#WrestleNoviSad

Ukraine Advances Trio to Friday Night Finals

Thursday, March 7, 2019 - 17:53 By Eric Olanowski

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (March 7) – Ukraine won three of their four semifinal matches and will meet a German opponent twice on Friday night for a U23 European gold medal. The two Ukraine and Germany matchups will take place at 53kg and 62kg. 

At 53kg, semifinal winners Khrystyna BEREZA (UKR) and Annika WENDLE (GER) both scored come-from-behind wins and punched their tickets to Friday’s gold-medal bout. 

In Bereza’s semifinal match, she was behind 4-1 with under 10 seconds left when she dug in double underhooks and threw Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) to her back, picking up four points and the 5-4 lead. A failed Turkey challenge ultimately gave Bereza the 6-4 victory. 

Wendle trailed Azerbaijan’s Tatyana VARANSOVA 6-0 after the opening period but scored 16 unanswered points before planting the Azeri on her back to pick up the fall. 

At 62kg, returning U23 European gold medalist and U23 world runner-up Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) will take on Luzie MANZKE (GER) in the second Ukraine and Germany matchup. 

Prokopevniuk was up 6-0 before she threw Daria BOBRULKO (RUS) to her back for the fall, while Manzke used an inactivity point and a step out to shutout Ameline DOUARRE (FRA), 2-0. 

The third Ukrainian Day 5 finalist is Alina AKOBIIA. She’ll meet Valeryia YARMOLA (BLR) in the 57kg finals. 

Akobiia punched her ticket to the finals with 10-0 win over a clearly injured Elif YANIK (TUR), who was last year’s U23 European bronze medalist. 

Her Belarusian finals opponent led 9-0 after the opening period before capitalizing on a second-period defensive stop, which gave her the 11-0 victory over Ramona GALAMBOS (HUN). 

Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS) will wrestle for the 65kg U23 European title on Friday night. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka) 

The lone weight not featuring a Ukrainian finalist is 65kg. Russia’s Mariia KUZNETSOVA will wrestle Romania’s Kriszta INCZE in the gold-medal bout. 

Kuznetsova capped off her run to the gold-medal match with a 10-0 routing of Anastasiia LAVRENCHUK (UKR), while Incze scored a hard-fought 8-3 win over France’s Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA) to punch her way to Friday night’s finals.

The Day 5 finals begin at 18:00 (local time) and can be watched live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS
53kg 
GOLD - Annika WENDLE (GER) vs. Khrystyna BEREZA (UKR)
SEMIFINALS - Annika WENDLE (GER) df. Tatyana VARANSOVA (AZE), via fall
SEMIFINALS - Khrystyna BEREZA (UKR) df. Zeynep YETGIL (TUR), 6-4

57kg 
GOLD - Valeryia YARMOLA (BLR) vs. Alina AKOBIIA (UKR)
SEMIFINALS - Valeryia YARMOLA (BLR)  df. Ramona GALAMBOS (HUN), 10-0 
SEMIFINALS - Alina AKOBIIA (UKR) df. Elif YANIK (TUR), 10-0 

62kg
GOLD - Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) vs. Luzie MANZKE (GER)
SEMIFINALS - Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) df. Daria BOBRULKO (RUS), via fall 
SEMIFINALS - Luzie MANZKE (GER) df. Ameline DOUARRE (FRA), 2-0 

65kg
GOLD - Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS) vs. Kriszta Tunde INCZE (ROU)
SEMIFINALS - Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS) df. Anastasiia LAVRENCHUK (UKR), 10-0 
SEMIFINALS - Kriszta INCZE (ROU) df. Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA), 8-3 

#WrestleLA

UWW Announces LA 2028 Olympic Qualification Calendar

Friday, May 1, 2026 - 13:37 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (May 1) -- United World Wrestling has announced the calendar for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics qualification.

As previously announced, the LA 2028 qualification cycle will include four Ranking Series events, 2027 and 2028 continental championships, 2027 World Championships, the 2028 continental qualifiers and the 2028 World Olympic Qualifier.

The first event of the Olympic qualification cycle will be the 1st Ranking Series event in February 2027. The Ranking Series event will be held in a new seven-day format from February 15 to 21.

It will be followed by the 2027 continental championships beginning with Asian Championships from March 30 to April 4. European Championships will be held from April 5 to 11, followed by the African Champions from April 12 to 18.

The Oceania Championships will be held from April 23 to 25 and the Pan-American Championships will go on from April 28 to May 2.

LA 2028

Once the continental championships are done, the Ranking Series will return with the second stop to be held from May 31 to June 6. The third and final Ranking Series event of 2027 will be held from July 19 to 25. Both these events will also be held in a seven-day format.

The last event of 2027 that will offer ranking points will be the 2027 Senior World Championships, to be held from September 11 to 19. Medalists in the 18 Olympic weight classes at the 2027 World Championships will earn a LA 2028 quota for their respective NOCs.

2027 Events for Rankings Points

1st Ranking Series: February 15-21
Asian Championships: March 30-April 4
European Championships: April 5-11
African Championships: April 12-18
Oceania Championships: April 23-25
Pan-American Championships: April 28-May 2
2nd Ranking Series: May 31-June 6
3rd Ranking Series: July 19-25
World Championships: September 11-19

LA 2028

The qualification cycle will continue in 2028 with the first and only Ranking Series event. It will be held from January 17 to 23.

More ranking points will be awarded at the 2028 continental championships. The Oceania Championships will start from February 18 to 20, followed by the Pan-American Championships from February 24 to 27.

The European Championships will be next from February 28 to March 5 and soon after the Asian Championships will commence from March 6 to 12. The African Championships will be held from March 14 to 19.

2028 Events for Rankings Points

Ranking Series: January 17-23
Oceania Championships: February 18-20
Pan-American Championships: February 24-27
European Championships: February 28-March 5
Asian Championships: March 6-12
African Championships: March 14-19

The 2028 Los Angeles Olympic quotas based on rankings will be allocated after the end of the African Championships.

The qualification cycle will then move to continental Olympic qualifiers where the finalists will earn direct quotas for respective NOCs. At the World Olympic Qualifier, the gold medal winner will earn direct quota for the NOC.

The African & Oceania Olympic Qualifiers will kick-off this phase and it will be held from March 24 to 26.

The Pan-American Olympic Qualifiers will be held from March 31 to April 2 and the European Olympic Qualifiers from April 7 to 9. The last continental qualifiers will be the Asian Olympic Qualifiers to be held from April 14 to 16.

After a month's break, the World Olympic Qualifiers, the last chance, will be held from May 18 to 21.

LA 2028

Olympics Qualifiers

African & Oceania Olympic Qualifiers: March 24-26
Pan-American Olympic Qualifiers: March 31-April 2
European Olympic Qualifiers: April 7-9
Asian Olympic Qualifiers: April 14-16
World Olympic Qualifiers: May 18-21

Wresting at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games will be held from July 24 to 30.

The location of the all the events will be communicated by UWW in due time. For details of events, visit uww.org/events.