Alpyeyeva, Livach golds keep Ukraine ahead of Turkiye at Europeans

Friday, April 11, 2025 - 12:22 By Vinay Siwach

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (April 10) -- Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) was facing a legend in her first-ever European Championships final. While she was chasing her first senior title, her opponent Yasemin ADAR (TUR) was chasing her eighth European title.

It would have been a fairytale for Adar. The Turkish legend who is the first to win Olympic medal, world gold and European gold, would have extended her record of most European titles in Women's Wrestling for Türkiye.

But Alpyeyeva did not get overawed but the occasion or her opponent and handed Adar a 6-0 loss in the 76kg final, which was also the last match for Adar.

The 34-year-old decided to put her shoes on the mat after the match, marking her retirement from the sport. She thanked the crowd of the X-Bionic Sphere, shook hands with Alpyeyeva and vanished into the background as the Ukrainian began her victory lap with the Ukraine flag.

Alpyeyeva did not get any chance to Adar in the final, overpowering her with strength and speed. Alpyeyeva hit three double-leg attacks and managed to score on all three of them.

While Adar did try matching Alpyeyeva, she was slow for the Ukrainian. Alpyeyeva managed to keep an upper hand for the full six minutes and won 6-0.

Alpyeyeva was the second gold medal for Ukraine on Thursday as 2019 European champion Oksana LIVACH (UKR) claimed her second title after beating Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR), 8-0, in an equally dominant fashion.

Livach began with a stepout and added a double-leg takedown for a 3-0 lead. She kept her attacks going and went for a big four-point move and another stepout made her lead 8-0 which she defended in the final minute.

The 27-year-old finished fifth at the Paris Olympics and was lacking on motivation recently. But the gold medal has revived her love for wrestling.

At 55kg, Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) made her senior European debut a successful one when she defeated 34-year-old Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA), 6-5, with a takedown in the final five seconds of the 55kg final.

Debien, who earned a bronze medal at the World Championships last year, scored a stepout and then tripped Verbina for four to lead 5-0. The French wrestler then decided to defend her lead for the remaining time.

This was a similar result to the last time the two faced each other at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series, with only the winner being different. Debien won that semifinal 5-4.

"I was confident that I could win," Verbina said. "I prepared for this match. I knew it would be intense. Two months ago, we faced each other at the Ranking Series event, and it was already a very rough match. I was ready for the same kind of wrestling, the same pressure — I expected it.

"I was angry. When there was one minute left, I looked at the scoreboard and saw that there was one minute remaining; my mind just switched off, and I started moving on autopilot."

Verbina has made a habit of winning gold medal at first continental championships over the years. She won gold at U17 European Championships in 2017, then the U23 European Championships in 2021 and now at senior level in 2025. She also has a U20 European gold which came in 2019, her second trip at that age-level.

"This is the first step for me into senior-level wrestling, because I hadn’t wrestled at the European or World Championships at the senior level before," she said. "This was my first major start. I competed at a ranking tournament earlier, didn’t do well, took third place, and I really wanted to prove myself at the senior level."

Verbina was born in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia but moved to Dagestan with her parents. She has trained in Makhachkala, Dagestan since 2005 and has been competing for Dagestan.

"Now I live and train in Makhachkala," she said. "My coach is Sveta Gracheva — she trains me day and night. She’s a very tough coach, but she believes in me."

Former world U20 champion Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (UWW) needed a last second takedown to beat Bediha GUN (TUR), 4-2, and win the gold medal at 59kg.

Sidelnikova was called passive twice which gave Gun a 2-0 lead but the Turkish wrestler was put on the 30-second clock which made the score 2-1. Gun was heading towards victory when Sidelnikova hit an inside trip which made Gun fall and give two points for Sidelnikova for 3-2 win. Gun challenged the call but lost adding another point to Sidelnikova score.

Another final was decided in the minute when Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW) managed to hang on to a 2-2 criteria win against Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU) in the 68kg to win her first major medal.

Shauchuk scored a takedown in the first period but was called passive which gave Zelenykh a point. The Romanian scored a stepout and tied it 2-2 but Shauchuk led on criteria for her bigger technique.

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Oksana LIVACH (UKR) df. Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR), 8-0

BRONZE: Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (UWW) df. Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA), 11-1
BRONZE: Natallia VARAKINA (UWW) df. Emilia GRIGORE VUC (ROU), 4-1

55kg
GOLD: Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) df. Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA), 6-5

BRONZE: Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) df. Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN), 7-4
BRONZE: Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) df. Tuba DEMIR (TUR), 6-2

59kg
GOLD: Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (UWW) df. Bediha GUN (TUR), 4-2

BRONZE: Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR) df. Erika BOGNAR (HUN), 3-2
BRONZE: Aurora RUSSO (ITA) df. Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE), 3-2

68kg
GOLD: Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW) df. Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU), 2-2

BRONZE: Buse TOSUN (TUR) df. Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR), 9-6
BRONZE: Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) df. Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER), 12-0

76kg
GOLD: Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) df. Yasemin ADAR (TUR), 6-0

BRONZE: Martina KUENZ (AUT) df. Enrica RINALDI (ITA), 2-1
BRONZE: Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (UWW) df. Laura KUEHN (GER), 2-2

2026 U23 European Championships

Yakushenko Marches on With Another Gold

Sunday, March 15, 2026 - 19:31 By Vinay Siwach

ZRENJANIN, Serbia (March 15) -- Since 2024, Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) has suffered only one loss -- to Darius KIEFER (GER) in the final of 2025 U20 European Championships.

On either side of that loss, Yakushenko had won two age-group European and three world titles. He has also avenged that loss to Kiefer and now heads the head-to-head, 4-1, with his latest victory over the German coming on Saturday at the U23 European Championships.

A day later on Sunday, Yakushenko added his second U23 European title after he defeated former U20 world champion and Paris Olympian Abubakr KHASLAKHANAU (BLR), 3-1, in perhaps his toughest match of the tournament.

"This [U23] European Championships was really tough for me," Yakushenko said. "Not as easy as I imagined. I thought it would be easier, but overall I think the hardest fights are still ahead."

In the final, Yakushenko was awarded the first passivity point and the par terre position from wihch he lifted Khaslakhanau and brought him towards the edge of the mat but failed to land the Belarussian wrestler in danger. He was awarded a point for the stepout which gave him a 2-0 lead.

Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) tries to throw Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (BLR) during the 97kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Khaslakhanau got his chance in the second period when Yakushenko was put in par terre but failed to score any points. With a 2-1 lead, Yakushenko needed some good defense with two minutes left in the match.

While he had a couple of slip-ups during that time, Yakushenko did not give up any points. He was later warned for fleeing but managed to remain in contact after that. Belarus challenged for fleeing in the last 10 seconds but it was ruled out, adding one more point to Yakushenko's score.

"I had the same plan for all my opponents. It was tough," he said.

This was Yakushenko's third straight win over Khaslakhanau, a senior European bronze medalist and now a two-time U23 world silver medalist to go with his bronze as well.

Yakushenko defeated the Belarus wrestler twice last year -- a 7-3 victory at the U23 European Championships and then a 3-3 win at the U23 World Championships in Novi Sad.

Daniial AGAEV (RUS) completed an 8-0 victory over William REENBERG (DEN) in just 37 seconds. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Agaev Leads Russia to Team Title

In other finals, Russia won two gold medals while Azerbiajan and Armenia won one gold each.

World bronze medalist Daniial AGAEV (RUS) led an inspired performance from Russia as it won the Greco-Roman team title. Russia won the Freestyle team title as well in Zrenjanin.

With 190 points, Russia was the best team. Armenia managed 113 points to finish second and Georgia finished third with 106 points.

Agaev need only 37 seconds to win his 67kg final against William REENBERG (DEN). He scored a takedown and transitioned into a gut-wrench, winning 8-0.

Rabil ASKEROV (RUS) defeated Oliver PADA (FIN), 6-0, in the 72kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Russia's second gold medal came at 72kg Rabil ASKEROV (RUS) blanked Oliver PADA (FIN), 6-0, in the final. Wrestling in only his third international tournament, Askerov began the final with a stepout before getting the par terre position. He did not score any points from the position but led 2-0.

An arm-drag to takedown doubled the lead to 4-0 before the break. In the second period, Askerov got another takedown to extend his lead to 6-0. The takedown also ended any hopes for Pada to get the par terre position.

Askerov would defend his 6-0 and win gold, his first major medal.

Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM) uses the seatbelt grip to throw Giorgi KOCHALIDZE (GEO) during the 60kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM) captured his first U23 European title after a series of suplex to beat Giorgi KOCHALIDZE (GEO), 9-0, in the 60kg final.

The former U20 champion was awarded the par terre in the first period which gave him a 1-0 lead. Kochalidze did well to defend the position but just as the referee was about to call neutral, Aghajanyan changed to a seatbelt grip and tossed Kochalidze in the opposite direction for two points.

He continued the same move with the seatbelt grip and was awarded four points for the second throw, giving him a 7-0 lead. The third throw was also scored four points, confirming an 11-0 victory for Aghajanyan.

Georgia challenged the decision, hoping that the throws will be scored two points each. But upon review the first throw was scored four points instead of original two points. With the second throw also being a four-pointer, the final was over, 9-0, a technical superiority win for the 2025 U23 world bronze medalist.

Elmin ALIYEV (AZE) celebrates after winning the 82kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Georgia suffered its second loss in the final at 82kg after Tornike MIKELADZE's (GEO) heartbreak against Elmin ALIYEV (AZE), 3-2.

Aliyev was down 2-0 at the break after giving up a stepout and passivity point in the first period. However, he managed to score a stepout at the start of the second period that later proved to be a crucial moment in the final.

Down 2-1, Aliyev was awarded the par terre position, giving him a 2-2 criteria lead. He failed to score any points from par terre but the criteria of scoring the last points remained with him and that enabled him to win the final.

Georgia threw a late challenge, asking for fleeing from Aliyev. But there was no evident fleeing and Georgia lost the challenge, giving one more point to Aliyev, who won 3-2.

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM) df. Giorgi KOCHALIDZE (GEO), 9-0

BRONZE: Yevhen POKOVBA (UKR) df. Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE), 3-1
BRONZE: Ilian AINAOUI (FRA) df. Brian SANTIAGO (DEN), 1-1

67kg
GOLD: Daniial AGAEV (RUS) df. William REENBERG (DEN), 8-0

BRONZE: Azat SARIYAR (TUR) df. Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL), 4-1
BRONZE: Farid KHALILOV (AZE) df. Petro ZHYTOVOZ (HUN), 6-3

72kg
GOLD: Rabil ASKEROV (RUS) df. Oliver PADA (FIN), 6-0

BRONZE Faraim MUSTAFAYEV (AZE) df. Leonard IURASCU (ROU), 5-4
BRONZE: Arionas KOLITSOPOULOS (GRE) df. Ashot KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 4-1

82kg
GOLD: Elmin ALIYEV (AZE) df. Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO), 3-2

BRONZE: Illia VALEUSKI (BLR) df. Szabolcs SZINAY (HUN), 10-1
BRONZE: Gamzat GADZHIEV (RUS) df. Alexander AEMAES (NOR), 9-0

97kg
GOLD: Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) df. Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (BLR), 3-1

BRONZE: Saipula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Robin USPENSKI (EST), 6-4
BRONZE: Darius KIEFER (GER) df. Luka GABISONIA (GEO), 9-3

Alpyeyeva, Livach golds keep Ukraine ahead of Turkiye at Europeans

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Yakushenko Marches on With Another Gold