#WrestleZagreb

Women's wrestling storylines to watch out for at Euros

Saturday, April 8, 2023 - 04:54 By Taylor GREGORIO

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ZAGREB, Croatia (April 8) -- From April 17 to 22, the best in Europe will assemble in Zagreb, Croatia and aim to be crowned continental champions.

The top four ranked wrestlers will be seeded for the tournament. The ranks were determined by performances at the 2022 World Championships and this year’s two Ranking Series events. This tournament will also serve as seeding criteria for the 2023 World Championships in Serbia.

Like other styles, the women’s field sets up the potential for massive milestones, exciting rematches and tons of talented wrestlers on display. All the action from Zagreb can be followed live on uww.org or on the UWW app.

Eight champions return

Eight of the 10 2022 European champions return in hopes of finding their way back to the podium. Leading the pack is five-time European champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR), registered at 76kg. Adar won four straight titles from 2016-2019 and claimed her fifth in 2022. Only two other Turkish women have topped the European podium, one of which was Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR), who won the 50kg weight in 2022. A 2017 World bronze medalist and U23 World champion, Demirhan is back again this season, looking for her second title.

Along with Adar, three other women in the field already have multiple Euro titles under their belts, including Emma MALMGREN (SWE) at 53kg, Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) at 59kg and Irina RINGACI (MDA) at 68kg. Malmgren and Ringaci are both going for their third consecutive crowns, while Nichita won titles in 2020 and 2022.

Andreea ANA (ROU) at 55kg, Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR) at 57kg and Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR) at 65kg also make a run for another title in Zagreb.

Stadnik eyes 10th gold

Making her senior international debut in 2008, 35-year-old Mariya Stadnik goes for a historic 10th European gold medal. She won her first in 2009, just a few months after claiming her first Olympic bronze medal at the Beijing Games and just months before winning her first World title. Stadnik notched another European title in 2011 before going on a six-year championship run from 2014-2019. Her golds in 2015 and 2019 came in the form of European Games crowns. Stadnik’s most recent European win was in 2021 for a total of seven Euro Championships golds and two Euro Games golds.

In addition to her continental success, Stadnik is a two-time World champion, a four-time Olympic medalist and has four other World medals.

Nichita, Adar highlight 2022 World medalists

This year’s European Championships field will feature 11 medalists from last year’s World Championships, including two champions, one runner-up and eight bronze winners.

Nichita and Adar boast 2022 World golds as well as European golds and are the favorites in their respective weights.

At 62kg, Grace BULLEN (NOR), a 2022 World silver medalist at 59kg, seeks her third Euro title. She claimed her first in 2017 at 58kg, and in 2020, she was back on top of the podium, winning at 57kg.

Poland boasts three returning World medalists expected to compete in Anna LUKASIAK (POL) at 50kg, Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) at 57kg and Anhelina LYSAK (POL) at 59kg. Wrzesien and Lysak swapped weights this year and won their World medals at 59kg and 57kg, respectively. The other returning bronze medalists heading to Zagreb are Akobiia, Ringaci, Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) at 68kg, Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU) at 72kg and Epp MAE (EST) at 76kg.

World champs, Olympic medalists in fray

It’s clear that the field is loaded with women’s talent that has won recent major tournaments. However, there are still several more expected in Croatia that have reached the pinnacle of the sport. Outside of those that have already been named, there are two other World champions and two other Olympic medalists. World champs include 2014 gold medalist Yuliia TKACH (UKR) at 59kg and 2021 gold medalist Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) at 62kg, while the Olympic medalists are Tokyo bronze medalists Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) at 57kg and Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) at 62kg.

#WrestleTirana

Paris medalists Valiev, Amouzad make golden return in Tirana

Wednesday, February 26, 2025 - 20:04 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (February 26) -- Three Paris Olympic medalists were in action on day one of the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series event and two returned with medals.

Chermen VALIEV (ALB) and Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI), medalists at 74kg and 65kg, have announced themselves as early contenders for their respective continental championships. Islam DUDAEV (ALB), the third Paris medalist in action on Thursday, lost his 1/8 final at 65g.

Returning to action for the first time since winning the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, Valiev claimed the gold medal at 74kg in Tirana, Albania. To make the victory sweeter, he defeated four-time European champion Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) in the final at home.

Salkazanov has won gold medal at the European Championships for four straight editions and was expected to win this year, especially with the tournament to be held in Bratislava, Slovakia. But with Valiev beating Salkazanov, the odds have changed.

Chermen VALIEV (ALB)Chermen VALIEV (ALB) and Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) in a tangle during the 74kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

The two wrestlers were matched up for similar style of wrestling and were slow off the blocks. Valiev, however, kept his half shots on which forced Salkazanov to be on the activity clock. Valiev was up 1-0 at the break.

Valiev followed a similar strategy in the second period and Salkazanov was again put on the activity clock and Valiev led 2-0. The score was too steep for Salkazanov and his desperate attempts in the end as Valiev won 2-0.

Albania's other Paris Olympic bronze medalist Islam DUDAEV (ALB) did not have a similar luck at 65kg as he lost to Kaisei TANABE (JPN) and finished without a medal.

However, Paris silver medalist at 65kg Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) expectedly made it to the final and won gold medal after a 5-1 win over Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ).

He opened the scoring with a takedown and continued with his attacks. A takedown on the edge made it 4-0 and Zhumashbek Uulu was cautioned for fleeing which made it 5-0. Amouzad took a step back and was content with the lead.

Zhumashbek Uulu got a point at the end for negative wrestling from Amouzad but that did not stop the Iranian from winning 5-1.

The second gold medal for Iran was won by Ali MOMENI (IRI), who was in Tirana last year for the U23 World Championships and won bronze medal. He earned gold at 57kg with a fall over Aiaal BELOLYUBSKII (TJK) in the second period.

Momeni was down 2-1 at the break but never looked worried about the match up against Belolyubskii. A half whipover from Momeni in the second period caught Belolyubskii unbalanced and Momeni was quick to hold him on the mat and get the fall.

Momeni's gold more or less confirms his spot on the Asian Championships team as he also defeated Hadi REZAEI (IRI) in the first match who could have made a claim for the spot if he had won.

Despite the loss, Belolyubskii can take heart from the fact that he became the first Tajik wrestler to win a medal at a Ranking Series event. He opened his day with a 4-1 win over Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO), dominated Weiyu LI (CHN) for an 8-1 win and defeated Sultan KURMANALIYEV (KAZ) 10-4 in semifinals.

Japan won two gold medals as well, another example of the serious depth it has in wrestling.

Asian silver medalist Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) was up against former European champion Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) but remained unfazed in his 4-1 victory at 70kg. Tevanyan would be upset with his approach in the final as he defended a little too much.

As Aoyagi led 1-0 after the break, Tevanyan got the criteria 1-1 lead for Aoyagi's passivity. However, the referees deemed Tevanyan passive one more time and Aoyagi kept Tevanyan from scoring to lead 2-1. Any further attempts from Tevanyan were also thwarted by Aoyagi who got two more points for a throw at the end.

Takara SUDA (JPN)Takara SUDA (JPN) defeated Nachyn MONGUSH (UWW) in the 61kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 61kg, Takara SUDA (JPN) upset former U23 world champion Nachyn MONGUSH (UWW) in a thrilling final.

Suda was quick off the blocks and scored a stepout and then hit a double leg for a 3-0 lead. Mongush stopped Suda with a chestwrap and then exposed him for two points. A reversal made it 4-2 before Suda got a takedown to lead 6-2 at the break.

Mongush began the second period with an attempted headpinch but Suda blocked it and pinned Mongush on the mat for two points to lead 8-2. Just when it seemed like he will run away with the gold medal, Mongush mounted a comeback. He scored a stepout and Suda was cautioned for fleeing.

With the score 8-4, Mongush scored another stepout and managed a takedown with 31 seconds left on the clock. A stepout without fleeing made it 8-8 but Suda kept the criteria lead for four two-point moves. He held on for the remaining 11 seconds and won the gold medal.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Ali MOMENI (IRI) df. Aiaal BELOLYUBSKII (TJK), via fall

BRONZE: Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ) df. Merey BAZARBAYEV (KAZ), 3-2
BRONZE: Sultan KURMANALIYEV (KAZ) df. Weiyu LI (CHN), 9-9

61kg
GOLD: Takara SUDA (JPN) df. Nachyn MONGUSH (UWW), 8-8

BRONZE: Mukhamed BALGABAY (KAZ) df. Stilyan ILIEV (BUL), 7-0
BRONZE: Artem GOBAEV (UWW) df. Leomid COLESNIC (MDA), 3-0 

65kg
GOLD: Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) df. Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ), 5-1

BRONZE: Bilol SHARIP UULU (KGZ) df. Kaisei TANABE (JPN), 3-1
BRONZE: Real WOODS (USA) df. Kaiji OGINO (JPN), 9-1

70kg
GOLD: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) df Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), 4-1

BRONZE: Vasile DIACON (MDA) df. Akaki KEMERTELIDZE (GEO), 10-0 
BRONZE: William LEWAN (USA) df. James GREEN (USA), 4-3

74kg
GOLD: Chermen VALIEV (ALB) df. Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK), 2-0

BRONZE: Yones EMAMI (IRI) df. Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ), 6-1
BRONZE: Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN) df. Magoma DIBIRGADZHIEV (UWW), 1-1

86kg
GOLD: Chandler MARSTELLER (USA) df. Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ), 2-0

BRONZE: Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO) df. Mukhammad ABDULLAEV (KGZ), via fall (4-8)
BRONZE: Rustem MYRZAGALIYEV (KAZ) df. Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL), 8-1