Anti-Doping

WADA Launches ‘ALPHA’ and ‘Coach True’ Certifications for Wrestling Community

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (July 17) – Without opportunities to compete on the mat, hundreds of top wrestlers and coaches have made the best of their recent downtime and earned certificates delivered through the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) educational tools, ALPHA and CoachTrue.

These educational programs are made available to all athletes and coaches by WADA via the e-learning platform ADeL. The programs intend to provide education and information about the dangers of doping, and the importance of anti-doping controls. They also provide solutions for clean progression in sport rather than simply focusing on what is not allowed.

In the framework of its anti-doping education program, United World Wrestling selected 500 wrestlers from 50 countries and around 150 coaches from 41 countries via their national federations and requested them to complete these programs. Participants who complete all sections of the course, as well as the post-course and the final exam, earned a certificate from WADA.

The wrestlers included those who have already qualified a place for the 2020 Tokyo Games as well as several top-ranked Junior and Senior level wrestlers from countries with a higher risk of doping. That risk was based on an assessment which considered several factors (rank, track record of positives in a country, number of tests collected).

UWW will gradually request all wrestlers and coaches planning to enter a major event (Games, World Junior and Senior championships) to hold their respective certificate (or a recognized equivalent delivered by a National Anti-doping Organization) as a pre-requisite for attending. This has already been successfully implemented in past regional events.

The program also exists for medical professionals such as sports physicians, physiotherapists or sports nutritionists. UWW will extend the requirement to this population so that the athletes’ entourage become more knowledgeable and learn about their role in protecting clean sport.

UWW encourages all wrestlers and wrestlers’ entourage not yet selected to proactively take the course.

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#WrestleZagreb

Blockbuster WW bouts on cards at Zagreb Open

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (January 5) -- Three World Championships finals rematches are on the cards in women's wrestling at the Zagreb Open next week.

World champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) can lock horns with silver medalist Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL) at 50kg, Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) will look to avenge her loss in the final to Buse TOSUN (TUR) at 68kg and Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) will look to overcome a heart-wrenching loss to Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) at 62kg.

All four 62kg world medalists are entered for the January 10-14 tournament in the Croatian capital with Tynybekova returning to the mat after finishing with a bronze medal at the Asian Games. Motoki will get a chance to take on Tynybekova who handed the Japanese a 4-1 loss in Belgrade last year.

Two bronze medalists, Grace BULLEN (NOR) and Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR), will also look to upset Motoki and Tynybekova respectively. Motoki defeated Bullen in the semifinals 2-1 while Kolidenko lost the quarterfinals 2-1.

The line-up also includes Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL), Ana GODINEZ (CAN) and Kayla MIRACLE (USA). China is sending three wrestlers -- Jia LONG (CHN), Yaru WU (CHN) and LILI (CHN) -- hoping to find the best one for the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in April.

At 50kg, Susaki and Dolgorjav are likely to meet in the final but Ziqi FENG (CHN), who won bronze in Belgrade, can stop that rematch. Feng troubled Susaki in the World Championships semifinal, taking two points in a 4-2 loss. A Feng vs Dolgorjav bout can prove to be a thriller.

Tosun, whose stunning run in Belgrade win the 68kg world title, will be in action in Zagreb. She would like to continue her winning run but Enkhsaikhan will look to end that. Enkhsaikhan was pinned by Tosun in the World Championships final in a shocking manner after she threw the Turkish wrestler for a four.

Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR) and Forrest MOLINARI (USA) are also in the fray with three wrestlers from Bulgaria -- Yuliana YANEVA (BUL), Sofiya GEORGIEVA (BUL) and Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL).

China will send Feng ZHOU (CHN) and Qian JIANG (CHN) to find the best representation for the Paris Olympic qualifying events.

It's the same story at 76kg as it is sending Juan WANG (CHN) and Yuanyuan HUANG (CHN). But the weight class will also see Samar HAMZA (EGY), world silver medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) and world bronze medalist Adeline GRAY (USA). The United States also has Kennedy BLADES (USA) and Kylie WELKER (USA) at 76kg.

France's entries include Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA), Kendra DACHER (FRA) and Ambre CHEVREAU (FRA) while Ukraine is trying to pick between Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) and Anastasiia SHUSTOVA (UKR).

The 53kg weight class is wide open with more than one wrestler good enough to win the gold medal. Three Chinese and three U.S. wrestlers dominate the entries. Chun LEI (CHN), Qianyu PANG (CHN) and Min ZHANG (CHN) will look to finish at the best position to lay claim to the national team's spot.

The U.S. has Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA), Haley AUGELLO (USA) and Dominique PARRISH (USA). The weight class has not been qualified yet by the nation and the Pan-Am Olympic Qualifiers' represtative will be selected in February.

World bronze medalist Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU) and European champion Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) are entered for the competition along with young prodigy Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR) and Karla GODINEZ (CAN).

World silver medalist Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) is the favorite to win the gold medal but will have to go through Helen MAROULIS (USA) and three Chinese walls in Qi ZHANG (CHN), Kexin HONG (CHN) and Yongxin FENG (CHN).