#WrestleBudapest

'King Vlad' and Aliyev Highlight Loaded 65kg Euro OG Qualifier Bracket

By Eric Olanowski

BUDAPEST, Hungary (March 11) --- Despite owning a combined four world titles and three Olympic medals – including a London Olympic gold -- European superstars Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) and Haji ALIYEV (AZE) are still looking to book their nation's tickets to the Tokyo Olympic Games.

They'll have to reach the finals at the European Olympic Qualifiers, which kicks off next Thursday, March 18-21 in Budapest, Hungary. But to do so, they'll have to navigate a loaded 65kg bracket that features 17 entries who have claimed a combined 14 world and Olympic medals (11 world / 3 Olympic).

Aliyev won gold at the '15 World Championships and locked up his nations' place at the Rio Olympic Games where he finished with a bronze medal. But, it was a different story after the '19 World Championships. The three-time world champ lost to fellow world champions Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) and Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) in Nur-Sultan and finished in 12th place -- putting himself in unfamiliar territory. For the first time in his storied career, Aliyev is on the outside looking in at an Olympic qualifying event.

 

Khinchegashvili, on the other hand, is no stranger to missing out on an Olympic berth through the World Championships. Back in '11, "King Vlad" finished in seventh place at the Istanbul World Championships and failed to earn an Olympic berth for Georgia. Khinchegashvili ultimately qualified Georgia for the London Olympics through the '12 Olympic Qualifier and grabbed Olympic silver.

Now, the Rio Olympic champion is in a similar situation as he was back in '11 after he missed out on punching Georgia's ticket to the Tokyo Olympic Games with a 22nd-place finish in Nur-Sultan. In a UWW LIVE interview, Khinchegashvili said, "I will try to get the license at the European Olympic Qualifier. I think it won't be a problem and I'll compete well at the Tokyo Olympic Games." He continued, saying, "It won't be easy to qualify nor compete at the Olympics, but I am always ready for these situations."

Both Aliyev and Vlad will indeed have to be ready for all situations, as they'll share the bracket with loads of talent – including savvy veterans and rising stars.


Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) takes on Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) at the '16 Rio Olympic Games. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

Past Olympians Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL), Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) and Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) are entered at 65kg while rising star Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) received the nod for Armenia at 65kg.

Poland's two-time world medalist Gadzhiev will debut down at 65kg for the first time since the '18 World Championships. He's since competed up at 70kg, where he was a '19 world bronze medalist and a '20 Individual World Cup champion.

Two-time world medalist Dubov will try to qualify Bulgaria for the Olympic Games in just his fifth outing at 65kg. 

Ukraine pegged '15 world bronze medalist Shuptar as their guy to earn an Olympic berth at 65kg through the European Olympic Qualifier.

Despite his 24th-place finish at the '19 World Championships, Tevanyan earned the right to represent Armenia after his surprising breakout performance at the '20 Individual World Cup. He outscored his five opponents 43-3 and capped off his improbable run to World Cup gold with a 9-1 win over Hungary's '19 world bronze medalist Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV.

Wrestling at the European Olympic Qualifiers gets underway next Thursday (March 18-21) in Budapest and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

65kg OG Qualifier Entries 
Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM)
Haji ALIYEV (AZE)
Niurgun SKRIABIN (BLR)
Vladimir Vladimirov DUBOV (BUL)
Juan Pablo GONZALEZ CRESPO (ESP)
Ilman MUKHTAROV (FRA)
George Anthony RAMM (GBR)
Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO)
Alexander SEMISOROW (GER)
Georgios PILIDIS (GRE)
Abdellatif MANSOUR (ITA)
Elmedin SEJFULAU (MKD)
Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL)
George BUCUR (ROU)
David HABAT (SLO)
Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)
Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR)

#WrestleBudapest

Budapest Ranking Series 2025 Entries: Women's Wrestling

By United World Wrestling Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary (June 26) -- The Budapest Ranking Series will begin on July 17 in Budapest and will run till July 20.

Women's Wrestling will be on for two day -- July 18 and 19 -- as around 100 wrestlers are competing in the style.

FREESTYLE ENTRIES

For full schedule of the Budapest Ranking Series, click here

Note: These are preliminary entries and subject to change 72 hours before the official draw of Women's Wrestling. For final brackets, refer to arena.uww.org

World Championships Tickets

50kg
Madison PARKS (CAN)
Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA)
Laura FATH (HUN)
Svetlana ANKICHEVA (KAZ)
Jinhee KIM (KOR)
Gabija DILYTE (LTU)
Zehra DEMIRHAN (TUR)
Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR)
Erin GOLSTON (USA)
Audrey JIMENEZ (USA)
Kseniya STANKEVICH (UWW)
Natalia PUDOVA (UWW)
Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (UWW)

53kg
Liliana KAPUVARI (HUN)
Zeinep BAYANOVA (KAZ)
Seoyoung PARK (KOR)
Vestina DANISEVICIUTE (LTU)
Zeynep YETGIL (TUR)
Felicity TAYLOR (USA)
Natalia MALYSHEVA (UWW)

55kg
Karla GODINEZ (CAN)
Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA)
Amory ANDRICH (GER)
Gerda TEREK (HUN)
Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA)
Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW)

57kg
Ana PEREIRA (BRA)
Mia FRIESEN (CAN)
Samantha STEWART (CAN)
Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN)
Tamara DOLLAK (HUN)
Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ)
Youngjin KWON (KOR)
Eunso CHO (KOR)
Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR)
Amanda MARTINEZ (USA)
Savannah COSME (USA)
Iryna KURACHKINA (UWW)
Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW)

59kg
Elena BRUGGER (GER)
Eda BALAZS (HUN)
Erika BOGNAR (HUN)
Othelie HOEIE (NOR)
Arian CARPIO (PHI)
Bediha GUN (TUR)
Abigail NETTE (USA)
Aliaksandra BULAVA (UWW)
Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (UWW)

62kg
Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL)
Ana GODINEZ (CAN)
Ameline DOUARRE (FRA)
Nikolett SZABO (HUN)
Yasmine SOLIMAN (HUN)
Tynys DUBEK (KAZ)
Hanbit LEE (KOR)
Jieun UM (KOR)
Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR)
Adaugo NWACHUKWU (USA)
Krystsina SAZYKINA (UWW)
Alina KASABIEVA (UWW)
Amina TANDELOVA (UWW)

65kg
Eniko ELEKES (HUN)
Hwa SUNG (KOR)
Irina RINGACI (MDA)
Grace BULLEN (NOR)
Elmira YASIN (TUR)
Macey KILTY (USA)
Tiffani BAUBLITZ (USA)
Ekaterina KOSHKINA (UWW)
Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (UWW)

68kg
Grabriela PEDRO (BRA)
Sezen BELBEROVA (BUL)
Aleah NICKEL (CAN)
Kendra DACHER (FRA)
Gerda BARTH (GER)
Karolina POK (HUN)
Noémi SZABADOS (HUN)
Irina KAZYULINA (KAZ)
Hyeonyeong PARK (KOR)
Nesrin BAS (TUR)
Beyza AKKUS (TUR)
Kennedy BLADES (USA)
Brooklyn HAYS (USA)
Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW)

72kg
Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA)
Petra MUELLER (HUN)
Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)
Alexandria Junis GLAUDE (USA)
Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (UWW)
Olesia BEZUGLOVA (UWW)

76kg
Thamires MARTINS (BRA)
Vianne ROULEAU (CAN)
Brianna FRASER (CAN)
Veronika NYIKOS (HUN)
Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ)
Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)
Seoyeon JEONG (KOR)
Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU)
Dymond GUILFORD (USA)