#WrestleCoralville

With World Cup history on mind, Ukraine arrives in US

Friday, December 2, 2022 - 14:26 By Vinay Siwach

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CORALVILLE, Iowa (December 2) -- In the last 10 months, Ukraine women's team has finished on the podium at the European Championships, U23 and U17 World Championships and qualified for the World Cup by finishing in the top five at the World Championships in Belgrade.

The wrestlers achieved this with little to no training before the Euros and with no training base for the rest of the year. A few trained in Budapest while another group was in Warsaw. If anyone was relatively lucky, they could train in western Ukraine.

So it was a commendable gesture from USA Wrestling to invite the Ukraine team to the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs two weeks before the December 10-11 World Cup despite being two of the strongest teams out there.

Throughout the year, United World Wrestling, along with Olympic Solidarity, the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and the USOPC, provided technical assistance to the Ukraine Wrestling Federation for the participation of the Ukraine women’s team in major UWW events.

The World Cup was also part of the same plan the UWW Development Department and local organizing committees provided technical support for Ukraine.

“We remain committed and devoted to supporting all our national federations around the world," UWW President Nenad LALOVIC said. "Despite the current political problems, we remain one family through wrestling.”

Ukraine has been preparing for the World Cup with a full-strength team and will be heading to Iowa from Colorado for the competition.  

"The American team welcomed us very kindly," Oksana LIVACH (UKR) said. "We are in the Olympic Center in Colorado, there are very good conditions for training and we enjoy spending time here."

Amidst all the difficulties the team has faced, the wrestlers have held together, switching between wrestling and coaching during various tournaments. The World Cup will see them rise to the challenge once again when Ukraine takes on Japan and Mongolia in the group stages of the tournament.

After the World Championships, the wrestlers did participate in the U23 Worlds in Spain before arriving in the United States last week. The 26-member delegation was welcomed with open arms and are provided with the best facilities and training.

"There are many sparring sessions, the training is very interesting, you can learn something new, exchange experience," Oksana said.

The World Cup will not only be a way to show the strength of the Ukraine team, it will also mark the return of Ukraine's two biggest stars. Former world champion and three-time Olympian Yulia TKACH (UKR) is entered for the tournament, her first in almost three years.

Another wrestler who will be returning in over a year is Tokyo bronze medalist Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) at 62kg. She has skipped all tournaments in between.

Both Tkach and Koliadenko will be leaders of the team which also comprises Oksana LIVACH (UKR), Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR), Alla BELINSKA (UKR) and other youngsters.

At the World Cup, Ukraine will open its campaign against Mongolia on Saturday afternoon and will fancy its chances of winning the dual and setting up a virtual final against Japan. As the best country in women's wrestling is sending a depleted squad with no senior world medalist, Ukraine will look to pull off an upset win if it wants to reach the final from Group A.

With the team already acclimatized to the US and the return of its senior wrestlers, Ukraine winning will not be a surprise.

"Japan is the strongest team in the world in women's wrestling," Tkach said. "I think the young team will also be strong and it will be interesting for us to compete with them. Our team is also quite young and strong.

"We believe in our team. We will see a good fight on the mat and it will show who wins."

Apart from the chance to win the World Cup, the team is motivated and united by the tough times everyone faced this year. The emotions ran high at the European Championships when it crowned three champions in Budapest despite the uncertainty of the lives back home. A big relief came when it qualified for the World Cup finishing fifth in Belgrade with three medals.

"This year was really very difficult for our team. Our girls performed really well," Livach said. "I think this season will remain in history and in our memory. The World Cup is the final point for this year and we want to end it on a good note. All the teams are very strong and everyone can and has a chance to win, just like our team."

The World Cup win will make the year even more historic for the country as it has never finished on the podium before at the competition. But that can change in Coralville.

"Our team has many young wrestlers who have the opportunity to prove themselves," Livach said. "Expect a worthy fight."

#WrestleTirana

Bisultanov Throws His Way to Second European Gold

Wednesday, April 22, 2026 - 13:06 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (April 21) -- In one of the most viral and recognizable videos of the many social media edits of wrestling is the one of Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) performing a huge arm throw. He did it at the 2022 European Championships, which he went on to win.

Four years later, Bisultanov had to rely on the arm throw again to beat an Olympic champion and to win his second European title, making him the first wrestler from Denmark to achieve the feat.

Starting as the underdog against Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) in the 87kg final in Tirana on Tuesday, Bisultanov performed a near-perfect throw, tossing Novikov on the mat for four points. That gave Bisultanov a huge advantage and Novikov played catch up in the six-minute final. He scored two counter exposure in the same sequence but Bisultanov still led 4-4 on criteria.

Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN)Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN), red, performs the arm throw to score four points against Semen NOVIKOV (BUL). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

The Denmark wrestler scored a stepout and got the passivity point in the second period to extend his lead to 6-4, leaving Novikov needing at least three points for the win. Novikov tried a desperate throw in the final moments but Bisultanov blocked him and secured the fall.

When the final ended, Bisultanov was a two-time European champion. Novikov, who had defeated Bisultanov twice before including at the Paris Olympics, was now the second best in Europe two times in a row. 

"Last time I lost to him, it was the Olympics," Bisultanov said. "Before that, it was the European Championships [2023]. I have not wrestled at the European Championships since that."

Returning the continental tournament after three years, Paris bronze medalist Bisultanov showed early signs of form in Tiran when he won three bouts via technical superiority. He began with an 8-0 win against Matej MANDIC (CRO), then a similar victory over Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM) and a 9-0 shutout in the quarterfinals against Ihar YARASHEVICH (UKR).

In the semifinals, he faced Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR) but took just 46 seconds in the second period to pin the Ukrainian, who had beaten Novikov last week.

"I'm speechless," Bisultanov said. "Actually, I told my coaches I would win it by finishing every match before time. And thank God, a few seconds before the time finished in the final, they called the pin. So I completed my promise to my coaches."

WATCH: All Matches of Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) at European Championships

Giving a small insight into the planning he had for Novikov, Bisultanov explained how one training session in Porec, Croatia in February helped them devise a strategy.

"I had only one sparring session with Novikov in that camp," he said. "My coach told me defend the par terre by moving behind. But during that training session, I tried to defend and Novikov rolled me two times."

"So before the final, my coach reminded me how to defend. And I told my coach. that the last time I tried this defense, he rolled me. Then coach said just do what you would like to do. I did the arm throw."

Bisultanov missed out on a medal at the 2025 World Championships, but the 24-year-old reteriated that he is not finished yet.

"I want to achieve even more," he said. "I know I'm not done. My ultimate goal is to be an Olympic champion."

Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) is now a five-time European champion. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Amoyan Claims Fifth Straight Title

Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) is quickly becoming a European legend as he claimed his fifth straight gold medal on Tuesday.

In what was a rematch of the 2025 final, Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) was looking to avenge his 3-1 loss against Amoyan. While Zoidze was able to make it a close final this time around, he was not able to stop Amoyan from a 1-1 win.

Both wrestlers exchanged passivity points but it was Amoyan who got the first position which gave the Armenian the criteria for the win.

"Every year the victory becomes more difficult for me," Amoyan said. "I have truly gone through a very difficult journey, and I still have more to achieve in order to accomplish even greater victory."

Amoyan began his European Championships career in 2020 but he finished 16th at 72kg, In 2021, he fell short at the last hurdle and finished with a silver medal at 72kg.

But in 2022, he moved up to 77kg and won his first of the five gold medals. 

"Honestly, I don’t think about whether it will be the 5th, 6th, or 7th title," he said. What matters to me is the victory itself. I go into every tournament aiming only to win the gold medal."

At 55kg, 18-year-old Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) fell short against the experienced Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW) who defended his European title with a 2-1 victory.

Lolua had the 1-1 criteria lead after both wrestlers exchanged par terre positions. However, in a flurry of action with just about a minute remaining, Sefershaev managed to push Lolua out of bounds and take a 2-1 lead. He defended the lead to claim the gold medal, his third at the European Championships.

Veteran Sergey EMELIN (UWW) also won his third European title in contrasting manner than Sefershaev. Facing U23 world champion Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) for the gold medal, Emelin got the par terre and gut-wrenched the Moldova wrestler for a 9-0 win.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW) df. Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO), 2-1

BRONZE: Rashad MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Omer RECEP (TUR), 8-0
BRONZE: Stefan GRIGOROV (BUL) df. Manvel KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 3-1

63kg
GOLD: Sergey EMELIN (UWW) df. Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), 9-0

BRONZE: Karen ASLANYAN (ARM) df. Mairbek SALIMOV (POL), 11-0
BRONZE: Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Pridon ABULADZE (GEO), 6-2

77kg
GOLD: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df. Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO), 1-1

BRONZE: Edvin BAFF (SWE) df. Alexandrin GUTU (MDA), 2-1
BRONZE: Robert FRITSCH (HUN) df. Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO), 1-1

87kg
GOLD: Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) df. Semen NOVIKOV (BUL), via fall (8-4)

BRONZE: Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR) df. Ihar YARASHEVICH (UWW), 1-1
BRONZE: Islam ABBASOV (AZE) df. Dogan KAYA (TUR), 5-1

130kg
GOLD: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Darius VITEK (HUN), 7-1

BRONZE: Pavel HLINCHUK (UWW) df. Marat KAMPAROV (UWW), 10-5
BRONZE: Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) df. Beka KANDELAKI (AZE), 3-1