#WrestleParis

UWW reallocates 16 Olympic Games Paris 2024 quotas

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (June 27) -- United World Wrestling has reallocated 16 wrestling quotas for Paris 2024. This decision was taken after the International Olympic Committee, last week, released a list of eligible athletes in the first group of sports that have finished their qualifying process for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

The IOC had approved 16 out of the 26 Individual Neutral Athletes who won the Paris Olympic spots in various qualifying tournaments of UWW. However, six wrestlers did not accept the invitation to Paris 2024 despite being deemed eligible by the IOC.

The 16 reallocations were carried out by UWW to the next highest-ranked eligible NOC, not yet qualified, at the event at which the quota place was obtained, respecting the maximum quota per gender and per NOC.

The NOCs must confirm the reallocated quotas respecting the deadlines imposed by United World Wrestling.

List of Paris 2024 quotas reallocations

Freestyle
57kg - North Macedonia (Baku)
74kg - China (Belgrade)
74kg - Italy (Baku)
97kg - Ukraine (Baku)
97kg - Moldova (Baku)
125kg - Poland (Baku)

Greco-Roman
60kg - Romania (Istanbul)
77kg - United States (Istanbul)
87kg - Georgia (Istanbul)
130kg - Bulgaria (Baku)
130kg - Estonia (Istanbul)

Women's Wrestling
50kg - Lithuania (Baku)
53kg - Greece (Belgrade)
57kg - Ukraine (Baku)
57kg - Mongolia (Istanbul)
62kg - Sweden (Istanbul)

In Freestyle, the 57kg reallocation went to North Macedonia as Vladimir EGOROV (MKD). He finished as the highest-ranked wrestler after the quota winners at the European Olympic Qualifier in Baku.

Two 74kg quotas were reallocated. The spot from the World Championships in Belgrade was awarded to China as Feng LU (CHN) was the best-ranked non-qualified wrestler. Originally, Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) finished as the best-ranked wrestler but he qualified Azerbaijan from Baku hence making him ineligible for the reallocation.

The second reallocation was for the Baku quota after an approved wrestler did not accept the invitation. The Baku spot will now go to Italy.

Similarly, there were two reallocations at 97kg, both from Baku. Ukraine and Moldova got the Paris 2024 spots from the European OG Qualifier. Ukraine got the spot despite Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL) being the next best-ranked wrestler in Baku because the Polish wrestler qualified his country in Istanbul. The next best after Ukraine was Moldova which will have an Olympian in Freestyle for the first time in eight years. Moldova was the beneficiary of a declined invitation from an approved wrestler at this weight class.

At 125kg, Poland was awarded the reallocation quota from the European OG Qualifier in Baku.

Greco-Roman saw the reallocations awarded to Romania at 60kg, the United States at 77kg, Georgia at 87kg , and Bulgaria and Estonia at 130kg.

Romania, the United States and Georgia finished the best-ranked wrestlers after the qualified wrestlers at the World Olympic Qualifier in Istanbul while the 130kg quota to Bulgaria was reallocated from Baku. Azerbaijan and Romania were the next best wrestlers in Baku but both NOCs qualified the weight class in Istanbul, leaving Bulgaria getting the spot.

The second 130kg was reallocated from Istanbul with Estonia being the next best non-qualified NOC at the event after an approved wrestler declined the invitation.

Women's Wrestling saw five Paris 2024 spots being reallocated. Lithuania, Greece, Ukraine, Mongolia and Sweden were the beneficiaries of the reallocations.

Lithuania is set to send its first-ever wrestler in Women's Wrestling after it got the allocation at 50kg from the European OG Qualifier in Baku. Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER) finished third in Baku but she qualified Germany from Istanbul, and the Baku quota was transferred to Lithuania.

The 53kg reallocation was from the Belgrade World Championships after an approved wrestler did not accept the invitation. The quota will now go to Greece as it had the next-best wrestler at the event after the quota-winning wrestlers.

Two 57kg quotas were reallocated, one each from Baku and Istanbul. Ukraine received the 57kg quota from Baku after Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR) finished third at the European OG Qualifier in Baku. The second reallocated quota at 57kg went to Mongolia after an approved wrestler did not accept the invitation to participate in the Paris Games despite being deemed eligible by the IOC.

Mongolia had the best wrestler at 57kg in Istanbul and with this reallocation, it will become the third country, after Japan and the United States, to qualify in all six weight classes of Women's Wrestling for Paris 2024.

At 62kg, Sweden will now have two wrestlers in women's wrestling after it received a quota reallocated from Istanbul. Sweden was the best NOC after the qualified wrestlers at the World Olympic Qualifier. The country already has a spot at 53kg from the World Championships.

The deadline for the AINs to accept the invitation for Paris 2024 was June 20 after which UWW proceeded with the reallocations. The AINs who have accepted the invitation have agreed to the Conditions of Participation applicable to all participants that contain a commitment to respect the Olympic Charter, including “the peace mission of the Olympic Movement”.

The following are the eligible AINs who accepted the invitation to compete at the Olympic Games Paris 2024:

Wrestlers with a Russian passport:

Freestyle
Nachin MONGUSH
Shamil MAMEDOV
Arslan BAGAEV
Abdulla KURBANOV

Greco-Roman
Alan OSTAEV
Magomed MURTAZALIEV

Women's Wrestling
Natalya MALYSHEVA
Alina KASABIEVA
Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA

Wrestlers with a Belarusian passport

Greco-Roman
Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU

#WrestleZagreb

Maroulis, Blades make U.S. team for World Championships

By United World Wrestling Press

NEWARK, United States (June 14) -- The United States Women's Wrestling team for the World Championships is fixed. The final selection of the team was held Saturday in Newark, New Jersey with three-time Olympic medalist Helen MAROULIS (USA) and Olympic silver medalist Kennedy BLADES (USA) among those making the cut.

The 'Final X', a tournament to select the team's final 10 wrestlers, saw five experienced stars and five young athletes who earned their spot on the World Championships team.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Maroulis, the 2016 Olympic and three-time world champion, continued her amazing run of excellence by pinning Amanda MARTINEZ, winning the best-of-three series 2-0 at 57kg. In the first bout, Maroulis scored a first-period pin in 1:51, then was able to put away Martinez in 4:43 in bout two.

This will Maroulis' 12th world team selection to go along with her three Olympic appearances. Apart from three world gold medals, Maroulis has four other medals at the World Championships.

World Championships Tickets

Blades, who won silver medal at the 2024 Olympics, finished off a two-match sweep over Brooklyn HAYS at 68kg. Surprisingly, this will be Blades' first appearance at the World Championships. Blades won the first match over Hays, 10-4, and the second 5-2.

Macey KILTY and Kylie WELKER, Blades' teammates at Iowa University, also made the team with convincing victories. Both Kilty and Welker are past world medalists.

Kilty downed Aine DRURY with a pair of 10-0 technical falls, with both matches ending in the first period. Welker, a 2024 world bronze medalist, defeated Dymond GUILFORD in two straight bouts. Welker opened her offense in the second match, she broke open a 1-1 tie with eight second-period points for a 9-1 win. Her first match was a razor-thin 2-1 victory.

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2019 world champion Jacarra WINCHESTER needed all three matches to defeat Abigail NETTE at 59kg. Nette scored a pair of second-period takedowns to beat Winchester, 6-4, in the first bout. In the second match, Nette took a 6-1 lead but a four-point Winchester takedown made it 6-5 before she scored two more takedowns for a 9-7 win. In the deciding third bout, it was all Winchester, who secured a 10-0 technical fall.

The other five wrestlers will be competing in their first senior World Championships, scheduled for September 13 to 21 in Zagreb, Croatia.

Adaugo NWACHUKWU needed three matches to defeat two-time world silver medalist Kayla MIRACLE at 62kg. Nwachukwu had a strong second period to win the first match 14-8. In the second bout, Miracle scored a late step out point to tie it at 3-3 and got another point on a failed challenge for a 4-3 victory. In the deciding third match, after trailing 2-0, Nwachukwu scored eight straight points and went on to win 8-4.

At 50kg, world age-group medalist Audrey JIMENEZ swept her series over veteran Erin GOLSTON. Jimenez began with a 10-2 win over Golston before closing out with a 12-2 technical superiority win in the second bout.

Felicity TAYLOR had a two-match sweep over Brianna GONZALEZ. After winning the first bout 2-1, Taylor scored a takedown and two tilts for a 6-4 victory in the second.

Cristelle RODRIGUEZ, a 2024 world U20 champion, swept her series over high school star Everest LEYDECKER. While the first bout was a close 12-8 win for Rodriguez, she rallied to a 5-1 win in the second.

Alexandria GLAUDE got the 72kg spot after 2024 Olympic champion and two-time world champion Amit ELOR did not compete for personal reasons.

RESULTS (Best of three)

50kg
Audrey JIMENEZ df. Erin GOLSTON, 2-0

Bout 1: Jimenez df. Golston, 10-2
Bout 2: Jimenez df. Golston, 12-2

53kg
Felicity TAYLOR df. Brianna GONZALEZ, 2-0

Bout 1: Taylor df. Gonzalez, 2-1
Bout 2: Taylor df. Gonzalez, 6-4

55kg
Cristelle RODRIGUEZ df. Everest LEYDECKER, 2-0

Bout 1: Rodriguez df. Leydecker, 12-8
Bout 2: Rodriguez df. Leydecker, 8-5

57kg
Helen MAROULIS df. Amanda MARTINEZ, 2-0

Bout 1: Maroulis df. Martinez, via fall
Bout 2: Maroulis df. Martinez, via fall

59kg
Jacarra WINCHESTER df. Abigail NETTE, 2-1

Bout 1: Nette df. Winchester, 6-4
Bout 2: Winchester df. Nette, 9-7
Bout 2: Winchester df. Nette, 11-0

62kg
Adaugo NWACHUKWU df. Kayla MIRACLE, 2-1

Bout 1: Nwachukwu df. Miracle, 14-8
Bout 2: Miracle df. Nwachukwu, 4-3
Bout 3: Nwachukwu df. Miracle, 8-4

65kg
Macey KILTY df. Aine DRURY, 2-0

Bout 1: Kilty df. Drury, 10-0
Bout 2: Kilty df. Drury, 10-0

68kg
Kennedy BLADES df. Brooklyn HAYS, 2-0

Bout 1: Blades df. Hays, 10-4
Bout 2: Blades df. Hays, 5-2

72kg
Alexandria GLAUDE df. Amit ELOR, via forfeit

76kg
Kylie WELKER df. Dymond GUILFORD

Bout 1: Welker df. Guilford, 2-1
Bout 2: Welker df. Guilford, 9-1