Development

Aline Silva Awarded United World Wrestling’s Women in Sport Award

Tuesday, April 3, 2018 - 17:27 By Tim Foley

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (April 2) -- Aline SILVA (BRA) has been awarded United World Wrestling’s 2018 Women in Sport Award.

Silva, a 2014 world silver medalist 2016 Olympian, has spent much of the past 12 months creating an outreach program in her home city of Cubatã, Brazil, which provides educational and wrestling opportunities for girls.

"We are very proud of Aline," said United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic. "She is the type of female leader we want in our sport. She has taken her victories on the mat and is making a big impact with younger girls. We are honored to present her this award."

Silva will receive $10,000 from United World Wrestling and is expected to hire a coach and English teacher to help instruct 60 public school girls in Cubatã. The outreach program will also include weekly empowerment teachings with themes like leadership, personal development, and sexual and reproduction rights. 

“I think it’s important to want something big for yourself and others,” said Silva. “And for these girls I want to show them what it means to have a goal and how to strive for it everyday. I know that striving to reach a goal every day means you will make your dreams come true!”

Aline SILVA (r) became Brazil's first-ever world finalist in wrestling, earning silver at the 2014 World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (Photo: Gabor Martin, United World Wrestling)

Silva kickstarted her to-be-named outreach program with a trip to the Global Sports Mentoring Program at the University of Tennessee's Peace, Sport and Society Program. During her six weeks on-site, Silva created a plan of action to empower Brazilian women through sports and sought advice on ways to improve her new program.

“I want to thank President Lalovic and everyone at United World Wrestling for all their great work in promoting women’s wrestling and gender equality.”

Though busy with outreach and instruction, Silva isn’t slowing down on the mats. She is still training full-time and expects to compete at this year’s world championships in Budapest. Her goal is to medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Other applicants included Power Club (ESP), Johanna KIKAS (EST), Elham HEIDARI (IRI/CAN), Yevheniia PAVLOVA (UKR) and Fédération Française de Lutte who each showed commitment to advancing the gender equality through wrestling.

#WrestleIstanbul

Stars to follow in Women's Wrestling at World Qualifier

Monday, May 6, 2024 - 08:14 By Vinay Siwach

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ISTANBUL, Türkiye (May 6) -- Mariya STADNIK (AZE) has endured quite a few heartbreaks in her 16-year-long career. The most recent was her fall against Oksana LIVACH (UKR) in the final five seconds of the match. A win would have confirmed a fifth trip to the Olympics for her.

The four-time Olympic medalist will now be in Istanbul for the World OG Qualifier -- the last chance -- in a bid to earn a Paris 2024 quota. It will also put her one step closer to winning an unprecedented fifth Olympic medal, a feat no one has achieved in wrestling.

But Stadnik isn't the only one with so much to fight for in Istanbul.

Two-time European champion Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR) was also seconds away from earning a spot for Paris when Tokyo silver medalist Iryna KURACHKINA (AIN) scored a takedown to beat her. Hrushyna missed the Tokyo flight after suffering an injury two months before the Games.

Now, she will be in Istanbul along with Tokyo bronze medalist Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) who is not yet qualified at 57kg. Both will compete for the three spots available along with other top wrestlers like Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE), Giullia PENALBER (BRA), Aurora RUSSO (ITA), Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL), Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU), Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (AIN) and Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR).

In each Olympic weight class, the winner of the semifinals will earn a berth for the Paris Games for their respective countries. The third spot will be earned by the winner of the playoff between the two bronze medalists of the weight class.

This provides an extra opportunity to the wrestler who lost to the two best wrestlers of their respective weight classes. The repechage, bronze-medal bouts and the playoff will be held the next day.

China, which managed three quotas at the Asian OG Qualifier, will be hoping to claim all six spots for Paris as Jia LONG (CHN) and Feng ZHOU (CHN) compete in the 62kg and 68kg respectively.

Ziqi FENG (CHN), Qianyu PANG (CHN), Kexin HONG (CHN) and Juan WANG (CHN) clinched the 50kg, 53kg, 57kg and 76kg spots with the last three coming at the Asian OG Qualifier in Bishkek last month.

For Long, who was in Tokyo, the field at 62kg will be strong. Veranika IVANOVA (AIN), Lais NUNES (BRA), MANSI (IND), Mariana CHERDIVARA (MDA), Kriszta INCZE (ROU) and Nesrin BAS (TUR) are a few wrestlers who can trouble Long.

Bas is an interesting choice by Turkiye as she regularly competes in the 72kg weight class. She was a U23 world champion in the same. But with the 68kg qualification by world champion Buse TOSUN (TUR) and 76kg by European champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR), Bas decided to move down.

At 68kg, Feng will have to raise her game if she wants to represent China in Paris. The weight has 23 wrestlers including the likes of Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL), Linda MORAIS (CAN), Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE), NISHA (IND) and Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU).

Hristova would be doubly motivated to win a quota in Istanbul after she missed it in Baku. Leading 8-0 against Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR) in the quarterfinal, she got put on the mat by Skobelska and the Ukrainian secured a fall, leaving Hristova heartbroken.

A few European stars have not managed to earn a Paris spot at 53kg. Two-time Olympian Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) will be a strong contender to claim one of the three spots at 53kg.

Annika WENDLE (GER), Sztalvira ORSOS (HUN), Zeynep YETGIL (TUR), Mariia VYNNYK (UKR), Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) and Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) will be fighting it out for the quotas as well.

Karla GODINEZ (CAN), the favorite at the Pan-Am OG Qualifier, suffered a loss and failed to qualify Canada. But she will be in Istanbul to earn that spot and join her sister Ana who qualified at 62kg. Khulan BATKHUYAG (MGL) will be a strong contender as well.

Among the big names at 76kg, Martina KUENZ (AUT), Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (AIN), Yuliana YANEVA (BUL), Samar HAMZA (EGY), Epp MAE (EST), Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) and Anastasiia SHUSTOVA (UKR) are taking the trip to Istanbul.

Despite all the stars assembling in Istanbul, Stadnik will be the center of attraction. How does a 36-year-old bounce back from her first-ever loss in Europe? Is she still good enough to compete against some of the best in the world? Is she a medal threat for Paris 2024?

A win in Istanbul will answer those questions.