BAKU (June 15) – Mariya STADNYK’s smile stretched from cauliflower ear to cauliflower ear Monday night at the Heydar Aliyev Arena in Baku. The 48kg wrestler was seconds removed from earning European Games gold, and as she was hoisted on to her coach’s shoulder the joy of the moment was most evident in her outsized, toothy grin. 

With the President and first lady of Azerbaijan watching Stadnyk rolled past Elitsa YANKOVA (BUL) by technical fall, 12-1 in the finals to capture her fifth continental championship. Though she’s won plenty of gold medals the authenticity of her joy was evident to everyone in the crowd and motivated a boisterous exchange of cheers. The first lady even seemed to pump her fists and the president beamed with pleasure.

"I have never been so happy, so proud.” said Stadnyk. “To be a flag-bearer at the opening ceremony and then win a gold medal - it's impossible to express my feelings.”

Stadnyk, the second-ranked wrestler in the world, was buoyed by the more than 5000 fans who celebrated that loudest they had in three days of wrestling.

"The atmosphere was amazing. I'm going to sing and dance to celebrate,’ said Stadnyk. “I can't wait to see my children."

While Stadnyk shouted, Russia’s Natalia VOROBIEVA kept a stern look on her face throughout the medal ceremony. The world No.1 at 69kg suffered a shocking 11-9 upset against Ilana KRATYSH (ISR) in the semifinals. The match was yet another part of the 2012 Olympic champion’s up-and-down twelve months that has seen her win the 2014 European Championships, take bronze at the world championships, win the German Grand Prix, and lose at the Women’s Wrestling World Cup. 

Kratysh’s Cinderella story ended in the finals she lost a lopsided 7-3 to longtime rival Alina STADNYK MAKHYNIA (UKR). The sister-in-law to 48kg champion Mariya, the 69kg Makhina was fantastic all afternoon earning a bevvy of double leg takedowns to take home the gold.

Sweden’s Sofia MATTSSON bumped up a weight class from 53kg to 55kg, but lost none of her spring looking dominant throughout the tournament. The world No.2 at 53kg, Mattsson handled fellow 53kg regular Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) by technical call, 12-1 to win the gold. 

The final gold of the night belonged to 2013 world champion Marianna SASTIN (HUN) who showed improvement after a bumpy start to the 2015 season. Sastin earned two takedowns and a turn in beating Russia’s Svetlana LIPATOVA in the gold medal match at 60kg, thanking age and experience for her triumph on the mat.

“The match was very difficult,’ said Sastin. “The girl was 10 years younger than me, but she was not a bad wrestler. I just think I wanted to win much more than she did. I think that it helped that I'm older too."

Wrestling at the Heydar Aliyev Arena continues tomorrow at 10am with women’s wrestling action at 53kg, 58kg, 63kg and 75kg. Be sure to check UnitedWorldWrestling.org for up-to-the-minute results, photographs and recaps.

Medal Results

48kg – Women’s Wrestling
GOLD: No.2 Mariya STADNYK (AZE) df. Elitsa YANKOVA (BUL) by TF, 12-1
BRONZE:  No.6 Iwona MATKOWSKA (POL) df. Julie SABATIE (FRA), 8-0
BRONZE: No.4 Valentina ISLAMOVA (RUS) df. Jaqueline SCHELLIN (GER) by TF, 11-1

Semifinals: No.2 Mariya STADNYK (AZE) df. No.6 Iwona MATKOWSKA (POL) by FALL
Semifinals: Elitsa YANKOVA (BUL) df. No.4 Valentina ISLAMOVA (RUS) via criteria, 8-8

55kg – Women’s Wrestling
GOLD: No. 2 @ 53 Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) df. No.14@ 53 Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) by TF, 12-1
BRONZE: No.8 Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) df. No.3 Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS), via criteria, 8-8
BRONZE: No.13 @ 60kg Natalya SYNYSHYN (AZE) v. Tetyana KIT (UKR) by TF, 10-0

Semifinals: No.14@ 53 Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) df. No.3 Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS), 6-4
Semifinals: No.2@ 53 Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) df. No.13 @ 60kg Natalya SYNYSHYN (AZE), 6-5

60kg – Women’s Wrestling
GOLD: No.8 @ 58 Marianna SASTIN (HUN) df. No.9 Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS), 7-0
BRONZE: Veranika IVANOVA (BLR) df. No.19 Giedre BLEKAITYTE (LTU) by FALL
BRONZE: No.4 Oksana HERHEL (UKR) df. No.8 Taybe YUSEIN (BUL), 5-4

Semifinals: No.9 Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS) df. No.19 Giedre BLEKAITYTE (LTU) by TF, 12-0
Semifinals: No.8 @ 58 Marianna SASTIN (HUN) df. No.4 Oksana HERHEL (UKR) by TF, 13-2

69kg – Women’s Wrestling
GOLD:  No.5 Alina MAKHINYA (UKR) df. Ilana KRATYSH (ISR), 7-3
BRONZE: No.1 Natalia VOROBIEVA (RUS) df. Maria Louiza VRYONI (GRE) by FALL
BRONZE: No.6 Aline FOCKEN (GER) df. No.10 Martina KUENZ (AUT) by FALL

Semifinals: Ilana KRATYSH (ISR) df. No.1 Natalia VOROBIEVA (RUS), 11-9
Semifinals: No.5 Alina MAKHINYA (UKR) df. No.6 Aline FOCKEN (GER), 4-1

Résultats des matchs

48kg – Lutte Féminine
OR: No.2 Mariya STADNYK (AZE) df. Elitsa YANKOVA (BUL) par SP, 12-1
BRONZE:  No.6 Iwona MATKOWSKA (POL) df. Julie SABATIE (FRA), 8-0
BRONZE: No.4 Valentina ISLAMOVA (RUS) df. Jaqueline SCHELLIN (GER) par SP, 11-1

Demi-finales: No.2 Mariya STADNYK (AZE) df. No.6 Iwona MATKOWSKA (POL) par tombé
Demi-finales: Elitsa YANKOVA (BUL) df. No.4 Valentina ISLAMOVA (RUS) sur critères, 8-8

55kg – Lutte Féminine
OR: No. 2 @ 53 Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) df. No.14@ 53 Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) par SP, 12-1
BRONZE: No.8 Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) df. No.3 Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS), sur critères, 8-8
BRONZE: No.13 @ 60kg Natalya SYNYSHYN (AZE) v. Tetyana KIT (UKR) par SP, 10-0

Demi-finales: No.14@ 53 Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) df. No.3 Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS), 6-4
Demi-finales: No.2@ 53 Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) df. No.13 @ 60kg Natalya SYNYSHYN (AZE), 6-5

60kg – Lutte Féminine
OR: No.8 @ 58 Marianna SASTIN (HUN) df. No.9 Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS), 7-0
BRONZE: Veranika IVANOVA (BLR) df. No.19 Giedre BLEKAITYTE (LTU) par tombé
BRONZE: No.4 Oksana HERHEL (UKR) df. No.8 Taybe YUSEIN (BUL), 5-4

Demi-finales: No.9 Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS) df. No.19 Giedre BLEKAITYTE (LTU) par SP, 12-0
Demi-finales: No.8 @ 58 Marianna SASTIN (HUN) df. No.4 Oksana HERHEL (UKR) par SP, 13-2

69kg – Lutte Féminine
OR:  No.5 Alina MAKHINYA (UKR) df. Ilana KRATYSH (ISR), 7-3
BRONZE: No.1 Natalia VOROBIEVA (RUS) df. Maria Louiza VRYONI (GRE) par tombé
BRONZE: No.6 Aline FOCKEN (GER) df. No.10 Martina KUENZ (AUT) par tombé

Demi-finales: Ilana KRATYSH (ISR) df. No.1 Natalia VOROBIEVA (RUS), 11-9
Demi-finales: No.5 Alina MAKHINYA (UKR) df. No.6 Aline FOCKEN (GER), 4-1