#WrestleSamokov

Russia Wins Cadet Euro WW Team Title

By United World Wrestling Press

SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (June 18) --- Russia came into the final day of women’s wrestling at the Cadet European Championships with a four-point lead over Ukraine. After winning four of five medal matches on Friday night, they claimed the team title with 179 points. In the end, Russia finished 24 points ahead of Ukraine and picked up medals in nine weight classes – including a trio of titles.

Natalia KHRAMENKOVA (RUS) won Russia’s lone gold of the day, but they also earned three bronzes and a silver.

Ukraine and Belarus closed out the competition with a pair of Day Five champions and finished with 155 points. But when it was all said and done, Ukraine held criteria after winning three golds compared to Belarus’ pair of champions.

Ukraine’s pair of champions were Anastasiia POLSKA (40kg) and Iryna BONDAR (61kg). Polska pinned Alexandra VOICULESCU (ROU) and won her third European gold medal. She also won U15 European gold in ’19 and ’21. Ukrainian’s second Friday champion Bondar also scored a fall in the gold-medal match. She stuck Kseniya TSIARENIA (BLR) and improved on her runner-up finish from the ’19 U15 European Championships.

Sviatlana KATENKA (46kg) and Viktoryia RADZKOVA (69kg) were Belarus’ pair of champs. Katenka defeated Sofia FEDORCHENKO (RUS), 7-4, while Radzkova shutout Karolina Janina JAWORSKA (POL), 6-0.

RESULTS

40kg
GOLD - Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR) df. Alexandra VOICULESCU (ROU), via fall
BRONZE - Tana TIULIUSH (RUS) df. Veranika PRYLOUSKAYA (BLR)

46kg
GOLD - Sviatlana KATENKA (BLR) df. Sofia FEDORCHENKO (RUS), 7-4
BRONZE - Kornelia Nikolett LASZLO (HUN) df. Diana LATS (UKR), 2-0
BRONZE - Zenfira HASHIMOVA (AZE) df. Marina SATKOEVI (GEO), 5-0

53kg
GOLD - Natalia KHRAMENKOVA (RUS) df. Tuba DEMIR (TUR), 4-0
BRONZE - Volha HARDZEI (BLR) df. Oliwia MAKUCH (GER), via fall
BRONZE - Immacolata DANISE (ITA) df. Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP), 12-2

61kg
GOLD - Iryna BONDAR (UKR) df. Kseniya TSIARENIA (BLR), via fall
BRONZE - Busra EFE (TUR) df. Viktoria BORSOS (HUN), 5-2
BRONZE - Viktoriia KHUSAINOVA (RUS) df. Masa PEROVIC (SRB), 10-0

69kg
GOLD - Viktoryia RADZKOVA (BLR) df. Karolina Janina JAWORSKA (POL), 6-0
BRONZE - Alina RYBKINA (RUS) df. Iryna ZABLOTSKA (UKR), 3-2
BRONZE - Noemi OSVATH NAGY (HUN) df. Cassidy RICHTER (GER), 4-0

#WrestleAlexandria

Eight Golds Power Nigeria to Women's Team Title

By United World Wrestling Press

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (May 2) -- For a second day in a row, Nigeria was stopped from sweeping the gold medals in Women's Wrestling at the African Championships in Alexandria.

After winning four out of five golds on Friday, Nigeria was well on course to win all five remaining golds on Saturday but Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN) defeated Ebi BIOGOS (NGR), 6-2, in the 72kg final to halt the march.

UWW Plus

Sghaier, wrestling for the first time since the 2024 Paris Olympics, used a rather dangerous trip to score her first takedown and then rolled Biogos for two more points. Down 4-2, Biogos tried scoring the final few seconds but Sghaier scored a go-behind for the win, her third African gold.

But the evening began with Miesinnei GENESIS (NGR) winning her sixth African title after beating Chahrazed AYACHI (TUN), 6-0, in a controlled 50kg final.

Genesis began with a stepout before using a snapdown to go-behind takedown to lead 3-0. Ayachi was called for passivity and put on the 30-second activity clock. As Ayachi failed to score any points, Genesis got another point to lead 4-0 at the break.

A simple go-behind takedown in the second period for Genesis made it 6-0, a lead she defended for the remaining 1:24 to win the gold medal.

At 55kg, Adijat IDRIS (NGR) won all three bouts in the round-robin bracket without giving up a single point to claim the gold medal, her second straight at the African Championships.

Esther ASAOLU (NGR), making her senior debut, then added the third gold medal by winning all her bouts at 59kg in the round-robin bracket. She began with a victory via fall over Kavelishimwe ABRAHAM (NAM), then a 10-0 win over Gloria NIYONKURU (BDI) before beating Chaima DAHI (TUN) and Mariam MESBAH (EGY) by an identical 10-0 score.

Though she lost to Asaolu, Abraham went on to win her remaining three bouts to claim the silver medal, the first in the history of Namibia in Women's Wrestling. She was also the first woman wrestler from Namibia to ever medal internationally when she won the silver medal at the U20 African Championships in 2023. She repeated in 2024 and on Saturday, she made history at the senior level.

The fourth gold medal for Nigeria came at 65kg after three-time African champion Mercy ADEKUOROYE (NGR) swept through her three bouts, winning 10-0, 10-0 and via fall.

Photo

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Miesinnei GENESIS (NGR) df. Chahrazed AYACHI (TUN), 6-0

BRONZE: Ibtissem DOUDOU (ALG) df. Malak AHMED (EGY), 6-3

55kg
GOLD: Adijat IDRIS (NGR)
SILVER: Hagar ELSHAKHS (EGY)
BRONZE: Lobna ICHAOUI (TUN)

59kg
GOLD: Esther ASAOLU (NGR)
SILVER: Kavelishimwe ABRAHAM (NAM)
BRONZE: Mariam MESBAH (EGY)

65kg
GOLD: Mercy ADEKUOROYE (NGR)
SILVER: Ritag ELMALTY (EGY)
BRONZE: Lec ANDE (CAF)

72kg
GOLD: Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN) df. Ebi BIOGOS (NGR), 6-2

BRONZE: Rosie TABORA (COD) df. Aimelda NDIFFO (CMR), 12-2
BRONZE: Heba IBRAHIM (EGY) df. Yasmine BOUREGBA (ALG), via fall (6-2)