#WrestleSkopje

#WresleSkopje U23 European C'ship Entries

By Eric Olanowski

SKOPJE,  North Macedonia (May 13) --- After a 592 day layoff due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the first time since the '19 U23 World Championships, the U23 calendar resumes with the U23 European Championships (May 17-23). 

The VIP Arena Boris Trajkovski in North Macedonia's capital city, Skpoje, will welcome nearly 425 rising stars from 36 different nations.

Freestyle action begins on Monday, women's wrestling takes center stage on Wednesday and Greco-Roman closes out the competition beginning on Friday.

Freestyle

57kg
Endrio AVDYLI (ALB)
Karen ZURABYAN (ARM)
Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE)
Dzmitry SHAMELA (BLR)
Mehmed Hasan MEHMED (BUL)
Ramaz TURMANIDZE (GEO)
Niklas STECHELE (GER)
Richard Lajos RACZ (HUN)
Simone Vincenzo PIRODDU (ITA)
Ghennadi DIUVENJI (MDA)
Besir ALILI (MKD)
Akhmed IDRISOV (RUS)
Nils LEUTERT (SUI)
Hafiz Can HASDEMIR (TUR)
Kamil KERYMOV (UKR)

61kg
Razmik PAPIKYAN (ARM)
Ilya RAHOZAU (BLR)
Ruhan Hyusnyu RASIM (BUL)
Arman Norik ELOYAN (FRA)
Teimuraz VANISHVILI (GEO)
Nico MEGERLE (GER)
Leomid COLESNIC (MDA)
Arben ABAZI (MKD)
Muslim MEKHTIKHANOV (RUS)
Nino LEUTERT (SUI)
Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR)
Artem KRYVENKO (UKR)

65kg
Sure VRIONI (ALB)
Hrachya MARGARYAN (ARM)
Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE)
Uladzislau KOIKA (BLR)
Alish Gyoksel ALISH (BUL)
David KOPRIVA (CZE)
Marwane Ahmed YEZZA (FRA)
Ross Taylor CONNELLY (GBR)
Giorgi TCHOLADZE (GEO)
Leon GERSTENBERGER (GER)
Karoly KISS (HUN)
Altin BERISHA (KOS)
Sergiu LUPASCO (MDA)
Elmedin SEJFULAU (MKD)
Stefan Ionut COMAN (ROU)
Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (RUS)
Cavit ACAR (TUR)
Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR)

70kg
Eriglent PRIZRENI (ALB)
Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM)
Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE)
Daniil AMELYANCHYK (BLR)
Dimitar Atanasov ANGELOV (BUL)
Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO)
Roland BIRO (HUN)
Raul ZARBALIEV (ISR)
Albin SHEHU (KOS)
Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA)
Fati VEJSELI (MKD)
Norbert MOLNOS (ROU)
Inalbek SHERIEV (RUS)
Tobias PORTMANN (SUI)
Daniel CHOMANIC (SVK)
Cuneyt BUDAK (TUR)
Denys BOROHAN (UKR)

74kg
Arjan DANAJ (ALB)
Hrayr ALIKHANYAN (ARM)
Simon MARCHL (AUT)
Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE)
Davud ALIZALAU (BLR)
Nikolay Iliev DIMITROV (BUL)
Charles André AFA (FRA)
Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO)
Lucas Marco KAHNT (GER)
Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)
Naftali Hertz HOROWITZ (ISR)
Luca FINIZIO (ITA)
Vasile DIACON (MDA)
Serhan SHAKIROV (MKD)
Szymon WOJTKOWSKI (POL)
Krisztian BIRO (ROU)
Chermen VALIEV (RUS)
Isa DEMIR (TUR)
Andrii NUHUMANOV (UKR)

79kg
Arman AVAGYAN (ARM)
Yahor AKULICH (BLR)
Oktay Ruzhdi HASAN (BUL)
Erik REINBOK (EST)
Goga MAMIAURI (GEO)
Beat Konstantin SCHAIBLE (GER)
Botond LUKACS (HUN)
Max KASPEROVICH (ISR)
Salvatore DIANA (ITA)
Lilian BALAN (MDA)
Astrit ISMAILI (MKD)
Jakub Patryk WLADCZYK (POL)
Khalid IAKHIEV (RUS)
Tanguy DARBELLAY (SUI)
Ramazan SARI (TUR)
Valentyn BABII (UKR)

86kg
Benjamin GREIL (AUT)
Orkhan ABASOV (AZE)
Ilya KHAMTSOU (BLR)
Ivan Kostadinov STEFANOV (BUL)
Matous VONDAL (CZE)
Demur MEGENEISHVILI (GEO)
Lars SCHAEFLE (GER)
Patrik SZUROVSZKI (HUN)
Uri KALASHNIKOV (ISR)
Ivars SAMUSONOKS (LAT)
Andrian GROSUL (MDA)
Omer SEJFULAI (MKD)
Cezary Marek SADOWSKI (POL)
Amanula RASULOV (RUS)
Emre CIFTCI (TUR)
Denys SAHALIUK (UKR)

92kg
Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE)
Arkadzi PAHASIAN (BLR)
Ivaylo Stefanov NANCHEV (BUL)
Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO)
Sebastian SCHMIDT (GER)
Richard VEGH (HUN)
Shai Shabtai SHOTASHVILI (ISR)
Auron SYLA (KOS)
Gheorghe ERHAN (MDA)
Redjep HAJDARI (MKD)
Azamat ZAKUEV (RUS)
Erhan YAYLACI (TUR)
Daniil PIDLYPENETS (UKR)

97kg
Islam ILYASOV (AZE)
Aliaksei PARKHOMENKA (BLR)
Tsvetan Danielov EVTIMOV (BUL)
Luka KHUTCHUA (GEO)
Ertugrul AGCA (GER)
David LABKOVSKY (ISR)
Radu LEFTER (MDA)
Ramadan MUSTAFOVSKI (MKD)
Michal Jan BIELAWSKI (POL)
Aslanbek SOTIEV (RUS)
Viliam OROSS (SVK)
Sven Janovitj ENGSTROEM (SWE)
Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR)
Danylo STASIUK (UKR)

125kg
Paris KAREPI (ALB)
Hovhannes MAGHAKYAN (ARM)
Timon Johann HASLWANTER (AUT)
Vakhit GALAYEV (AZE)
Yaraslau SLAVIKOUSKI (BLR)
Georgi Lyubomirov IVANOV (BUL)
Aleksi ZHORZHOLIANI (GEO)
Lior ALTSHULER (ISR)
Semion PLUGARU (MDA)
Uvejs FEJZULAHU (MKD)
Atsamaz TEBLOEV (RUS)
Anil Berkan KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)
Yurii IDZINSKYI (UKR)


Four-time age group world champion Aleksandr Andreevitch KOMAROV (RUS) will compete at 87kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Greco-Roman
55kg

Bajram SINA (ALB)
Ashot MKHITARYAN (ARM)
Zaur Eyvaz ALIYEV (AZE)
Maksim STUPAKEVICH (BLR)
Denis Krasimirov DEMIROV (BUL)
Ramaz SILAGAVA (GEO)
Artiom DELEANU (MDA)
Denis Florin MIHAI (ROU)
Mavlud RIZMANOV (RUS)
Sebastian KOLOMPAR (SRB)
Adem Burak UZUN (TUR)
Mykola HAVRYCHKIN (UKR)

60kg
Tigran MINASYAN (ARM)
Elmir ALIYEV (AZE)
Uladzislau PRYBYLSKI (BLR)
Edmond Armen NAZARYAN (BUL)
Andy JUAN SUCH (ESP)
Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI (GEO)
Krisztian KECSKEMETI (HUN)
Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA)
Razvan ARNAUT (ROU)
Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (RUS)
Ahmet UYAR (TUR)
Ihor KUROCHKIN (UKR)

63kg
Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM)
Zaur NURIYEV (AZE)
Aliaksandr PECHURENKA (BLR)
Ilia Dimitrov MUSTAKOV (BUL)
Leri ABULADZE (GEO)
Andrej GINC (GER)
Andrea SETTI (ITA)
Alexandru TRANDAFIR (ROU)
Rakhman TAVMURZAEV (RUS)
Dejan PETROVIC (SRB)
Niklas Jan Olov Pontus OEHLEN (SWE)
Abdulkadir SAYDAM (TUR)
Maksym LIU (UKR)

67kg
Gurgen ALEKSANYAN (ARM)
Aker AL OBAIDI (AUT)
Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)
Maksim NEHODA (BLR)
Ivo Krasimirov ILIEV (BUL)
Denis MERTL (CZE)
Marcos SANCHEZ SILVA MEJIAS (ESP)
Elmer Joakim MATTILA (FIN)
Gagik Mishai SNJOYAN (FRA)
Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO)
Krisztian Istvan VANCZA (HUN)
Mateusz Radoslaw SZEWCZUK (POL)
Vasile Alexandru DOSOFTEI (ROU)
Turpal Ali ISAEV (RUS)
Kadir KAMAL (TUR)
Oleksii MASYK (UKR)

72kg
Kevin KUPI (ALB)
Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)
Khasay HASANLI (AZE)
Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR)
Luka MALOBABIC (CRO)
Akseli Elias YLI HANNUKSELA (FIN)
Otar ABULADZE (GEO)
Idris IBAEV (GER)
Oliver KAJTAN (HUN)
Mihai PETIC (MDA)
Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR)
Sergei KUTUZOV (RUS)
Aron PINTER (SRB)
Michael PORTMANN (SUI)
Oliver OLAH (SVK)
Hasan ORAKCI (TUR)
Andrii KULYK (UKR)

77kg
Samvel GRIGORYAN (ARM)
Mikita KAZAKOU (BLR)
Pavel PUKLAVEC (CRO)
Jakub BIELESZ (CZE)
Waltteri Harri Kristian LATVALA (FIN)
Nikoloz TCHIKAIDZE (GEO)
Erik LOESER (GER)
Moric KISMONI (HUN)
Alexandrin GUTU (MDA)
Per Anders KURE (NOR)
Patryk Adam BEDNARZ (POL)
Nicolae POPA (ROU)
Sergei STEPANOV (RUS)
Aleksa ILIC (SRB)
Gergely BUERSOELY (SVK)
Per Albin OLOFSSON (SWE)
Erkan ERGEN (TUR)
Ihor BYCHKOV (UKR)

82kg
Gagik HAKOBYAN (ARM)
Yauheni YUROU (BLR)
Tihomir Todorov DIMOV (BUL)
Sebastian PETRAC (CRO)
Ranet KALJOLA (EST)
Otto Eemeli KETONEN (FIN)
Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO)
Dimitrios TSOMPANOUDIS (GRE)
Tamas LEVAI (HUN)
Arminas LYGNUGARIS (LTU)
Vladislav GUTU (MDA)
Marcel STERKENBURG (NED)
Magnus GROENVIK (NOR)
Vasile Daniel COJOC (ROU)
Shamil Letkaevitch OZHAEV (RUS)
Branko KOVACEVIC (SRB)
Ramon Rainer BETSCHART (SUI)
Mats Ola Lukas AHLGREN (SWE)
Dogan KAYA (TUR)
Dmytro GARDUBEI (UKR)

87kg
Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM)
Lachin VALIYEV (AZE)
Ihar YARASHEVICH (BLR)
Svetoslav Nikolaev NIKOLOV (BUL)
Matej MANDIC (CRO)
Andreas VAELIS (EST)
Juho Matias PAHIKAINEN (FIN)
Temuri TCHKUASELIDZE (GEO)
Ilias PAGKALIDIS (GRE)
Istvan TAKACS (HUN)
Mirco MINGUZZI (ITA)
Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED)
Szymon SZYMONOWICZ (POL)
Nicu Samuel OJOG (ROU)
Aleksandr Andreevitch KOMAROV (RUS)
Mario VUKOVIC (SRB)
Muhutdin SARICICEK (TUR)
Dmytro KIIASHOK (UKR)

97kg
Kevi BALLABANI (ALB)
Albert YEGHIKYAN (ARM)
Markus RAGGINGER (AUT)
Pavel HLINCHUK (BLR)
Mariyan Iliyanov MARINOV (BUL)
Filip SMETKO (CRO)
Ondrej DADAK (CZE)
Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO)
Patrick NEUMAIER (GER)
Michail IOSIFIDIS (GRE)
Robert ERSEK (HUN)
Luca SVAICARI (ITA)
Arnoldas BARANOVAS (LTU)
Marcus WORREN (NOR)
Piotr CHUDZIK (POL)
Artur SARGSIAN (RUS)
Aleksandar SIMOVIC (SRB)
Damian VON EUW (SUI)
Beytullah KAYISDAG (TUR)
Valentyn SHKLIARENKO (UKR)

130kg
David OVASAPYAN (ARM)
Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE)
Ilya YUDCHYTS (BLR)
Mate GOKADZE (GEO)
Franz RICHTER (GER)
Nikolaos NTOUNIAS (GRE)
Dariusz Attila VITEK (HUN)
Nikola MILATOVIC (NOR)
Gerard Cyprian KURNICZAK (POL)
Lenard Istvan BEREI (ROU)
Mikhail LAPTEV (RUS)
Vladan ZIVKOVIC (SRB)
Delian Hossein ALISHAHI (SUI)
Fatih BOZKURT (TUR)
Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR)

Cadet, junior, U23 and senior European champion Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) headlines the women's wrestling entries. She'll compete at 59kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Women's Wrestling
50kg

Anastasiya YANOTAVA (BLR)
Ana Maria TORRES RUBIO (ESP)
Taru Marketta VAINIONPAEAE (FIN)
Lisa ERSEL (GER)
Jekaterina JERMALONOKA (LAT)
Vestina DANISEVICIUTE (LTU)
Maria LEORDA (MDA)
Amanda TOMCZYK (POL)
Maria Alexandra CIOCLEA (ROU)
Mariia TIUMEREKOVA (RUS)
Anna POLLAKOVA (SVK)
Aynur ERGE (TUR)
Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR)

53kg
Viktoryia VOLK (BLR)
Emma Solange Irène LUTTENAUER (FRA)
Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER)
Szimonetta Timea SZEKER (HUN)
Elvira KRASNIQI (KOS)
Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA)
Alicja CZYZOWICZ (POL)
Elena Simona IONESCU (ROU)
Ekaterina VERBINA (RUS)
Esra PUL (TUR)
Mariia VYNNYK (UKR)

55kg
Florine Maria SCHEDLER (AUT)
Anastasiya RAMANIONAK (BLR)
Aleksandrina Nikolaeva KASHINOVA (BUL)
Laura GOMEZ VIZCAINO (ESP)
Laura STANELYTE (LTU)
Dominika Ewa KULWICKA (POL)
Beatrice Ionela FERENT (ROU)
Aleksandra SKIRENKO (RUS)
Zeynep YETGIL (TUR)
Khrystyna Zoryana DEMKO (UKR)

57kg
Hanna VAHER (BLR)
Sezen Behchetova BELBEROVA (BUL)
Josefine Maria PURSCHKE (GER)
Erika BOGNAR (HUN)
Aurora RUSSO (ITA)
Othelie Annette HOEIE (NOR)
Patrycja GIL (POL)
Denisa Iuliana FODOR (ROU)
Viktoriia VAULINA (RUS)
Kristina CINTALANOVA (SVK)
Eda TEKIN (TUR)
Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR)

59kg
Celina Michelle DENZ (AUT)
Krystsina SAZYKINA( BLR)
Maria Victoria BAEZ DILONE (ESP)
Anne Beatrice NUERNBERGER (GER)
Tamara DOLLAK (HUN)
Ineta DANTAITE (LTU)
Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)
Magdalena Urszula GLODEK (POL)
Aleksandra NITSENKO (RUS)
Anna FABIAN (SRB)
Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR)
Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR)

62kg
Tatsiana PAULAVA (BLR)
Raya Zhanetova KYOSEVA (BUL)
Kelsey BARNES (GBR)
Debora LAWNITZAK (GER)
Elena ESPOSITO (ITA)
Anhelina LYSAK (POL)
Mariia LACHUGINA (RUS)
Cansu AKSOY (TUR)
Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR)

65kg
Albina DRAZHI (ALB)
Viktoryia Alesia DZEHTSIARENKA (BLR)
Nerea PAMPIN BLANCO (ESP)
Eyleen SEWINA (GER)
Elma ZEIDLERE (LAT)
Irina RINGACI (MDA)
Kamila Czeslawa KULWICKA (POL)
Amina Roxana CAPEZAN (ROU)
Dinara KUDAEVA SALIKHOVA (RUS)
Linnea Antonia SVENSSON (SWE)
Asli DEMIR (TUR)
Kateryna ZELENYKH (UKR)

68kg
Natallia BELSKAYA (BLR)
Siyka Todorova IVANOVA (BUL)
Kendra Augustine Jocelyne DACHER (FRA)
Ewelina Weronika CIUNEK (POL)
Adina Ionela IRIMIA  (ROU)
Vusala PARFIANOVICH (RUS)
Tindra Linnea SJOEBERG (SWE)
Nesrin BAS (TUR)
Oksana CHUDYK (UKR)

72kg
Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (BLR)
Kornelija ZAICEVAITE (LTU)
Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL)
Maria larisa NITU (ROU)
Marina SUROVTSEVA (RUS)
Zsuzsanna MOLNAR (SVK)
Merve PUL (TUR)
Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR)

76kg
Hanna MASLAKOVA (BLR)
Bernadett NAGY (HUN)
Enrica RINALDI (ITA)
Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU)
Ewelina KACZYNSKA (POL)
Diana Elena VLASCEANU (ROU)
Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS)
Andela PRIJOVIC (SRB)
Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR)
Romana VOVCHAK (UKR)

#WrestleTirana

Kadzimahamedau, Sadulaev Return to European Finals

By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (April 24) -- Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), David BAEV (UWW), and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) were among the wrestlers who reached the final of the European Championships 2026 in Tirana on Friday.

Kadzimahamedau set up a rematch of the final from 2024 against Akhmed USMANOV (UWW) who defeated Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA), 3-0, in a rematch of last year's European final.

After last year's European quest at 86kg, Kadzimahamedau returned to 79kg and continued his crafty wrestling, beating Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE), 5-1, in the semifinals. He used two different takedowns and an activity period point for his scores.

But it was the quarterfinals in which Kadzimahamedau showed his class, Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO), 11-10. He lead 5-0 when Gaphrindashvili scored a double-leg four-pointer to make it 5-4, changed to 7-5 for Kadzimahamedau after a challenge. After a scramble and stepout, the scores read 10-9 for Gaphrindashvili with 11 seconds left but Kadzimahamedau snuck out a takedown with 3 seconds left to win.

At 97kg, five-time European champion Sadulaev returned to the final after six years after a clinical display throughout the day. In the finals, he got the better of Akhmed MAGAMAEV (BUL), 12-2, using his gut-wrench to score points.

Sadulaev used a outside single-leg attack to score his first takedown and then turned Magamaev to get a four-point lead. But as he was trying to turn Magamaev again, the Bulgarian blocked him for two points but Sadulaev managed to sneak out of any control. He then managed a takedown and two turns for a 10-2 lead before an easy go-behind finished the bout.

Former world silver medalist Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) will challenge Sadulaev in the final after he defeated Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO), 12-1, using the leg-lace for five turns.

Defending champion Baev had no trouble in defeated Oleksii BORUTA (UKR), 9-2, and returning to the final. But a rising star awaits him next in the 70kg final as U23 European champion Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA) defeated Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), 11-0, in the other semifinals.

Gaidarli, who won silver at the U20 World Championships last year, did not give any chance to Muszukajev and turned the match into a one-sided affair.

Dudaev Returns to Final

Home-favorite and Olympic bronze medalist Islam DUDAEV (ALB) returned to the final of European Championships at 65kg after a 4-0 victory over Islam GUSEINOV (UWW). Dudaev scored a stepout to start the bout before getting a activity point in the first period and lead 2-0. He doubled the lead to 4-0 in the final minute with a takedown which he defended.

Dudaev will take on Bashir MAGOMEDOV (UWW) for the gold medal after Magomedov handed former European champion Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) a heartbreaking, 3-3, criteria loss in the semifinals.

Tevanyan scored a takedown and also a point for stepout but in a later scramble, Tevanyan got countered on a leg attack and gave up a takedown on the edge for two points to Magomedov. Armenia challenged, asking for two points for Tevanyan during the scramble.

However, Tevanyan never got complete control over Magomedov and the lost challenge added to the latter's score to give him criteria. Tevanyan waited to launch the attack and when he did during the final moments of the bout, he could not gets a stepout or takedown despite all the action taking place in the zone.

At 57kg, Musa MEKHTIKHANOV (UWW) and Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE) will battle it out for the gold medal on Saturday. Mekhtikhanov defeated Manvel KHNDZRTSYAN (ARM), 5-0, in the semifinals after two counter takedowns and point for passivity.

Bazarganov was more active in his semifinal against Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO) and worked on his lace to beat the Georgian 11-1.

RESULTS

57kg
SF 1: Musa MEKHTIKHANOV (UWW) df. Manvel KHNDZRTSYAN (ARM), 5-0
SF 2: Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE) df. Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO), 11-1

65kg
SF 1: Islam DUDAEV (ALB) df. Islam GUSEINOV (UWW), 4-0
SF 2: Bashir MAGOMEDOV (UWW) df. Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), 3-3

70kg
SF 1: David BAEV (UWW) df. Oleksii BORUTA (UKR), 9-2
SF 2: Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA) df. Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), 11-0

79kg
SF 1: Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW) df. Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE), 5-1
SF 2: Akhmed USMANOV (UWW) df. Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA), 3-0

97kg
SF 1: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) df. Akhmed MAGAMAEV (BUL), 12-2
SF 2: Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) df. Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO), 12-1