#WrestleBucharest

Ukraine Leads Bulgaria By Ten Points After Day 4

Thursday, April 11, 2019 - 20:31 By Eric Olanowski

Share this article

BUCHAREST, Romania (April 11) - Ukraine’s national anthem played three times on Thursday night as Oksana LIVACH, Iryna HUSYAK, and Alla CHERKASOVA captured three of the five women’s wrestling European Championships titles on the fourth day of wrestling in Bucharest, Romania. Ukraine, who finished Day 4 with 85 points, leads Bulgaria by 10 points heading into the final day of the women’s wrestling competition. 

In the 50kg gold-medal bout, Oksana Livach trailed 4-4 on criteria with under 15 seconds left but was able to gain the 6-4 outright advantage over her Bulgarian opponenet Miglena SELISHKA to win her first senior-level European title. 

Ukraine’s second European champion came at 55kg, where Iryna Husyak also defeated a Bulgarian wrestler to win a gold. Husyak trailed Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL), 4-2, after the first period, but was the aggressor in the second period. She scored eight points off two takedowns and a four-point throw to reach the top of the continental podium for the first time with a 10-4 victory. 

Reigning world champion Alla Cherkasova gave Ukraine their third and final Day 4 gold medal. In what turned out of being the most exciting bout of the day, Cherkasova and her Czech Republic opponent Adela HANZLICKOVA combined to score 17 points. But, it was the reigning world champion who prevailed in the end, winning the 68kg gold medal, 11-6. 

Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) won her second consecutive European title with a 3-0 victory in the 59kg finals. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

Bulgaria, who sits in second place in the team race, finished with one champion and two silver medals. 

Bilyana DUDOVA  was Bulgaria's Day 4 champion, where she won the title at 59kg. The reigning world runner-up at 57kg made the smooth transition up to 59kg and capped off her run to her second consecutive continental gold medal, stopping Russia’s Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS), 3-0. Dudova scored an inactivity point and a takedown off a Russian tie and helped Bulgaria claim the 25 first place points. 

Bulgaria's two silver medals came from the aforementioned Miglena Selishka and Evelina Nikolova who fell short in the 50kg and 55kg gold-medal bouts respectively. 

Turkey is in third place heading into the final day of women's wrestling. They had a champion in Yasemin ADAR and a trio of bronze medalists, Evin DEMIRHAN, Bediha GUN, Elif YESILIRMAK. 

Yasemin Adar, last year's world runner-up, was the final women’s wrestler who won a gold medal on Day 4. Adar defeated Austria’s Martina KUENZ (AUT), 6-1, using an arm spin and four-point throw to win her fourth consecutive European title.

Adar, who entered the European Championships ranked No. 2 in the world, will take over the top spot in the world after her title-winning performance in Bucharest.  

Greco-Roman wrestling begins tomorrow at 11:30 (local time) and can be followed on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS 

Team Scores 
GOLD - Ukraine (85 points)
SILVER - Bulgaria  (75 points)
BRONZE - Turkey (70 points)
Fourth - Azerbaijan (41 points)
Fifth - Romania (35 points)

50kg 
GOLD - Oksana LIVACH (UKR) df. Miglena Georgieva SELISHKA (BUL), 6-4 
BRONZE - Kseniya STANKEVICH (BLR) df. Stefania PRICEPUTU (ROU), 10-2 
BRONZE - Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) df. Turkan NASIROVA (AZE), 10-3

55kg
GOLD - Iryna HUSYAK (UKR) df. Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL), 10-4
BRONZE - Andreea ANA (ROU) aforementioned. Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA), 6-4 
BRONZE - Bediha GUN (TUR) df. Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR), 10-0 

59kg 
GOLD - Bilyana Zhivkova DUDOVA (BUL) df. Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS), 3-0 
BRONZE - Elif YESILIRMAK (TUR) df. Ramona GALAMBOS (HUN), 5-1 
BRONZE - Elmira GAMBAROVA (AZE) df. Anhelina LYSAK (UKR), 11-6

68kg 
GOLD - Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) df. Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE), 11-6 
BRONZE - Anna FRANSSON (SWE) df. Iryna Petrovna NETREBA (AZE), 5-2
BRONZE - Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT) df. Danute DOMIKAITYTE (LTU), 8-3 

76kg
GOLD - Yasemin ADAR (TUR) df. Martina KUENZ (AUT), 6-1 
BRONZE - Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER) df. Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU), via fall 
BRONZE - Zsanett NEMETH (HUN) df. Iselin SOLHEIM (NOR), 6-1

#WrestleAthens

U17 Worlds: Kostiuk ends Ukraine's wait for gold; Okonogi, Ismayilov upgrade

Saturday, August 2, 2025 - 18:21 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

ATHENS, Greece (August 2) -- Artur KOSTIUK (UKR) ended a nine-year wait for a gold medal at World U17 Championships for Ukraine as he won the 80kg title in Athens, Greece on Saturday.

Ukraine has not had a world U17 champion since 2016 and a world champion in Freestyle since 2021. Kostiuk's gold was a double delight as he had won gold at European U17 Championships in June as well.

In the final facing Mohammadparsa KARAMI (IRI), Kostiuk was called passive and put on activity clock. He did not score in those 30 seconds but managed to get a takedown just before the break and led 2-1.

Karami was put on the activity clock in the second period and as he failed to score, Kostiuk's lead swelled to 3-1. Karami had 25 seconds to score two points but Kpstiuk kept his defense and captured the gold with a 3-1 score.

Ariah MILLS (USA)Ariah MILLS (USA) won the 48kg gold medal for the United States. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

That was the second loss in the final for Iran as it had suffered a loss at the 48kg weight class. That was the first final of the night on Saturday and Ariah MILLS (USA) gave no chance to Sina BOUSTANI (IRI) in the gold-medal bout.

While he was the one put on activity clock in the first period, Mills wasn't the one to defend. He had some fast re-attacks to stun Boustani. Mills gave up that activity clock point and as Boustani was setting up leg attack, Mills hit a counter and scored the takedown to lead 2-1 at the break.

Boustani had his chance to score reclaim the lead but Mills, who kept his distance, perhaps to have space to counter, got another takedown after a scramble. The U.S. wrestler managed to score a go-behind and two turns to win 12-1 and get the first gold medal in Freestyle for the U.S. 

Jinnosuke OKONOGI (JPN), a returning bronze medalist, upgraded his medal to gold and in style. Down 4-0 against Abdumalik JALOLDINOV (UZB) in the final, he scored one of the perfect five-pointers using the headpinch and over the head throw to lead 5-4 in the final minute.

This was not the only time Okonogi had to make a big comeback in Athens. In his quarterfinals, he defeated Zhakshylyk BOROBAEV (KGZ), 9-8, after scoring a takedown and turn in last 10 seconds.

Okonogi had a 4-1 win over Mohammadreza BARARI (IRI) in his opening match and an 8-2 domination of Greyton BURNETT (USA) in the semifinals.

Huseyn ISMAYILOV (AZE)Huseyn ISMAYILOV (AZE) celebrates after winning the 65kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Silver medalist from 2024 Huseyn ISMAYILOV (AZE) got a anti-climatic 1-1 victory over Arseni KIKINIOU (USA) in the 65kg final and won his first gold medal after finishing with three silvers in three different championships.

Kikiniou was the first to get a point on board as Ismayilov was called passive. He failed to score in the 30 seconds and the U.S. wrestler got a point.

In the second period, Kikiniou was called passive and Ismayilov got a point and the 1-1 criteria lead. He had a minute left in the bout to defend his lead and Kikiniou threw every thing at him. However, Ismayilov defended with determination and won the gold medal.

Magomedrasul OMAROV (UWW)Magomedrasul OMAROV (UWW) held on to his 6-4 lead to win the 110kg final against LACKY (IND). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

The 110kg gold medal went to Magomedrasul OMAROV (UWW) who defeated LACKY (IND), 6-4, in the final. Omarov was down 2-2 on criteria at the break but he hit a stepout and Lacky was cautioned for fleeing, giving one more point to Omarov who now led 4-2.

Lacky tried to finish his leg-attacks but Omarov was quick to either defend or escape. During one of those attacks, Omarov managed to score a go-behind and got two points which made his lead 6-2. Lacky, with 17 seconds left in the bout, went for one final attack and scored a takedown. However, he was not able to turn Omarov which could have given him the criteria win.

Omarov defended the gut-wrench attempt and despite being in the air, did not turn more than 90 degrees. The win made Omarov an European and world champion in the same year.

RESULTS

48kg
GOLD: Ariah MILLS (USA) df. Sina BOUSTANI (IRI), 12-1

BRONZE: Islam RABADANOV (UWW) df. Ravan HASANZADE (AZE), 11-9
BRONZE: Dovudbek BAKHADIROV (KGZ) df. Masamune USHIMADO (JPN), 12-0

55kg
GOLD: Jinnosuke OKONOGI (JPN) df. Abdumalik JALOLDINOV (UZB), 5-4

BRONZE: Greyton BURNETT (USA) df. Mohammadreza BARARI (IRI), 4-0
BRONZE: Chingis SARYGLAR (UWW) df. Jovanni TOVAR (COL), 8-2

65kg
GOLD: Huseyn ISMAYILOV (AZE) df. Arseni KIKINIOU (USA), 1-1

BRONZE: Morteza HAJ (IRI) df. Gourav PUNIA (IND), 8-8
BRONZE: Adisbek ALTYNBEKOV (KGZ) df. Yeraly ASKERBEK (KAZ), 7-1

80kg
GOLD: Artur KOSTIUK (UKR) df. Mohammadparsa KARAMI (IRI), 3-1

BRONZE: Dinmukhammed KASSYMBEK (KAZ) df. Ivan PASLARI (MDA), 5-4
BRONZE: Issa ZANGIEV (UWW) df. Berat ERTURK (TUR), 5-2

110kg
GOLD: Magomedrasul OMAROV (UWW) df. LACKY (IND), 6-4

BRONZE: Hakim TAGHIYEV (AZE) df. Stefan STEFANOV (BUL), 1-1
BRONZE: Amirhossein NAGHDALIPOUR (IRI) df. Murtaz BAGDAVADZE (GEO), 11-0