#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

Development

DNSS Program in Cambodia: Building Foundations for Wrestling Growth

Monday, December 2, 2024 - 15:16 By United World Wrestling Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (December 2) --- From July 18 to November 30, 2024, the Development of the National Sports System (DNSS) program in Cambodia marked a significant milestone for the growth of wrestling in the country. Led by UWW Educator Martin Hauck (USA), this program provided a comprehensive approach to enhancing coaching, athlete development, and refereeing in Cambodia. Through a mix of workshops, camps, and tournaments, the initiative sought to foster collaboration, education, and enthusiasm for wrestling at all levels.

During the program, more educational opportunities were created for coaches, athletes, and referees. A key highlight was a youth national tournament held during the second visit, which connected athletes and coaches from several provinces, promoting competition and collaboration. Plans were made to make this event an annual tradition, further strengthening the sport’s foundation in Cambodia.

The program objectives included observing and assessing the national team during a high-performance camp in July, educating coaches on long-term athlete development, and organizing a one-day seminar in a neighboring province to introduce wrestling games to youth. Meetings with the Cambodia Wrestling Federation leadership helped establish a roadmap for future development and in-person training sessions.

Key deliverables included:

Running camps and seminars for coaches and athletes, focusing on practical and theoretical education.
Creating a Cambodian Coaches Course Curriculum and teaching topics such as emergency action planning, practice structuring, periodization, talent identification, and connecting traditional Cambodian wrestling with Olympic styles.
Organizing a youth national tournament and camp, which saw participation from almost all provinces, showcasing significant growth on and off the mat.
Promoting communication, education, and resource-sharing platforms for ongoing development.

The DNSS program not only strengthened technical skills but also built excitement and unity within the Cambodia Wrestling Federation. With a focus on collaboration among referees, coaches, athletes, and stakeholders, this initiative laid the groundwork for sustained development and opportunities in wrestling throughout Cambodia.

The Development of National Sports System (DNSS) program, conducted in Cambodia from July 18 to November 30, 2024, marked a significant step toward developing wrestling in the country. Led by UWW Educator Martin Hauck (USA), the program aimed to address critical gaps in coaching, athlete development, and organizational structure while fostering growth and enthusiasm for the sport nationwide.

CAM Over 100 participants competed in the national youth tournament during the Development of the National Sports System (DNSS) program in Cambodia.

Program Activities and Achievements

The DNSS program implemented a range of initiatives to address these challenges and lay the groundwork for wrestling’s growth:

Youth Development and Competitions:
The program introduced a national youth tournament, drawing over 100 athletes from nearly all provinces. This event not only provided a platform for competition but also fostered excitement and collaboration among athletes, coaches, referees, parents, and stakeholders.
Coaching Education and Communication:
Coaches participated in comprehensive seminars covering emergency action planning, athlete development, periodization, video analysis, coaching females, and practice structuring. A centralized communication platform on the Cambodia Wrestling Federation website improved collaboration among coaches and clubs, helping connect rural and urban areas.
Structured Athlete Development:
New frameworks for athlete progression were introduced, enabling coaches and athletes to engage in long-term development cycles. Practical sessions during national team camps allowed coaches to apply their learning while working with athletes from across the country.
Safety and Inclusivity:
Emphasis on mental health, recovery practices, and safety protocols improved understanding and implementation of safe wrestling environments.
Stakeholder Engagement:
Meetings with the Cambodia Wrestling Federation leadership resulted in a shared vision for growth, including plans to strengthen partnerships, increase opportunities, and enhance stakeholder representation.

Key Outcomes

The program’s efforts led to several important outcomes:

Improved communication and collaboration within the wrestling community.
Significant growth in coaches’ theoretical and practical knowledge.
Increased participation and retention among athletes and coaches.
The successful execution of Cambodia’s first youth national tournament.
The identification of Coach Sotheara as a future leader for the sport.

Path to Success

The success of wrestling in Cambodia will depend on sustained education, participation, and collaboration. With improved communication, increased opportunities, and the emergence of local leaders like Coach Sotheara, the sport is well-positioned for growth. The DNSS program has laid a strong foundation, and with continued effort, wrestling in Cambodia has the potential to thrive at both national and international levels.

By fostering education, inclusivity, and passion, this program has not only addressed immediate needs but also set a vision for wrestling’s bright future in Cambodia.