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

#WrestleTirana

Sadulaev shuts down Taylor in World Championships showdown

Wednesday, October 30, 2024 - 11:59 By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (October 30) -- Two-time world champion at 92kg Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) would have expected his return to the World Championships to make all the noise in Tirana. After all, it had been two years since he last competed at the World Championships.

Enter Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) and David TAYLOR (USA). The former, who last won the world title in 2021, was not able to compete at the Paris Olympics and was injured during the semifinal of the 2023 World Championships.

Taylor, world champion in 2023, missed the Paris Olympics after losing the trials in the United States, announced his retirement and took a coaching job. He came out of retirement and decided to compete at the World Championships and retire.

Both are not 92kg wrestlers. Sadulaev has been a true 97kg for eight years now. Taylor is competing at this weight for the first time after dominating 86kg for years. But the two were pitted against each other in the opening round of the World Championships in Tirana at 92kg.

The small Feti Borova Sports Hall in Tirana did not have space to sit. So where one could, they stood to watch the two wrestle. Saudulaev in a singlet not meant for his 92kg body. Taylor, in his customary elbow on the thigh and waiting for his opponent.

No one knew what was going to happen. Sadulaev was reducing weight, and Taylor was gaining. How would the two match up? It was this lack that prompted the fans to cheer for both. But after the first period, the picture became much clearer. Sadulaev shut down Taylor's offense and came out of the pressure bout 7-0.

After the initial collar ties, Taylor went for the offense. He got on Sadulaev's leg and tried the lift but Sadulaev was swift to get out of the hold. Taylor continued his attack. That's the only way he knows wrestling. Taylor took another offensive shot and Sadulaev, with lessons from the previous attack, pressured forward to neutralize the attack and scored a go-behind for two. Sadulaev resorted to heavy snapdowns and Taylor wasn't able to defend the second one. Within two minutes, Sadulaev was up 4-0.

The speed and power was Sadulaev was impressively superior to that of Taylor who decided to change a little in the second period. He went for the far leg of Sadulaev. But Sadulaev was quick and spun behind Taylor and scored a takedown with less than two minutes left.

By this time, Ghasempour had finished his bout on the other mat. He defeated Takashi ISHIGURO (JPN) 6-0 in a rather slow bout.

Sadulaev now had to defend his 5-0 lead. Taylor continued his aggressive approach and got on Sadulaev's right leg. What he did not expect was the quick counter from Sadulaev who pushed Taylor and scored an exposure for two. It was evident that Taylor could not match Sadulaev.

David TAYLOR (USA) in the warm-up hall after his bout against Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) at 92kg in Tirana. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

"I did not score on the two times I shot and he did," Taylor said after the bout. "That was the difference. I needed to score on those two occasions."

Taylor and Sadulaev went to the warm-up hall but the former sat for more than 45 minutes in silence. He finally broke his silence and talked to the United States coaches after his leg attacks. After spending 30 more minutes gathering his thoughts, Taylor packed his bags and left.

On the training mats, Ghasempour and Sadulaev jogged before cooling down after their bouts. If both continue to win, they are expected to meet in the semifinals.

The match will be rather important for Taylor as well. He will hope for a Sadulaev win which will give him the chance to wrestle for the bronze medal.

"I expect him to make the finals and come back tomorrow," Taylor said. "I need to wrestle better that is my focus for now."

If he does wrestle Thursday, fans will only be treated to another blockbuster. A Ghasemoour-Taylor bout. The only downside will be that one will go home empty-handed.

World Champ Stadnik Bulldozes Poland Open Field

Comments

Sadulaev shuts down Taylor in World Championships showdown