Award Season

Acosta, Adekuoroye and Amri Named 2017 History Makers

Tuesday, December 26, 2017 - 17:49 By Eric Olanowski

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Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR), Marwa AMRI (TUN) and Yasmani ACOSTA (CHI) have been named United World Wrestling’s History Makers for 2017.

Earlier this year Marwa Amri and Odunayo Adekuoroye became the first women from Africa to reach the gold medal bout of a senior world championship.

Amri, the Olympic bronze medalist, was the first woman from Africa to reach the world finals by besting two-time Asia champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) 8-7 in the semifinals. Amri would finish the day with the silver medal at 58kg after being defeated by 2016 Olympic champion Helen MAROULIS (USA) in the finals.

In the 55kg semifinals, it was 2015 world bronze medalist Adekuoroye who picked up the technical superiority victory over Irina KURACHKINA (BLR), becoming the second African woman to reach the gold medal finals. Like Amri, Adekuoroye would also bring home the silver medal after dropping her finals match.

It was Yasmani Acosta, formerly of Cuba, who came to Paris with hopes of giving Chile their first-ever world medal in wrestling. Prior to the 2017 World Championships, Chile had never medaled in any style at any age level.

Acosta won three matches before falling to Heiki NABI (EST) in the semifinals. He grabbed Chile’s first ever world medal with a victory over Mykola KUCHMI (UKR) in the bronze medal bout.

Obituary

Olympian and longtime referee Eberhard Probst passes away

Thursday, February 22, 2024 - 10:11 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (February 22) -- Two-time world bronze medalist and Olympian Eberhard PROBST from Germany passed away at the age of 69 years.

Probst was born on June 4, 1955, in Querfurt, where he grew up and began wrestling in 1966 at his club the BSG Merseburg. He attended the Children's and Youth Sports School in Halle an der Saale. From 1970 to 1985, Probst collected 17 East German championship titles for the Chemie Halle Sports Club, making him one of the most successful national freestyle wrestling champions all over Germany. 

At the international level, Probst won World Championships bronze medals in 1979 and 1982 while finishing fifth at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. He also placed eighth at the 1976 Montreal Games. He also won bronze medals at the European Championships in 1976, 1979 and 1981.

After his active career, Probst began a career as a referee in 1984 and, due to his reserved, factual-calm, and expert manner, also internationally developed into one of the best referees in the world from 1986 onwards.

Probst was nominated for his first Olympic Games as a referee in 2004, the third overall, in Athens. As the only German mat official, he represented Germany at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. At the World Championships in Herning, Denmark, in 2009, he received the Golden Whistle, the highest award for referees by UWW.