Szel scripts comeback to win U23 European gold

Friday, March 17, 2023 - 19:36 By Vinay Siwach

BUCHAREST, Romania (March 17) -- Perhaps the most amateurish move Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) has performed in her career. With little control over Anna SZEL (HUN), she tried an arm spin, only to suffer a heartbreaking loss. After the final whistle blew, Khomenets realized her mistake, smashing her hand on the head.

An incredible comeback and Khomenets brain-fade moment gave Szel a thrilling 6-6 win and the 57kg gold medal at the U23 European Championships on Friday. This was Szel's first gold at a championship in five years.

Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) tried the arm spin on Anna SZEL (HUN) which proved costly. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Szel has shown sparks of brilliance before, like when she won a silver medal at the U20 European Championships in 2021 or when she claimed bronze at the U23 Worlds in 2021. Or when she finished with silver at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

But for the major part of her career, Szel has been jumping around weight classes. In 2018, she wrestled at 57kg. A year later, she remained at 55kg but till 2021, she wrestled in four competitions at 62kg without much success at the top level. In 2021 and 2022, she wrested at 59kg and 62kg with a single appearance at 57kg as well.

With the start of the new season, Szel decided to stay at 57kg. She finished 14th at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series event in February. But she did not lose heart and decided to enter the U23 Europeans at the same weight and what a decision that has turned out to be.

"I was injured at the last U23 Europeans," Szel said. "I had to take off for six months for surgery and rehab. Even today I was wrestling with pain in my right knee. A ligament injury took time to heal and that is why I kept wrestling in different weight classes."

Wrestling against world silver medalist Khomenets, Szel never felt out of place, sticking to her defense even when Khomenets was close to scoring. She even trailed early and survived a barrage of double-leg attacks. But in the end, she came out all clear and with the gold medal around her neck.

Khomenets, like Szel, has been juggling between 55kg and 57kg. She has had success at 57kg before as she won the U20 European title and a bronze medal at the U20 World Championships last year.

She was hoping to achieve her biggest win at 57kg on Friday until the brain fade in the last 30 seconds of the final.

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The bout began with Khomenets' back-to-back attacks, unsettling Szel at first. The aggression bore fruit as she managed to score a takedown with a double-leg to lead 2-0 at the break.

Szel had not taken a real shot so far in the bout and did not look for any chances in the second as well. So Khomenets got going and once again managed to hit a double leg. However, this time Szel was alert and did not give up a takedown, thanks to a crucial challenge from the Hungary corner. Szel had locked her hands around Khomenets to defend the attack but the referee had awarded two points to Khomenets which were removed after the challenge.

"I followed a tactic in the final to wait till the last minute," Szel said. "We knew that she will get tired and I can score and win then. I definitely had more power than her. I had a better chance to win in the final minute because the score could be close."

Khomenets stayed low and tried the double leg again. Szel kept splitting her legs and putting her arms around Khomenets waist. In one such sequence, Szel managed to lift Khomenets for exposure and get the two points to take a 2-2 criteria lead.

But Khomenets kept coming back and got Szel in danger. She tried pinning the Hungarian for 30 seconds but could not. In that sequence, she scored two rolls. However, the referee only scored one.

With 20 seconds left, Khomnenets, leading 4-2, looked at the scoreboard and tried to score two more points. The lapse in concentration cost her as Szel put her right leg over Khomenets and got two points to lead 4-4 on criteria.

It was then that Khomenets tried that arm spin which proved disastrous. She only managed to put her own back in danger which gave Szel two more points to win 6-4.

"I did not know what I will do but I knew that I can win this match," she said. "I was not sure what was happening in the final 30 seconds. When the challenge was going on, I knew that the last point is mine so even if she gets two more, I will win."

Ukraine had already challenged, asking for two points in the earlier sequence. Khomenets was awarded two points on review but Szel had scored the last points and hence declared the winner, 6-6, on criteria.

Khomenets was heartbroken as she lay on the mat even as Szel jumped around in excitement, hugged her coach and screamed before the nerves settled. During her victory lap, Szel took the flag and just jumped, letting the moment sink in, something she had waited for since that U17 Euro title in 2018.

With Szel cutting down and Khomenets moving up, there was a clear difference in strength between the two wrestlers which made Szel follow the game plan to tire her out.

"I felt that 62kg is not for me as I was not feeling strong enough," Szel said. "I could not wrestle like myself. I am stronger and faster at 57kg and I felt that in the final today. I could feel that she is not the same as me."

In a month's time, Szel will be at the European Championships in Zagreb, Croatia and the gold in Bucharest could not have come at a better time to boost her confidence before the senior tournament.

Despite Khomenets' loss, Ukraine won the team title with 158 points. Turkiye finished second with 129 points and the host country finished with 123 points for third place.

Iryna BONDAR (UKR) won the 62kg gold medal in Bucharest. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Iryna BONDAR (UKR) won the gold medal for Ukraine at 62kg to go with the gold medals won by Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) and Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) on Thursday. Apart from three golds, it also won three silvers and a bronze medal.

Bondar's gold at 62kg came as she defeated Ameline DOUARRE (FRA) 5-1 in the final. All the points by Bondar were scored in the first period and Douarre had to endure a frustrating second period as Bondar decided to not engage.

Douarre was called passive in the first period and during the activity time, Bondar jumped behind Douarre, caught both arms and slammed her on the mat for four points.

Douarre did get on a couple of single-leg attacks in the second period but Bondar always pressured Douarre's head to keep her from elevating her legs. Bondar gave up one point for passivity which did not cause her much damage as she won the final 5-1.

Two more Ukrainians were in the finals but both fell short at the final hurdle.

Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) scores a four-pointer on Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) in the 53kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 53kg, Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) defeated Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) and Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) denied Iryna ZABLOTSKA (UKR) in the 72kg final.

Yetgil has been long overdue for a big win and that came in the form of the U23 European gold medal at 53kg. This was her second U23 European title as she won her first back in 2018.

In her three bouts prior to the final, Yetgil won with scores of 10-0, 10-0 and a victory via fall. In the final, she had to work a little harder but was never in extreme trouble.

She shot a double-leg on Malanchuk to score her first takedown and exposed her for two points more. Malanchuk got out of the grip and scored a roll for two points but Yetgil ultimately finished on top to lead 5-2.

Just before the break, Yetgil hit a huge four to extend her lead to 9-2, enough for her to take a step back in the second period. Malanchuk managed to score a takedown after the break but that was all as Yetgil won the gold 9-4.

Yetgil will now hope to end the medal drought at the senior European Championships as her best finish at that competition is fifth, a result she achieved last year.

Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) became a three-time U23 European champion. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

U23 world silver medalist Choluj became a three-time U23 European champion as she defeated Zablotska 11-0 in the gold medal bout.

Choluj began with a snapdown and added a gut-wrench to lead 4-0 inside the first minute of the final. A go-behind made it 6-0 before she forced a stepout against Zablotska. As Zablotska tried attacking Choluj, she kept giving up points on the counter.

Choluj scored two more points via go behind and the final move was a double-leg blast for which she got two more points for an 11-0 win and her third straight U23 Euro title.

With medals at all age-group World and European Championships, Choluj will like to complete the set by winning medals at the senior level of both tournaments.

An emotional Amina CAPEZAN (ROU) after winning the 65kg gold at home. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 65kg, Amina CAPEZAN (ROU) gave the home crowd something to cheer about she won the gold medal after beating Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE), 6-5, in a nail-biting final.

Capezan had suffered a heartbreaking loss in the final of the same tournament last year but kept her nerves to win her first international gold medal.

Soltanova, a U20 European champion at 62kg, lead 1-1 at the break after scoring a stepout after giving up a point for passivity. In the second period, Capezan was hit with the passivity call and she attacked Soltanova who scored with a lift for exposure before giving up a reversal.

Trailing 3-2, Capezan scored a takedown and transitioned into a gut wrench to lead 6-3 with a minute left. Soltanova managed to score two points for a double-leg but Capezan held off, barely, to win the gold in front of a loud home crowd.

RESULTS

53kg
GOLD: Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) df. Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR), 9-4

BRONZE: Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) df. Gultakin SHIRINOVA (AZE), 10-0
BRONZE: Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER) df. Beatrice FERENT (ROU), 5-2

57kg
GOLD: Anna SZEL (HUN) df. Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR), 6-6

BRONZE: Naemi LEISTNER (GER) df. Celeste SION (FRA), 4-1
BRONZE: Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) df. Aurora RUSSO (ITA), 6-2

62kg
GOLD: Iryna BONDAR (UKR) df. Ameline DOUARRE (FRA), 5-1

BRONZE: Viktoria VESSO (EST) df. Gabriela CUC (ROU), via fall
BRONZE: Elena ESPOSITO (ITA) df. Luisa SCHEEL (GER), 5-2

65kg
GOLD: Amina CAPEZAN (ROU) df. Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE), 6-5

BRONZE: Iris THIEBAUX (FRA) df. Gergana STOYANOVA (BUL), 4-1
BRONZE: Elma ZEIDLERE (LAT) df. Busra EFE (TUR), 4-3

72kg
GOLD: Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) df. Iryna ZABLOTSKA (UKR), 11-0

BRONZE: Noemi SZABADOS (HUN) df. Paula ROTARU (ROU), 10-0
BRONZE: Tindra SJOEBERG (SWE) df. Lilly SCHNEIDER (GER), via fall

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Ex-Japan champ Shimoyamada trying to put Australia on wrestling map

Friday, September 5, 2025 - 05:49 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (Sept. 3) -- When Tsuchiku SHIMOYAMADA (AUS) decided to relocate from his native Japan to Australia, he wasn't showered with gifts from a grateful federation looking for an established wrestler to give the country a global boost.

He was more interested in golden beaches than bringing his new homeland gold medals.

"I was in Cairns, and I was feeling like, 'I want to move to Australia,'" Shimoyamada said during a trip back to Japan in July for a tournament. "I like this place. It's good for me. The lifestyle is easy."

Four years after announcing his retirement and three years after making the bold move to Land Down Under, the 31-year-old is back in the game, hoping to put a country more known for its swimmers and rugby players onto the world wrestling map.

While a longshot at best, Shimoyamada, a two-time Japan national champion and two-time Asian medalist, will get a chance to become Australia's first-ever world medalist when he takes the mat at Greco 67kg next week in Zagreb.

It will be the third World Championships of his career and first since 2021, when he nearly knocked off the Olympic champion and symbolically left his shoes on the mat after a repechage-round loss as a sign of his retirement. He finished ninth in his only other appearance in 2018.

Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (AUS) had left his shoes on the mat during the 2021 World Championships to mark his retirement. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

Success breeds success, and Australian wrestling officials are hoping that Shimoyamada, in addition to helping cultivate a new generation of wrestlers, can produce results that will spark more interest in the sport. Getting through the rounds, even if he falls short of a medal, would have a positive effect, says one official.

"That would be a very good achievement for us," says Aryan Negahdari, president of New South Wales Wrestling Federation, who accompanied him and several wrestlers to Japan. "For many, many years, we haven't a wrestler making it into the semifinals, or even the quarterfinals of the World Championships. Even that itself would be a good achievement."

While Australia has never won a world medal, it may be surprising to learn that the country has actually brought home three Olympic medals -- although it has been nearly eight decades since the most recent one.

Eddie SCARF broke the ice with a bronze medal at freestyle 87kg at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. Australia then got two at the 1948 London Games, a silver from Richard GARRARD at freestyle 73kg and a bronze from Joseph ARMSTRONG at freestyle over-87kg. The closest the country has come since then was a fourth place at Freestyle 62kg by Cris BROWN at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

On the world stage, the highest finishes by Australians were fifth places by Jackie BRYDON at women's 50kg in 1993 at Stavern, Norway, and Macedonian-born Lila RISTEVSKA at women's 47kg at Moscow 1995. There have been three men who have placed sixth, all in freestyle, with the most recent being Uzbekistan-born Talgat ILYASOV at 74kg at New York 2003.

Tsuchika SHIMOYAMA (JPN) Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA advances to the semifinals at the All-Japan Non-Student Championships in July with a 52-second win over Kokoro GOTO. (Photo: Koji Fuse / wrestling-spirits.jp)

As a Greco wrestler, Shimoyamada will be trying to beat even longer odds. Up to now, Australia has never placed higher than 18th at a World Championships.

Following his graduation from Nippon Sports Science University, which also produced Paris Olympic champions Kenichiro FUMITA and Nao KUSAKA as well as Tokyo bronze medalist Shohei YABIKU, Shimoyamada joined the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department team. He stayed on the force after ending his wrestling career, but found it wasn't for him.

"When I was back in Japan, I started working for the police," he says. "To be honest, it was stressful. It was not for me."

A trip to Australia opened his eyes to a place where he could start a new life. At first, he planned to only go into coaching, but a practical reason arose that led him to decide to return to the mat -- it helped him get the visa he needed to live in the country.

"I didn't think about wrestling by myself, I thought I could help as a coach," he says. "But for the visa condition, it's better to keep active."

In 2023, he received a residence visa as a "global talent," and in January 2024, United World Wrestling approved his switch of national affiliation to Australia.

Unfortunately, the approval did not come in time for him to try to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. He is still working on gaining citizenship. His need to find a way to make a living proved harder than he expected as he settled in Sydney.

"I'm teaching wrestling, and I'm working as a lifeguard at a swimming pool," he said. "Life is not easy. It's expensive, everything, rent, bills, car."

Shimoyamada's need for gainful employment produced a symbiotic relationship with his hosts, who suddenly found themselves blessed with a world-class competitor to help raise the level of the sport.

"I really think we're super lucky to have him because not only is he a high-level athlete, but he has been helping us a lot as a coach, especially Greco-Roman coach," Negahdari says. "So because of him, we have a lot more athletes doing Greco-Roman, training under Tsuchika."

Shimoyamada's arrival also gave Australia a bonus of sorts -- a connection with an established power in the sport. Through Shimoyamada's ties with his alma mater NSSU, there have been numerous exchanges of wrestlers between the two countries.

Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (AUS) Tsuchika SHIMOYAMA faces Keitaro ONO in his opening match at the All-Japan Non-Student Championships in July. (Photo: Koji Fuse / wrestling-spirits.jp)

In the early summer, Paris Olympic silver medalist Daichi TAKATANI and former women's U23 world champion Yu SAKAMOTO went to Australia to put on clinic. In July, Shimoyamada led a contingent of Australian wrestlers who participated in the All-Japan Non-Student Championships (a second-tier national tournament) before training at NSSU.

"He's also been very good for us to build connections with Japan," Nagahdari says. "We've been coming [to Japan] for four years now, like twice a year, training with the Japanese teams. We've had a lot of Japanese athletes coming over to Australia to do seminars for us, to do training with us...It has been very, very beneficial for us in many different ways."

Shimoyamada entered the Non-Student meet at 72kg to give him the high-level competition he needed as preparation for the World Championships, and which is sorely lacking back in Australia. Aside from the low-level Oceania Championships and tournaments in Australia, it was his first outing since the 2021 World Championships.

He held his own, although he lost in the semifinals to Yamato HAGIWARA before winning his bronze-medal match over Rintaro SOGABE, the younger brother of Paris Olympian Kyotaro SOGABE, a fellow NSSU alum who will be Japan's entry at 67kg and a potential opponent of Shimoyamada in Zagreb.

Shimoyamada made his international debut at the 2016 Asian Championships in Bangkok, placing eighth. He won his first All-Japan title in December 2017, earning a return to the continental meet in 2018 in Bishkek, where he took home the silver medal after losing in the final to Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ).

Just when it looked like he had lost his edge after losing back-to-back All-Japan finals to Shogo TAKAHASHI in 2018 and 2019, Shimoyamada rebounded to claim his second title in 2020 with a victory over rising NSSU star Katsuaki ENDO. After Shimoyamada left the scene, Endo and Kyotaro Sogabe would battle ruthlessly for supremacy at 67kg.

His final year wrestling for Japan may have been his most productive. At the 2021 Asian Championships in Almaty, he avenged his loss to Kebispayev from three years before to capture the elusive gold. He followed that with a victory at the All-Japan Invitational Championships, known as the Meiji Cup, to clinch his ticket to the World Championships in Oslo.

Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (AUS) was dominating Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) in their match at the 2021 World Championships before being pinned. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

In the second round, Shimoyamada encountered Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI), one of the few gold medalists from the Tokyo Olympics two months earlier who were entered at the worlds. It would probably be the most impressive loss of his career.

Shimoyamada was dominating the Iranian, scoring with a 4-point arm throw to build up a 6-1 lead. But disaster struck with just over a minute to go. Geraei caught Shimoyamada in a lapse and bear-hugged him backward directly to his back for a shocking victory by fall.

Shimoyamada then lost his repechage match to teenager Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), and the last we saw of him was him walking off the mat, leaving his shoes behind.

Fast forward four years, and Shimoyamada is now competing for himself and his adopted homeland. While he would like to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, age and opportunity might be too big hurdles to get over.

"I think that's a last challenge, for the Olympics, because I'm not young," Shimoyamada said. "If I can make it for Australia, that's good. Everyone will get interested in wrestling. That's what I should do."

Looking long range, Australian officials are hoping to develop talent to make a good showing when the country hosts the Olympics in Brisbane in 2032. They are hoping that Shimoyamada can spark enough interest and help raise the level in time.

"I think we're in the very early stages, compared to international standards," Nagahdari says. "But I think we can definitely see a very huge improvement, like in the last few years. We have a lot more members now, the number of our wrestlers. For example, compared to only three or four years ago, it has doubled. It's growing slowly, but at a good pace.

"It's a very slow progress, because you know that wrestling is super hard. It takes like a decade to build an athlete to that level. And we're really focusing our efforts toward the Brisbane Olympics in 2032."

Shimoyamada is determined to do whatever he can to make it happen.

"It's hard to get a gold medal at the World Championships and the Olympics, to be honest," he says. "If I make the Olympics, the next generation can become interested in getting to the Olympics or World Championships and they will practice hard."

Szel scripts comeback to win U23 European gold

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Ex-Japan champ Shimoyamada trying to put Australia on wrestling map