#WrestleBucharest

Bulgaria's Reigning World and Euro Champ Yusein Headlines Friday Night's Finals

Thursday, April 11, 2019 - 20:08 By Eric Olanowski

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BUCHAREST, Romania (April 10) - Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) was one of two reigning world and European champion that competed on the fourth day of wrestling at the European Championships, but the Bulgarian was the only double defending champion who made it to Friday night’s finals. The second, Petra OLLI (FIN), was upset in the semifinals and will compete for a bronze medal on Friday night. 

In the 62kg semifinals, top-ranked returning world and European champion Yusein stuck two-time European bronze medalist Tetiana OMELCHENKO (AZE) in just 43 seconds, locking up her second consecutive trip to the European finals. 

Yusein will wrestle Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA), who's finals birth is a vast improvement on her ninth-place finish from a year ago. In her semifinals match, Campagna outlasted Sweden’s 2017 U23 world bronze medalist Moa NYGREN (SWE) in a nail biter, reaching the gold-medal bout with a 4-3 victory.


Tetyana KIT was one of three Ukrainian wrestlers who will compete on Friday night for a gold medal. (Photo: Gabro Martin)

Meanwhile, Ukraine, who sits in the lead after claiming three gold medals on Day 4 added three more finalists to their overall total, bringing the gold-medal participant total to six. 

Their three potential champions are Lilya HORISHNA, Tetyana KIT and Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (UKR), who’ll wrestle for the gold medals at 53kg,  57kg, and 72kg respectively.

At 53kg, two-time U23 European champion Lilya Horshna halted Jessica BLASZKA (NED) from the becoming first-ever women’s wrestling European finalist from the Netherlands with a 6-1 victory. 

Horshna will wrestle Russia’s returning European champion Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS), who defeated 2017 world champion and No. 17-ranked Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) at the European championships. Last year, Orshush beat Valadzinskaya in the finals, and this year, it was in the semifinals, where she picked up the 2-2 criteria win. 

In the semifinals at 57kg, Kit was down 6-4 as time expired against Anastasia NICHITA (MDA), but a late successful Ukrainian challenge gave Kit the 6-6 win on criteria. 

She’ll wrestle Hungary’s fifth-ranked Emese BARKA (HUN). Barka came out on top of her semifinals match against reigning European silver medalist Mimi Nikolova HRISTOVA (BUL), 11-3.  The Holland wrestler ended the opening three minutes with a 5-0 lead, and tacked on six additional points, inserting herself into the continental finals with the eight-point win. 


Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (UKR) will wrestle for a European gold medal for the fourth time in her career. She's walked away with a gold medal twice. (Photo: Martin Gabor) 

In the 72kg semifinals, two-time champion Alina Berezhna Stadnik glued returning European bronze medalist Alexandra Nicoleta ANGHEL (ROU) back to the mat for the fall and will wrestle for a gold medal in the European Championships for the fifth time in her career. 

The Ukranian wrestler will take on Anna Carmen SCHELL (GER), who was up 7-4 on No. 15 Tatiana KOLESNIKOVA MOROZOVA (RUS) when she picked up the fall. 

Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) pinned defending world and European champion Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) to reach the finals. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

The last finals match up that was settled was at 65kg.

Romania’s Kriszta INCZE outlasted reigning two-time U23 European champion Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS), 3-2, and will take on Azerbaijan’s Elis MANOLOVA for the 65kg gold medal. Manolova stuck returning world and European champion Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) in the semifinals and earned her second consecutive trip to the European finals. 

The Day 5 finals begin on Friday at 18:00 (local time) and can be followed at www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS
53kg
GOLD -Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS) vs. Lilya HORISHNA (UKR)
SEMIFINAL - Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS) df. Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR), 2-2 
SEMIFINAL - Lilya HORISHNA (UKR) df. Jessica Cornelia Francisca BLASZKA (NED), 6-1

57kg 
GOLD - Tetyana KIT (UKR) vs. Emese BARKA (HUN)
SEMIFINAL - Tetyana KIT (UKR) df. Anastasia NICHITA (MDA), 6-6
SEMIFINAL - Emese BARKA (HUN) df. Mimi Nikolova HRISTOVA (BUL), 11-3 

62kg
GOLD - Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA) vs. Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL)
SEMIFINAL - Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA) df. Moa Lena Maria NYGREN (SWE) 
SEMIFINAL - Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL) df. Tetiana OMELCHENKO (AZE), via fall 

65kg
GOLD - Kriszta Tunde INCZE (ROU) vs. Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)
SEMIFINAL - Kriszta Tunde INCZE (ROU) df. Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS), 4-3 
SEMIFINAL - Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) df. Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN), via fall 

72kg
GOLD - Anna Carmen SCHELL (GER) vs. Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (UKR)
SEMIFINAL - Anna Carmen SCHELL (GER) df. Tatiana KOLESNIKOVA MOROZOVA (RUS) 
SEMIFINAL - Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (UKR) df. Alexandra Nicoleta ANGHEL (ROU)

#WrestleBelgrade

Orta, Jafarov set showdown at World Championships

Saturday, September 23, 2023 - 17:50 By Vinay Siwach

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BELGRADE, Serbia (September 23) -- Tokyo Olympic champion at 60kg Luis ORTA (CUB) will be back in Paris, although in a new weight class, made it to his first-ever World Championships final on Saturday.

Orta moved up to the 67kg weight class at the start of the year and delivered results instantly, winning the Pan-Am gold and bronze medals at the Ranking Series events.

In Belgrade, Orta was slated to face world champion Mate NEMES (SRB) in the quarterfinals and after securing a hard-fought win over the local wrestler. Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ) tried stopping him in the semifinals but Orta scored three takedowns in his 9-1 win over the Kyrgyz wrestler.

By reaching the final, Orta confirmed a spot for Cuba at the Paris Olympics next year.

But to be a world champion, Orta will have to beat the returning bronze medalist and a young star of the sport Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE).

The 20-year-old former U20 and U23 world champion reached the final after beating three top wrestlers in three straight bouts. He first took out European silver medalist Krisztian VANCZA (HUN) before beating Olympic champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI), 10-0, in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, Jafarov was made to work hard by Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM) for his 5-3 win. Jafarov scored a turn from par terre to lead 3-0. Jafarov was awarded a second passivity in the second period to change the score to 4-0 but he failed to score any points.

Galstyan scored a takedown in the second period and cut Jafarov's lead to 4-2 and got a stepout in the final second to make it 4-3. Armenia's challenge for fleeing could not be confirmed on review, adding a point to Jafarov's score.

At 87kg, David LOSONCIZ (HUN) showed why he is the most dynamic wrestler of the weight class, mauling his opponents in the run to the final. After winning his first two bouts via technical superiority, he defeated Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN) 6-1 in the final before a brutal rolling of Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) in the semifinals.

He will face European silver medalist and returning bronze Ali CENGIZ (TUR) for the gold who scored a come-from-behind victory over Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) in the other semifinal. 

Cengiz had earlier beaten Olympic champion Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) 3-1 in the 1/8 finals before winning 3-3 against Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) who was a silver medalist at 82kg last year.

In the non-Olympic weight class, two-time world silver medalist Leri ABULADZE (GEO) will try to win a gold medal as he reached the final for the third straight year. Abuladze defeated Stefan CLEMENT (FRA) 3-1 in the semifinals.

For the gold, Abuladze will have a rematch of the 2022 European Championships final as Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) reached the final after beating Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) from the other side of the bracket. Abuladze won the gold at Euros 3-1.