#WrestleBudapest

Mattsson and Koliadenko Sail to European OG Qualifier Golds

By Eric Olanowski

BUDAPEST, Hungary (March 20) --- Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) and Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) sailed to gold medals on Saturday night at the European Olympic Games Qualifier with dominating finals performances at 53kg and 62kg, respectively.

Mattsson put on a stellar performance in the 53kg finals against fellow world champion Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) and claimed her second title of the year.

The Rio Olympic bronze medalist scored four single-leg takedowns and an exposure and ended bout 10-0 with 90 seconds left on the clock. In her two ’21 competitions, she’s captured a pair of golds, but done so in convincing fashion. She's now defeated a world champion in back-to-back tournament finals. In addition to today’s win over two-time world champion Kaladzinskaya, Mattsson also defeated ’19 world champion Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) in the Henri Deglane finals.


Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) looks to finish a single leg at the European Olympic Qualifier. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Koliadenko continued her impressive run to the 62kg gold medal with a 15-4 throttling of Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT). She scored three first-period takedowns before making her lone mistake of the competition. The Ukrainian gave up a four-point outside trip, but squirmed off of her back for the reversal and transitioned into a gut wrench. She ended the first period with a five-point lead, 9-4.

In the closing frame, Koliadenko returned the four-point favor. She made the mid-match adjustment and halted a second outside trip attempt from her Latvian opponent and scored four points of her own. Koliadenko closed out the match with a gut wrench and earned the 15-4 technical superiority victory.

Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS) claimed 76kg gold with a 2-0 win over Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR). (Photo: Gabor Martin)

There were three forfeits in the finals but the remaining gold-medal match that was contested came at 76kg. In a pretty dull match, London Olympic champ Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS) earned two points from an inactivity point and a stepout and defeated Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR), 2-0.

Miglena SELISHKA (BUL) and Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) claimed gold for Bulgaria at 50kg and 57kg, respectively, on Saturday night. Both of their wins came via injury defaults.

Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) was the final champion that was crowned on Saturday night. Her 68kg finals opponent Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) injury defaulted out of the gold-medal match.

Sunday night’s Greco-Roman medal matches kick-off at 18:00 (local time) and can be followed live on www.uww.org.

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD - Miglena Georgieva SELISHKA (BUL) df. Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR), via injury default
BRONZE - Iwona Nina MATKOWSKA (POL) df. Emma Jonna Denise MALMGREN (SWE), 8-0
BRONZE - Julie Martine SABATIE (FRA) df. Taru Marketta VAINIONPAEAE (FIN), 5-0

53kg
GOLD - Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) df. Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR), 10-0

BRONZE - Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS) df. Mariia VYNNYK (UKR), 5-4
BRONZE - Iulia LEORDA (MDA) df. Leyla GURBANOVA (AZE), 10-0

57kg
GOLD - Evelina Georgieva NIKOLOVA (BUL) df. Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR), via injury default
BRONZE - Emese BARKA (HUN) vs. Sara Johanna LINDBORG (SWE), 7-3
BRONZE - Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RUS) df. Bediha GUN (TUR), via injury default

62kg
GOLD - Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) df. Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT), 15-4
BRONZE - Tetiana OMELCHENKO (AZE) df. Elif Jale YESILIRMAK (TUR), 2-1
BRONZE - Mariana CHERDIVARA ESANU (MDA) df. Maryia MAMASHUK (BLR), 4-1

68kg
GOLD - Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) df. Khanum VELIEVA (RUS), via injury default
BRONZE - Irina RINGACI (MDA) df. Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), 8-0
BRONZE - Yuliana Vasileva YANEVA (BUL) df. Dalma CANEVA (ITA), via injury default

76kg
GOLD - Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS) df. Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR), 2-0
BRONZE - Martina KUENZ (AUT) df. Iselin Maria Moen SOLHEIM (NOR), 10-2

BRONZE - Alla BELINSKA (UKR) vs. Mariya Gerginova ORYASHKOVA (BUL), 4-3

#WrestleBudapest

Ranking Series: Double delight for Japan, Sujeet gives India gold

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 17) -- Asian champion Takara SUDA (JPN) and world silver medalist Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) showed on Thursday why they will be prime contenders for gold medal at the World Championships in Zagreb in September.

Suda and Aoyagi earned two gold medals at 61kg and 70kg respectively, and reminded the world about Freestyle powerhouse Yamanashi Gakuin University in Japan.

Suda, who has not lost a match this year, won his second Ranking Series gold medal in 2025, adding to his gold from Tirana. But he needed a big comeback in the 61kg final against Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) in the dying seconds, winning 5-3.

Zhumashbek Uulu led 3-1 with 13 seconds remaining in the match when Suda used a snap to off balance Zhumashbek Uulu and go behind. He tried a takedown but then switches the direction and brings Zhumashbek Uulu to the mat, back first.

Zhumashbek Uulu tried to defend it with a whizzer but failed and Suda turned on his head without any danger to get the two points and win 3-3 on criteria. Kyrgyzstan challenged the call but on review, Suda was awarded four points and the scored changed to a 5-3 win for the Japanese.

In February, Suda won the gold medal in Tirana after an 8-8 victory over Nachyn MONGUSH (UWW) and then won the Asian Championships gold medal over UDIT (IND) 6-4 in March.

Zhumashbek Uulu, who won Mongolian Open in June at 65kg, returned to 61kg after an year of competing at 65kg. He defeated Udit earlier in the day and reached the final but failed to cross the final hurdle.

With the win, Suda has clearly shown signs that he will be a gold-medal threat in Zagreb at 61kg, a weight class won by his high school and university teammate Masanosuke ONO (JPN) in 2024.

Aoyagi, who had also won gold medal in Tirana, was more dominant in his gold medal run. In Tirana, European silver medalist Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM) had pulled out injured in the final.

Incidentally, he made the final against Aoyagi in Budapest on Thursday and this time he decided to wrestler. However, the winner was the same.

Aoyagi used a head-in-the-hole move to score four points in his 8-0 victory in the final of the 70kg weight class. Andreasyan had no answer to Aoyagi's attack despite being in advantageous positions during the final.

The Armenian was put on the activity clock during which he failed to score and gave up four points. Aoyagi, leading 5-0, won a challenge when Andreasyan was awarded two points for a takedown but on review, it was clear that Andreasyan had both his feet outside before completing a takedown.

With a 6-0 lead, Aoyagi scored a beautiful duck-under for two points and lead 8-0, the final score for the winner.

SUJEET (IND)SUJEET (IND) celebrates after beating Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) in the 65kg semifinal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Sujeet ends Indian drought

India failed to win any gold medals at the senior level in 2025 as it drew blank at the Asian Championships in March and Mongolian Open in June. However, Asian U23 champion SUJEET (IND) ended that curse for India by winning the 65kg gold medal in Budapest.

While he has age-group world and continental medals, Sujeet's run in Budapest and gold medal can be considered his biggest medal yet as he defeated Paris bronze medalist Islam DUDAEV (ALB) in the first bout, European U23 silver medalist Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA) in the quarterfinal and world medalist Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) in the semifinal.

Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE) was up in the final and Sujeet, who showed glimpses of Tokyo bronze medalist Bajrang PUNIA (IND), made sure he doesn't let his guard down in the last match.

Sujeet conceded an activity point in the first period and was down 1-0 at the break against Rahimzade. But as soon as the second period began, Sujeet put pressure on Rahimzade, who kept dropping on his knees in the zone to avoid the pushout.

But Sujeet did not back down and scored a takedown when Rahimzade was on the activity clock. Leading 3-1, Sujeet added another takedown and completed a 5-1 victory over Rahimzade and captured the gold medal, his first of Ranking Series events.

At 57kg, world U20 champion Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) needed three straight comebacks to win the gold medal. He defeated Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE) 3-1 in the final to capture his first gold at the senior level.

Lilledahl scored a takedown using a reattack with 20 seconds remaining in the match against Bazarganov to clinch a 3-1 win. His semifinal victory over RAHUL (IND) was even more dramatic as he managed to come back from 6-2.

Rahul used a leg-turk to score six point and lead 6-2 but Lilledahl scored a stepout and then blocked an attempted duck-under and put Rahul's back on the mat for two points. In the final 20 seconds, he threw off Rahul when the Indian was trying to hit a double-leg attack and won 7-6. In his first bout of the day, he scored a pushout with just 0.01 seconds left on the clock and dashed the dreams of Niklas STECHELE (GER).

World silver medalist Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) returned to 79kg from 86kg and instantly showed results, winning the gold medal in Budapest. He blanked Magomet EVLOEV (TJK), 5-0, in the final

At 125kg, Bahrain won its second gold of the tournament as Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) defeated Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (UWW), 5-3.

Photo

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) df. Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE), 3-1

BRONZE: RAHUL (IND) df. Niklas STECHELE (GER), 4-0
BRONZE: Aryan TSIUTRYN (UWW) df. Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO), 10-0

61kg
GOLD: Takara SUDA (JPN) df. Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ), 5-3

BRONZE: Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) df. Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR), 4-3
BRONZE: Assylzhan YESSENGELDI (KAZ) df. Giorgi GONIASHVILI (GEO), 10-0

65kg
GOLD: SUJEET (IND) df. Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE), 5-1

BRONZE: Goderdzi DZEBISASHVILI (GEO) df. Alibeg ALIBEGOV (BRN), 7-7
BRONZE: Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) df. Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA), 9-0

70kg
GOLD: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) df. Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM), 8-0

BRONZE: Sina KHALILI (IRI) df. Austin GOMEZ (MEX), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Akaki KEMERTELIDZE (GEO) df. Abbas EBRAHIM (IRI), 11-4

79kg
GOLD: Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) df. Magomet EVLOEV (TJK), 5-0

BRONZE: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) df. Lucas KAHNT (GER), 10-0
BRONZE: Fariborz BABAEI (IRI) df. Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ), 2-0

97kg
GOLD: Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) df. Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL), 11-0

BRONZE: Jonathan AIELLO (USA) df. Juhwan SEO (KOR), 10-0
BRONZE: Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA) df. Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO), 9-4

125kg
GOLD: Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) df. Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (UWW), 5-3

BRONZE: Robert BARAN (POL) df. Demetrius THOMAS (USA), 6-0
BRONZE: Alen KHUBULOV (BUL) df. Vladislav BAJCAJEV (HUN), 3-0