NOVI SAD, Serbia (May 5) – World and Olympic Games champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) regained the title that slipped away last year and Grace BULLEN (NOR) claimed her first as freestyle and women’s events came to a close Friday at the European Senior Wrestling Championships.

Akgul, who saddled defending champ Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) with a technical fall in the 125kg quarterfinals, forged an 8-2 win over 2015 world silver medalist Jamaladdin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) in the freestyle finale to secure his fourth overall continental crown.

Akgul had to go the full six minutes with Magomedov even though he rolled up six points midway through the first period off a single-leg takedown and a pair of cross-ankle turns. It was the same combination that Akgul used in 2015 to gain a technical fall over Magomedov in the Las Vegas world championships.

Earlier on Friday, the Rio 2016 gold medalist employed a variety of low-level attacks and turns to secure a technical fall over Rio bronze medalist Petriashvili to avenge an 8-8 loss at last year’s European meet in Riga.

Meanwhile, in the women’s events, a pair of Olympic Games silver medalists – Valeria KOBLOVA (RUS) and Maria MAMASHUK (BLR) – were stung with losses as Bullen and Anastasia BRATCHIKOVA (RUS) their first senior European titles.

Two-time European junior champion Bullen fell behind early in the second period to Mariana CHERDIVARA (MDA) off an arm throw, but came back with a go-behind takedown for a 3-3 win on last-point criteria in the 58kg final.

Bullen’s triumph was the first for Norway since Maja ERLANDSEN (NOR) won the 72kg title in Belgrade in 2012 and the fourth overall for the Norwegian women the first women’s championships were held in 1988.

Bullen also dashed Koblova’s medal chances when she defeated Emese BARKA (HUN), 10-9, in the semifinals after the 2015 European Games champion staged a furious rally to defeat Koblova, 7-6, in the quarterfinals.

In the women’s finale, Mamashuk gave up two points on a takedown counter in the second period and late double-leg takedown as Bratchikova fashioned a 6-3 win over the defending champion.

In the other men’s category on tap Friday, last year’s title winner at 65kg Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) grabbed a four-point lead in the first 30 seconds of the 70kg final and made it stand for a 4-3 win over defending champion Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL).

Bronze medal matches - Freestyle, 70kg &125kg

Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIEV (AZE), the European champion in 2014, grabbed a four-point lead early and then nursed it for a 5-0 victory over Adrian MOISES (ROU) for one bronze medal. Israil KASUMOV (RUS) rolled over Dan Kolov tourney runner-up Nikola KURTEV (BUL), 14-4, for the other.

In freestyle’s final event, Rio Olympian Levan BERIANIDZE (ARM) dropped Soslan GAGLOEV  (SVK) out of the circle in the second period for a 3-1 victory at 125kg, while Petriashvili defeated Daniel LIGETI (HUN), 4-2 on a pair of single-leg takedowns.

Bronze medal matches - Women’s Wrestling, 58kg & 69kg

At 58kg, 2015 European Games gold medalist Barka uncorked an underhook arm throw for four points in the final minute to defeat Rio 2016 bronze medalist Natalya SINISHIN (AZE), 6-2.

Laura MERTENS (GER) scored a reversal after a takedown by Elin NILSSON (SWE) and executed a gut wrench for a 3-3 win on last point criteria for her first medal at the European championships.

At 69kg, European U23 champion Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) broke open a one-point match in the second period with a pair of takedowns and a cross-ankle turn to defeat Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), 7-0.

All CHERKASOVA (UKR) opened up in the second period to go from 0-3 down to an 11-4 victory over Buse TOSUN (TUR), who finished in seventh place at Rio 2016.

Wrestling in the championships continues Saturday and Sunday with action in Greco-Roman and four weight categories contested each day.

Results from Friday evening’s medal matches:

Freestyle

70kg (17 entries)
Gold – Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) df. Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL), 4-3
Bronze – Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIEV (AZE) df. Adrian MOISE (ROU), 5-0
Bronze – Israil KASUMOV (RUS) df. Nikolay KURTEV (BUL) by TF, 14-4, 3:36 

Semifinal – Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) df. Adrian MOISE (ROU) by TF, 10-0, 1:49
Semifinal – Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) df. Israil KASUMOV (RUS), 6-4

125kg (15 entries)
Gold – Taha AKGUL (TUR) df. Jamaladdin MAGOMEDOV (AZE), 8-2 
Bronze – Levan BERIANIDZE (ARM) df. Soslan GAGLOEV (SVK), 3-1
Bronze – Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) df. Daniel LIGETI (HUN), 4-2

Semifinal – Jamaladdin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) df. Soslan GAGLOEV (SVK) by Fall, 3:27 (7-0) 
Semifinal – Taha AKGUL (TUR) df. Daniel LIGETI (HUN), 5-0

Women’s Wrestling

58kg (13 entries)
Gold – Grace BULLEN (NOR) df. Mariana CHERDIVARA (MDA), 3-3
Bronze – Laura MERTENS (GER) df. Elin NILSSON (SWE), 3-3 
Bronze – Emese BARKA (HUN) df. Natalya SINISHIN (AZE), 6-2

Semifinal – Mariana CHERDIVARA (MDA) df. Laura MERTENS (GER), 4-2 
Semifinal – Grace BULLEN (NOR) df. Emese BARKA (HUN), 10-9

69kg (15 entries)
Gold – Anastasia BRATCHIKOVA (RUS) df. Maria MAMASHUK (BLR), 6-3 
Bronze – Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) df. Buse TOSUN (TUR), 11-4 
Bronze – Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) df. Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), 7-0

Semifinal – Maria MAMASHUK (BLR) df. Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR), 2-0 
Semifinal – Anastasia BRATCHIKOVA (RUS) df. Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) by TF, 10-0, 4:49