#WrestleCoralville

Ukraine bringing loaded WW team to World Cup

Friday, November 18, 2022 - 17:32 By Gary Abbott

Share this article

CORALVILLE, Iowa (November 18) --- The lineup for Ukraine’s Women’s Wrestling World Cup team has been released.

The Women’s Wrestling World Cup will be held at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa, Dec. 10-11. It is the first time that freestyle and women’s wrestling will be held together side-by-side at the World Cup.

The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, conducted by United World Wrestling. The top five teams in men’s freestyle and the top five teams in women’s wrestling from the 2022 Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia in September have confirmed their participation. There is also an All World Team in each discipline, featuring the top available athlete from the World Championships in each weight class that were not from a nation which qualified for the World Cup.

The Ukraine Women’s World Cup team is talented, as nine of the 10 entries have won at least one world medal, either on the Senior level or age-group level, or both.

The team is led by 2014 world champion Yulia TKACH OSTAPCHUK, who has also won three other world medals, a 2017 world silver medal and world bronze medals in 2015 and 2018. She has also won world titles at the University and U20 age levels.

Other senior world medalists on the roster include two-time world medalist Oleksandra KHOMENETS (55kg), a 2022 world silver medalist and a 2021 world bronze medalist. Also competing are Oksana LIVACH (50kg), a 2018 world bronze medalist, Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (57kg), a 2022 world bronze medalist and Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (62kg), a 2022 world bronze medalist. All four of these stars have also won age-group world medals, with Livach a 2013 U17 World champion.

Age-group World medalists on the team include Tetiana SOVA RIZHKO (65kg), Alla BELINSKA (68kg), Anastasiya ALPYEVA (72kg) and Anastasiia OSNIACH SHUSTOVA (76kg). Alpyeyeva was a 2021 U23 world champion and Onsiak Shustova was a 2013 U17 world champion.

Ukraine, which placed fifth at the 2022 World Championships in women’s freestyle, will be joined in the World Cup by World champion Japan, second place United States, third place China and fourth place Mongolia, in addition to the All-World Team.         

Ukraine’s women’s team will spend an extended time in the United States, training with Team USA and others prior to and after the World Cup. The Ukrainian women will also compete in the Beat the Streets Los Angeles International Wrestling event in San Marino, Calif. on December 18, where it will take on a U.S. women’s all-star team.

The rosters of the World Cup teams for the other nations will be announced over the next week by USA Wrestling.

Ticket packages for the 2022 Men’s and Women’s Freestyle World Cup are currently on sale. The seating capacity for Xtream Arena for the World Cup will be approximately 5,300. Ticket packages include a Gold package for $275, Silver package for $200 and All-Session tickets for $90.

A special Presentation of Teams and Team USA Meet & Greet will also be held on Friday, December 9 at 6:45 pm. It is free and open to the public.

Men’s and Women’s Wrestling World Cup tickets -> https://worldcupiowacity.com/tickets/

Ukraine Women’s Freestyle World Cup team
50 kg – Oksana LIVACH
53 kg – Lilija MALANCHUK
55 kg – Oleksandra KHOMENETS
57 kg – Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA
59 kg – Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK
62 kg – Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK
65 kg – Tetiana SOVA RIZHKO
68 kg – Alla BELINSKA
72 kg – Anastasiya ALPYEVA
76 kg – Anastasiia OSNIACH SHUSTOVA   

Development

Guatamala plays host to 2024 Educators' Course

Tuesday, November 26, 2024 - 14:47 By United World Wrestling Press

Share this article

PETEN, Guatemala (November 20) — Nestled in the depths of the ancient Mayan Empire, Peten, Guatemala, served as the 2024 Educators' Course host city. This event brought together 11 educators, including three referees and eight coaches, all hailing from Latin America. The course was held on November 11–12 to equip participants with tools to enhance their professional education practice.

Throughout the course, participants engaged in various activities designed to deepen their understanding of adult learning principles, using formative assessments, effective feedback strategies, and integrating new technologies as valuable educational tools. Beyond listening to lectures, educators actively participated in practical micro-leadership activities, teaching their peers topics from the UWW education program.

Vincent AKA (CIV) and Zach ERRET (USA) delivered the training, with support from Yuri MAIER (ARG) and the presence of Deqa NIAMKEY, Director of Development at United World Wrestling.

As an added cultural experience, the educators visited the Tikal National Park, immersing themselves in the rich heritage of the ancient Mayan civilization. They also stayed at a hotel nestled in the heart of the Central American jungle, fostering team dynamics and strengthening bonds among the participants. This camaraderie lays a strong foundation for collaboration during future courses they will deliver.

Notably, of the 11 participants, seven had prior experience as educators. The new additions to the program showcased impressive aptitude and readiness to embrace this new challenge, particularly as they prepare for the upcoming Olympic cycle leading to Los Angeles 2028.

Mr. Francisco LEE LOPEZ and his team coordinated the course and ensured its success. Mr. LEE also addressed the participants, extending a warm welcome, expressing gratitude, and commending their dedication to advancing the development of wrestling in the region.

This enriching experience elevated the educators’ professional capacities and underscored their vital role in shaping the future of wrestling education in Latin America.