#development

UWW partners with FFL to announce INSEP as high-performance center

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (September 2) -- As the buzz for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris gathers momentum, the United World Wrestling (UWW) has entered into a partnership with the French wrestling federation (FFL), the country's National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance -- commonly known as INSEP -- in a bid to grow wrestling in France, assist Francophone athletes and open the doors to world-class training facilities to wrestlers from across the globe.

As per the tri-partite agreement, the INSEP national wrestling network of training centers of Paris, Dijon and Font Romeu will be designated as a UWW World Wrestling Center.

This will enable the centers to hold training camps for selected elite wrestlers, conduct education courses for wrestling coaches, and organize knowledge-sharing activities (e.g. seminars, educational sessions, coach exchanges) that assist referees and coaches in ways that enhance world-class athlete preparation systems as well as ensure experience sharing in particular for female sport. It will also enable them to take active leadership in world wrestling regarding best-practice athlete pathway management.

This will also help the French federation to welcome as many foreign countries as possible to the center to be able to find training partners for the wrestlers. Currently, 26 French wrestlers train at INSEP in the three Olympic styles.

Nenad LALOVICUWW President Nenad LALOVIC at INSEP in Paris. (Photo: INSEP / Isabelle AMAUDRY)

Nenad Lalovic, President of the UWW, Lionel Lacaze, President of the FFL and Fabien Canu, Director of INSEP were present on the occasion.

“INSEP is a well renowned high-performance center worldwide and today we are delighted to sign this agreement to further strengthen our sport in France and abroad," Lalovic said.

INSEP was created in 1975 under the name, the National Institute of Sport and Physical Education. Over the years, it has grown into one of the world’s foremost Olympic training centers.

Spread over 28 hectares, it is home to almost 800 athletes in 27 Olympic and Paralympic disciplines, including wrestling. 

INSEP not only has a state-of-the-art training facility but also provides technical and scientific expertise with genuine respect for the athletes. INSEP is the ideal training center for elite athletes in view of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

#WrestleAthens

Fernandez earns shot at second world U17 title in Athens

By Vinay Siwach

ATHENS, Greece (July 31) -- Returning world champion Tania FERNANDEZ (USA) earned herself a shot to win second title in a row after making the 61kg final in Athens, Greece.

Fernandez was one of the two United States wrestlers who reached the Women's Wrestling finals on Thursday in the Greek capital.

The two semifinal wins were after two semifinal losses but Fernandez and Epenesa ELISON (USA) kept the U.S. in the race for team title, making the final at 53kg and 61kg respectively.

Elison, who dominated her way to semifinals, was no different there as well. She caught Farida ABDRAKHMANOVA (KAZ) in a lace and led 6-0. She then scored two takedowns and won 10-0.

Jiaqing JIANG (CHN) scored a late takedown to beat Rion OGAWA (JPN), 4-4, and book a place in the final against Elison.

Fernandez went one step better and pinned Miranda KAPANADZE (GEO) using an arm-bar and returned to the finals. She will take on YASHITA (IND) in the final after the Indian blanked Barbara BAGER (HUN), 5-0.

Uzbekistan had its second Women's Wrestling finalist in Athens as Asian U17 champion Shokhista SHONAZAROVA (UZB) blanked Maisei ELLIOTT (USA), 9-0 in the semifinals.

She will face An NAKANISHI (JPN) for the gold medal after the Japanese defeated Asema ASANGARYEVA (KGZ) 11-0 in the other semifinal, in typical Japanese style using a leg lace.

Japan got one more finalist, at 46kg, after Hanano OYA (JPN) denied returning bronze medalist Jaclyn BOUZAKIS (USA), 6-4, in the semifinals. Bouzakis was not able to cover the 6-0 lead Oya had built in the first period.

Oya will now face Janka SILLEI (HUN) in the gold-medal bout on Friday. Sillei dashed hopes of the hosts Greece by beating silver medalist Maria GKIKA (GRE), 10-4 which was eventually called a pin.

European U17 champion Ayla SAHIN (GER) held off Linda MARTINEZ (MEX), 6-0, in the semifinals at 69kg to earn a shot at the world title against Min ZHAO (CHN) who came from behind to beat MANISHA (IND) 6-4.

RESULTS

40kg
GOLD: Shokhista SHONAZAROVA (UZB) vs. An NAKANISHI (JPN)

SF 1: Shokhista SHONAZAROVA (UZB) df. Maisie ELLIOTT (USA), 9-0
SF 2: An NAKANISHI (JPN) df. Asema ASANGARYEVA (KGZ), 11-0

46kg
GOLD: Janka SILLEI (HUN) vs. Hanano OYA (JPN)

SF 1: Janka SILLEI (HUN) df. Maria GKIKA (GRE), via fall (10-4)
SF 2: Hanano OYA (JPN) df. Jaclyn BOUZAKIS (USA), 6-4

53kg
GOLD: Epenesa ELISON (USA) vs. Jiaqing JIANG (CHN)

SF 1: Epenesa ELISON (USA) df. Farida ABDRAKHMANOVA (KAZ), 10-0
SF 2: Jiaqing JIANG (CHN) df. Rion OGAWA (JPN), 4-4

61kg
GOLD: Taina FERNANDEZ (USA) vs. YASHITA (IND)

SF 1: Taina FERNANDEZ (USA) df. Miranda KAPANADZE (GEO), via fall
SF 2: YASHITA (IND) df. Barbara BAGER (HUN), 5-0

69kg
GOLD: Ayla SAHIN (GER) vs. Min ZHAO (CHN)

SF 1: Ayla SAHIN (GER) df. Linda MARTINEZ (MEX), 6-0
SF 2: Min ZHAO (CHN) df. MANISHA (IND), 6-4