#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.

#WrestleAmman

U17 Worlds: Another Petriashvili rises; U.S. beats Iran for FS team title

Sunday, August 25, 2024 - 21:04 By Vinay Siwach

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AMMAN, Jordan (August 25) -- A new Petriashvili is on the block. The younger brother of the newly crowned Olympic champion Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), Konstantine, became the U17 world champion on Sunday in Amman.

The younger Petriashvili showed exceptional wrestling, identical to Geno, over two days to win the 92kg weight class and win his first world title.

Last year, he finished with a bronze medal in the 80kg weight class but jumped to 92kg this year. He won the U17 European Championships in Novi Sad in July and now has both the continental and world titles. Petriashvili is set to compete at the U20 World Championships next week in Pontevedra, Spain.

In other finals, the United States won two gold medals, Iran captured one while Kyrgyzstan, which won two golds on Saturday, added another on Sunday.

The United States won the team title with 152 points, 20 more than second-place Iran. Kyrgyzstan finished third with 104 points, its first-ever podium finish at the U17 World Championships.

In the final, Petriashvili was up against Rodion SANAKOEV (AIN) and constantly hit the double-leg attack. He scored no success using that attack and was put on the activity clock in the first period.

As Sanakoev built an attack, Petriashvili defended well and scored exposure for two points. He led 2-0 at the break and defended every attack from Sanakoev to keep the two-point lead. Petriashvili got a takedown in the final 30 seconds after Sanakoev failed to defend using chest wrap. He scored two turns to extend his lead to 8-0 as the clock expired.

Konstantine PETRIASHVILI (GEO)Konstantine PETRIASHVILI (GEO) defeated Rodion SANAKOEV (AIN) 8-0 in the 92kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

"I am Konstantine. U17 world champion. Last year I won the bronze medal," a jubilant Petriashvili said after the final. "The final was very difficult. I was tired in the middle."

After winning the final, Konstantine broke out in a celebration similar to Geno's, punching his fist in the air with a roar.

"My brother is the best and king of wrestling," he said. "I have no pressure. I think its good when they tell me I am Geno's brother."

Samuel SANCHEZ (USA)Samuel SANCHEZ (USA) celebrates after winning the 45kg gold medal at the U17 World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

U.S. wins title

Samuel SANCHEZ (USA) had to come from behind and Domenic MUNARETTO (USA) won his second U17 world title to held the United States win the team title over Iran, its second in three years.

Sanchez was down 5-0 against Amirabbas RAMEZANI (IRI) after the first period in the final but came back strongly in the second period. He cut the lead to two points after Ramezani was penalized for a singlet pull and he gave up a takedown.

Ramezani defended most of the period but Sanchez hit a smart go-behind and exposure to make it 7-5. A turn using trap-arm gave him a 9-5 lead which he defended till the clock expired.

Domenic MUNARETTO (USA)Domenic MUNARETTO (USA) defeated Frederick BACHMANN (PUR) in the 51kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Munaretto, who won 45kg gold at the 2022 U17 Worlds, added another by beating Frederick BACHMANN (PUR), 3-1, in the 51kg final.

Bachmann, who was trying to become the first Puerto Rican to win gold at U17 Worlds in 49 years, fell short, a day after his brother Joseph met with the same fate in the 55kg final.

Both wrestlers were put on activity clocks but it was Munaretto who got the advantage as Bachmann was on the clock in the second period. This gave Munaretto a 1-1 criteria lead. Bachmann tried his best to score a point but failed and a desperate attempt in the final second saw him fall on his back, which gave Munaretto another two points.

With a clean record in the final, Munaretto completed an incredible run in the tournament in which he did not given up a takedown for any points.

"I have been wrestling a lot," Munaretto said. "I have control of my ties."

Abolfazl SHAMSIPOUR (IRI)Abolfazl SHAMSIPOUR (IRI) won the gold medal at 71kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Iran crowned a champion at 71kg after U17 Asian champion Abolfazl SHAMSIPOUR (IRI) defeated returning bronze medalist Manuel WAGIN (GER), 1-1 in the final. Shamsipour denied Germany its first-ever U17 world champion in Freestyle.

The final was decided after Shamsipour was awarded a point for Wagin's passivity, in the second period, giving the Iranian a 1-1 criteria lead. There were no more points in the match and Shamsipour won 1-1.

Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ)Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ) gave Kyrgyzstan its third gold of the U17 World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Kyrgyzstan added a gold and a bronze medal to its two golds from Saturday and finished third in the team race. After Kursantbek ISAKOV (KGZ) at 55kg and Rustamzhan KAKHAROV (KGZ) at 65kg won gold medals, Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ) won the gold medal at 60kg while Marlen ABDRAIMOV (KGZ) won bronze at 51kg.

Asan  Uluu was up against Huseyn ISMAYILOV (AZE) in the final and at no point he was in any sort of trouble in the match. He scored a takedown and stepout in the first period to lead 3-0. He went for a bear hug throw but Ismayilov slipped out of the grip and Asan Uulu fell out of bounds to give one point to the Azerbaijan wrestler.

A stepout made it 4-1 for Asan Uulu and a point at the end of the bout gave him the 5-1 lead and the gold medal.

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RESULTS

45kg
GOLD: Samuel SANCHEZ (USA) df. Amirabbas RAMEZANI (IRI), 9-5

BRONZE: Dzhamal BAKAEV (AIN) df. Mher HAKOBYAN (ARM), 11-0
BRONZE: Ravan HASANZADE (AZE) df. Bekzat AMANGELDY (KAZ), via fall (4-6)

51kg
GOLD: Domenic MUNARETTO (USA) df. Frederick BACHMANN (PUR), 3-1

BRONZE: Jinnosuke OKONOGI (JPN) df. Akhmed ATANGERIEV (AIN), 7-4
BRONZE: Marlen ABDRAIMOV (KGZ) df. Ozodbek ALIJONOV (UZB), 17-6

60kg
GOLD: Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ) df. Huseyn ISMAYILOV (AZE), 5-1

BRONZE: Hayk AVANESYAN (ARM) df. Danoush JOWKAR (GBR), 5-2
BRONZE: Itsuki YONASHIRO (JPN) df. Jordyn RANEY (USA), via inj. def.

71kg
GOLD: Abolfazl SHAMSIPOUR (IRI) df. Manuel WAGIN (GER), 1-1

BRONZE: Fatih AYDIN (TUR) df. Mark LAPOSA (HUN), 6-5
BRONZE: Kairi ITO (JPN) df. Melvin MILLER (USA), 7-2

92kg
GOLD: Konstantine PETRIASHVILI (GEO) df. Rodion SANAKOEV (AIN), 8-0

BRONZE: Elijah DIAKOMIHALIS (USA) df. Aliaksei KHADUNOU (AIN), 8-3
BRONZE: Amir Reza ALI POUR (IRI) df. Michealjeet Singh GREWAL (CAN), 10-5