#Yariguin2019

Trio of World Silver Medalists Begin Quest to Turn Budapest Silver into Astana Gold

Wednesday, January 23, 2019 - 16:40 By Eric Olanowski

KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 23) - For the first time, the Ivan Yariguin will be a Rankings Series event in women’s wrestling. This year’s winter classic is set to feature a trio of wrestlers that fell short in the world finals who begin their quest to turn their Budapest world silver medals into Astana world golds, while past senior and age-level world champions are looking to stamp their resumes with an Ivan Yariguin title.

The only returning champion, Tamyra MENSAH-STOCK (USA), has aspirations of becoming the first American female to win three straight Yariguin titles. But for her to do so, she’ll have the tall task of defeating a Mongolia's 2018 world runner-up OCHIRBAT Nasanburmaa.

While many wrestlers are looking to remain on top and continue their winning streaks from last season, the host nation Russia is looking to bounce back after subpar world championships, where they left Budapest without a medal and only had one Russian female finish in the top-five.

OCHIRBAT Nasanburmaa (MGL) sticks WANG Juan (CHN) to lock up a spot in the 2018 world finals. (Photo: Martin Gabor)

World Runner-Ups Begin Quest to Turn Silver into Gold

Three 2018 world silver medalists jump-start their journeys to improving their Budapest silver to Astana gold at this week’s Ivan Yariguin. Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL), Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA), and Ochirbat Nasanburmaa all fell short in the world finals but come to Krasnoyarsk with hopes of building on the all-important Ranking Series points they’ve accumulated from their 2018 world finals appearances.

Bullen Returns After Run to U23 World Title

In her last outing, Norway’s Grace Bullen capped off the U23 World Championships with the most emotional win of her career. Bullen used late heroics in the final seconds of the 59kg gold-medal bout to knock off China’s reigning senior-level world champion, RONG Ning Ning.

Bullen now makes the trip to Krasnoyarsk with a target on her back, and world runner-up Bilyana Dudova has her sights down the scope of the Ranking Series rifle.

Dudova will try to flip the script from the last time these two wrestled. They met in the semifinals of the final Ranking Series event of 2018, the Poland Open, where Bullen bulldozed Dudova, 10-0.

An emotional Rio WATARI (JPN) celebrates after she returned to the mat after defeating cancer. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Rio WATARI (JPN) to Make Ranking Series Debut After Beating Cancer

Japan’s 2016 Olympian Rio WATARI (JPN) will make her Ranking Series debut after winning the long and grueling two year battle against cancer.

The Ivan Yariguin marks Watari’s second international tournament since defeating Hodgkin lymphoma. Her first international tournament back was at October’s 2018 World Championships in Budapest, where she finished in 16th place. Watari also wrestled in the All-Japan Invitational Championships and Japan Championships, finishing with gold and silver respectively.

For Watari to win the 68kg bracket, she’ll have to get through a wrecking crew of 2015 world champion SORONZONBOLD Battsetseg (MGL) and Russia’s four-time age-level world champion Khanum VELIYEVA, who is still junior eligible.

Ochirbat Tasked with Halting Mensah-Stock From Making History

Mongolia's 2018 world runner-up Ochirbat Nasanburmaa (MGL) will try to halt 2018 world bronze medalist Tamyra Mensah-Stock from becoming the first American women’s wrestler to win three straight Ivan Yariguin titles.

Mensah’s unblemished 8-0 Yariguin record includes an 8-4 win over Ochirbat in the gold-medal bout of the 2017 Yariguin finals.

Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN) , two-time world bronze medalist is one of the favorites to make the 76kg gold-medal bout. (Photo: Martin Gabor)

Clash of Underrated World Medalists, Minagawa, and Focken

Two of the most underrated and least talked about wrestlers in the world could clash for the 76kg title.

Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN) finished with a bronze medal at the world championships for the second year in a row and did so behind four-time world champion Adeline GRAY (USA), Turkey’s 2017 world champion Yasim ADAR, yet is still one of least talked about wrestlers in the world.

Germany’s Aline ROTTER FOCKEN is another wrestler who should be a wrestling household name, yet Focken still isn't talked about enough. She’s reached a world finals in 2017 and is coming off a year where she reached the top of the podium at the Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament, Yasar Dogu, and the Ion Corneanu & Ladislau Simon Memorial.

If these two 76kg favorites were to clash in the finals, it would be their first career meeting.

What’s at Stake?

The Ivan Yariguin is the first of four Ranking Series events of the year.

The winner of each Ranking Series event will be awarded eight (8) points, with second, third and fifth place grabbing six (6), four (4), and two (2) points respectively.

In addition to the placement points, wrestlers will receive points based on the number of participants in their bracket. For weight categories with 10 or fewer entries, an additional six (6) points will be added. For categories with 11-20 wrestlers entered an additional eight (8) points will be added. Ten (10) points will be added to any weight category with more than 20 entries. The points wrestlers gain this weekend are used as a part of the seeding process for the 2019 Astana World Championships. The number of points competitors accumulate from last year's World Championships, along with the 2019 Continental Championships and the Ranking Series events, will be combined and the wrestlers with the four highest cumulative points will be award the top four seeds.

SCHEDULE (Local time)

January 23 (Wednesday)
08.00 - Arrival of delegations
15.30 - Referees clinic
15.30 - Press conference with the Organizing Committee representatives, main referees body, team leaders and coaches
16.30 - Draw: Women: cat: 50,55,59,65 kg Men: cat: 57,61,70 kg

January 24 (Thursday)
08:30 - Medical examination and weigh-in cat: Women: 50,55,59,65 kg Men: 57,61,70 kg
11.00 - Elimination rounds cat: Women: 50,55,59,65 kg Men: 57,61,70 kg
16.00 - Draw cat: Women: 53,57,62,68 kg Men: 65,79,125kg
17.00 -1⁄2 finale cat: Women: 50,55,59,65 kg Men: 57,61,70 kg

January 25 (Friday)
08:15 - Weigh-in cat: Women: 50,55,59,65 kg Men: 57,61,70 kg
08:30 - Medical examination and weigh-in cat: Women: 53,57,62,68 kg Men: 65,79,125kg
11.00 - Elimination rounds and 1⁄2 finale cat: Women: 53,57,62,68 kg Men: 65,79,125kg - Repechage cat: Women: 50,55,59,65 kg Men: 57,61,70 kg
16.30 - Draw cat: Women: 72,76 kg Men: 74,86,92,97 kg
16.00 - Opening ceremony
17.00 - Finals cat: Women: 50,55,59,65 kg Men: 57,61,70 kg

January 26 (Saturday)
08:15 - Weigh-in cat: Women: 53,57,62,68 kg Men: 65,79,125kg
08:30 - Medical examination and weigh-in cat: Women: 72,76 kg Men: 74,86,92,97 kg
11.00 - Elimination rounds and 1⁄2 finale cat: Women: 72,76 kg Men: 74,86,92,97 kg - Repechage cat: Women: 53,57,62,68 kg Men: 65,79,125kg
18.00 - Finals cat: Women: 53,57,62,68 kg Men: 65,79,125kg

January 27 (Sunday)
09:00 - Weigh-in cat: Women: 72,76 kg Men: 74,86,92,97 kg
11.00 - Repechage cat: Women: 72,76 kg Men: 74,86,92,97 kg
13.00 - Finals cat: Women: 72,76 kg Men: 74,86,92,97 kg

#WrestlePontevedra

Promising Sterkenburg twins head to Spain with history on line

Thursday, October 13, 2022 - 07:35 By Vinay Siwach

PONTEVEDRA, Spain (October 13) -- For a long time, the Netherlands had been all but wiped out of the wrestling map. Apart from the small bursts in female wrestling, it mainly struggled to get into the top-10 position at international competitions.

But that changed last year.

Twin brothers Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) and Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED) are the rising stars of the nation with hopes of qualifying for the Paris Olympics. But before they know their Olympic fate, the twins are putting the country back on the world map, one step at a time.

The two will become the first wrestlers from the Netherlands to compete at the U23 World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain next week with hopes of winning the first medal as well.

They are no strangers to breaking new barriers. Last year, the two wrestled their way to historic gold and silver medals at the U20 World Championships to end a long wait for the Netherlands.

This year in March, Marcel won the U23 European Championships at 82kg while Tyrone finished third at 97kg. Two weeks later, they debuted at the senior Europeans aged 20 years but failed to win a medal.

Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED) is a U20 Worlds silver medalist. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Continuing their progress to become elite-level wrestlers, the U23 Worlds is an important pit stop for the two.

"I did gain enough power and weight for 87kg," Marcel said. "I’ve been feeling good this last month and the most important part of this U23 Worlds is proving that I can wrestle just as good as I was in 82kg."

After winning the U23 Euros, Marcel realized that the 2024 Paris Olympics are just around the corner and qualifying for the Games is an important step to keep his career going. For that, he moved to the Olympic weight class of 87kg.

"My focus after that was to gain weight," Sterkenburg said. "I am going to go to 87kg and in the Netherlands, my brother is the only training partner but he is 97kg so it is difficult to train with a bigger guy. So now I will be a better training partner for my brother as well."

The two were on the course when an unexpected problem arose. Marcel got a throat infection, making it difficult for him to breath while wrestling due to swollen tonsils. It got worse in Poland when he wrestled at the Wladyslaw Pytlasinski Cup in June.

"I passed out during my bout before getting a surgery done there," he said. "I will get the tonsils removed after the World Championships."

The training was halted and it only resumed in September when Marcel felt better. For the major part of their career, the two have been the only training partners for each other as the Netherlands lacked the 'quality' to make international wrestlers. But with wins at the U20 Worlds and U23 Euros, the Olympic committee in the Netherlands invested in the brothers.

"Since our medals for two years, we get budgets from NOC so we can travel and improve our wrestling," he explains.

The two, along with their coach Edward GICEWICZ, travel around Europe to get the best training. Over the years, they have found a great circle in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, training with European champion and world silver medalist Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN).

The training stints become important since different training partners bring in vast level of skills to challenge the wrestlers.

"On a technical base, I can improve a lot like my stance as it is a little bit rushed," Marcel said. "I fall at the beginning of the bout so small things."

The training trips to different countries come as a huge relief to them as they recalled the early days in the sport when it was impossible to get any partners.

"Before wrestling, we were training in boxing and judo," he said. "But everyone told us that we should try wrestling and begin naturally competitive, so we decide to train. Then my Poland coach came to the Netherlands and he coached only Greco-Roman so we decided to do.

"It was scraping with very little," he said. "We were asking for budgets from friends or foundations and our coach helped us. Sometimes we slept on the mats or at the cheapest possible option because the money to fund trips was difficult."

The medals at the Wladyslaw Pytlasinski Cup in Poland in 2020 and a bronze at the U20 European Championships a year later not only brought funding, the U20 Worlds medals helped them being noticed in the Netherlands.

The two brothers were all over the newspaper, invited to TV and radio shows and even to charity events. They were the new hope of Netherlands wrestling.

While training takes up most of the time, the twins liked the new side of their life. They enjoyed it. But quickly returned to training.

"I am studying commercial economics which also takes my time," Marcel said. "Apart from training I like going to cinemas and drawing. Both of us go to Thailand every year since my mother is from there."

Even during their off time, the Sterkenburg twins train on the beach in wrestling and visit the MMA gyms every day for training.

But before they leave for Thailand for another homely trip, the two want to bring more attention to the Netherlands with a medal at the U23 Worlds next week and embark on their Olympic journey.

"We’re both going for the gold medal, to make things even better than last year when Tyrone got silver," Marcel said.