#Rome2018

Russian Women Collect Five European Golds

By Eric Olanowski

ROME, Italy (August 3) - Russia closed out women’s wrestling on the fifth day of competition at the 2018 Junior European Championships with two gold medals, bringing their overall gold medal total to five. This is an improvement from their three gold medal performance at last year’s Dortmund European Championships.  

Coming into the final day of women’s wrestling, Russia had two finalists and commanded a 26-point lead over second place Turkey who had a solo day five finalist. Russia remained in the lead throughout the day, claiming the team title 26 points ahead of Ukraine, who surpassed Turkey for the second place spot with their pair of day five champions. 

Viktoriia VAULINA (RUS) and Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS) each wrapped up their gold medal bouts early, squashing their opponents 10-0 on their way to the top of the podium. 

Viktoriia Vauline, the 2014 cadet world champion finally got her age-level European gold medal after closing out the past two years with second and third place finishes. 

In the 57kg finals, Vauline shutout Sara Johanna LINDBORG (SWE), 10-0, giving Russia their fourth women’s wrestling gold medal. 

Evgeniia Zakharchenko was the second Russian women and fifth overall to win a gold medal. Zakharchenko only needed one minute to lock up a takedown and four trap-arm gut-wrenches, grabbing the 10-0 technical superiority victory over Enrica RINALDI (ITA). 

Wrestling resumes tomorrow with freestyle’s qualification rounds beginning at 10:30 AM (local time). The semifinals start at 5:15 PM and will be followed by the medal matches at 6:00 PM. 

RESULTS

Team Scores
GOLD – Russia (186 points)
SILVER – Ukraine (160 points)

BRONZE – Turkey (136 points)
Fourth – Italy (93 points)
Fifth – Germany (77 points)

53kg
GOLD - Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) df. Tatyana VARANSOVA (AZE), 10-0 

BRONZE -  Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU) df. Yevgeniya PAVLOVA (UKR), 12-5
BRONZE -  Ekaterina VERBINA (RUS) df. Kremena Krasimirova PETROVA (BUL),11-0 

57kg
GOLD -  Viktoriia VAULINA (RUS) df. Sara Johanna LINDBORG (SWE), 10-0 

BRONZE -  Alina AKOBIIA (UKR) df. Aleksandrina Nikolaeva KASHINOVA (BUL), 4-0 
BRONZE - Serena BOELKE (GER) df. Magdalena Urszula GLODEK (POL), 8-4

62kg
GOLD - Anhelina LYSAK (UKR) df. Yuliana Vasileva YANEVA (BUL), 5-1

BRONZE -  Daria BOBRULKO (RUS) df. Krystsina SAZYKINA (BLR), 2-2 
BRONZE -  Linnea Antonia SVENSSON (SWE) df. Viktoria FELHO (HUN), 8-0 

65kg
GOLD - Oksana CHUDYK (UKR) df. Eyleen SEWINA (GER), 10-0 

BRONZE - Elena ESPOSITO (ITA) df. Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL), 1-0 
BRONZE -  Asli DEMIR (TUR) df. Noémi SZABADOS (HUN), 5-3 

72kg
GOLD -  Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS) df. Enrica RINALDI (ITA), 10-0 

BRONZE - Maria larisa NITU (ROU) df. Kamila Czeslawa KULWICKA (POL), 3-2 
BRONZE -  Romana VOVCHAK (UKR) df. Tugba KILIC (TUR), 12-2 

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open 2026 Day 3 Live Blog: Women's Wrestling, Greco-Roman

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (February 6) -- The third day of the Zagreb Open will see Women's Wrestling in four weight classes and Greco-Roman in two weight classes. Women's Wrestling will be competed in 59kg, 62kg, 65kg and 68kg while GR will be in 63kg and 67kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | YAZDANI vs BUCHANAN FINAL

14:05: GR 67kg semifinals - Two top class matches! Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB), world champion at 63kg, beats Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN), 11-5. He began with an arm-throw for four and added a turn for a 6-0 lead. Sogabe managed to come back a few times but failed to take the lead. Eventually, Khalmakhanov threw Sogabe for two correct throws and win the semifinals.

He will face Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) who defeated another Japanese Katsuaki ENDO (JPN), 11-3. Chkhikvadze scored multiple correct throws in his semifinals to complete the victory.

13:55: GR 63kg semifinals - Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) drops his semifinal against Erfan JARKANI (IRI) 3-1 as the Iranian enters the final. He will face a surprise finalist in CHETAN (IND) who stunned former world champion Meysam DALKHANI (IR), 14-5.

13:40: 68kg semifinals - A fall for Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) in the semifinals over Aleah NICKEL (CAN) after building a 5-0 lead. Morikawa will face her first tough battle against Nesrin BAS (TUR) who stunned Kennedy BLADES (USA) in the other semifinal. In a low scoring bout, Blades went up 1-0 after a activity clock point. In the second period, Bas got the same point and then a stepout to lead 2-1, a lead she defended till the end.

13:25: 62kg semifinals - European silver medalist Johanna LINDBORG (SWE) with a quick 10-0 victory over ANJLI (IND). Lindborg with a drag for four before rolling to a technical superiority. For the gold medal, Lindborg will face Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) who had a tough time beating Macey KILTY (USA), 5-2, in the other semifinal.

13:15: 59kg semifinals - Alexis JANIAK (USA), a former U20 world bronze medalist, gets the better of U20 world silver medalist Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) in the semifinals. Janiak with a takedown and turn to make it 4-0. She then counters Hurbanova on three different occasions and wins 10-0. A lost challenge from Azerbaijan makes it 11-0.

Sena NAGAMOTO (JPN) stops the final from being all-USA as she beats Abigail NETTE (USA) 11-0 and secures a place in the final

12:55: Kennedy BLADES (USA) survives a scare against Mansi LATHER (IND) in the 68kg quarterfinal. Blades took a 5-1 in the first period but Lather scored a takedown to close the gap to 5-3. Blades challenged the decision and got it overturned on review. But Lather's pressure made Blades passive, though she defended well. Blades gave up a takedown but that was all as Blades wins and makes it to the semifinals.

12:28: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) puts a show and beats Valentin PETIC (MDA), 12-4, at 67kg. After leading 6-4, he hit a four-pointer and then a turn to finish the bout via technical superiority

12:20: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), U23 world champion, scores two turns from par terre and beats world champion Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) at 63kg. Sultangali was down 5-2 but scored an exposure to make it 5-4. However, he failed to score another point which would have given him the win.

12:15: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) continues her campaign with yet another 10-0 victory at 68kg. She beats Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW) and moves into the semifinals.

12:10: Nesrin BAS (TUR) who got a walkover in her first bout, leg laces NISHA (IND) for a 10-0 win and make her place in the 68kg semifinal. Bas took a 4-0 lead and then decided to sit on it. But in the last minute, she got a takedown and two turns to win.

12:00: Katsuaki ENDO (JPN) is checked up Sachin SAHRAWAT (IND) but the Japanese star manages to hold on for a 4-2 victory and move into the quarterfinals at 67kg against Morten THORSEN (NOR). 

11:45: World champion at 65kg Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), now wrestling at 68kg, takes her own time but manages to beat Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU), 10-0, in her opening bout in Zagreb

11:35: Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) failed to score any points from par terre in the first period but he gets the takedown and moves to a 9-0 victory at 67kg against Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO).

11:30: World champion at 63kg Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) has moved up to 67kg. And he has no trouble in winning his first bout via technical super superiority. He tries to score a throw when Mohamed ABDELREHIM (EGY) commits a leg foul. Back in par terre, Khalmakhanov completes the turn and wins 10-0

11:25: Kennedy BLADES (USA), world bronze medalist at 68kg, was flying against Karolina POK (HUN) having taken an 11-2 lead. However, she decided to not end the bout via technical superiority and kept her distance in the second period and won with the same scoreline.

11:20: NISHA (IND) stays in total control of her bout against Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE) and posts an 8-1 victory. While Soltanova did get on a few scrambles, Nisha managed to defend the positions and scored her eight points.

11:15: Nonoka OZAKI (JPN), a world champion at 65kg in 2023 and Paris bronze medalist at 68kg, is back at 62kg. She begins with a 12-2 technical superiority win over Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ)

11:10: Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ), world champion at 60kg, now wrestling 63kg gets going with an 8-2 victory over Adham ELSAYED (EGY).

11:00: Former age-group world champion Eniko ELEKES (HUN) gets a 10-0 technical superiority win over Marilyn GARCIA (USA) at 62kg. Excellent control throughout the bout for Elekes.

10:45: Early explosive Greco-Roman action here. Oybek SHARIBJONOV (UZB) gets the technical superiority win over Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) at 67kg in just over two minutes. Mohsen Nezhad, a U20 world champion, tries to front headlock Sharibjonov and score a throw but the Uzbek wrestler gets the control and sends Mohsen Nezhad to danger to get four points. Mohsen Nezhad tries to get another move but lands on his back and gives up two points. Sharibjonov scores a turn and wins 8-0. Iran challenges for the first action for four points but the challenge is lost.

10:30: Another big day of wrestling coming up in Zagreb. The 68kg weight class in Women's Wrestling has a few big names with Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), Kennedy BLADES (USA), NISHA (IND), Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW), Nesrin BAS (TUR) competing among others.