World Champ Stadnik Bulldozes Poland Open Field

Friday, September 7, 2018 - 18:34 By Eric Olanowski

WARSAW, Poland (September 7) - The fourth and final women’s wrestling Ranking Series event of the year, the Poland Open kicked off in Warsaw, Poland, and No. 2 ranked Mariya STADNIK (AZE) once again bulldozed the competition for the third tournament in a row.

Stadnik, the seven-time world and Olympic medalist, capped off her Poland Open finals run with four technical superiority victories while outscoring the competition 41-1.

The Azeri has competed three times this season, making the finals of the Klippan Lady Open, the European Championships and now the Poland Open.

In her three competitions, Stadnik has had twelve matches. In those twelve matches, she’s 11-1, with her only loss coming to defending world champion, Yui SUSAKI (JPN) in the Klippan Lady Open finals. Even more impressive, Stadnik has finished all 11 victories by technical superiority, while outscoring her opponents 115-3.

Stadnik will meet Ilona SEMKIV (UKR) in the 50kg finals. Semkiv, the two-time age-level world runner-up scored an impressive 12-2 win over No. 1 Emilia VUC (ROU), sealing her spot in tomorrow’s finals. The Poland Open finals will be Semkiv’s first finals appearance since the 2017 European Championships where she coincidently wrestled Stadnik, who was the victor 10-0.

In freestyle, Olympic champion Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) will meet Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) for the 65kg title. This is a rematch of the 61kg gold-medal bout at the 2017 European Championships. That match, which was a Match of the Year candidate, was won 10-9 by Khinchegashvili.

It was said that the highest placer at this tournament between Chakaev and Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS) would represent Russia at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. It is not clear why, but Bekbulatov entered the tournament but did not compete, dropping out of the match against Dimitar Lyubomirov IVANOV (BUL).

With that said, one can only imagine that Akhmed Chakaev will represent Russia at 65kg at the World Championships. In 2016, Chakaev finished with a bronze medal while representing Russia at the World Championships.

In Greco-Roman, the most surprising upset came at 97kg where Tracy HANCOCK (USA) stuck four-time world and Olympic champion, Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) in the semifinals.

Hancock who is wrestling in his first individual international competition since taking tenth place at the U23 World Championships will face Bulgaria’s Nikolay BAYRYAKOV (BUL) for the 97kg gold medal.

The finals will begin tomorrow at 17:00 (local time). The freestyle finals will be on Mat A, the women's wrestling finals will be on Mat B and the Greco-Roman finals will be on Mat C.

RESULTS
Women's Wrestling
50kg
GOLD - Ilona SEMKIV (UKR) vs. Mariya STADNIK (AZE)

Semifinal - Mariya STADNIK (AZE) df. Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RUS), 11-1
Semifinal - Ilona SEMKIV (UKR) df. Emilia Alina VUC (ROU), 12-2

55kg
GOLD - Roksana Marta ZASINA (POL) vs. Tetyana KIT (UKR)

Semifinal - Tetyana KIT (UKR) df. Olga SHNAIDER (UKR), 10-0
Semifinal - Roksana Marta ZASINA (POL) df. Sofia Magdalena MATTSSON (SWE), 4-3

59kg
GOLD - Marwa AMRI (TUN) vs. Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS)

Semifinal - Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS) df. Olena KREMZER (UKR) , 12-1
Semifinal - Marwa AMRI (TUN) df. Lingling BAO (CHN), 7-2

65kg
GOLD - Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) vs. Danielle Suzanne LAPPAGE (CAN)

Semifinal - Danielle Suzanne LAPPAGE (CAN) df. Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE), 4-1
Semifinal - Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) df. Moa Lena Maria NYGREN (SWE), 2-0

72kg
GOLD - Kunming WANG (CHN) vs. Agnieszka Jadwiga WIESZCZEK-KORDUS (POL)

Semifinal - Agnieszka Jadwiga WIESZCZEK-KORDUS (POL) df. Catalina AXENTE (ROU), 3-0
Semifinal - Kunming WANG (CHN) df. Alexandra Nicoleta ANGHEL (ROU), 9-5

Freestyle
57kg

GOLD - Stevan Andria MICIC (SRB) vs. Givi DAVIDOVI (ITA)

Semifinal - Givi DAVIDOVI (ITA) df. Frank Vincent PERRELLI IV (USA) , 9-6
Semifinal - Stevan Andria MICIC (SRB) df. Nurislam (Artas) SANAYEV (SANAA) (KAZ) , 9-5

65kg
GOLD - Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) vs. Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS)

Semifinal - Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) df. Jordan Michael OLIVER (USA) , 9-8
Semifinal - Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) df. Dimitar Lyubomirov IVANOV (BUL) , 11-0

74kg
GOLD - Wei WU (CHN) vs. Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO)

Semifinal - Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) df. Nurlan BEKZHANOV (KAZ) , 5-0
Semifinal - Wei WU (CHN) df. Andrzej Piotr SOKALSKI (POL), 7-1

86kg
GOLD - Zbigniew Mateusz BARANOWSKI (POL) vs. Samuel Joseph BROOKS (USA)

Semifinal - Samuel Joseph BROOKS (USA) df. Akhmed AIBUEV (FRA) , 6-2
Semifinal - Zbigniew Mateusz BARANOWSKI (POL) df. Piotr IANULOV (MDA), 2-2

97kg
GOLD - Mamed IBRAGIMOV (KAZ) vs. Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO)

Semifinal - Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) df. Pavlo OLIINYK (HUN), via injury.
Semifinal - Mamed IBRAGIMOV (KAZ) df. Chaoqiang YANG (CHN), 5-2

Greco-Roman
63kg

GOLD - Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM) vs. Nikolay Ivanov VICHEV (BUL

Semifinal - Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM) df. Virgil Alexander BICA (SWE), 4-3
Semifinal - Nikolay Ivanov VICHEV (BUL) df. Hassan Hassan Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY), 8-0

72kg
GOLD - Denis HORVATH (SVK) vs. Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR)

Semifinal - Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR) df. Shogo TAKAHASHI (JPN), 2-1
Semifinal - Denis HORVATH (SVK) df. Joilson DE BRITO RAMOS JUNIOR (BRA), 8-0

82kg
GOLD - Oleksii OSNIACH (UKR) vs. Emrah KUS (TUR)

Semifinal - Emrah KUS (TUR) df. Daniel Tihomirov ALEKSANDROV (BUL), 7-4
Semifinal - Oleksii OSNIACH (UKR) df. Petr NOVAK (CZE), 6-6

97kg
GOLD - Tracy Gangelo HANCOCK (USA) vs. Nikolay Nikolaev BAYRYAKOV (BUL)

Semifinal - Nikolay Nikolaev BAYRYAKOV (BUL) df. Mathias BAK (DEN), 4-1
Semifinal - Tracy Gangelo HANCOCK (USA) df. Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM), via fall

#UnitedWorldWrestling

UWW successfully hosts first-ever World Conference

Thursday, September 25, 2025 - 14:16 By United World Wrestling Press

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 24) -- United World Wrestling successfully hosted its first-ever World Conference in Zagreb, Croatia from September 17 to 19.

UWW President Nenad LALOVIC welcomed all the guest to the conference, held during the World Championships in Zagreb, and led the floor with discussions on Artificial Intelligence in wrestling, Amateur MMA, developing wrestling and the impact of social media to keep wrestling at the top.

United World Wrestling President Nenad LALOVIC at the World Conference. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

"On behalf of United World Wrestling, I wish you a warm welcome in Zagreb first, but to this conference too," Lalovic said. "We had this idea maybe almost a decade ago. We were seeking for a platform, how these good relations among wrestlers and the national federations can improve our sport."

Injury prevention, weight management, career transitions for wrestlers, as well as the future of the sport were some of the key discussions during the three-day event at the Westin Hotel.

International Olympic Committee member and former President of Croatia Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC.

Former President of Croatia and International Olympic Committee member Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC marked her presence at the historic event in capital city of Croatia.

Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Croatia State Secretary Josip PAVIC was also present at the conference and expressed his gratitude for entrusting Croatia for hosting the championships and the conference. Croatia Wrestling Federation President Vladimir BREGOVIC, Dean of University of Kinesiology, Zagreb Prof. Mario BAIC and numerous other stakeholders marked their presence at the conference.

On day one of the conference, UWW's growth in media and digital transformation was discussed with focus on strategy, social media, partnership and equipment and new technologies. The discussion then headed to Beach Wrestling and Associated Styles with Amateur MMA and Grappling as the main topics.

Zack ERRETT

The second day of the conference saw UWW Educator Zach ERRETT explaining the rules of Beach Wrestling, International Testing Agency Senior Legal Counsel Ayesha TALPADE presenting details of anti-doping program, followed by a panel discussion.

Kuniko TANIOKA, President of the Shigakkan University in Japan, led the discussion on sport nutrition and weight management along with UWW Medical Commission members Saam FALAHATI, Ioannis BARBAS and Szabolcs MOLNAR.

Former wrestlers shared their experiences on transitioning from wrestling to other jobs. Neven and Nenad ZUGAJ were among the panellists that also included Mijain LOPEZ, Taha AGKUL, Arsen JULFALAKYAN, Don RYAN, Alexei BAZULIN, Erica WEIBE, Bruce BAUMGARTNER.

Sofia MATTSSON

Head of the United States women's team Terry STEINER presented the "coaching the women's" part on day three. He explained how to support and train women wrestlers and led the panel that also had Tanioka, Marwa AMRI, Vincent AKA, Sofia MATTSSON, Wiebe and Nadine PIETSCHMAN.

"Depending on the success of this first World Conference, we will decide if in the future it will be a biannual one or a quadrennial one. Maybe every year if you have so much to say," Lalovic said. "World Championships is the best opportunity for that because people are already here. This physical presence is always more efficient."

A national federation workshop organized by United World Wrestling in Zagreb.

NF workshop

UWW also organized a workshop for the National Federations. UWW Sports Director Jean-Daniel REY and UWW Development Director Deqa NIAMKEY welcomed various NFs which had registered for the workshop.

Capacity building, finance and event organization were the key topics at the workshop. Croatia Wrestling Federation Secretary General Tin BREGOVIC, Professor of Kinesiology Nenad BORKOVIC, Professional Master in Social Innovation and Management Ivan BLAZEVIC led a panel discussion on the topic as they were part of the organizing committee for the World Championships in Zagreb.

Azerbaijan, Brazil, Spain and Thailand presented case studies related to event organization and the challenges of competitions.

World Champ Stadnik Bulldozes Poland Open Field

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UWW successfully hosts first-ever World Conference