 12-9

2026 U17 World Championships

U17 World Championships 2026 Day 6 Freestyle Highlights

By Vinay Siwach

BAKU, Azerbaijan (August 1) -- The day six of the U17 World Championships will be all Freestyle with action in 45kg, 51kg, 60kg, 81kg and 92kg weight classes. The matches will go on till semifinals before the medal bouts of Friday's weight classes.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 5 RESULTS

 

15:15: Rylen WAX (USA) takes another step towards winning gold after he beats Aryn ZHANAT (KAZ), 8-6, 45kg. Zhanat hit a four-pointer to lead 5-4 at the start of the second period but Wax with a takedown to make it 6-5. Zhanat threatened to score the match winning takedown but Wax whizzed him for a two before a reversal but was safe to win the bout and reach the semifinal.

15:08: Ibrahim HASANOV (AZE) gets one back for Azerbaijan as he beats GOVIND (IND), 10-3 at 51kg. He scored an early takedown and turned Govind twice to lead 6-1. Govind played catch up for the remaining time as Hasanov would sit after grabbing the leg and defend his lead.

15:05: Mahdi DAMERCHELI (IRI) scored two takedowns to Marko KVASNIUK (UKR) one and wins the battle 5-2 and enters the semifinals at 45kg.

15:00: Marshall EVERETT (GBR) is into the 92kg semifinals after an 11-0 blanking of Amirbek FAZLITDINOV (UZB). Everett with a strong performance and he will now wrestle for a medal for Great Britian

14:55: Salah TSARNI (USA) puts on a masterclass to beat Shu YOSHIDA (JPN) at 92kg. Tsarni scores easy takedowns before hitting a big four-pointer. He then trips Yoshida for another four for a 12-0 win.

14:51: SITENDER (IND) returns to the semifinals at the World Championships after he beats Shai SABAG (ISR) at 60kg. He uses the trap arm gut to finish a 10-0 win.

14:50: Aryn ZHANAT (KAZ) rolls to a 10-0 win over Siarhei LAUZHEL (BLR) in a minute and 15 seconds to enter the quarterfinals at 45kg.

14:40: A challenge saves Reza SHAMSIPOUR (IRI) at 71kg! After leading 5-0, Shamsipour gave up four points in the last 30 seconds and then Adilet RYSBAY (KAZ) scored the match winning points to claim 6-5 victory. But Iran challenges and wins it as Rysbay had committed a foul. An ecstatic Shamsipour could not controlled his happiness

14:20: Bonkers match on Mat A between Davit MDZEVASHVILI (GEO) and Taha GANJEH (IRI). Mdzeashvili took a 6-0 lead which Ganjeh erased and scored 10 points. However Mdzevashvili scored a four-pointer and took a 10-10 criteria lead with 30 seconds left. Ganjeh did not give up and used a lift to get two points and Mdzeashvili scored a reversal. Ganjeh led 12-11 when time expired but Georgia challenged. On review, it was clear that Mdzeashvili got a two-point exposure and not a reversal for one point, making him a 12-12 winner at 60kg

14:03: SITENDER (IND), the defending champion at 60kg, beats Mardan ORYNBASSAR (KAZ), 13-3 and advances to the quarterfinals. Sitender with two four point throws in the match

13:55: Rylen WAX (USA), who won the gold medal at 45kg in Greco-Roman, begins his Freestyle campaign with a 14-3 win over Hanumant JADHAV (USA). Wax with some big throws using the headpinch as Jadhav struggled to even stand his ground

13:50: Mahdi DAMERCHELI (IRI) has no trouble seeing off Aldar BADMAEV (RUS) at 45kg. The U17 Asian champion had Badmaev in all sorts of trouble, majorly circling around and scoring takedowns. A 9-2 win for the Iranian.

13:30: Marshall EVERETT (GBR) with some solid counters against Yasin ERTURK (TUR) as he moves on at 92kg after a 6-2 win

13:20: Reza SHAMSIPOUR (IRI) on a roll here! Typical Iranian wrestling of pressuring his opponent and Camryn HOWARD (USA) has no answers. Shamsipour wins 8-1 and advances at 71kg

12:56: Abdurazak SHABANOV (RUS) stops after his third turn against Anatoli TAMAROVICH (BLR) thinking he has done enough to beat the Belarus wrestler at 92kg. But he was only up 8-0 so he scores one more takedown soon after to complete a 10-0 victory

12:52: U17 European silver medalist Ali DADAEV (FRA) takes his time but beats Johnson TSAKIRAKIS (AUS) at 92kg, 12-2.

12:50: Shota FUJIWARA (JPN) and Joseph BURKE (USA) with some great wrestling at 60kg. Fujiwara was up 3-2 at the break but Burke with a Burroughs-like double-leg attack and turn to lead 6-3. However, Fujiwara counters and lifts Burke and dumps him for four points to lead 7-6. He scores a takedown and a stepout to win the bout 10-6

12:30: SAKSHAM (IND) continues the winning run of India wrestlers over Azerbaijan wrestler as he beats Elgun KARIMLI (AZE) at 92kg, 5-5 on criteria. Karimli led 4-4 on criteria before scoring a stepout in the second period to make it 5-4. Saksham found no way to score but got a stepout with 3 seconds left to win the bout.

12:15: Exceptional wrestling from U17 Asian silver medalist Masamune USHIMADO (JPN) who completes a 10-0 win over Yigit EGEMEN (TUR) at 51kg. A series of sweep singles are unanswered by Egemen and Ushimado manages to complete all five takedowns.

11:55: Said NABIEV (TJK) with a stunning 12-1 win over Evan RESTIVO (USA) at 51kg. Difficult result for the U.S. after none of its wrestlers made the finals on Friday

11:40: Defending champion at 60kg SITENDER (IND) begins with an 11-0 blanking of Sufjan SINANI (MKD). Sitender led 1-0 after Sinani was called passive and then he scored a takedown and four turns in the second period to complete the victory. 

11:25: Tunar GULIYEV (AZE) is not happy after a challenge decision is given against him. The Azerbaijan wrestler led 2-0 against Adilet RYSBAY (KAZ) but the Kazakhstan wrestler scored a takedown to lead 2-2 on criteria. Guliyev challenged asking for two points for himself but on review, there were no points and a cautioned point was docked from Guliyev for biting Rysbay. Dramatic emotions from Guliyev as he is unable to process the result

11:20: Koichiro NAGAI (JPN) with a smile on his face after he scores a late takedown to beat Joab CARRILLO (PUR), 6-4, and win his 71kg bout

11:10: Reza SHAMSIPOUR (IRI) begins with an 8-4 win over Jaloliddin DJALALOV (UZB) in the wide-open 71kg weight class. Down 2-0, Shamsipour switches with a head-outside single and scores a takedown and turn to lead 4-2. He begins the second period with a takedown as well before fumbling one attack and Djalalov makes it count. But Shamsipour, leading 6-4, is happy to defend. He got one more takedown at the end to finish the bout.

11:00: Orel BENOGUEV (ISR) had no business winning the 71kg bout against Mohamed HAFEZ (EGY) who dominant it throughout. But Benoguev used a headlock for throw and then pinned Hafez when trailing 11-5.

10:30: As usual, the repechage rounds will begin the day before moving to the qualification rounds of the five weight classes.