#WrestleZagreb

UWW names hosts for '23 Senior European, '24 U23 European C'ships

By Eric Olanowski

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (April 4) -- United World Wrestling has approved the host sites for the 2023 Senior European Championships and the 2024 U23 European Championships.

Zagreb, Croatia will host next year's Senior European Championships. The Croatian capital hosted the 2012 Junior European Championships, but the 2023 European Championships will be the first time Zagreb has welcomed a senior-level continental championship.

"I am thrilled to confirm that Zagreb will organize the 2023 Senior European Championships," said UWW President, Nenad LALOVIC." "The Croatian Wrestling Federation has been a reliable partner and has continuously improved its organizational capacity by hosting various junior level competitions. Combining their wrestling expertise with the support and infrastructure of the city of Zagreb will be a success for wrestling."

UWW also approved Baku, Azerbaijan as the host site for the 2024 U23 European Championships.   

"Baku hosting the 2024 U23 European Championships is a positive sign that Azerbaijan will return to hosting events in the future and shows the long-term interest of wrestling remains high," said Lalovic. "They will host the Greco-Roman World Cup later this year and adding the U23 Europeans Championships is adding to the number of major competitions they are keen to organize."

Earlier this year, UWW announced wrestling’s return to the historic city after an extended absence on the international calendar, as the city was provisionally approved to host the 2022 Greco-Roman World Cup (November 5-6).

The 2024 U23 European Championships will be the first time the Azerbaijani capital has hosted the U23 continental event, but the city is extremely familiar with hosting Europe’s best wrestlers. Baku hosted the 2015 European Games, which replaced the European Championships on the UWW calendar. It also hosted the 2012 European Championships in all three styles and will host the 2022 Greco-Roman World Cup in November.

For a full list of upcoming international events, click HERE.

#WrestleZagreb

Wednesday night's women's wrestling semifinals set

By Eric Olanowski

ZAGREB, Croatia (April 19) -- The third day of the European Championships in Zagreb, Croatia. Women's wrestling will kick off with 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg and 76kg wrestlers taking the mat.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

FULL EUROPEAN C'SHIP SCHEDULE:
- 11:30 -
Qualification rounds
- 16:45 - Semifinals
- 18:00 - Finals

Wednesday semifinal matchups:

50kg
Oksana LIVACH (UKR) vs. Miglena Georgieva SELISHKA (BUL) 
Anna LUKASIAK (POL) vs. Mariya STADNIK (AZE) 

55kg
Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) vs. Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU) 
Annika WENDLE (GER) vs. Erika BOGNAR (HUN) 

59kg
Yuliia TKACH (UKR) vs. Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) 
Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)  vs. Eda TEKIN (TUR) 

68kg
Alla BELINSKA (UKR) vs. Winner 217
Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) vs. Yuliana Vasileva YANEVA (BUL) 

76kg
Martina KUENZ (AUT) vs. Cynthia Vanessa VESCAN (FRA) 
Yasemin ADAR (TUR) vs. Anastasiia OSNIACH (UKR) 

13:28: The morning session is rolling by. We only have five matches left and the session is done. The semifinal matches are listed above as they come in.

13:08: There's the upset of the day. Cynthia Vanessa VESCAN (FRA) just upset European champion Epp MAE (EST), 3-2, setting up a semifinal match against Martina KUENZ (AUT).

12:58: That was quick. Adar only needed 75 seconds to pick up the 10-0 win over Axente. She'll meet the winner of Agoro PAPAVASILEIOU (GRE)  Anastasiia OSNIACH (UKR) 

12:53: Mariya STADNIK (AZE) picked up her second win of the day, a 9-3 victory over Julie Martine SABATIE (FRA), but it wasn't in normal form. She didn't dominate and looked a little gassed after the bout.

Either way, she reached the semifinals, where she'll meet 2022 world bronze medalist Lukasiak.

12:37: World bronze medalist Anna LUKASIAK (POL) is on deck on Mat A. She'll wrestle Gabija DILYTE (LTU) for a spot in the 50kg semifinals. 

12:35: Yasemin ADAR (TUR) kicks off her quest for a sixth European title in three matches on Mat B. She'll wrestle Catalina AXENTE (ROU). This'll be the first meeting of their careers.

12:22: That's a statement win from Yuliana Vasileva YANEVA (BUL). She just 10-0 blanked U23 world and European champion Nesrin BAS (TUR).

Turkiye is off to a rough start today. They've had two matches, with both ending in technical superiorty losses.

11:55: Four-time Olympic medalist Mariya STADNIK (AZE) returns to the European Championships and marks it with a 14-4 win over defending champion Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR). Stadnik is gunning for her eighth Euro gold medal.

11:30: Welcome to day three of the European Championships here in Zagreb. After the repechage rounds of freestyle, we jump right into the women's wrestling.