#WrestlePontevedra

U23 World Championships day three semis set

By Vinay Siwach

PONTEVEDRA, Spain (October 19) -- The third day of the U23 World Championships will see women's wrestling with five weight classes. Olympic and world champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) will be on the mat in her quest to win the gold.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

Semifinals for the evening session

50kg
Nada MOHAMED (EGY) vs. ANKUSH (IND)
Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA) vs. Yui SUSAKI (JPN)

55kg
Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA) vs. Alisha HOWK (USA)
Virginie KAZE (CAN) vs. Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) 

59kg
Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) vs. Lexie BASHAM (USA)
Magdalena GLODEK (POL) vs. Ramina MAMEDOVA (LAT) 

68kg​​​​​​​
Nesrin BAS (TUR) vs. Sienna RAMIREZ (USA)
Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN) vs. Noémi SZABADOS (HUN) 

76kg
Inkara ZHANATAYEVA (KAZ) vs. Dymond GUILFORD (USA)
Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) vs. Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) 

13:40: Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN), the only wrestler in the Japan team with no international experience, reaches the 59kg semifinal with a fall over Katherine RENTERIA (COL)

13:00: Yui SUSAKI (JPN) came on the mat and quickly finishes her first bout with a fall over Shahana NAZAROVA (AZE). She is smiling her way through the win.

12:45: Tokyo Olympian Sarra HAMDI (TUN) with another strong win. She takes out Nyla VALENCIA (USA) 3-0 at 50kg.

12:25: Stefania PRICEPUTU (ROU) stands stunned on the mat as Zehra DEMIRHAN (TUR) pins her. Priceputu twice won the bout only to get it changed due to challenges. Demirhan passed out when Priceputu led 7-0. Then the Romanian scored a fall but it was outside the zone. A 12-2 score gave her the win but Demirhan challenged and it was clear that there was no foul from Demirhan and the score was reversed to 11-2. Demirhan, with just 29 seconds left, sprung a throw and held Priceputu to her back to secure the fall

12:00: Returning silver medalist Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) and Hui CHANG (TPE) left everything on the mat. Chang got a point for the passivity and then a stepout in the second period. Renteria with a big four at the end but Chang challenges and it's actually a stepout. A 3-3 win for Chang. They consult again and it's actually a 3-3 win for Renteria.

11:30: Nesrin BAS (TUR) scores the first takedown over Irina RINGACI (MDA) before the latter answers with her own. Bas with exposure and then Ringaci with a takedown to reclaim the lead. But Bas has a go behind after a scramble. Ringaci challenges the call and she wins the challenge. But Bas wins 11-6.

11:25: Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) and Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) in a rematch of the U20 World Championships which Kiyooka won. Khomenets caught in a leg lace and Kiyooka runs to an 8-0 lead before Khomenets pulls out due to injury.

11:15: Lisa ERSEL (GER) with a close 4-3 win over Amanda TOMCZYK (POL) while Sarra HAMDI (TUN) with a technical superiority Svenja JUNGO (SUI).

On Mat A, Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA) comes from behind to beat Maria LEORDA (MDA) 12-6 at 50kg. 

11:00: Jiah PINGOT (PHI), the first woman from the country to compete at the age group World Championships, was down 6-0 against Jekaterina JERMALONOKA (LAT) but managed to come up with a big throw from win via fall.

10:30: Welcome to another rainy day here in Pontevedra. Women's wrestling begins with five weight classes.

#WrestleBratislava

Adar leads Turkiye's strong show at European Championships

By Vinay Siwach

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (April 9) -- Yasemin ADAR (TUR) is a step closer to winning her eighth European gold medal. 

The Turkish legend once again reached the European Championships at 76kg after beating Martina KUENZ (AUT) 2-1 in the semifinals. Both wrestler spilt activity clock points but Adar scored a stepout to take a 2-1 lead and win.

Adar will have to beat former world U23 champion Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) who pinned Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (UWW) in the other semifinal.

Adar led an inspired Turkish team which had three finalists on Wednesday at the European Championships. Turkiye is the defending champions in team title.

At 59kg, Bediha GUN (TUR) defeated defending champion Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE), 3-0, and she will face former world U20 champion Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (UWW) who held on for a 6-0 victory over Erika BOGNAR (HUN).

Returning silver medalist Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) also reached the final. In her semifinal, she won after her opponent Emilia GRIGORE VUC (ROU) suffered an injury mid-bout.

Demirhan built a 9-3 lead and was about to Vuc when the Romanian let out a painful cry. The semifinal was stopped and Demirhan got a victory via injury default. She will face former European champion Oksana LIVACH (UKR) for the gold medal.

In 2019, Livach won the gold medal at the European Championships. But in the six years since then, she has been denied the top of the podium finish at the tournament.

Livach is now has the opportunity to return to the top position in what will be her fourth trip to the final; she has won one and lost two in her career.

She defeated Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (UWW) 3-1 in the semifinal after earning an extra technical point.

One of Ukraine's biggest hopes for the gold medal Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) suffered a big 9-3 loss to Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) in the 55kg semifinal. Khomenets led 2-1 for the majority of the bout but Verbina got on a single-leg attack, elevated the leg and as Khomenets tried a split defense, Verbina dragged and dropped her on the mat for four.

Another four-pointer in the final 15 seconds ended any hopes for Khomenets as Verbina won 9-3 to book her spot in the final against world bronze medalist Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA) who defeated Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) 10-0 in the other semifinal.

The 35-year-old Debien, who has only a bronze medal from 2023 edition in her six European Championships appearances, made it to the final for the first time after putting on a takedown masterclass against Dragutan.

At 68kg, Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU) booked a spot in the final after her two four-pointers were too much for world bronze medalist Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE). Zelenykh won 11-3.

She will take on Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW) after she won 2-1 against age-group European champion Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR) in the other semifinal.

RESULTS

Semifinals

50kg
GOLD: Oksana LIVACH (UKR) vs. Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR)

SF 1: Oksana LIVACH (UKR) df. Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (UWW), 3-1
SF 2: Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) df. Emilia VUC (ROU), via injury

55kg
GOLD: Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA) vs. Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW)

SF 1: Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA) df. Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA), 10-0
SF 2: Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) df. Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR), 9-3

59kg
GOLD: Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (UWW) vs. Bediha GUN (TUR)

SF 1: Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (UWW) df. Erika BOGNAR (HUN), 6-0
SF 2: Bediha GUN (TUR) df. Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE), 3-0

68kg
GOLD: Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW) vs. Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU)

SF 1: Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW) df. Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR), 2-1
SF 2: Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU) df. Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE), 11-3

76kg
GOLD: Yasemin ADAR (TUR) vs. Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR)

SF 1: Yasemin ADAR (TUR) df. Martina KUENZ (AUT), 2-1
SF 2: Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) df. Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (UWW), via fall

Qualification and morning session blog follows below

13:03: Martina KUENZ (AUT), a three-time European silver medalist, closes out the session with a big 12-0 win over returning silver medalist Catalina AXENTE (ROU). She blasted two double leg throws and two gut wrenches for the points.

12:47: Oksana LIVACH (UKR) into the 50kg semifinal with a 7-0 controlled win over Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA). Livach with a four-pointer in the opening minute and Luttenauer played catch-up after that.

12:40: Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) with a fall over age-group world medalist Laura KUEHN (GER) to enter the semifinal at 76kg. She will face Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (UWW) who defeated Valeriia TRIFONOVA (UWW) 3-0.

12:20: Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) is back into the European semifinals with a 6-3 win over Noémi SZABADOS (HUN). She is looking to become the first Czech woman to win the gold medal at the European Championships.

12:17: Defending champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR) with a big headlock throw for four and then pins Enrica RINDALI (ITA) to get her title defense at 76kg going with a win.

12:15: Defending champion at 59kg Aloyna KOLESNIK (AZE) breaks down Alesia HETMANAVA (UWW) with a spree of takedowns and leads a 6-0 but Hetmanava hits a throw in the final 50 seconds which bring the score to 6-2. She holds Kolesnik in danger positions for the remaining time but fails to secure the fall. Hetmanava wins 7-2

12:05: Defending champion and Paris bronze medalist Buse TOSUN (TUR) falls to Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW) 3-2 at 68kg. Shauchuk had one takedown which was enough for the two technical points Tosun scored.

11:55: World silver medalist Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) fell behind 2-0 at the break after Beatrice FERENT (ROU) countered her attack for two points in their 55kg quarterfinal. However, Khomenets, searching for first senior European title, hits a four-point and then gets countered for exposure. She holds a 4-4 criteria lead before winning the bout 8-4 and enters the semifinals.

11:46: Three-time European U20 champion and two-time European U23 silver medalist Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR) needed a late stepout against Kendra DACHER (FRA) to win 6-5 at 68kg. Skobelska, making her debut at senior Europeans, scored a four-point throw to lead Dacher 4-3 but Dacher got a takedown to reclaim the lead 5-4. A stepout gave Skobelska 5-5 criteria lead which Dacher failed to break. France challenged after the time and a lost challenge added another point to Skobelska's score.

11:35: Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU) with a move four to work up a 6-0 lead before securing the fall over Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER) at 68kg in a minute and 12 seconds.

11:30: Emilia VUC (ROU), former world silver medalist and European medalist, takes a minute and 13 seconds to roll to a 10-0 victory over Maria LEORDA (MDA) at 50kg.

11:23: Bediha GUN (TUR) gets two activity clock points and she manages to beat Aurora RUSSO (ITA) 2-1. Russo's one point also came from the activity clock.

11:15: Beatrice FERENT (ROU) kept Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE) in danger position for more than two minutes and secured a 3-2 win at 55kg. Mammadova could not sneak out of the double-arm lock.

11:10: A couple of heartbreaks for local wrestling fans as Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER) pins Michaela SEBOEKOVA (SVK) at 68kg and Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR) destroys Lara GORCS (SVK) 10-0 at 59kg.

11:00: World and returning bronze medalist Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) begins with an 11-0 technical superiority win over Tindra SJOEBERG (SWE) at 68kg. 

10:50: Two quick finishes at 68kg on Mat A, Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW) with a technical superiority win over Albina DRAZHI (ALB) and then Kendra DACHER (FRA) follows the same script against Nerea PAMPIN BLANCO (ESP) in the next match.

10:30: Day three here at the European Championships. We will have the repechage of the Freestyle and quickly move to Women's Wrestling in 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg and 76kg.