#WrestleFaenza

Russian Women Outscore Finals Opponents 25-2, Wins Trio of Day 4 Titles

By Eric Olanowski

FAENZA, Italy (June 20) – The Russian Federation capped off the fourth day of wrestling at the Cadet European Championships with women’s wrestling medals in all five weight classes, three of which were golds, and racked up an 18-2 record. Maybe more impressive, their two losses came against the eventual European champions. Russia (110 points) holds a 36-point lead over Ukraine (74 points) heading into the final day of women’s wrestling. 

Four Russian women competed in Day 4 gold-medal matches, but Amina TANDELOVA, Ekaterina GLUKHAREVA, and Olga KOZYREVA walked away as European champions. 

Angelina PERVUKHINA finished with a silver medal, while Olga REKHMETULLOVA (RUS) was able to fight back after her opening round loss to win a bronze medal. 

Amina Tandelova gave the most dominant wrestling nation in the world their first Day 4 gold medal. She picked an opening period takedown, a pair of second-period takedowns, and defeated Krystyna SOKOLOVSKA (UKR), 6-0 in the 57kg gold-medal match. 

Tandelova’s first takedown came from a high crotch in the first period, but that wasn’t her most impressive move of the period. She did a beautiful job sitting out and boot-scooting to stop a Ukrainian go behind before the first period ended and carried the 2-0 lead into the final two minutes of the match.  

In the second period, a counter-offensive go-behind and a takedown as time expired helped Tandelova improve on her runner-up finish from last year with a 6-0 shutout victory. 

Ekaterina GLUKAREVA (RUS) bullied her way past a frustrated Veronica BRASCHI (ITA), 6-0 in the 65kg finals. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Russia’s second 25-point gold-medal winner was Ekaterina Glukhareva who bullied her way past a clearly frustrated Veronica BRASCHI (ITA) in the 65kg finals.

Glukhareva controlled the entire four-minute match with her left underhook, using it to pick up four stepouts and an inactivity point. Gluhareva tacked on two additional points with a defensive stop and handed Russia their second shutout win of the night. 

Olga KOZYREVA (RUS) celebrates after her 12-2 victory Jennifer ROESLER (GER) in the 73kg finals. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Olga KOZYREVA (RUS) was two points away from handing Russia their third finals shutout but surrendered a takedown before ending the 73kg gold-medal match with a 12-2 victory over Jennifer ROESLER (GER).

Kozyreva kick-started the match with a snatch single and had the 2-0 lead, then tossed Roesler to her back with a four-point whip over. Kozyreva commanded the early 6-0 lead when she shot an outside double, came up to her feet and brought Roesler back down to the mat for the takedown. She started to celebrate, thinking the referees awarded four points, but instead, she was only given two points and had the 8-0 lead. 

Kozyreva gave up a takedown and carried the 8-2 lead into the final period, but it only took her 28 seconds in the second period to pick up the four points she needed to end the match. Kozyreva closed out the match with a 12-2 victory and improved on her eighth-place finish from the 2017 U15 European Championships.

The fifth day of wrestling in Faenza being tomorrow at 11:30 (local time) and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org. 

RESULTS

43kg
GOLD - Aida KERYMOVA (UKR) df. Diana Tancheva PAVLOVA (BUL), via fall 
BRONZE - Olga REKHMETULLOVA (RUS) df. Zenfira HASHIMOVA (AZE), 15-4
BRONZE - Ana Maria NECHIFOR (ROU) df. Anna POLLAKOVA (SVK), via fall 

49kg 
GOLD - Rebekka MARCH (GER) df. Angelina PERVUKHINA (RUS), 6-1
BRONZE - Anastasiya YANOTAVA (BLR) df. Mariia TOMYSHCH (UKR), 3-2 
BRONZE - Natalia Edyta WALCZAK (POL) df. Vestina DANISEVICIUTE (LTU), 10-0

57kg
GOLD - Amina TANDELOVA (RUS) df. Krystyna SOKOLOVSKA (UKR), 6-0
BRONZE - Othelie Annette HOEIE (NOR) df. Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN), 4-1 
BRONZE - Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE) df. Maarja PLASER (EST), 8-2

65kg 
GOLD - Ekaterina GLUKHAREVA (RUS) df. Veronica BRASCHI (ITA), 7-0 
BRONZE - Yevheniia SIEDYKH (UKR) df. Nora Luca MAJOR (HUN), 4-1 
BRONZE - Zofia POLOWCZYK (POL) df. Daniela SIRBU (MDA), 4-0 

72kg 
GOLD - Olga KOZYREVA (RUS) df. Jennifer ROESLER (GER), 12-2 
BRONZE - Nazar BATIR (TUR) df. Maria Cristina ROSIORU (ROU), 8-1 
BRONZE - Julia FRIDLUND (SWE) df. Nerea IGLESIAS CAMPOS (ESP), via fall 

 

#WrestleZagreb

Motoki leads Japanese trio to Worlds finals

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 17) -- After a slightly subdued start to its Women's Wrestling, Japan managed to show up at the World Championships.

Japan put three wrestlers in the final out of the four weight classes that were in action on Wednesday in Zagreb. Olympic champion Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) remained on course for her first world title at 62kg while Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN) and Ami ISHII (JPN) will look to add to their world titles at 53kg and 68kg.

Motoki was up against former world champion Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) in the semifinals and she began with a four-pointer. Purevdorj got a reversal but that was all she managed in the match as Motoki kept coming up with different ways to score the takedowns. At 10-1, she scored another four-pointer to win 14-1 and enter her second world final.

For the elusive gold, she will face Ok Ju KIM (PRK) who pinned Amina TANDELOVA (UWW) in the other semifinal after building a 14-3 lead.

Murayama, a three-time world champion, will wrestle for her fourth world title after she won a close semifinal against Hyogyong CHOE (PRK). Both traded activity points but Murayama had a stepout which proved to the be difference as she won 2-1.

On Thursday, she will face Olympic silver medalist Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) in the final after the Ecuadorian defeated world bronze medalist ANTIM (IND), 5-3, majorly with four-pointer in the first period and protecting her lead.

Yepez hit a duck under to throw Antim for four and gave up a reversal to lead 4-1 in the break. The Indian tried to find the opening but she only got one in the final 10 seconds after giving up a takedown. Yepez was happy to give up that final takedown as it did not affect her win and only changed the score to 5-3.

Ecuador, a country which did not have a world finalist till Tuesday, now has two. Yepez is the second on consecutive day after Genesis REASCO (ECU) entered the 76kg final to create history.

World 72kg champion Ishii, who dropped down to 68kg this year, took a step closer to her second world title after she bullied through two Olympic medalist in quarterfinals and semifinals.

Ishii dominated silver medalist from Paris Kennedy BLADES (USA), 12-2, and had a similar match against bronze medalist against Buse TOSUN (TUR) in the semifinals.

Ishii was straight to work in the semifinal with a four-pointer as Tosun landed on her back despite controlling Ishii's legs. Turkiye challenged that scoring but lost it, giving one more point to Ishii.

She scored three different takedowns to finish the match 11-0 inside the first period and enter her second world final.

Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) will look to stop Ishii from winning the gold medal after she upset world 65kg champion Jia LONG (CHN) in the semifinal. Yaneva fell behind 1-1 on criteria but scored a takedown with around one minute and 30 seconds on the clock to lead 3-1.

From there on, Long was on the backfoot and a win seemed further away as she was cautioned for a point for locking fingers. As she tried to trip Yaneva, the Bulgarian blocked her and got the winning takedown for a 6-1 win.

At 72kg, multiple age-group world medalist Nesrin BAS (TUR) managed to reach her first-ever senior world final after she won a thrilling semifinal against Zelu LI (CHN), 9-6.

Bas scored a four-pointer using a whizzer to lead 4-1 at the break. Li scored a takedown to begin the second period but Bas elevated her leg from the front to score two points and lead 6-3. Turkiye challenged the call and the scored for reversed to 8-4. Li tried to mount a comeback from there but she managed only two points while Bas scored a reversal to win 9-6.

For her first world title, she will face Alla BELINSKA (UKR) who used a whizzer to pin Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ) in the other semifinal.

RESULTS

53kg
GOLD: Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) vs. Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN)

SF 1: Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN) df. Hyogyong CHOE (PRK), 2-1
SF 2: Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) df. ANTIM (IND), 5-3

62kg
GOLD: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) vs. Ok Ju KIM (PRK)

SF 1: Ok Ju KIM (PRK) df. Amina TANDELOVA (UWW), via fall
SF 2: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) df. Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL), 14-1

68kg
GOLD: Ami ISHII (JPN) vs. Yuliana YANEVA (BUL)

SF 1: Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) df. Jia LONG (CHN), 6-1
SF 2: Ami ISHII (JPN) df. Buse TOSUN (TUR), 11-0

72kg
GOLD: Nesrin BAS (TUR) vs. Alla BELINSKA (UKR)

SF 1: Nesrin BAS (TUR) df. Zelu LI (CHN), 9-6
SF 2: Alla BELINSKA (UKR) df. Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ), via fall