European Games

Aleksanyan Looks to Add European Games Gold to Resume

By United World Wrestling Press

MINSK, Belarus (June 29) - Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) has won gold medals at the Olympic Games, World Championships and European Games. Now the 27-year-old Armenian stands one win away from winning a gold medal at the European Games.

Competing in his first European Games, Aleksanyan won three matches on Saturday to earn a spot in the 97kg finals. He trailed in his first two matches before battling back to win. In his semifinal match, Aleksanyan faced two-time U23 world champion Aleksandr GOLOVIN (RUS). 

This time Aleksanyan led the entire time, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the opening period, scoring off a passivity and then a gut wrench. He held on to win 3-1. Aleksanyan will face Aliaksandr HRABOVIK (BLR) in the gold-medal match at 97kg. Hrabovik shut out Olympic bronze medalist Cenk ILDEM (TUR) 2-0 in the semifinals.

Two world No.1's competed in Saturday's semifinals, with one winning and the other losing. 

World No. 1's Zhan BELENIUK (UKR), a 2015 world champion and 2016 Olympic silver medalist, came back to defeat Radzik KULIYEU (BLR) 3-1 in the semifinals at 87kg. Kuliyeu led 1-0 at the break after scoring with a passivity point, but Beleniuk battled back in the second period to win, scoring off a passivity point and then with a gut wrench. He will meet Islam ABBASOV in the 87kg finals. Abbasov, a two-time U23 world medalist, shut out Ivan HUKLEK (CRO) 5-0 in the semifinals. 

At 130kg, Kiryl HRYSHCHANKA (BLR) stunned world No.1 Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) 3-1 in the semifinals. The Russian Olympic medalist scored first off a passivity and held a 1-0 lead at the break. But with the home crowd cheering on Hryshchanka, the Belarusian Greco-Roman heavyweight scored three points in the final period to secure a spot in Sunday's gold-medal. He will face Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) in the finals. Kajaia, a European silver medalist, advanced to the finals with a fall over world No.7 Oskar MARVIK (NOR).

RESULTS

Greco-Roman

87kg
GOLD - Islam ABBASOV (AZE) vs. Zhan BELENIUK (UKR)
SEMIFINAL - Islam ABBASOV (AZE) df. Ivan HUKLEK (CRO), 5-0
SEMIFINAL - Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) df. Radzik KULIYEU (BLR), 3-1

97kg
GOLD - Aliaksandr HRABOVIK (BLR) vs. Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM)
SEMIFINAL - Aliaksandr HRABOVIK (BLR) df. Cenk ILDEM (TUR), 2-0
SEMIFINAL - Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) df. Aleksandr GOLOVIN (RUS), 3-1

130kg
GOLD - Kiryl HRYSHCHANKA (BLR) vs. Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO)
SEMIFINAL - Kiryl HRYSHCHANKA (BLR) df. Sergey SEMENOV (RUS), 3-1
SEMIFINAL - Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) df. Oskar MARVIK (NOR), Fall (1:02)
 

#WrestleParis

Wrestling at Paris 2024 by numbers: Quotas, countries, records

By Vinay Siwach

PARIS (July 5) -- The 291 wrestlers for the Paris 2024 from 63 countries have been confirmed and it is the United States sending the most wrestlers with 16. It has six spots in Freestyle, six in Women's Wrestling and four in Greco-Roman.

The U.S. is followed by Japan which managed 13 quotas for Paris Olympics with six in Women's Wrestling, four in Freestyle and three in Greco-Roman. Azerbaijan and China managed to get 12 quotas each. Azerbaijan has six in Freestyle, five in Greco-Roman and one in Women's Wrestling while China has five in Women's Wrestling, four in freestyle and three in Greco-Roman.

PARIS 2024 SCHEDULE | PARIS 2024 NEWS

Egypt, Iran and Turkiye are tied with 11 quotas each from the qualification process. Egypt has qualified all six in Greco-Roman, four in Freestyle and one in Women's Wrestling. Iran won six in Greco-Roman and five in Freestyle. Turkiye has five in women's wrestling, four in Greco-Roman and two in freestyle.

Cuba and Kyrgyzstan also touched double digits with 10 quotas. Cuba has five quotas in Greco-Roman, three in Freestyle and two in Women's Wrestling. Kyrgyzstan has four quotas in Greco-Roman and three each in women's wrestling and freestyle.

Mongolia and Ukraine earned nine spots for Paris 2024 with the former qualifying all six in Women's Wrestling and three in Freestyle. Ukraine has four in Women's Wrestling, three in Freestyle and two in Greco-Roman.

Algeria and Kazakhstan have eight quotas while four countries have seven. Five countries have six quotas each while four nations have five quotas. Four countries got four each, eight got three each and six earned two quotas each for the Paris Games.

There will be 15 countries that won one quota. In addition, two Individual Neutral Athletes will take part in Paris 2024 along with two refugee athletes.

Wrestlers by continents

Europe - 111 (38.54 percent)
Asia - 84 (29.17 percent)
Americas - 55 (19.10 percent)
Africa - 32 (11.11 percent)
Oceania - 6 (2.08 percent).

Quotas by continents

Europe - 26 countries (42.62 percent)
Asian - 12 countries (19.67 percent)
American - 12 countries (19.67 percent)
Africa - 7 countries (11.48)
Oceania - 4 countries (6.56 percent)

Debuts

- Four countries will be making their debuts at the Olympics in Women's Wrestling - Lithuania, Algeria, New Zealand and Uzbekistan
- Honduras is sending its first-ever Greco-Roman wrestler to the Olympics
- The Dominican Republic is sending its first-ever Freestyle wrestler to the Olympics

Full List of Quotas

Country Quota FS WW GR
USA 16 6 6 4
JPN 13 4 6 3
AZE 12 6 1 5
CHN 12 4 5 3
EGY 11 4 1 6
IRI 11 5  - 6
TUR 11 2 5 4
CUB 10 3 2 5
KGZ 10 3 3 4
MGL 9 3 6  -
UKR 9 3 4 2
ALG 8 1 2 5
KAZ 8 4  - 4
GEO 7 4  - 3
GER 7 1 4 2
MDA 7 2 3 2
UZB 7 3 1 3
BUL 6 1 2 3
CAN 6 2 4  -
IND 6 1 5  -
NGR 6 1 5  -
SRB 6 2   4
ARM 5 2 - 3
HUN 5 2 1 2
POL 5 2 2 1
ROU 5  - 3 2
COL 4  - 2 2
ECU 4  - 3 1
PUR 4 4  -  -
VEN 4 1 2 1
ALB 3 3  -  -
FRA 3  - 2 1
ITA 3 1 2  -
KOR 3  -  1 2
LTU 3 - 1 2
PRK 3 - 2 1
TUN 3 - 2 1
GRE 3 2 1  -
AIN 2 1  - 1
AUS 2 2  -  -
CHI 2  -  - 2
FIN 2  -  - 2
GBS 2 2  -  -
GUM 2  - 2  -
MEX 2 2  -  -
SWE 2  - 2  -
EOR (UWW) 2  1 1  -
BRA 1  - 1  -
BRN 1 1  -  -
DEN 1  -  - 1
DOM 1 1    
EST 1  -  - 1
HON 1  -  - 1
MAR 1  -  - 1
MKD 1 1  -  -
NOR 1  - 1  -
NZL 1  - 1  -
RSA 1 1  -  -
SAM 1 1  -  -
SMR 1 1  -  -
SVK 1 1  -  -
TJK 1 1  -   -
Total = 63 290 97 96 97