#WrestleBelgrade

World Champ Tynybekova Cruises into Women's Wrestling Finals

Monday, December 14, 2020 - 19:00 By Andrew Hipps

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BELGRADE, Serbia (December 14) -- Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ), who made history by becoming Kyrgyzstan's first world champion, stands one win away from claiming a gold at the Individual World Cup in Belgrade, Serbia.

The 27-year-old Kyrgyzstani women's wrestler cruised into the 62kg finals. After picking up two 10-0 technical superiorities, Tynybekova dominated 2019 world silver medalist Liubov OVCHAROVA (RUS) 13-2 in the semifinals.

Tynybekova went up 9-0 before Ovcharova scored a takedown late in the first period to cut the deficit to 9-2. In the second period, Tynybekova scored two consecutive step outs before getting a takedown to finish the match. 

She will meet Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT) in the 62kg finals. Grigorjeva, a two-time world medalist, won a high-scoring affair, 9-8, over Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) in the semifinals. 

Annika WENDLE (GER) advanced to the finals at 55kg (Photo/Gabor MARTIN, UWW)

At 55kg, Annika WENDLE (GER) edged Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) in one of the most exciting finishes of Monday's semifinal round. Krawczyk led 1-0 at the break. Wendle came out strong in the second period, scoring with a four-point move to grab a 4-1 lead. Krawczyk responded a short time later, scoring a four-point move of her own to go up 5-4. She held that lead until late in the match when Wendle scored a go-ahead takedown in the closing moments of the match. The takedown was not awarded initially, but a successful challenge overturned the initial call, giving Wendle the dramatic victory and a place in the finals at 55kg. 

In other 55kg semifinal, Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR) rolled to a 6-1 win over PINKI (IND). Kurachkina used a takedown and gut wrench in the first period to go up 4-0. She added a takedown in the second period to win by five.

Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS) reached the 50kg finals by beating Miglena SELISHKA (BUL) (Photo/Gabor MARTIN, UWW)

2019 world bronze medalist Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS) edged 2020 European champion Miglena SELISHKA (BUL) 2-2 on criteria in the semifinals at 50kg. Selishka scored the first point off a passivity and led 1-0 at the break. Poleshchuk took the lead on a takedown in the second period. Selishka inched closer with a passivity point, but ultimately fell short. 

In the other semifinal at 50kg, Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) looked strong in picking up a 16-7 win over Lisa ERSEL (GER).

At 53kg, Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) shut out Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR) 4-0 in a battle of multiple-time world medalists. After going up 2-0 on passivity points, Prevolaraki extended her lead in the second period with a takedown. 

Roksana ZASINA (POL) topped Nina HEMMER (GER) 5-2 in the other 53kg semifinal match. Hemmer led late on criteria, but Zasina took control late, scoring a takedown and step out in the final 30 seconds to win by three.

Buse TOSUN (TUR) will wrestle for the gold medal at 72kg (Photo/Gabor MARTIN, UWW)

2018 world bronze medalist Buse TOSUN (TUR) topped Alla BELINSKA (UKR) in the semifinals at 72kg. 

She will meet Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) in the 72kg finals. Yaneva was impressive, scoring three takedowns in the second period on her way to a 6-2 win over Zsuzsanna MOLNAR (SVK).

Women's Wrestling Semifinal Results

50kg
Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) df. Lisa ERSEL (GER) by VPO1, 16-7
Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS) df. Miglena Georgieva SELISHKA (BUL) by VPO1, 2-2

53kg
Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) df. Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR) by VPO, 4-0
Roksana ZASINA (POL) df. Nina HEMMER (GER) by VPO1, 5-2

55kg
Annika WENDLE (GER) df. Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) by VPO1, 6-5
Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR) df. Pinki PINKI (IND) by VPO1, 6-1

62kg
Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT) df. Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) by VPO1, 10-9
Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) df. Liubov OVCHAROVA (RUS) by VSU1, 13-2

72kg
Yuliana Vasileva YANEVA (BUL) df. Zsuzsanna MOLNAR (SVK) by VPO1, 7-2
Buse TOSUN (TUR) df. Alla BELINSKA (UKR)  by VPO1, 6-2
 

#WrestleNoviSad

Mesenbrink takes steady steps to win U23 Worlds gold

Saturday, October 25, 2025 - 17:22 By Vinay Siwach

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 25) -- Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) remembers his last year's U23 World Championships campaign. He won a bronze medal, left Tirana a little frustrated and missing his training room in Penn State.

With lessons from that tournament and surrounded by his Penn State teammates and coaches, Mesenbrink made sure he did not return home without a medal. The former U20 world champion became U23 world champion after beating Halit OZMUS (TUR), 12-2, in the 74kg final.

Mesenbrink was a leg-attack machine in the final and Ozmus did little to defend those, giving up the final in 2:59, just on the stroke of the break.

"It's just about constantly getting better, technically, and emotionally, too," Mesenbrink said. "If I'm just running in there, trying to grab onto his head, he can get in. So just being able to constantly improve. I think that's a strong testament to the people around me and to the coaches that I have and the teammates that I have at Penn State."

Seven wrestler out of the 10 on the United States Freestyle team are part of the same training center -- the Nittany Lions Wrestling Club, Penn State, which Mesenbrink said made a lot of difference this year.

"It's fun, because last year I came by myself. It was just me at the U23s. So it was fun this year that we had seven out of 10 guys," he said. "Last year, I knew the guys, but it wasn't my teammates, right? Now it's my teammates, the guys that I'm literally in the room with every day. We go over and it's almost like, are we even in Serbia right now? It feels like we're in America, because we got so many guys here."

In Tirana, the American wrestler lost to Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) in the quarterfinals but bounced back to win the bronze medal. But in Novi Sad on Friday, Mesenbrink faced Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) in the semifinals and came out on top 6-4, with a buzzer beating takedown.

The win boasted Mesenbrink's confidence who was close to make the U.S. senior team for World Championships in Zagreb where Takahashi won gold, but lost to David CARR (USA) domestically.

However, that loss made Mesenbrink think about his aims and how he wants to improve his wrestling on the mat.

"I think the big thing of not making the world team, it was just, I got to get better in those specific areas," he said. "That's the most fun part. I thought this is all this is, is a title. This is gonna be fading so quick. So I thought I'm going to go out there and I'm going to work on the things that I've been working on and I've been working really hard since Final X to get those improvements."

Mobin AZIMI (IRI)Mobin AZIMI (IRI) celebrates after winning the 92kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

In the only other final of Freestyle, Mobin AZIMI (IRI) earned the first gold medal for Iran after beating Takhir KHANIEV (UWW), 5-3, in the 92kg final. Azimi broken Khaniev down in the final and scored three stepout points to win the gold medal.

RESULTS

74kg
GOLD: Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) df. Halit OZMUS (TUR), 12-2

BRONZE: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) df. PARVINDER (IND), 8-2
BRONZE: Manuel WAGIN (GER) df. Magomed KHANIEV (AZE), 8-4

92kg
GOLD: Mobin AZIMI (IRI) df. Takhir KHANIEV (UWW), 5-3

BRONZE: Sherzod POYONOV (UZB) df. Ivan CHORNOHUZ (UKR), 11-1
BRONZE: Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) df. Ion DEMIAN (MDA), 10-0

Semifinals

57kg
GOLD: Yuta KIKUCHI (JPN) vs. Luke LILLEDAHL (USA)

SF 1: Yuta KIKUCHI (JPN) df. Nodirbek JUMANAZAROV (UZB), 6-1
SF 2: Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) df. Aiandai ONDAR (UWW), 7-1

70kg
GOLD: Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) vs. Sina KHALILI (IRI)

SF 1: Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) df. PJ DUKE (USA), 14-4
SF 2: Sina KHALILI (IRI) df. Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA), 8-2

79kg
GOLD: Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR) vs. Levi HAINES (USA)

SF 1: Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR) df. Nikita DMITRIJEVS MAYEUSKI (UWW), 5-2
SF 2: Levi HAINES (USA) df. Davud DAUDOV (UWW), 11-4

125kg
GOLD: Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI) vs. Khetag KARSANOV (AZE)

SF 1: Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI) df. Khabib DAVUDGADZHIEV (UWW), 5-0
SF 2: Khetag KARSANOV (AZE) df. Daniel HERRERA (USA), 12-2