#WrestleNoviSad

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

Thursday, March 7, 2019 - 20:06 By Eric Olanowski

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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

#WrestleTirana

WATCH: Shiotani's signature move - Reverse Lift or Tawaragaeshi

Monday, March 3, 2025 - 10:38 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (March 3) -- Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) has done it many times domestically in Japan. On Sunday, he showed it to international fans.

As soon as he get the par terre position, instead for the typical gut-wrench, Shiotani goes for the reverse lift.

The reverse lift, known as Tawaragaeshi in Japanese, majorly seen in Greco-Roman wrestling when the wrestler on top in par terre jumps to face the grounded wrestler and the locks his hands around the opponents waist to throw him over his own head, or sometimes sideways.

That Aleksandr KARELIN photo in which he is clenching his teeth as he lifts his opponent like a sack. Exactly, a reverse lift.

Shiotani, former Asian champion, has mastered that move. And a reverse lift masterclass was on display on the final day of the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series 2025 in Tirana.

Out of the 53 points he scored on Sunday, Shiotani got 33 points from his signature reverse lift. Match after match, he would try the move and succeed as if the opponents did not how to defend it.

"There's not much to think about during a game like this. I do the Tawaragaeshi as if my body were moving on its own," Shiotani said.

Yu SHIOTANI (JPN)Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) performs a reverse lift during the 60kg semifinal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostandin Andonov)

The Japanese federation Instagram page is full of Shiotani's reverse lift videos. Despite his go-to move, Shiotani is shy to explain his obsession with the move which he performs even when he is in a position to pin or roll his opponent.

"I'm trying to switch things up and try to lift the wrestlers rather than trying to hold him down," Shiotani said. "I'm always practicing so I am able to do it in any situation."

Shiotani doesn't hide it that he is going for the reverse lift. He ideally starts from a chest wrap and quickly moves his grip to waist. If the opponent tries to raise his head to defend, Shiotani scores an exposure, opening more scoring options.

This was the first time Shiotani was wrestling at 60kg in a UWW event, up from 55kg but he said that he always remained in shape for wrestling.

"I always keep in shape," he said. "Ever since moved up the weight class, I've always believed that I could win by building my body, so I'm glad I was able to do that."