#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

#WrestleAthens

Wrestling World U17 C'ships: Freestyle Live Results

By Vinay Siwach

ATHENS, Greece (August 1) -- The World U17 Championships will be moving to Freestyle action with 48kg, 55kg, 65kg, 80kg and 110kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 4 RESULTS

14:30: The big three at 110kg -- Magomedrasul OMAROV (UWW), Amirhossein NAGHDALIPOUR (IRI) and LACKY (IND) -- win their respective quarterfinals and enter the semifinals.

14:15: Zhakshylyk BOROBAEV (KGZ) thought he had the win at 55kg. But Jinnosuke OKONOGI (JPN) still had something in him and then. He scores a takedown manages to turn Borobaev for two more points and lead 9-8. He is ecstatic! He will wrestle Burnett later.

14:00: Greyton BURNETT (USA) shuts down Jaiveer SINGH (IND) and gets a 3-0 win over Singh at 55kg. Burnett gave no opening to Singh to score.

13:45: Big match on Mat A at 65kg between Asian U17 champion Gaurav PUNIA (IND) and Pan-Am U17 champion Arseni KIKINIOU (USA). Punia tries a leg-attack but Kikinou with a counter and turn for two points. Punia with a reversal. Kikinou led 3-1 at the break. Punia gets the exposure for two points to take a 3-3 criteria lead but Kikinou manages to put Punia in danger in the same scramble which makes it 5-3 for him. Kikinou cautioned for fleeing but he wins 5-4.

13:35: Morteza HAJ (IRI) gets a takedown in the final seconds to beat Ivan ZALISKO (UKR) at 65kg. Zalisko led 4-4 on criteria but Haj makes a  big comeback.

13:10: LACKY (IND) gut-wrenches Hanto HAYASHI (JPN) and wins his 110kg bout 10-0. He is looking to add a world title to his Asian title he won in June

13:06: In a match that saw six stepouts, Amirhossein NAGHDALIPOUR (IR) manages keep his breath and beat Zekeriya DOGAN (TUR) 6-2 at 110kg.

12:56: Aaron STEWART (USA) cuts shorts Marshall EVERETT JONES (GBR) tournament with an 11-0 hammering at 80kg. Stewart just overpowered Everett Jones.

12:55: Jinnosuke OKONOGI (JPN) hands Mohammadreza BARARI (IRI) a 4-1 loss at 55kg. Solid positioning from Okonogi. Barari's tactics of keeping it slow did not work out.

12:45: Nihad SULEYMANLI (AZE) is shocked after Issa ZANGIEV (UWW) gets front roll for two points and wins the 80kg 1/8 final 6-5. Suleymanli did well to keep his lead but failed in the final second. Azerbaijan challenges but it loses it. Zangiev wins 7-5

12:35: Greyton BURNETT (USA) gets a takedown with 20 seconds remaining to lead 3-1 against Armen PAPIKYAN (ARM) who needed a two-point technique to win. He however gets one a stepout. Burnett wins 3-2 at 55kg.

12:27Asian U17 champion Gourav PUNIA (IND) like a workhorse with five takedowns and he defeats Kodai IWASAKI (JPN) 10-0 at 65kg.

12:25: Adisbek ALTYNBEKOV (KGZ) went five on Kiryl PAULIUCHENKA (UWW), not once but twice to win his 65kg match 10-0. Those were some high level throws from the Kyrgyz, a bronze medalist from Asian U17 Championships

12:05: Magomedrasul OMAROV (UWW), European champion at 110kg, begins with a 11-0 win over Yu Chiao CHUANG (TPE), who had his own troubles with bleeding. He needed several medical timeouts

11:45: Marshall EVERETT JONES (GBR), European U17 bronze medalist, comes out with a huge underhook throw for four and then rolls Levan CHERTKOEV (FRA) to win 10-0 at 80kg.

11:40: Mohammadparsa KARAMI (IRI) keeps his strong positions and beats Buyantogtokh BYAMBADORJ (MGL) 7-2 at 80kg to give Iran the third win of the day. Iran is hoping to reclaim the U17 team title.

11:19: European champion Ruslan ALIZADA (AZE) has no trouble seeing off Dan BULGARU (MDA) 10-0 at 55kg. Alizada is one of more exciting prospects in this Azerbaijan team.

11:15: Iran with back-to-back wins! Morteza HAJ (IRI) beats Yandro SOTO RIVERA (PUR) at 65kg and Mohammadreza BARARI (IRI) defends a late attack from Aleksandar DELCHEV (BUL) to win at 55kg.

11:05: Asian U17 champion Gourav PUNIA (IND) slams Changxin WU (CHN) for a big four and then exposes his two times to win 11-0 at 65kg.

10:50: Quick results at 65kg as Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UWW) beats Nikos SOURAILOV (CYP) 10-0, followed by European U17 silver medalist Huseyn ISMAYILOV (AZE) getting a 4-2 win over Liam GORTON (CAN). Pan-Am champion Arseni KIKINIOU (USA) also has a technical superiority win over Nikita KOZICH (ISR).

10:30: Freestyle action will take centerstage at the World U17 Championships in Athens. The United States will once again be favorite to win the team title but Iran will look to challenge them.