#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 Women's Wrestling Day 3 Results

By Vinay Siwach

BAKU, Azerbaijan (July 29) -- The U17 World Wrestling Championships 2026 enters day three with five Women's Wrestling weight classes - 43kg, 49kg, 57kg, 65kg and 73kg.

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WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | WOMEN'S WRESTLING WATCH | DAY 2 RESULTS

14:27: U17 Asian champion GARIMA (IND) was a little surprised when Karina MUZALEVSKAIA  (RUS) managed a takedown on her but she manages to dominate her quarterfinals and win 9-2. She will face Kaili MANUEL (USA) for a spot in the final.

14:25: Bianka BARANY (HUN) gave no chance to Lyra LEDERER (GER) and wins the quarterfinal at 73kg. She sets up a rematch of U17 European Championships against Solomiia PETRIV (UKR) which the Ukrainian won.

14:11: Solomiia PETRIV (UKR), the returning bronze medalist from 69kg, is bullying her opponents. She beats Aisha WILLIAMS (PAN), 11-0, in the quarterfinals at 73kg. She attacks with lot of force which unsettles her opponents. Into the semis now 

14:08: Saika UCHIDA (JPN), trying to match her sister world bronze medalist Sowaka, is into the semifinals at 49kg after yet another 10-0 win. She beats Irina TSYDEEVA (RUS) in 3:19

Wrestling Epenesa ELISON (USA)Epenesa ELISON (USA) is chasing the world title at 57kg after finishing with a silver medal at 53kg last year. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

14:00: Epenesa ELISON (USA) uses the lace to beat Mia KOVAC (CRO), 10-0, in the 57kg quarterfinals and she moves into the semifinals, where she will face Gurleen DHILLON (CAN). The other semifinals will see Nikita SEHRAWAT (IND) and Mariia POLTORAK (UKR) clash

13:55: U17 European champion at 57kg Janka SILLEI (HUN) falls in the quarterfinals against Gurleen DHILLON (CAN). The match began with Dhillon hitting a four but Sillei worked her way to 4-4 but criteria remained with Dhillon for her bigger move. Dhillon once again took a clear 6-4 lead with a takedown. Sillei managed to pancake Dhillon for two points and tried pinning her. For 20 seconds she continued to work on it but Dhillon survived, making her a 6-6 criteria winner. 

13:40: Solomiia PETRIV (UKR), the U17 European champion, uses a mix of takedowns and stepouts to beat Kaillany MELO (BRA) and advances to the qaurterfinals at 73kg.  

13:30: Sera FURUICHI (JPN) thought she nailed a 1-1 win but Mukhlisa MASHARIPOVA (UZB) with a big throw to win 5-1 barely seconds before the match finished. Masharipova moves into the semifinals.

13:15: Bianka BARANY (HUN), the U17 European silver medalist, gets a fall over Chamangul MUKHAMMATSALIEVA (UZB) and moves into the quarterfinals at 73kg. 

13:08: U17 Asian champion GARIMA (IND) has no trouble seeing off Rodina SOLIMAN (EGY), 11-0, at 73kg and she moves into the quarterfinals.

12:55: Saika UCHIDA (JPN), sister of Asian champion Sowaka, finishes her opening bout at 49kg against Isabelle CHEN (CAN), 11-0. Uchida won the U17 Asian gold last year.

12:45: Janka SILLEI (HUN) clearly has a better gameplan against European style wrestlers. She beats Sofiia BELOVA (RUS), 9-5, in her second bout at 57kg and enter the quarterfinals

We had an internet interruption but everything seems to be back on track. The matches were stopped.

12:15: Epenesa ELISON (USA) was off to work straight off the whistle in her 57kg bout against Nadiia ZHOLTIKOVA (ESP). She scored five different takedowns and one turn to beat Zholtikova 12-2 in the first period

12:05: Sera FURUICHI (JPN) with a final-second front headlock exposure to beat DIKSHA (IND), 7-7, on last-point criteria at 43kg. Furuichi was the one dictating the match but Diksha scored two cradle exposure to lead 6-3 at one point before Furuichi made a comeback in the second period

11:27: U17 Asian champion GARIMA (IND) with her relentless forward wrestling and Diana TURGUNBEKOVA (KGZ) has no answers to it. Garima sweeps the 73kg bout 10-0 and advances to the 1/8 finals

11:15: Another battle at 57kg as Epenesa ELISON (USA), who won silver at 53kg last  year, was up against Rion SUZUKI (JPN) in opening bout. She races to a 4-0 lead before Suzuki cuts it to 4-2 with a takedown. That was all Suzuki would score in the bout as Elison managed two assertive takedowns to win 8-2 and advance

11:00: Returning silver medalist from 49kg, Janka SILLEI (HUN), who won U17 European gold, has a tough time against Arina KUANYSHOVA (KAZ) in the opening bout at 57kg. Kuanyshova takes a 2-2 criteria lead before scoring another takedown to double it. Sillei manages a reversal to make it 4-3 before hitting a leg attack to score the match-winning takedown and win 5-4. But her conditioning doesn't seem par here

10:30: Women's Wrestling day in Baku with five weight classes and keep an eye on 57kg and 73kg, among the best.