#WrestleIstanbul

Spencer Lee one step closer to Olympic dream

By Vinay Siwach

ISTANBUL, Turkiye (May 3) -- The world will finally see the return of Spencer LEE (USA) on a big stage. The one-time phenom is coming to Istanbul in a bid to qualify the United States for the Paris Olympics at 57kg.

Lee is a former U17 and U20 world champion and was primed to be the next superstar from the U.S. However, he could never get going at the international stage and only participated in an international tournament in 2024, eight years after his U20 world title. At the Pan-Am Championships this year, Lee won the gold medal at 57kg.

Despite his three NCAA titles and a college record a few can dream of, Lee hasn't returned to the international scene partly due to injuries and partly due to his college commitments. After two surgeries, battles with health, a heartbreaking loss in NCAAs, a long return and wins over former Iowa teammate Thomas GILMAN (USA) at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Lee is finally here.

"I’ve had such a tough time trying to stay healthy and trying to compete to the best of my ability,” Lee said after winning the trials. "I’m still not healthy but I’m healthy enough to wrestle hard against really, really good opponent.”

That's what he will have to do in Istanbul. In the 57kg bracket, Lee will be unseeded and can be drawn against any of the big names in the first round. Tokyo Olympian Georgi VANGELOV (BUL), former U23 world champion AMAN (IND), world silver medalist Alireza SARLAK (IRI) and local star Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR) are a few names he will have to keep an eye on.

The field also includes world bronze medalists Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL) and Horst LEHR (GER) along with former European champion Vladimir EGOROV (MGL), Asian Games silver medalist Chong Song HAN (PRK) and Andrii YATSENKO (UKR).

If his opponents need a form check, Lee won four bouts at the trials, outscoring his opponents 35-11 with wins over Tokyo bronze medalist Gilman and Zane RICHARDS (USA). And his attacks are solid as ever as Gilman found out in the best-of-three series.

Three wrestlers in each Olympic weight class will receive Paris 2024 quotas in Istanbul, two being the winners of the semifinals and the third will be decided with a playoff between the two bronze medal winners. Lee would hope to secure it as the winner of the semifinal and avoid going, if fortunate, through repechage.

Apart from qualifying the U.S. in Istanbul, there is extra motivation for Lee to win in Istanbul. Lee's mother, Carry, is from France where she met Lee's father, Larry, both judokas. And, he can become the first Olympic champion for the U.S. in the lowest weight class since 2008.

Lee is aware that the road to Paris is still 'long and hard'. But the 25-year-old is ready.

"I have work to do."

#WrestleIstanbul

Live Blog: Yasar Dogu, Vehbi Emre & Hamit Kaplan Day 2

By United World Wrestling Press

ISTANBUL, Turkey (February 25) -- The second day of the Ranking Series event in Istanbul will features wrestlers from three Greco-Roman weights and four women's wrestling weights. Uzbekistan dominated the all-Greco day one.

Greco-Roman 72kg, 77kg and 82kg wrestlers that include stars like Rafiq HUSEYNOV (AZE), Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE), will fight for the gold medal

Women's wrestling will have 57kg, 62kg, 68kg and 76kg. Olympic silver medalists Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR), Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ), Blessing OBRODUDU (NGR) and world champion Bilyana DUDUVA (BUL) are wrestling.

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE

Women's Wrestling Finals (As they come in):
57kg: Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL)  vs. Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL) 
62kg: Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) vs. Winner 144
68kg: Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) vs. Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) 
76kg: Winner 184 vs. Winner 224

Greco-Roman Finals (As they come in):
72kg: Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU) vs. Selcuk CAN (TUR) 
77kg: Yunus Emre BASAR (TUR) vs. Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) 
82kg: Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) vs. Mihail BRADU (MDA) 

15:15: In today's early session match-of-the-morning, Olympic bronze medalist Evelina Georgieva NIKOLOVA (BUL) pinned Olympic silver medalist Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR) and punched her ticket to the 57kg finals.

14:15: A world championships rematch at 82kg. Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) is taking on Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) on Mat B. Akbudak was awarded a point for Huseynov's inactivity. He then gets four rolls and wins 9-0. That was anti-climatic

14:15: Here is the 57kg semifinal line-up

 

#WrestleIstanbul

Here are the 57kg quarters results

- Evelina NIKOLOVA ?? df Esther KOLAWOLE ??, 10-6
- df Bolortuya KHURELKHUU ??df Veronika CHUMIKOVA ?? , via fall
- Iryna KURACHKINA ?? df Sandra PARUSZEWSKI ??, 8-5
- Anhelina LYSAK ?? df Giullia DE OLIVEIRA ??, via fall https://t.co/enhl37tLJd

— United World Wrestling (@wrestling) February 25, 2022

 

13:55: World champion Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) starts with a pin! She gets Tatiana SMOLIAK (RWF) in a cradle and secures a first-period fall at 68kg.

13:45: Khanum VALIEVA (RWF) with a big 10-0 win over Azoda ESBERGENOVA (UZB) at 68kg. She does this with 2:48 remaining as well. Quietly she is in the semifinals

13:40: Lot of step-outs and inactivity points in that bout. But it's all for Medet Kyzy. She scores three takedowns as well to beat Shumova 10-0 with 43 seconds remaining at 76kg

13:30: U23 world champion and senior World bronze medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) is up against Kristina SHUMOVA (RWF) in their 76kg pre-quarterfinal bout on Mat C

13:15: World bronze medalist Samar HAMZA (EGY) is moving into the 76kg quarterfinals after a 9-6 win over Gursharanpreet (IND).  

13:03: A victory via fall! Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) gets Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) in a headlock and keeps her back to the mat. She moves on at 62kg

13:00: Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) is up against Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) at 62kg. Yusein is the Tokyo bronze medalist. On Mat A, Martina KUENZ (AUT) is wrestling Victoria FRANCIS (USA)

12:35: Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) has done it! She humbles Olympic silver medalist Tynybekova 10-0 in the quarterfinals of the 62kg. No attacks from the Kyrgyzstan wrestler.

12:25: Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) is up on Mat B against Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) at 62kg. Inactivity called on Tynybekova and she is down 0-1 at the end of the first period. A crotch life from the Brazil wrestler to lead 3-0. A stepout to add one more

12:15: Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) takes some time but wins 8-0 against SAJAN (IND). A solid warm-up win for him. On Mat B, Nikolova has got another pin. That's two in two for her.

12:10: Huseynov takes little time! He has two big throws to beat Harpreet SINGH (IND) 8-0 at 82kg. Trademark reverse lifts from the world champion there

12:06: Tokyo Olympian Khanum VALIEVA (RWF) gets going with an easy 10-0 win over Solin PIEARCY (USA) at 68kg

12:02: Rafiq HUSEYNOV (AZE), world champion at 82kg, will be up on Mat B while 77kg world silver medalist Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) is coming up on Mat C

11:53: World champion Viktor NEMES (SRB) and silver medalist Aram VARDANYAN (UZB) on Mat A. Vardanyan was awarded a point for Nemes' inactivity. He leads 1-0 at the break. Nemes leads on criteria 1-1 after Vardanyan's inactivity. Too and fro battle but Nemes wins 1-1

11:43: Four-time Ranking Series medalist Seluk CAN (TUR) begins his day with a win. He beats Mateusz BERNATEK (POL) after a roll from par terre at 72kg

11:17: There's your comeback of the competition!

Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) fell behind 8-0 against Anastasiia PAROKHINA (RUS) in their first-round meeting, but scored eleven unanswered points to win the match, 11-8. She'll wrestle reigning two-time world champion and Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) next (Bout 166).

11:04: Rio Olympic bronze medalists Marwa AMRI (TUN)  and Sakshi MALIK (IND) are wrestling on Mats A and B, respectively. 

10:55: One of the biggest storylines we're going to be following today is the potential top-side matchup of 57kg Olympic medalists Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR) and  Evelina Georgieva NIKOLOVA (BUL), If they continue to win, they'll meet in tonight's semifinals (Bout 143).

Both wrestlers picked up falls in their first-round matches. Kurachkina pinned  Alicja CZYZOWICZ (POL) and Nikolova pinned Ozge FINDIKCI (TUR).