#kaspeuro2018

Seven of Eight Defending Freestyle Champions Return to European Championships

Wednesday, April 18, 2018 - 23:24 By Eric Olanowski

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KASPIISK, Russia (April 19) - The 2018 European Championships commence in less than two weeks in Dagestan, Russia. Though line-ups are not official, freestyle preliminary line-ups have been submitted to United World Wrestling, and Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) is the lone champion who does not return from the 2017 Novi Sad European Championships.

The first five weight categories (57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg, and 97kg) begin wrestling on Friday, May 4, and the remaining five weight classes (61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg, and 125kg) start on Saturday, May 5. 

57kg
Mihran JABURYAN (ARM)
Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE)*
Uladzislau ANDREYEU (BLR)
Mikyay Salim NAIM (BUL)
Levan METREVELI VARTANOV (ESP)
Zoheir EL OUARRAQE (FRA)
Otari GOGAVA (GEO)
Yuriy HOLUB (ISR)
Ivan ZAMFIROV (MDA)
Vladimir EGOROV (MKD)
Andrei DUKOV (ROU)
Zavur UGUEV  (RUS)
Ahmet PEKER (TUR)

61kg
Garik BARSEGHYAN (ARM)
Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE)
Niurhun SKRABIN (BLR)
Vladimir Vladimirov DUBOV (BUL)
Beka LOMTADZE (GEO)
Jozsef MOLNAR (HUN)
Viorel BURDUJA (MDA)
Elmedin SEJFULAU (MKD)
Ivan GUIDEA (ROU)
Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS)
Randy Adrian VOCK (SUI)
Recep TOPAL (TUR)

Three-time world champion, Haji ALIYEV (AZE). 

65kg
Valodya FRANGULYAN (ARM)
Gabriel JANATSCH (AUT)
Haji ALIYEV (AZE)
Dzianis MAKSIMAU (BLR)
Filip Stefanov NOVACHKOV (BUL)
Juan Pablo GONZALEZ CRESPO (ESP)
Ilman MUKHTAROV (FRA)
Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO)*
Kevin Christopher HENKEL (GER)
Roman ASHARIN (HUN)
Tomas BARACEVICIUS (LTU)
Andrei PERPELITA (MDA)
Masoud NIAZI (NED)
Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL)
Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS)*
David HABAT (SLO)
Mykola BOLOTNJUK (SVK)
Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)

70kg
Valter MARGARYAN (ARM)
Maximilian AUSSERLEITNER (AUT)
Murtazali Raxmatullayevic MUSLIMOV (AZE)
Azamat NURYKAU (BLR)
Miroslav Stefanov KIROV (BUL)
Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO)
Norbert LUKACS (HUN)
Emrach GASANOV (ISR)
Dmitrii MALENCOV (MDA)
Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL)
George BUCUR (ROU)
Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS)
Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK)
Haydar YAVUZ (TUR)

Two-time world champion, Frank CHAMIZO (ITA). 

74kg
Grigor GRIGORYAN (ARM)
Gadzhimurad OMAROV (AZE)
Andrei KARPACH (BLR)
Ali Pasha Ruslanovich UMARPASHAEV (BUL)
Zelimkhan KHADJIEV  (FRA)
Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO)
Kyrillos BINENMPAOUM (GRE)
Zsombor Istvan GULYAS (HUN)
Hanoc RACHAMIN (ISR)
Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA)*
Alberts JURCENKO (LAT)
Andrius MAZEIKA (LTU)
Evgheni NEDEALCO (MDA)
Vasile Madalin MINZALA (ROU
Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS)
Zaur EFENDIEV (SRB)
Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK)
Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR)*

79kg
Varuzhan KAJOYAN (ARM)
Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE)
Ali SHABANAU (BLR)
Jevgeni SOLTRUK (EST)
Henri Aleksi SELENIUS (FIN)
Johnny Just BUR (FRA)
Jumber KVELASHVILI (GEO)
Martin OBST (GER)
Gkeorgki MELETOV (GRE)
Mihaly NAGY (HUN)
Alans AMIROVS (LAT)
Alexandru BURCA (MDA)
Akhmed Shiabdinovitch GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS)
Muhammet Nuri KOTANOGLU (TUR)

86kg
Marzpet GALSTYAN (ARM)
Aleksandr GOSTIYEV (AZE)
Raman CHYTADZE (BLR)
Mehmed Remzi GAZI (BUL)
Taimuraz FRIEV NASKIDAEVA (ESP)
Ville Tapani HEINO (FIN)
Sandro AMINASHVILI (GEO)
Ahmed Ruslanovic DUDAROV (GER)
Istvan VEREB  (HUN)
Shamil KUDIIAMAGOMEDOV (ITA)
Denis BALAUR (MDA)
Zbigniew Mateusz BARANOWSKI (POL)
Artur NAIFONOV (RUS)
Stefan REICHMUTH (SUI)
Boris MAKOEV (SVK)
Naib ILALDAYEV ITAYEV (SWE)
Fatih ERDIN (TUR)

Two-time world champion, Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS).

92kg
Shamir ATYAN (ARM)
Dominic Klaus PETER (AUT)
Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE)
Ivan YANKOUSKI (BLR)
Irakli MTSITURI (GEO)
Georg Gabriel STARK (SEREGELYI) (GER)
Pavlo OLIINYK (HUN)
Edgaras VOITECHOVSKIS (LTU)
Nicolai CEBAN (MDA)
Boban SAVEV  (MKD)
Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL)
Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS)
Albin Viking FRID (SWE)
Serdar BOKE  (TUR)

97kg
Georgii KETOEV (ARM)
Nurmagomed GADZHIYEV (AZE)
Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR)
Ragnar KAASIK (EST)
Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO)
Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER)
Abraham de Jesus CONYEDO RUANO (ITA)
Georgy RUBAEV (MDA)
Magomedgadji Omardibirovich NUROV (MKD)
Vladislav BAITCAEV (RUS)
Riza YILDIRIM (TUR)*

2017 world champion, Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO). 

125kg
Levan BERIANIDZE (ARM)
Johannes LUDESCHER (AUT)
Jamaladdin MAGOMEDOV (AZE)
Ibrahim SAIDAU (BLR)
Jose CUBA VAZQUEZ (ESP)
Jere Tapani HEINO (FIN)
Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)
Alexandr ROMANOV (MDA)
Robert BARAN (POL)
Muradin KUSHKHOV (RUS)
Taha AKGUL (TUR)*

* Notes returning champions

#WrestleBratislava

On 14th attempt, Prevolaraki wins historic European gold for Greece

Friday, April 11, 2025 - 22:47 By Vinay Siwach

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BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (April 11) -- Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) made her first trip to the European Championships in 2011 when she was 19 years old. She competed in 14 European Championships and returned home with eight medals -- four silvers and four bronzes -- over the last 13 years.

Now 33 and competing at her 14th European Championships, Prevolaraki won her first gold medal with a thrilling win over Andreea ANA (ROU), ending a 24-year wait for Greece to have a champion in Women's Wrestling at the continental event. Former world champion Sofia POUMPOURIDOU (GRE) was the last and only other European champion for Greece in Women's Wrestling.

"I am very happy that I managed to earn the gold medal," Prevolaraki said. "I was waiting so many years to be the European champion and I am 33 years old but I managed to do it."

Over the years, Prevolaraki has lost four finals, all to different opponents. But Friday, she managed to keep her composure in a close bout for the win.

"This time I am more experienced and I did not feel any pressure," she said.  I played freely and good things happen when you have no pressure."

Wrestling in Bratislava in the 53kg weight class, Prevolaraki was hit with passivity first and put on the 30-second clock which expired without Prevolaraki scoring to give Ana 1-0 lead.

Ana extended her lead to 3-0 when Prevolaraki tried to hit a cut-back but was unsuccessful in the move. With more than two minutes remaining, Ana tried defending her 3-0 lead but was put on the activity clock when 1:10 were left.

During the 30-second period, Prevolaraki went for the leg-attack but Ana moved and tried getting behind Prevolaraki which she almost did and tried throwing the Greek with a cradle. But Prevolaraki was alerted and did not land in danger and scored a takedown. The activity clock against Ana expired which added another point for Prevolaraki, making the score 3-3 with the Greece wrestler leading on criteria of last point scored.

Romania decided to challenge, a strategic one. Even a lost challenge would need Ana to score a point to win from 4-3 with Prevolaraki lead and 3-3 with criteria to Prevolaraki.

On review, Romania lost the challenge and Prevolaraki led 4-3. Ana hit a sweep single and tried forcing Prevolaraki out of bounds but the Greece wrestler turned it around to get Ana's head out first and get another point to lead 5-3 which she defended and won the gold medal.

Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE)Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) at the medal ceremony of the European Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

"I think I have had a good career," she said. "I am sad that I don't have an Olympic medal but I have many European medals and world Championships medals."

Prevolaraki, a four-time Olympian, a rare feat in wrestling, paid tribute to three-time Olympic champion Buvaisar SAITIEV, by wearing a shirt with his photo and message. Saitiev had passed away in March at the age of 49 years.

"The legend [Saitiev] is for all wrestler all over the world and his legend has no bounds. I wanted to pay a tribute to this legend," she said.