#WrestleDortmund

Chudyk Leads as Ukraine Captures Three Gold at #WrestleDortmund

Thursday, July 1, 2021 - 14:35 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

DORTMUND, Germany (July 1) --- Ukraine women made a stunning start to their campaign at the junior European Championships in Dortmund, Germany as they won five medals on Thursday. After entering four in the finals and one in the bronze medal bout, three returned with gold, one with silver and remaining one with a bronze medal.

Five women's weight categories – 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg and 76kg -- had their medal bouts Thursday at the Helmut-Körnig Halle which is out of bounds for the spectators.

Led by U23 European champion Oksana CHUDYK (UKR), Ukraine's gold rush took them to top spot in the title race. They have 110 points, 30 more than second place Russia.

Chudyk began from where she had left at the U23 Euros in Skopje, North Macedonia in May. Over her three bouts in Dortmund, she gave up only one point, outscoring her opponents 22-1. In the final against local wrestler Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER), Chudyk started on a slow note with no wrestler breaking the tie for the first minute.

But once the Ukrainian found an opening, she scored via snap downs and counters, leading 4-0 at the break. Schaegle tried to lunge and reach for Chudyk's leg on multiple occasions but the latter was smart enough to keep the distance. The lead had doubled to 8-0 with 34 seconds to go in the bout and she finished with a takedown on the edge to win 10-0.

The two-time cadet world bronze medalist added to her cadet European and junior European title which she had won in 2018.

Aleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) df Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN)Aleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) celebrates after beating Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN) in the 55kg final in Dortmund. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Another cadet world medalist and European champion Yulia LESKOVETS (UKR) captured the gold medal at the 59kg weight class. Leskovets, a silver medal at the 2019 cadet Worlds, had to work hard for the gold against Anna SZEL (HUN), also a silver medalist at cadet Worlds in 2018.

Szel looked set for her first junior Euro title as she led 4-2 going into the final minute of the bout. She won the first point for Leskovets' passivity and then a double leg along with a warning for the Ukrainian made it 4-2. But Leskovets kept the pressure up and got a takedown before exposing Szel with a bent leg turk to make it 6-4.

She held on to that lead till the end of the time to win the gold medal. Szel was visibly dejected having given up the lead in the final minute and finish with a silver for the second time at the junior continental event.

The hat-trick of gold included a stunning pin from Aleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) in the 55kg final against Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN). This was the first of the two Ukraine-Hungary finals.

Khomenets had a dominant run in Dortmund as she won her two bouts via fall and the semifinal against Anastasia IANDUSHKINA (RUS) 10-0 before pinning the Hungarian.

Ukraine could have had their fourth gold medal but 2020 Individual World Cup silver medalist Liliya MALANCHUK (UKR) suffered a defeat at the hands of Polina LUKINA (RUS) in just two minutes.

Polina LUKINA (RUS) df Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR)Polina LUKINA (RUS) celebrates after winning 50kg gold medal in Dortmund. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Silver medalist at the 2018 cadet World Championships, Lukina countered a Malanchuk attack to get a takedown and then exposed her to lead 4-2, having given up a double leg early in the bout. But her moment came when she got the Ukrainian in a fix close to the danger zone and after a long struggle managed to pin her back to the mat.

Malanchuk had a dream run as she won her bouts without given up a point. She won two bout via technical superiority and one via fall before suffering the defeat in the final.

The final gold medal of the day was captured by Melisa SARITAC (TUR) as she hammered Daniela TKACHUK (POL) 11-0 in the 76kg final.

While the Polish wrestler tried hard to get her attacks going, she was outpowered by Saritac with the difference in strength given the Turkish wrestler the advantage.

All the points scored by Saritac were on counter attacks. She got five different takedowns in the bout plus a point for Poland's lost challenge.

The Ukrainian at this weight, Maria ORLEVICH (UKR) defeated Carla LERA CELDA (ESP) to win the bronze medal, ending a five-out-of-five day for her country.

Ukraine will look to maintain their perfect record on Friday as the remaining five of their wrestlers entered the finals, confirming atleast a silver medal.

Wrestling will continue with Greco-Roman action beginning in five weight categories apart from the women's wrestling medal bouts in Dortmund.

European Championships Junior DortmundMelisa SARITAC (TUR) won the gold medal at 76kg in Dortmund. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

RESULTS WW

50kg
GOLD: Polina LUKINA (RUS) df Liliya MALANCHUK (UKR), via fall

BRONZE: Georgiana ANTUCA (ROU) df Gabija DILYTE (LTU), 5-2
BRONZE: Zehra DEMIRHAN (TUR) df Natallia VARAKINA (TUR), 5-0

55kg
GOLD: Aleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) df Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN), via fall

BRONZE: Anastasia IANDUSHKINA (RUS) df Elena IONESCU (ROU), via fall
BRONZE: Melda DERNEKCI (TUR) df Viktoryia VOLK (BLR), 12-1

59kg
GOLD: Yulia LESKOVETS (UKR) df Anna SZEL (HUN), 6-4

BRONZE: Anastasia SIDELNIKOVA (RUS) df Selvi ILYASOGLU (TUR), 10-0
BRONZE: Aleksandra WITOS (POL) df Agnes NYGREN (SWE), 10-0

68kg
GOLD: Oksana CHUDYK (UKR) df Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER), 10-0

BRONZE: Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (RUS) df Nesrin BAS (TUR), via fall
BRONZE: Alina MIKLASHEUSKAYA (BLR) df Patrycja SLOMSKA (POL), 3-3

76kg
GOLD: Melisa SARITAC (TUR) df Daniela TKACHUK (POL), 11-0

BRONZE: Maria ORLEVYCH (UKR) df Carla LERA CELDA (ESP), via fall
BRONZE: Kseniya DZIBUK (BLR) df Maria SILINA (RUS), 5-2

#WomensWrestling

'Women who fight are strong and beautiful': How wrestlers have broken barriers, one takedown at a time

Saturday, March 8, 2025 - 06:03 By United World Wrestling Press

Share this article

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (March 8) -- They come from the gleaming futuristic city that is Tokyo to an ancient Moldovan hamlet; the American suburbs to the rustic Indian villages. They belong to diverse backgrounds, different cultures and have undertaken contrasting journeys from obscurity to the top.

It doesn’t matter if you are Nonoka OZAKI (JPN), Anastasia NICHITA (MDA), Amit ELOR (USA) or ANTIM (IND). One thing binds them all.

At every step, they were told: “Wrestling isn't for girls.” Taunted and heckled for cutting their hair short and playing a ‘man’s sport’, they shattered stereotypes and broke barriers one takedown at a time. Today, they are role models for wrestlers not just in their respective countries but beyond borders.

“Every time I was told that wrestling isn’t for girls, I thought, "I'll prove them wrong. Gender has nothing to do with strength,” two-time world champion Ozaki says.

Elor adds: “Every time I felt doubted or like I didn’t belong, it only made me work harder to prove them wrong. I love showing that women are just as tough, skilled, and capable as anyone else on the mat.”

For some, discrimination started at home. Antim -- Hindi for ‘last’ -- got her name because her family hoped she would be the last girl child. Antim grew up to land an ever-lasting punch to patriarchy with her exploits on the mat, which have contributed to the changing mindset towards women in her village in Northern India.

Thousands of miles away, Nichita faced similar struggles. Growing up in Tataresti, Moldova, Nichita was told by her family not to wrestle, as it wasn’t ‘meant for girls’. “But I loved this sport so much that I didn’t pay attention to what others were saying. When you do something with your heart, something you truly love, it doesn’t matter what others think,” she says.

Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA)Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) is the Olympic champion at 50kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Empowerment and self-belief

Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) insists wrestling ‘empowered’ her ‘confidence and self-belief because its lessons and processes’ gave her the opportunity to ‘combine things like strength and grace, logic and intuition, deliberateness and flow…and endless other dualities’.

Hildebrandt won the gold medal in the 50 kg weight class at last year’s Paris Olympics. It was a classic redemption for her, having missed out on the gold medal in a cruel manner at the Tokyo Olympics. And on her way to the top of the podium in Paris, Hildebrandt showcased her wide-ranging skills, which she says also help her in everyday life.

"Through that, I’ve gotten to learn just who I am and challenge myself not only to grow through wrestling but also to express who I’ve uncovered. To feel confidence because what I uncover is authentically ME," Hildebrandt says. "It’s given me identity- not through accolade or achievement but through my process and the values I sharpen as I work toward those achievements. I can apply these lessons and skills to all areas of my life. It’s invaluable."

Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN)Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN) is a two-time Olympian from Tunisia. (Photo: United World Wrestling /Amirreza Aliasgari)

Teenage prodigy Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN) agrees that wrestling is a great source of 'confidence and patience', which help them in daily life. "It might not be easy to be a woman wrestler in a male-dominated society but with love for the wrestling and passion rooted in our hearts, no one can stop us," the two-time Olympian says.

Hildebrandt is conscious that the sport will test them in ‘countless ways’. “Being a woman in this sport is an additional test at times. But a woman wrestler is not deterred by those tests. They recognize the power the lessons in wrestling hold,” the American wrestler says. “The vulnerability required to step on the mat is exactly why it is the greatest sport in the world and a woman wrestler is a woman who craves that so they can discover just who they are.”

Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)Paris Olympic silver medalist at 57kg Anastasia NICHITA (MDA). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Indeed, the challenges for a wrestler extend beyond the mat. For Nichita, the constant injuries pegged her back but she braved them to finish second on the podium in the French capital last year.

"The biggest obstacle I had to overcome was injuries. Throughout my career, I’ve had to push through many injuries—knees, shoulders, back, ribs—but it was all worth it for the sake of my dream and my love for wrestling,” Nichita says.

Eventually, love for the sport is what keeps them going.

For Ozaki, wrestling is a way to best express herself. “Women who fight are strong and beautiful,” she says. “You can see this by watching women’s wrestling.”

Elor dreams that ‘women’s wrestling continues to grow worldwide, with more opportunities, more support, and more respect.’

As the new Olympic cycle gains momentum, the wrestlers are resetting their targets and evolving their training plans. Nichita, for one, hopes to covert her Paris silver into gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics gold medal. ”I know it will be very difficult,” she says. “But after everything I’ve been through, nothing scares me anymore.

But amidst her personal goals, she hasn’t lost the sight of the bigger picture: “I will continue to prove that wrestling is not just for boys."