#WrestleUfa

Women's Wrestling Takes Centerstage at #WrestleUfa

Tuesday, August 17, 2021 - 11:33 By Vinay Siwach

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UFA, Russia (August 17) -- Amit ELOR (USA), Emily SHILSON (USA) and Irina RINGACI (MDA) highlight a field of 19 former age group world medalists as women's wrestling gets underway at the Junior World Championships Wednesday in Ufa, Russia.

Though Japan and China are going to miss a second consecutive age-group World Championships, USA will look to repeat their team title winning performance from the cadet World Championships in Budapest, Hungary last month.

Elor was with that team winning the gold medal at the 69kg weight class in dominating fashion. Still 17, she will be at her first junior Worlds and is the prime contender for the gold medal.

USA is bringing a strong team to Ufa with former world champion at the cadet level Shilson looking for her first junior world title. She also had a silver medal in 2017.

But SIMRAN (IND) would like to avenge her loss from the Youth Olympic Games final against Shilson. She is also entered the competition at 50kg.

Two more wrestlers from that 2018 Worlds are also entered in Natallia VARAKINA (BLR), bronze medalist and Viktoriia ALEKSANDROVA (RUS), also a bronze medalist.

For Elor, she is unlikely to face trouble from any of the competitors and this tournament could mark the start of a long title-winning career for her.

Another wrestler from the USA to look out for is Kennedy BLADES (USA) at 72kg who stunned everyone with her run at the US Olympic team trials by reaching the final. She lost to Taymra MENSAH STOCK (USA) who won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

At 65kg, Alara BOYD (USA) will try to capture the gold after winning a silver and bronze at the cadet Worlds level. But a big match up against Ringaci awaits her.

Ringaci is the most accomplished wrestler in the field with gold medals at the senior and U23 European Championships in 2021, a gold at the U23 Worlds in 2019.

Kylie WELKER (USA), who wrestled Adeline GRAY (USA) in the final of the US Team Trial, will be hoping to improve on her bronze medal finish at the 2019 cadet Worlds, which she won at 61kg.

Kseniya DZIBUK (BLR), who won bronze for Ukraine at that Worlds, will also entered at 76kg and so is 2021 European champion Melisa SARITAC (TUR).

Four former world medalists are entered at 55kg as well. Alesia HETMANAVA (BLR) won a bronze medal at the 2019 cadet Worlds and will be looking to improve on that performance in Ufa. From the same Worlds, Kalmira BILIMBEK KYZY (KGZ) won a silver medal.

Munkhgerel MUNKHBAT (MGL) also has won a bronze medal at the 2019 cadet Worlds at the 49kg and is now entered at 55kg.

A former junior World Championships bronze medalist Mansi AHLAWAT (IND) is entered at 57kg and she will be looking to make her first final at this level. But home favourite Anastasiia KOZLOVA (RUS) and Claire DICUGNO (USA) will be big threats for her.

At 59kg, Anna SZEL (HUN) will be the favourite given she already has two cadet World medals apart from a host of European medals.

Women's wrestling begins Wednesday with five weight classes -- 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg and 76kg -- followed by the remaining five on Thursday.

#WrestleTirana

U23 Euros: Yakushenko grabs 97kg gold; Georgia wins GR team title

Friday, March 14, 2025 - 21:27 By United World Wrestling Press

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TIRANA, Albania (March 14) -- Ukraine was out of the top five in Greco-Roman team rankings before the 97kg gold medal bout Friday at the U23 World Chamionships. But Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) made sure that Ukraine improves, he helped it climb to number two spot.

Yakushenko won the 97kg gold medal after beating Richard KARELSON (EST) 4-1 in the final to take Ukraine's tally to 99 points, more than third-placed Turkiye (98 points), Azerbaijan (91 points) and Moldova (85 points).

Georgia won the team title, its fifth at the U23 European Championships in 10 editions, with 133 points. It won two golds, one silver and three bronze medals.

Yakushenko, who won his third consecutive gold internationally, would be proud of his campaign in Tirana, Albania as he gave no chance to his opponents in four bouts.

His four victories included one over former world U20 champion and Paris Olympian Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (UWW) in the first bout. He defeated the senior European bronze medalist 7-3.

In the final, Yakushenko denied Karelson a piece of history. Karelson was hoping to became the first Estonian to win the U23 European gold in Greco, adding to his historic U20 European gold from 2022.

Karelson got the first par terre advantage however Yakushenko calmly defended the position. When he got the chance in the second period, Yakushenko turned Karelson to lead 3-1. He lifted Karelson, hoping for a throw but managed only a out-of-bounds for one point to make it 4-1.

That was enough for Yakushenko to win the gold medal, adding to his collection of U20 world and European golds from last year. Karelson, too, would take some confidence with his campaign despite the loss in the final as the silver medal was his first in three years of international competitions.

Georgia won two gold medals Friday to reach the top of the podium. Dimitri KHACHIDZE (GEO) and Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) won the 60kg and 67kg finals respectively to add to Georgia's tally.

Khachidze gave no chance to Melkamu FETENE (ISR) in the 60kg final and needed only 50 seconds to win 9-0. He launched an arm throw for four before using an arm-drag to take control and launch another four-point throw. Fetene challenged but in vain.

The gold medal an improvement for Khachidze who finished fifth last year while Fetene was a silver medalist. With another silver, Fetene now has five age-group European medals, none of them gold.

Khozrevanidze needed a successful challenge to keep his lead in the 67kg final against Hleb MAKARANKA (UWW). After taking a 3-1 lead by turning Makaranka from par terre, Khozrevanidze was docked two points for offensive head-butting but he challenged the decision and on review, there was no foul.

The successful challenge restored Khozrevanidze's 3-1 lead which he held for the remaining one minute to win, completing the set of U17, U20 and U23 European golds for the 20-year-old.

At 82kg, Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) also completed his set of age-group European medals with gold after beating Gamzat GADZHIEV (UWW), 3-1, in the final.

The world U17 champion and world U20 silver medalist had a lacklusture 2024, winning only a silver medal [U20 European Championships] in five competitions. But he began 2025 with bronze at the Zagreb Open and now added a gold medal.

After both wrestlers had had their par terre positions, Solovei led 1-1 on criteria. But Gadzhiev was called passive again and put in par terre. As the third passivity in the match doesn't offer any points, Solovei, who led the bout, scored a turn to steer clear with a 3-1 lead.

It was too much for Gadzhiev to cover and Solovei was happy to pocket the gold medal, a huge confidence booster before steps on the mat at 77kg  in Bratislava, Slovakia for the senior European Championships in second week of April. He was chosen ahead of Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) who has shown slump in his form. Gutu won the 77kg bronze medal in Tirana.

Returning bronze medalist at 72kg Ruslan NURULLAYEV (AZE) climbed to the top of the podium this year after he defeated Danil GRIGOREV (UWW), 3-2, in the gold-medal bout.

Nurullayev, a former world U23 medalist, scored a turn from par terre and before giving up a stepout but held on to his 3-2 to lead to win gold for Azerbaijan.

Photo

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Dimitri KHACHIDZE (GEO) df. Melkamu FETENE (ISR), 9-0

BRONZE: Papik DZHAVADIAN (UWW) df. Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM), 9-3
BRONZE: Mert ILBARS (TUR) df. Bohdan HRYSHYN (UKR), 5-0

67kg
GOLD: Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) df. Hleb MAKARANKA (UWW), 3-1

BRONZE: Daniial AGAEV (UWW) df. Bredi SLINKERS (NED), 9-0
BRONZE: Azat SARIYAR (TUR) df. Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL), 5-2

72kg
GOLD: Ruslan NURULLAYEV (AZE) df. Danil GRIGOREV (UWW), 3-2

BRONZE: Oleh KHALILOV (UKR) df. Rokas CEPAUSKAS (LTU), 5-1
BRONZE: Arionas KOLITSOPOULOS (GRE) df. Vasile ZABICA (MDA), 7-2

82kg
GOLD: Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) df. Gamzat GADZHIEV (UWW), 3-1

BRONZE: Jonni SARKKINEN (FIN) df. Elmin ALIYEV (AZE), 4-1
BRONZE: Frederik MATHIESEN (DEN) df. Data CHKHAIDZE (GEO), 12-4

97kg
GOLD: Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) df. Richard KARELSON (EST), 4-1

BRONZE: Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (UWW) df. Muhittin HELVACI (TUR), via fall (7-0)
BRONZE: Luka GABISONIA (GEO) df. Luka KATIC (SRB), 9-0