#WrestlePlovdiv

#WrestlePlovdiv: Golden Pair Ringaci, Nichita Defend U23 European Titles

Thursday, March 10, 2022 - 19:45 By Vinay Siwach

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PLOVDIV, Bulgaria (March 10) -- World champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) and her teammate Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) continued their winning start to the year as they defended their U23 European Championships title in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

The pair showed the gulf of class between them and the rest of the field, winning the gold medals with ease and adding to their stellar collection of titles.

At 68kg, Ringaci, who won the Dan Kolov Invitational tournament last month, outscored her opponents 38-2 en route to the gold medal to become a three-time U23 European champion.

“I feel great in the new weight class 68kg,” Ringaci said. “It's a new experience and I get to wrestle some new wrestlers and I will continue to wrestle in this weight [for Olympics].”

After winning Moldova's first-ever gold in women's wrestling in Oslo last year, Ringaci remained out of competition for five months but looked as good as ever on her return.

In the final, the 21-year-old wrestled Asli DEMIR (TUR) and blanked her 6-0. The two had wrestled before at Individual World Cup in 2020. Ringaci won that battle 14-4.

This time, Ringaci did not let Demir score any points and defend all attacks from the 2-on-1 position. Her ability to wear out her opponents made it even more difficult for Demir to score.

Ringaci scored four points in the second period but was in no hurry to finish the bout, playing out the clock for a 6-0 win.

Anastasia NICHITAAnastasia NICHITA (MDA) won the 59kg final 12-0 against Magdalena GLODEK (POL). (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Nichita's title defense at 59kg was similar to last year as she did not look in any trouble.

Against Magdalena GLODEK (POL), Nichita began with a takedown and added two more points with a go behind.

Glodek's attacks were easily countered and a cool-as-ice Nichita was leading 8-0 at the break. She finished the bout with a four-pointer.

“I don't think too much about the final,” Nichita said. “I just treat it as any other bout or like training. So that's why don't care about the final.”

Nichita began the season with a gold-winning performance at the Yasar Dogu Ranking Series event in Istanbul, Turkey last month and says is looking forward to competing at more ranking events.

“I want to make some ranking points at 59kg and I will be at 59kg this year,” she said. “This was a good test for me for the senior competition this month where I will wrestle at 59kg.”

But as the Paris Olympics come close, Nichita will opt for 57kg as her preferred weight class.

Moldova was the only country to have two gold medals Thursday but have a chance to win another Friday. Nichita hopes that girls in her country can continue the good work.

“We have some good girls and I want them to continue working hard and get some good results,” she said. “We work hard in training and you can see the result so I want to keep this going with the whole team.”

Andreea ANAAndreea ANA (ROU) won her first European title in Plovdiv. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

U23 world champion Andreea ANA (ROU) won her first continental title after she defeated Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE), 10-0 in the 55kg final. The Azerbaijan wrestler was called passive and a double-leg blast for four points helped Ana lead 5-0 at the break.

She began the second period with a go-behind before adding a stepout. The Romanian then slowed down the bout and was happy to play out the clock for the rest of the bout.

But countering a Mammadova attack, she got another two points to finish the bout 10-0.

Ana had not won a Championships before the Worlds in Belgrade but now has two back-to-back. The confidence from the Belgrade win will help her to be better at winning the finals.

“I think the world title win in Belgrade helped me a lot,” Ana said. “That made me stronger mentally and removed a big block.”

Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA)Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA) celebrates after winning the 50kg gold medal in Plovdiv. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 50kg, Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA) ended her country's four-year wait for a U23 Euro title by winning the gold against Szimonetta SZEKER (HUN).

In a 3-0 win, the France wrestler got a point for Szeker's passivity and score two via a takedown. The 23-year-old joins Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) as the only U23 European champions.

Hungary did finish with a gold medal as Bernadett NAGY (HUN) defeated Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU), 4-0 in the 76kg.

Daughter of two-time cadet world champion Attila NAGY (HUN), Bernadett scored via two takedowns, the only action in the final.

Her wrestling skills were honed at the Ujpesti Torna Egylet club in Budapest, which she joined as a 12-year-old following the wrestling tradition of her family.

While her win denied Gaucaite to become Lithuania's first-ever European champion, it was still historic as Gaucaite was the first-ever finalist from her country.

Along with her, Gabija DILYTE (LTU)'s bronze at 50kg was the nation's first medal at the U23 level.

The remaining five finals of women's wrestling will be held Friday.

Bernadett NAGY (HUN)The four medalists at 76kg including gold winner Bernadett NAGY (HUN). (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

RESULTS

WW Medal Bouts

50kg
GOLD: Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA) df Szimonetta SZEKER (HUN), 3-0

BRONZE: Lisa ERSEL (GER) df Shahana NAZAROVA (AZE), 9-8
BRONZE: Gabija DILYTE (LTU) df Zehra DEMIRHAN (TUR), via fall

55kg
GOLD: Andreea ANA (ROU) df Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE), 10-0

BRONZE: Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA) df Mariia MARTYNCHUK (SVK), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) df Nova BERGMAN (SWE), 3-1

59kg
GOLD: Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) df Magdalena GLODEK (POL), 12-0

BRONZE: Morena DE VITA (ITA) df Anna SZEL (HUN), via inj. def.

68kg
GOLD: Irina RINGACI (MDA) df Asli DEMIR (TUR), 6-0

BRONZE: Noemi SZABADOS (HUN) df Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER), 3-1
BRONZE: Nigar MIRZAZADA (AZE) df Marta OJEDA NAVARRO (ESP), 603

76kg
GOLD: Bernadett NAGY (HUN) df Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU), 4-0

BRONZE: Mehtap GULTEKIN (TUR) df Vanesa KALOYANOVA (BUL), 1-1
BRONZE: Marion BYE (NOR) df Lolita OBOLEVICA (LAT), via fall

Day 4 Semifinals

53kg
GOLD: Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) vs Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER)

SF 1: Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) df Rahime ARI (TUR), 6-1
SF 2: Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER) df Gultakin SHIRINOVA (AZE), via fall

62kg
GOLD: Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) vs Anna FABIAN (SRB)

SF 1: Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) df Paulina DANISZ (POL), 6-1
SF 2: Anna FABIAN (SRB) df Luisa SCHEEL (GER), via fall

65kg
GOLD: Amina CAPEZAN (ROU) vs Ewelina CIUNEK (POL)

SF 1: Amina CAPEZAN (ROU) df Yagmur CAKMAK (TUR), 4-2
SF 2: Ewelina CIUNEK (POL) df Viktoria VESSO (EST), 13-8

72kg
GOLD: Maria NITU (ROU) vs Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL)

SF 1: Maria NITU (ROU) df Kendra DACHER (FRA), 10-0
SF 2: Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) df Tuende ELEKES (HUN), 5-0

#WrestleTirana

Muhamet Malo 2025: Bumpy ride to gold for Kiyooka in 53kg debut

Sunday, March 2, 2025 - 09:22 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (March 1) -- When Olympic 53kg champion Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) moved up to 57kg last year, Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) emerged as the top wrestler in Japan at 53kg by winning the Emperor's Cup.

On Saturday, Kiyooka made her 53kg debut internationally at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series in Tirana. Though she captured the gold medal, her road to gold was not a smooth sailing.

Kiyooka defeated European champion Andreea ANA (ROU) 6-0 in the final to given Japan its sixth gold medal in Women's Wrestling. The world 55kg champion opened her tournament with two technical superiority wins but come the semifinals, Kiyooka was given a reality check.

Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) opened the scoring in the semifinals and led 6-0 after she used a bow and arrow to turn Kiyooka. A little stunned with start, Miyooka remained calmed and did not allow Malanchuk more openings. She clawed her way back to make it 8-8 but Malanchuk was leading on criteria. It was only after Kiyooka blasted a double-leg and later added more takedowns to 15-8.

"I didn't expect my opponent to score six points in the first place," Kiyooka said. "I was really nervous, and I was also thinking about how I was going to get it from here. There was still time to calm down so I thought that if I continued with my wrestling, I would be able to win. So I just kept in mind that I needed to stay calm without getting anxious."

In the final, Kiyooka wrestled European champion Andreea ANA (ROU) who kept the Japanese world champion quiet for the first period, with only 1-0 lead. But Kiyooka blasted double-legs in the second period, earning a stepout and takedown. A takedown finished things off for Kiyooka.

Kiyooka explained that she may have been victim of overthinking, about her opponents and their styles before the tournament began.

"I was wondering what level the foreign wrestlers in the 53kg class and how well I would be able to compete there," she said. "I researched information about each opponent, match by match, but I thought it was important to win with my own wrestling, so I looked at my opponent."

Kiyooka and other winners of Emperor's Cup will head to Amman for the Asian Championships. The tournament will be without the +2kg allowance which makes it even more difficult for Kiyooka.

"I was able to compete at 55kg this time, which was 2kg over, but I also lost weight," she said. "I'm planning to switch it up as soon as I get back and prepare for the Asian Championship. When it comes to the mat, I have felt that level of competition so high in  previous tournaments. I'm going to reconsider how I can win in wrestling, and I'm going to go back and practice."

Kiyooka's gold was sixth for Japan, which had seven female wrestlers at the Muhamet Malo. Only Nodoka YAMAMOTO (JPN) failed to win a medal at 76kg, a weight class won by Dymond GUILFORD (USA) who defeated Asian Games champion Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ), 2-1, in the final.

Medet Kyzy was not impressed with a few referee calls in the final which only saw activity clock points. Guilford was leading 1-1 on criteria when Medet Kyzy was put on the 30-second clock with a minute left in the match.

Guilford's lead became 2-1 and despite Medet Kyzy's efforts, Guilford did not give up on defense. With 15 seconds on the clock, Guilford was about to be warned for fleeing and at the same time Medet Kyzy hit a leg-attack. But the referee whistle to warn Guilford at the exact moment.

Kyrgyzstan challenged the call and on review Medet Kyzy was seen grabbing Guilford's hair and the American was warned for fleeing. But there was no chance in the score with Guilford leading 2-1 with 10 seconds left.

Guilford would claim the gold with that score, ending Medet Kyzy's great run till the final with a silver medal.

At 57kg, two weeks after winning the 55kg silver medal at the Zagreb Open, Samantha STEWART (CAN) upgraded to gold at 57kg at Muhamet Malo, securing a fall over former U23 European champion Elvira SULEYMAN KAMALOGLU (TUR) with 50 seconds remaining on the clock.

The 34-year-old former world bronze medalist was in stunning form in Tirana, securing a fall over Tamara DOLLAK (HUN) and beating Tokyo Olympian Luisa VALVERDE (ECU) in the semifinals.

"Age is just a number and I don't want to cut weight anymore so I will be staying at 57kg," Stewart said.

With only four wrestlers, the 72kg weight class was a round-robin bracket and three-time world medalist Zhamila BAKBERGENOV (KAZ) emerging as the gold medalist. Three wrestlers ended with two wins each and it wasn't the Round 3 bout between Alla BELINSKA (UKR) and Alexandria GLAUDE (USA) that the medalists were decided.

Bakbergenova pinned Linda MACHUCA (ARG) in her Round 3 bout and finished with 9 classification points from three bouts. Belinska defeated Glaude 4-3 and had 9 classification points as well. However, Bakbergenova had 10 technical points scored while Belinksa had nine. Glaude, who had defeated Bakbergenova in Round 2, finished with a bronze medal.

RESULTS

53kg
GOLD: Moe KIYOOKA (JPN)    df. Andreea ANA (ROU), 6-0

BRONZE: Natalia MALYSHEVA (UWW) df. Zeynep YETGIL (TUR), 7-0
BRONZE: Yuxuan LI (CHN) df. Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR), 10-0

57kg
GOLD: Samantha STEWART (CAN) df. Elvira SULEYMAN KAMALOGLU (TUR), via fall

BRONZE: Amanda MARTINEZ (USA) df. Evelina HULTHEN (SWE), 4-3
BRONZE: Luisa VALVERDE (ECU) df. Tamara DOLLAK (HUN), 5-2

72kg
GOLD: Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)
SILVER: Alla BELINSKA (UKR)
BRONZE: Alexendria GLAUDE (USA)

76kg
GOLD: Dymond GUILFORD (USA) df. Medet KYZY AIPERI (KGZ), 2-1

BRONZE: Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) df. Meile ZHANG (CHN), 2-1
BRONZE: Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) df. YANGLA (CHN), via fall