#DanKolov2019

United States and China Claim Dan Kolov Team Titles

By Eric Olanowski

RUSE, Bulgaria (March 3) – Olympic champion Kyle SNYDER sealed the Dan Kolov team title for the United States (147 points) with a 4-0 shutout win over Ukraine’s Valerii ANDRIITSEV in the 97kg gold-medal bout. 

In the finals, Snyder won the position battle and capitalized on four one-point exchanges to join fellow Americans Jordan BURROUGHS and Alex DIEREINGER as Dan Kolov freestyle champions. 

 

A second Olympic champion also claimed a gold medal on the fourth and final day of wrestling in Ruse, Bulgaria. 

Iran’s Rio Olympic champion Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) obliterated four-time world medalist Ali SHABANAU (BLR), 16-5 in the 86kg finals and won his first Ranking Series gold medal. Yazdani’s smothering pace and left side underhook proved to be too much for the Belarusian, as he gave up a pair of four-point moves, two takedowns, and a quartet of step-outs.

Iran’s 2018 world bronze medalist Parviz HADI (IRI) closed out the tournament and handed Iran their second gold medal of the night, when he edged Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR), 6-4, for the 125kg gold. 

Hadi trailed 3-0 but scored six unanswered points from a takedown and a four-point throw off a high crotch to gain the 6-3 lead. Hadi surrendered a late step out, but his two-point cushion was still enough to give him the win and his first Ranking Series title. 

It’s also worth noting that Hadi had to win back-to-back matches over returning world medalist just to make it to the finals. He defeated China’s returning world finalist Zhiwei DENG (CHN), 8-4, and followed that up with a 5-2 win over two-time world bronze medalist Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA). 

The United States won the freestyle team title, finishing 32 points ahead of second place Russia (115 points), and 47 points ahead of the bronze-medal winners Turkey. Ukraine (88 points) and Georgia (80 points) rounded out the top-5 respectively. 

In women’s wrestling, PANG Qianyu (CHN) and RONG Ningning (CHN) carried China to the team title with their gold-medal performance on the final day of wrestling in Ruse. 

In the 53kg finals, Pang Qianyu trailed India’s Vinesh VINESH (IND) 2-0 after the opening frame but scored nine unanswered points and gave China their first Dan Kolov women’s wrestling title of the weekend.

On her lone scoring sequence of the match, Pang grabbed a takedown from a high-level shot and fell right into a left side trapped arm gut wrench. The Chinese wrestler rolled Vinesh with a trio of gut wrenches and gained control of the match, 8-2. A failed Indian challenge brought the score to 9-2, which is where the 53kg gold medal bout ended. 

 

Reigning world champion Rong Ninging handed China their second gold medal of the day when she avenged her U23 world championship loss to Norway’s Grace BULLEN and picked up the fall in the 57kg finals. 

Rong was shutting out the Norwegian wrestler 4-0 before stopping a throw attempt and scoring the fall. 

The third women’s wrestling gold medalist on the fourth and final day of wrestling in Ruse was Iwona MATKOWSKA (POL), who defeated America's Erin GOLSTON (USA), 4-1, in the 50kg finals. 

China won the women's wrestling team title, finishing 20 points ahead of second place Ukraine (92 points), and 35 points in front of third-place the United States (77 points). Turkey (75 points) and India (65 points) finished in fourth and fifth places respectively. 

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RESULTS 

Freestyle 
GOLD - United States (147 points)
SILVER - Russia (115 points)
BRONZE - Turkey(100 points)
Fourth - Ukraine (88 points)
Fifth - Georgia (80 points)

86kg 
GOLD - Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) df. Ali SHABANAU (BLR), 16-5 
BRONZE - Boris MAKOEV (SVK) df. Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ), 4 - 4
BRONZE - Akhmed AIBUEV (FRA) df. Fatih ERDIN (TUR), via inj. def.

97kg 
GOLD - Kyle Frederick SNYDER (USA) df. Valerii ANDRIITSEV (UKR), 4-0 
BRONZE - Reza YAZDANI (IRI) df. Igor OVSIANNIKOV (RUS), 8 - 4
BRONZE - Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR) df. Baki SAHIN (TUR), 10-0

125kg 
GOLD - Parviz HADI (IRI) df. Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR), 6-4 
BRONZE - Daniel LIGETI (HUN) df. DENG Zhiwei (CHN), 6-1 
BRONZE - Said GAMIDOV (RUS) df. Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), via inj. def. 

Women’s Wrestling 
GOLD - China (112 points)
SILVER - Ukraine (92 points)
BRONZE - United States (77 points)
Fourth - Turkey (75 points)
Fifth - India (65 points)

50kg 
GOLD - Iwona Nina MATKOWSKA (POL) df. Erin Simone GOLSTON (USA), 4-1 
BRONZE - Whitney CONDER (USA) df. Victoria Lacey ANTHONY (USA), 4 - 0
BRONZE - Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) df. Dauletbike YAKHSHIMURATOVA (UZB), 13-6

53kg 
GOLD - PANG Qianyu (CHN) df. Vinesh VINESH (IND), 9-2 
BRONZE - Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) df. Juan DENG (CHN), via fall 
BRONZE - Sarah Ann HILDEBRANDT (USA) df. Amy Ann FEARNSIDE (USA), 6-4 

57kg 
GOLD - RONG Ningning (CHN) df. Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR), via fall 
BRONZE - Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) df. Sara Johanna LINDBORG (SWE), 10 - 0
BRONZE - Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR) df. Bilyana Zhivkova DUDOVA (BUL), 8-2 

#WrestleBelgrade

Women's Wrestling entries announced for 2023 World Championships

By Eric Olanowski

BELGRADE, Serbia (August 23) --- United World Wrestling has released the preliminary women’s wrestling entries for the 2023 World Championships.

The World Championships will be live in Belgrade, Serbia, September 16-24, but women’s wrestling won't start until on Monday, September 18.

Six returning champions—Yui SUSAKI (JPN), Dominique PARRISH (USA), Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN), Anastasia NICHITA (MDA), Amit ELOR (USA) and Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN)—are headed to Belgrade eyeing a second consecutive world crown.

The 2023 World Championships hold significant importance for the 2024 Olympic cycle as it marks the initial phase of the six qualifying events for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 90 Olympic quotas—30 each in freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women's wrestling—are up for contention in Belgrade.

The Olympic quotas will be allocated across six weight classes: 50kg, 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 68kg, and 76kg. Additionally, four non-Olympic weights will be contested—55kg, 59kg, 65kg, and 72kg—however, placements in these categories will have no impact on qualification for the Paris Olympics.

Wrestlers who achieve gold, silver, or bronze medals in the six Olympic weight categories will secure a place for their nation in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Additionally, the two wrestlers who fall short in the bronze-medal bouts will compete in a wrestle-off to determine the fifth quota for the Paris Olympics.

Other Olympic Qualification Events:
March 01-03: Pan-American Olympic Qualifier in Acapulco, Mexico
March 22-24: African and Oceania Olympic Qualifier in Cairo, Egypt
April 04-07: European Olympic Qualifier in Baku, Azerbaijan
April 19-21: Asian Olympic Qualifier in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
May 09-12: World Olympic Qualifier in Istanbul, Turkey

The most dominant wrestler on the planet, Susaki headlines the entries at 50kg. The 24-year-old superstar is looking to win her fourth world title. Her biggest threat will likely be four-time Olympic medalist Mariya STADNIK (AZE) or 2022 world medalists Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL), Anna LUKASIAK (POL) and Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA).

Despite the reigning world champion in this weight class being Parrish, the clear route to 53kg world glory will go through Akari FUJINAMI (JPN).

Fujinami, the 2021 world champion, was absent from the 2022 World Championships due to injury, but she's back and striving to extend her remarkable 122-match winning streak that dates back to 2017 when she was in junior high school.

While the 55kg division isn't part of the Olympic lineup, it boasts several remarkable talents. Standouts include past world champions Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) and Haruna OKUNO (JPN). Winchester secured her world gold in 2019, while Okuno returns to the World Championships after a five-year hiatus. Prior to her break, Okuno dominated the scene with world titles in Paris '17 and Budapest '18, though she later yielded her starting position to eventual Olympic champion Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) after winning those back-to-back golds.

At 57kg, two reigning world champions take the spotlight: Anastasia NICHITA (MDA), moving down from 59kg to vie for Moldova's Paris Olympic qualification, and the 2022 title holder Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN).

Other notable contenders include Olympic champion Helen Louise MAROULIS (USA), Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR), and Anhelina LYSAK (POL), who secured silver and bronze medals in 2022.

With Nichita's weight adjustment and 59kg world runner-up Grace BULLEN (NOR) transitioning to 62kg, only one Belgrade medalist is registered in the 59kg category—Jowita Maria WRZESIEN (POL). Her primary rival will be 2014 world champion Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR).

The most stacked women's wrestling division in the competition is 62kg. Beyond Bullen and Kayla Colleen MIRACLE (USA), both of whom were runners-up a year ago, the division showcases Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL), Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL), Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ), and Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR).

Dudova, Purevdorj, and Tynybekova all boast previous world golds, while Koliadenko secured third place in the Tokyo Olympic Games.

At 65kg, a potential clash for world gold could occur between Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) and Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL), provided they end up on opposing brackets. Both wrestlers were former world champions in Olympic weight classes, but they lost their wrestle-offs this year and thus transitioned to the non-Olympic weight categories.

With the retirement of reigning world champion Tamyra MENSAH-STOCK (USA), the 68kg category is up for grabs. The standout contenders at this weight include Oslo world champions Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) and Irina RINGACI (MDA), alongside Tokyo Olympic runner-up Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR).

Barring a catastrophic meltdown, the road to the 72kg world title will go through reigning world champion Amit ELOR (USA). Her biggest threat will be Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), who is up 7kg from her 2023 world-title-winning weight of 65kg.

In the absence of defending world champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR) due to recent back surgery, Adeline Maria GRAY (USA) is a central figure in the 76kg weight class as she returns to world-level competition after giving birth to twins. She aims to secure her seventh world title, a feat no American wrestler--male or female--has achieved.

Among Gray's formidable opponents are 2022 world medalists Samar HAMZA (EGY), Epp MAE (EST), and Yuka KAGAMI (JPN). Hamza clinched second place in Belgrade, while Mae and Kagami secured third place.

The 2023 World Championships begin September 16-24 in Belgrade, Serbia. Fans can follow all the action live on www.uww.org or on 'The Home of Wrestling,' United World Wrestling's new app.

*Please note these entries are preliminary and are subject to change.

Women’s Wrestling

50kg
Kseniya STANKEVICH (AIN)
Mariya STADNIK (AZE)
Kamila BARBOSA (BRA)
Madison PARKS (CAN)
Ziqi FENG (CHN)
Alisson CARDOZO (COL)
Yusneylis GUZMAN (CUB)
Jacqueline MOLLOCANA (ECU)
Julie SABATIE (FRA)
Paulina DUENAS (GUM)
Szimonetta SZEKER (HUN)
Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA)
Yui SUSAKI (JPN)
Maral TANGIRBERGENOVA (KAZ)
Emma WANGILA (KEN)
Miseon KWON (KOR)
Gabija DILYTE (LTU)
Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL)
Veronika RYABOVOLOVA (MKD)
Miesinnei GENESIS (NGR)
Anna LUKASIAK (POL)
Emilia GRIGORE VUC (ROU)
Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR)
Oksana LIVACH (UKR)
Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA)
NEELAM (UWW)
Jasmina IMMAEVA (UZB)

53kg
Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (AIN)
Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE)
Samantha STEWART (CAN)
Diana WEICKER (CAN)
Qianyu PANG (CHN)
Nogona BAKAYOKO (CIV)
Sandy PARRA (COL)
Lucia YEPEZ (ECU)
Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA)
Annika WENDLE (GER)
Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE)
Mia AQUINO (GUM)
Sztalvira ORSUS (HUN)
Akari FUJINAMI (JPN)
Altyn SHAGAYEVA (KAZ)
Jeongbin OH (KOR)
Vestina DANISEVICIUTE (LTU)
Iulia LEORDA (MDA)
Karla ACOSTA (MEX)
Otgonjargal GANBAATAR (MGL)
Christianah OGUNSANYA (NGR)
Roksana ZASINA (POL)
Andreea ANA (ROU)
Mama SAMBOU (SEN)
Ahinsa PORUTHOTAGE (SRI)
Jonna MALMGREN (SWE)
Tuba DEMIR (TUR)
Liliya HORISHNA (UKR)
Dominique PARRISH (USA)
ANTIM (UWW)
Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB)
Betzabeth ARGUELLO (VEN)

55kg
Aryna MARTYNAVA (AIN)
Karla GODINEZ (CAN)
Min ZHANG (CHN)
Tetiana PROFATILOVA (FRA)
Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER)
Erika BOGNAR (HUN)
Haruna OKUNO (JPN)
Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ)
Emily WANYAMA (KEN)
Laura STANELYTE (LTU)
Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA)
Otgontuya CHINBOLD (MGL)
Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL)
Melda DERNEKCI (TUR)
Mariia VYNNYK (UKR)
Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA)
Neha SHARMA (UWW)
Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB)

57kg
Iryna KURACHKINA (AIN)
Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (AIN)
Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE)
Giullia PENALBER (BRA)
Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL)
Hannah TAYLOR (CAN)
Kexin HONG (CHN)
Andrea GONZALEZ (COL)
Luisa VALVERDE (ECU)
Jacqueline HERNANDEZ (ESA)
Graciela SANCHEZ (ESP)
Mathilde RIVIERE (FRA)
Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER)
Rckaela AQUINO (GUM)
Ramona GALAMBOS (HUN)
Aurora RUSSO (ITA)
Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN)
Ainur ASHIMOVA (KAZ)
Mary NALIAKA (KEN)
Kalmira BILIMBEKOVA (KGZ)
Youngjin KWON (KOR)
Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)
Alma VALENCIA (MEX)
Erdenesuvd BAT ERDENE (MGL)
Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR)
Anhelina LYSAK (POL)
Nes RODRIGUEZ (PUR)
Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU)
Marija IGNJATOVIC (SRB)
Evelina HULTHEN (SWE)
Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR)
Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR)
Helen MAROULIS (USA)
SARITA (UWW)
Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB)
Betzabeth SARCO (VEN)

59kg
Krystsina SAZYKINA (AIN)
Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE)
Dzhanan MANOLOVA (BUL)
Laurence BEAUREGARD (CAN)
Qi ZHANG (CHN)
Maria BAEZ (ESP)
Elena BRUGGER (GER)
Laralei GANDAOLI (GUM)
Tamara DOLLAK (HUN)
Sae NANJO (JPN)
Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ)
Susana LOZANO (MEX)
Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL)
Othelie HOEIE (NOR)
Jowita WRZESIEN (POL)
JOVANA RADIVOJEVIC (SRB)
Siwar BOUSETA (TUN)
Mehlika OZTURK (TUR)
Yuliia TKACH (UKR)
Jennifer PAGE (USA)
ANJLI (UWW)

62kg
Veranika IVANOVA (AIN)
Angelina LELO (ANG)
Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)
Jessica DERRELL (BAR)
Lais NUNES (BRA)
Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL)
Ana GODINEZ (CAN)
Xiaojuan LUO (CHN)
Angelina RODRIGUES (CPV)
Leonela AYOVI (ECU)
Lydia PEREZ (ESP)
Viktoria VESSO (EST)
Luisa NIEMESCH (GER)
Elena ESPOSITO (ITA)
Sakura MOTOKI (JPN)
Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ)
Eunice MBURU (KEN)
Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ)
Subeen JO (KOR)
Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT)
Mariana CHERDIVARA (MDA)
Alexis GOMEZ (MEX)
Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL)
Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR)
Grace BULLEN (NOR)
Aleksandra WOLCZYNSKA (POL)
Kriszta INCZE (ROU)
Sara LINDBORG (SWE)
Selvi ILYASOGLU (TUR)
Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR)
Kayla MIRACLE (USA)
MANISHA (UWW)
Ariukhan JUMABAEVA (UZB)
Nathaly GRIMAN (VEN)
Thi My Hanh NGUYEN (VIE)

65kg
Tatsiana PAULAVA (AIN)
Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE)
Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL)
Aleah NICKEL (CAN)
Lili LILI (CHN)
Iva GERIC (CRO)
Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA)
Nonoka OZAKI (JPN)
Irina KAZYULINA (KAZ)
Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL)
Masa PEROVIC (SRB)
Kadriye AKSOY (TUR)
Oksana KUKHTA HERHEL (UKR)
Macey KILTY (USA)
ANTIM (UWW)

68kg
Hanna SADCHANKA (AIN)
Albina DRAZHI (ALB)
Grabriela PEDRO (BRA)
Yuliana YANEVA (BUL)
Olivia Grace DI BACCO (CAN)
Katie Nichole MULKAY (CAN)
Feng ZHOU (CHN)
Nicoll PARRADO (COL)
Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE)
Nerea PAMPIN (ESP)
Koumba LARROQUE (FRA)
Noémi SZABADOS (HUN)
Ami ISHII (JPN)
Yelena SHALYGINA (KAZ)
Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)
Jeumeun KWON (KOR)
Danute DOMIKAITYTE (LTU)
Irina RINGACI (MDA)
Alejandra RIVERA (MEX)
Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL)
Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)
Yanet SOVERO (PER)
Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL)
Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU)
Emilija JAKOVLJEVIC (SRB)
Patricia ELNOUR (SUD)
Zsuzsanna MOLNAR (SVK)
Tindra SJOEBERG (SWE)
Khadija JLASSI (TUN)
Buse TOSUN (TUR)
Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR)
Emma BRUNTIL (USA)
PRIYANKA (UWW)
Firuza ESENBAEVA (UZB)
Dieu Thuong LAI (VIE)

72kg
Sofiya GEORGIEVA (BUL)
Shauna KUEBECK (CAN)
QIANDEGENCHAGAN (CHN)
Kendra DACHER (FRA)
Ilana KRATYSH (ISR)
Dalma CANEVA (ITA)
Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN)
Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)
Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ)
Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL)
Natalia Iwona STRZALKA (POL)
Fanni NAGY NAD (SRB)
Nesrin BAS (TUR)
Alina RUDNYTSKA LEVYTSKA (UKR)
Amit ELOR (USA)
Jyoti BERWAL (UWW)

76kg
Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (AIN)
Justina DI STASIO (CAN)
Yuanyuan HUANG (CHN)
Amy YOUIN (CIV)
Tatiana RENTERIA (COL)
Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB)
Genesis REASCO (ECU)
Samar HAMZA (EGY)
Epp MAE (EST)
Cynthia VESCAN (FRA)
Francy RAEDELT (GER)
Enrica RINALDI (ITA)
Yuka KAGAMI (JPN)
Inkara ZHANATAYEVA (KAZ)
Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)
Jimin BAEK (KOR)
Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU)
Atzimba LANDAVERDE (MEX)
Zagardulam NAIGALSUREN (MGL)
Hannah RUEBEN (NGR)
Marion BYE (NOR)
Catalina AXENTE (ROU)
Mehtap GULTEKIN (TUR)
Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR)
Adeline GRAY (USA)
Divya KAKRAN (UWW)
Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB)
Maria ACOSTA (VEN)
Thi Linh DANG (VIE)