Award Season

2017 Women's Freestyle Matches of the Year

Sunday, December 31, 2017 - 19:29 By Eric Olanowski

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The best women’s wrestling matches of the year included two match-ups that pegged previous age-level and senior world champions against each other. The third match featured an ending with quite the proposal.

53kg World Championships GOLD: Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) v. Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN)
Vanesa Kaldzinskaya showed no sign of panicking in the 53kg world finals, even while trailing 6-0. The 2012 world champion used a step out late in the first period to narrow Mukaida’s lead to five points. Her resilience was apparent throughout the match and eventually paid off with 10 seconds remaining as Kaldzinskaya’s four-point move gave her the 8-6 win.

75kg World Championships GOLD: Yasemin ADAR (TUR) v. Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR)
After picking up the first takedown, five-time world team member Yasemin Adar trailed on criteria heading into the second period. With under a minute to go, Adar used a late takedown to take the 4-4 lead on criteria. Adar tacked on one more point and won 5-4.

After Adar’s gold medal celebration, her boyfriend came on the mat, dropped to one knee and proposed to Yasemin.

63kg World Championships GOLD: Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) v. Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR)
In a battle of junior world champions, Orkhon Purevdorj needed three takedowns to defeat Yuliia Tkach Ostapchuk. Purevdorj picked up an early takedown in the first and led 2-1 after three minutes of action. Tkach Ostapchuk answered in the second period with a takedown of her own, but it was Purevdorj’s two second-period takedowns that gave her the 6-3 victory.

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UWW More Than Medals Camp: Fun, wrestling, friendship in Serbia

Friday, July 12, 2024 - 15:35 By United World Wrestling Press

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ZRENJANIN, Serbia (July 12) -- The UWW More Than Medals Europe U17 Training Camp was held in Zrenjanin, Serbia, from June 30 to July 6, with the support of the Serbian Wrestling Federation and the local wrestling club.

This event brought together 45 wrestlers and coaches from nine different countries. The week-long camp, led by Marty HAUCK (USA), was fully funded by United World Wrestling, reflecting its commitment to developing young talent.

The camp aimed to enhance the athletes' technical skills while providing exposure to different coaching styles and training partners. Wrestling was a common ground, helping participants overcome language barriers and fostering new friendships.

An important aspect of the camp was the Anti-Doping education session held on July 2, led by Gorica MILOVANOVIC from the Anti-Doping Agency of Serbia. This session emphasized the importance of fair play and clean sport and provided practical information on Anti-Doping procedures to the young athletes. Additionally, safeguarding sessions by Lei LIANG from UWW Development helped raise awareness and ensure the well-being and safety of the young athletes.

Beyond the intense wrestling training on mats, the camp also offered various recreational activities. The athletes enjoyed the swimming pool, engaging games, and a guided tour of Belgrade, Serbia's vibrant capital city. A brief tennis session added to the fun, providing a welcome break from their regular wrestling routines.

The camp received lots of positive feedback from the participants. Michele RAUHUT, the coach from Germany, expressed his gratitude, stating, “The German team would like to thank you very much for this exceptionally great training camp. Many thanks to Lei for the perfect organization and for your help. Thanks a lot to Marty for the great training. It was perfect.”