#Grappling

Brzozozwska makes golden debut at World Grappling Championships

Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - 16:22 By Vinay Siwach

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 15) -- Daria BRZOZOWSKA (POL) had competed against Ellen OBERBACH (GER) twice before their meeting on Wednesday at the World Grappling Championships.

Despite her 2-0 head-to-head record, Brzozowska was cautious of her approach against Oberbach as both met in the 58kg final in Novi Sad, Serbia. Both those wins came in June at the European Open in Warsaw, Poland.

"This was the third time I was competing against her," Brzozowska said. "I won in Warsaw but she must have studied me know and when I saw that she will be in the final against me here, I was thinking that it will be tough match."

Daria BRZOZOWSKA (POL)Daria BRZOZOWSKA (POL) reacts after winning the 58kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

After three wins via submission, Brzozowska went for a similar move in the final, trying a knee bar against Oberbach in the first minute. However, Oberbach defended that attempt and only gave up one point.

Brzozowska then hit a double leg takedown and controlled Oberbach on the mat for more than three seconds to earn two points. Both remained in that position and seeing that the Polish wrestler was not actively trying to make a move, she was called passive. But that was all Oberbach got and Brzozowska won the final 3-1.

"Just 10 seconds before the bout was about to finish, I thought, 'I did it'," she said. "My coach was shouting that just remain in this position and I may have started crying before the match finished."

This was Brzozowska's debut for Poland outside her country and showed that she belongs to the big stage. Trained by her father Chris, the 20-year-old began in wrestling but slowly tried other combat sports. She now trains at her father's club, ASW Panther, in Bydgoszcz, her hometown.

"My father is my coach," she said. "I have not told him that I won gold medal. What a secret to keep!"

Alsu IANSHINA (UWW)Alsu IANSHINA (UWW) tries to throw Sheliah LINDSEY (USA) in the 64kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

In the other women's Grappling final at the World Championships final on Wednesday, Alsu IANSHINA (UWW) defeated Sheliah LINDSEY (USA), 17-4, in the 64kg final to win the gold medal.

Ianshina was clearly the better grappler in the final as she hit two hip-toss to plant Lindsey on the mat with control to lead 2-0. She gave up control as she tried to use an arm-bar and Lindsey reversed the position took a side mount control to lead 2-2 on criteria.

However, that was short lived and Ianshina scored two points for side mount and three more for total control to lead 7-2. As she continued to hold Lindsey on the mat and remain active as well, she got four points for third control and led 11-4.

As both wrestlers grappled, Lindsey got on top after a roll and scored two points. However, Ianshina once again managed to mount and score two points and four-point control and win 17-4.

Ruslan RADZHABKHANOV (UWW)Ruslan RADZHABKHANOV (UWW) tries to control Magomedbek TEMEEV (UWW) in the 62kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

In the three men's Grappling weight classes, Ruslan RADZHABKHANOV (UWW) upgraded his silver medal from last year to gold after beating Magomedbek TEMEEV (UWW), 3-3, on criteria in the 62kg final.

At 66kg, Magomed SHAKHBANOV (UWW) submitted Yurii CHERKALIUK (UKR) in quick time to win the final and the gold medal.

Hajimurad PURTIYEV (AZE) gave Azerbaijan its second gold medal of the World Championships when he defeated Davud MAGOMEDOV (UWW), 4-2, in the 84kg final.

RESULTS

Women's Grappling

58kg
GOLD: Daria BRZOZOWSKA (POL) df. Ellen OBERBACH (GER), 3-1

BRONZE: Varvara MASHKINA (UWW) df. Breanna STIKKELMAN (USA), 6-2
BRONZE: Magdalena GIEC (POL) df. Nuraiym MUNAITBAS (KAZ), 12-2

64kg
GOLD: Alsu IANSHINA (UWW) df. Sheliah LINDSEY (USA), 17-4

BRONZE: Mia MONTESINOS PERDOMO (ESP) df. Snezhana MORAR (UKR), 4-2
BRONZE: Adrianna MAZUR (POL) df. Emma ROSINI (ITA), 3-3

Men's Grappling

62kg
GOLD: Ruslan RADZHABKHANOV (UWW) df. Magomedbek TEMEEV (UWW), 3-3

BRONZE: Talgat ZHUMAGALIYEV (KAZ) df. Kiryl AHEIKA (UWW), 2-0
BRONZE: Rafayel KOSTANYAN (ARM) df. Adlan ASUEV (KAZ), via submission (4- 4)

66kg
GOLD: Magomed SHAKHBANOV (UWW) df. Yurii CHERKALIUK (UKR), via submission

BRONZE: Khabib ATLUEV (UWW) df. Jesse SOSA (USA), via submission
BRONZE: Anthony DE OLIVEIRA (FRA) df. Giorgi RAZMADZE (GEO), 7-2

84kg
GOLD: Hajimurad PURTIYEV (AZE) df. Davud MAGOMEDOV (UWW), 4-2

BRONZE: Maxat TOLENDI (KAZ) df. Magzhan MARATKHAN (KAZ), 2-0
BRONZE: Christian FRILLICI (ITA) df. Giuseppe LAMANNA (USA), via forfeit

Stadnik retires: Europe's best who rewrote history

Wednesday, February 5, 2025 - 11:06 By Vinay Siwach

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BAKU, Azerbaijan (February 4) -- Four Olympic medals, six World Championships medals, 10 European titles, two European Games golds, many triumphs and heartbreaks later, Mariya STADNIK (AZE) has called it a day.

Stadnik, who debuted 22 years ago in 2003, announced her decision to retire from wrestling in an event organized by Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation in Baku on Monday. In an emotional video, Stadnik can be seen removing her shoes on the mat in front of a crowd and then speaking about her career.

"I recorded my name in the history of Women's Wrestling. Thank you to everyone who created this story together with me," Stadnik wrote on Instagram. "Now it's time to close this page of my life and write a new history."

Back in 2003, Stadnik began with a gold medal at the U17 European Championships, won a U20 world title two years later, added senior one as well and had a storied Olympic career which was laden with heartbreaks.

"I always had the motivation and will to win," Stadnik said last year. "I have had this will since early childhood, and this is endless."

READ MORE: Stadnik, 34, remains unbeaten in Europe

Though her will has stretched her career over two decades, Stadnik's decision to retire came after a lot of thought.

"In wrestling, I used all my chances," Stadnik said. "Now I understand that the time has come when I can be useful for wrestling in another role."

The 36-year-old, who was born in Ukraine but competed for Azerbaijan, will be moving into a caretaker role with the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation in Women's Wrestling and will be responsible for churning out new stars.

When Stadnik made her debut in 2003, Japan, China, United States and Canada were top nations. However, Stadnik changed that. She won her first World Championships medal in 2007 and qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in which she won a bronze medal as an 18-year-old.

Soon, she won her first world title in 2009 and emerged as the new force from Europe. She went on to win the European Championships as well. Stadnik brought competition to Women's Wrestling.

"For these countries, the competition with me was always serious," she said. "We always had tense and intriguing fights that were followed by the whole world. Mariya Stadnik from Azerbaijan was always a danger for them."

Mariya STADNIK (AZE)Mariya STADNIK (AZE) won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

Perhaps it was no surprise that she was in the final of 2011 World Championships and 2012 London Games. However, she came up short both times to Hitomi OBARI (JPN).

"I give a lot of respect to Obara because she was stronger than me at that moment and the London gold was hers," she said. "She was my strongest opponent whom I respect very much."

Barring those Japanese hurdles, Stadnik was unstoppable. She added more medals at the continental level and always stood on the podium at the World Championships.

Mariya STADNIK (AZE)A dejected Mariya STADNIK (AZE) at the 48kg medal ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

Then came the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Stadnik was at the peak of her wrestling her. A Olympic gold would take so much off her back. She was in the final of the 48kg in Rio and the gold medal was within touching distance as she was leading Eri TOSAKA (JPN) 2-1 in the final. But Tosaka crushed those dreams in the final five seconds, beating Stadnik 3-2.

Stadnik till today has no explanation as to what happened in those last five seconds of the final against Tosaka.

"I didn't watch my match from Rio for two years and still can't find an explanation why that competition ended like that," Stadnik said. "I knew and felt that the Rio gold should have been mine."

Stadnik geared up for one more time. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics would have been perfect ending for her. But by then, wrestling had changed with two-day weight ins, a newer generation of wrestlers had come up and Yui SUSAKI (JPN) was on a mission.

Mariya STADNIK (AZE)Mariya STADNIK (AZE) lost her first meeting with Yui SUSAKI (JPN) 2-2 at the Klippan Lady Open in 2018. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Max Rose-Fynn)

The first time Stadnik and Susaki faced each other was in the Klippan Lady Open final in 2018. Stadnik was winning the final but Susaki scored a stepout in the final second to shock Stadnik.

People doubted Stadnik and her mental strength. The 2019 World Championships gave a huge boost of confidence for Stadnik who won her second of the two world titles in Astana, exactly ten years after winning her first.

The Tokyo Olympics were just 10 months away and Stadnik was ready for it. However, with COVID-19 pandemic, it got pushed to 2021 and Susaki went on to win the gold medal with a 41-0 record in four bouts including a 10-0 rout of Stadnik in the semifinals.

Stadnik still managed to win a bronze medal, her fourth of the Olympics, tying her with Kaori ICHO (JPN) and Saori YOSHIDA (JPN). Icho was four golds and Yoshida has three silver and one bronze.

"I know people talk about the gold medal but I am so happy with this bronze. It's satisfying," she said back in 2021.

But Stadnik wasn't satisfied with wrestling. After being away from the mat in 2022, she returned in 2023 and won her ninth European title, the most in Women's Wrestling, extending her unbeaten streak in European Championships to 34 bouts.

Then she made a run for the Paris Olympics and though that meant taking losses to opponents she used to toy with in the past, the mother of two secured her place for Paris in the final qualifiers in Istanbul. Her body was ageing, reducing weight was becoming gruesome and her opponents were becoming quicker.

She returned home without a medal but became the first female wrestler to compete at five Olympics. Soon after Paris, Stadnik reflected on what she has left for wrestling and decided that a role off the mat was more suited now. Letting go off something so big in her life was hard and emotional for her.

"When I watched the video in which I take my shoes off, I had tears," she said. "This is the end of an important part of my life. What I loved so much for many years is ending."