Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! October 1, 2018

By Eric Olanowski

Discussing this weeks wrestle-off between Maroulis and Hedrick, and the Beach Wrestling World Championships. Also looking at results from the first Women's Classic International Tournament and next weekend's Youth Olympic Games.

1. Maroulis and Hedrick Wrestle-off Scheduled for October 6
Helen MAROULIS (USA), the three-time world and Olympic champion will wrestle Alex HEDRICK (USA) on October 6 in a Final X special wrestle-off to determine who will represent the United States at 57kg in October’s World Championships. 

The best-of-three series was originally scheduled for June 23 but had to be rescheduled due to an undisclosed Maroulis injury. Though it has not been confirmed, Maroulis is said to have pulled out of the June 23 match after re-aggravating a concussion that she suffered in January while wrestling in the Indian Pro League.

If Maroulis is able to compete and is victorious, it’ll be her thirteenth time (age-level and senior-level) representing the United States at a World Championship or Olympic Games.

2. Wrestling Delivers First-Ever Level 2 Coaches Course
United World Wrestling delivered its first-ever Level 2 Coaching Course last week to a group of coaches in England.

The course was aimed at coaches living in the United Kingdom, an area still working to develop several basics for their wrestlers.

The participants were asked to design and teach skill progression on the 7 Basic Skills of Wrestling, as well as design developing practice sessions on the four training phases. Overall the course included more than 40 hours of instruction and practical assessment.

“I thought the coaches that attended did a phenomenal job throughout the week,’ said Errett. “They came with a great attitude and effort each day.”

Click HERE for full release 

2017 Beach Wrestling World Championships (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne) 

3. Beach Wrestling World Championships Scheduled for this Saturday 
This weekend, 150+ participants from 16 nations will be in the mix for a beach wrestling world title in Sarıgerme-Ortaca (Mugla), Turkey. More importantly, they will be in the mix for a spot at next summer's 2019 Beach Games in San Diego.

Turkey took gold at home last year with Iran taking silver and Russia bringing home bronze. Norway returns this year with a large team hunting for the podium after just missing the mark with a fourth-place finish last year. Frank Are Haugen ANDERSEN (NOR) at 70kg will lead the way for Senior Men’s team. Standing in his way is Konstantine KHABALASHVILI (GEO), a 2014 European Bronze medalist in freestyle. Also, be on the lookout for Semen RADULOV (UKR) to be in the mix for gold at 70kg again this year.

Romania and Turkey will be head to head for team gold in the Senior Women's division. Norway is also a likely team podium finisher. Italy’s Francesca INDELICATO (ITA) will be looking to repeat at 60kg. Always scrappy Brenna STIKKELMAN (USA) may be able to play spoiler at 60kg. Romania's youngest wrestler Adina Ionela IRIMIA (ROU) in +70kg will be one to watch out for.

Click HERE for the full SCHEDULE 

Mohammad Ghorbanali NOSRATI (IRI). (Photo by Sachiko Hotaka)

4. Buenos Aires Hosts Youth Olympic Games, Begins October 12-14 
Wrestlers from 50 nations and all five continents will be represented in Buenos Aires, including several Cadet-level continental and world champions. The Youth Olympic Games, which are held on October 12-14, has been a springboard for some of wrestling’s current senior-level superstars, including European Games medalist Grace BULLEN (NOR) and world champions Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) and Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN).

In an effort to become more gender equitable, wrestling increased the number of female participants in Buenos Aires to 50, which is up from 32 participants in Singapore 2010 and Nanjing 2014. The adjustment was part of a larger effort by the International Olympic Committee to meet its goal to make the 2018 Youth Olympic Games the first-ever gender-equal Games.

Click HERE for the full entry list 
Click HERE for Youth Olympic Games schedule

5. Iran Wins First Women's Classic International Tournament
Iran captured the team title at the first Women's Classic International Tournament in Beirut, Lebanon, winning two gold medals and four medals overall. Meanwhile, Iraq and Syria finished second and third respectively.

Champions of the first Women Classic International Tournament were Nada MEDANI (EGY) at 50kg, Yana SOROKA (UKR) at 55kg, Fateme NIKBAKHT (IRI) at 60kg, Anastasiia LAVERENCHUK (UKR) at 65kg, Dalma CANEVA (ITA) at 70kg and Masoome KHANLAR PANBE CHOULE (IRI) at 75kg.

Team Standings
1. Iran 
2. Iraq 
3. Syria 
4. Egypt
5. Ukraine
6. Georgia
7. Italy
8. Armenia
9. Lebanon
10. Kyrgyzstan

Click HERE for full release

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media 
 

1. Big Move Monday!
Don't Miss the Beach Wrestling Worlds this week, LIVE on unitedworldwrestling.org

2. That Sunday feeling.
3. Interested by The Beach Wrestling?

WATCH Live the Worlds Here: http://ow.ly/uM6F30m2v1j

#beach #wrestling #beachwrestling#sarigerme #turkey
4. The Art Of Wrestling / Images from the Junior World Championships / Photo @thegrappleclub -
5. ??Russian Tank??

Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! May 7, 2018

By

Discussing new potential weight changes and Russian lead slips. Also taking a look at Stadnik and Aleksanyan's dominating Euro performances along with the Burroughs and Chamizo super match-up on Mat 17.   

1. Weight Changes on the Horizon 
Newly minted European champions Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) announced that they would be moving weight classes in preparation for October's 2018 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

The chants of “Rashid” pour throughout the Palace of Sport and Youth as Abdulrashid Sadulaev won the colossal match-up between Olympic champions, holding off Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE), 2-1 to win the 92kg European title. 

In a post-match interview, Sadulaev, the four-time European champion announced that he would be moving up to 97kg for Russian Nationals. 

If this is true, we could potentially see the 2017 World Championship rematch between the reigning world and Olympic champion, Kyle SNYDER (USA) and Abdulrashid Sadulaev. Snyder won that 2017 match-up, 6-5.  #SnyderLaev2018/ #SnyderLaev2 

Jenny Fransson, the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist closed out her European Championship gold medal performance with a fall over Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (BLR) in the 72kg finals

After the match, Fransson, the 2018 Klippan Lady Open champion said “The goal now moves to the World Championships where I’ll be moving weight classes. I’ll be moving down to the Olympic weight of 68kg. 

2. Stadnik Wins Eighth 
Mariya STADNIK (AZE) captured her eighth European title by demolishing 2017 world finalist, Emilia VUC (ROU), 10-0. 

When asked what’s the difference between this win and her first seven, Stadnik said “When I won the first few European Championships, I would get really stressed out prior to the tournament. Now, I remain pretty calm. That’s the difference.”

With Mother’s Day last this week, Stadnik, a mother of two said “I dedicate this win to my children. I have to leave them so often to go train, and the compensation for me being gone so much is this gold medal.”

3. Russians Fail Late 
Azerbaijani’s Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE) and Haji ALIYEV (AZE) stunned the sold-out Palace of Sport and Youth after picking up buzzer beater takedowns on Russian opponents to win European gold medals. 

Giorgi Edisherashvili stole his second 57kg European title by picking up a four-point throw with three seconds left to defeat last year’s European bronze medalist, Zavur UGUEV (RUS), 4-3.

Haji ALIYEV (AZE), the reigning 61kg world champion gave Azerbaijan another gold medal with a last-second takedown to defeat reigning 65kg European champion, Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS), 8-7.

Four-time European champion, Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM). (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne) 

4.“The White Bear” Reclaims Continental Gold 
Armenia’s Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) the four-time world and Olympic champion reclaimed European gold for the first time since 2014 by routing Mikheil KAJAIA (SRB), 7-0 in the 97kg gold-medal match. 

The Armenian, who outscored his opponents 34-0 on his way to his fourth title has only lost twice in the past five seasons, with both of those losses coming at European Championships. 

“I feel very proud that I could become a European champion for the fourth time, and that I could bring one more gold medal to our country,” said Aleksanyan. 

5. Burroughs and Chamizo Clash Next Week 

Jordan BURROUGHS (USA), the five-time world and Olympic champion is set to take on the two-time world champion, Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) at Beat the Streets in New York City in just over a week. 

Burroughs is coming off an undefeated World Cup, and Chamizo is coming off a third-place finished at the 2018 European Championships where he defeated 2017 world silver medalist, Khetig TSABOLOV (RUS) in the quarterfinals.

Chamizo bounced back to in the bronze-medal bout, picking up a 10-0 technical superiority victory over Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) after falling to eventual champion, Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR), 2-1 in the semifinals. 

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media 

1. ALIYEV (AZE) comes back big in the last 15 seconds after spending the majority of the match behind to get Azerbaijan another Gold! -

2. Always wrestle till the final whistle!!! KURACHKINA (BLR) wins gold but only just. The referee awarded ZASINA (POL) 2 points with one second remaining on the clock to tie the score 4-4. KURACHKINA wins as she had more high scoring moves. -

3. CUERO MUNOZ (COL) df. BEY (USA) 10-7 in a back and fourth match ? Bay suffered rib injury. #uww #wrestling #panams2018

4. Thankfully for Rashidov (RUS) he didn't have the long walk home ?

5. 57kg BRONZE - Stevan MICIC (SRB) df. Levan VARTANOV (ESP), 10-0 giving Serbia their first freestyle European Championship medal ever!