Chudyk Leads as Ukraine Captures Three Gold at #WrestleDortmund

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

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 Dortmund Melisa 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

#WrestleBaku

Vyshnyvetskyi, Hasanli avenge losses to rivals, reach U23 European finals

Monday, May 20, 2024 - 16:24 By United World Wrestling Press

BAKU, Azerbaijan (May 20) -- The last time Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) faced Muhammet BAKIR (TUR), it ended in a bruising defeat that also deprived him of a world title. On Monday, he avenged that loss. And in doing so, the Greco-Roman wrestler has given himself a chance to defend his U23 European Championship crown in the 130kg category.

The first day of the continental age-group championship in Baku saw the third installment in a little more than a year of the riveting rivalry between two of the finest U23 wrestlers in this weight category.

When they met in the semifinals of the U23 European Championship in March 2023, Vyshnyvetskyi prevailed over his Turkish opponent in what turned out to be a lopsided bout. When the duo faced off later that year at the U23 World Championship, Bakir returned the favor in style, defeating his nemesis in the gold medal bout.

So, when the draws were out for the Greco-Roman bouts, it was hardly a surprise that the re-match between Vyshnyvetskyi and Bakir was one of the most anticipated matches of the day. And it lived up to the hype, although not in a way Bakir would have liked.

Vyshnyvetskyi beat his Turkish opponent 9-1 to advance to the final. Bakir had his chance when he got the par terre advantage in the first period but Vyshnyvetskyi stood up. Bakir was trying to lock his arms around the Ukrainian when Vyshnyvetskyi hit a four-pointer grabbing one of Bakir's arms. Turkiye challenged but to no avail, adding one more point to Vyshnyvetskyi's score for the lost challenge.

Vyshnyvetskyi used another four-pointer when the two were in a bear-hug position to finish the bout 9-1 in two minutes and 13 seconds.

It was a day when the Ukrainian wrestler hardly had to break a sweat. He began with a 2-1 win over Marcel ALBINI (CZE) in the qualification round, then pinned Dominik KRAWCZYK (POL) after leading 12-1 in the quarterfinals before he got the job done against Bakir in the last-four round.

Vyshnyvetskyi will take on Koppany LASZLO (HUN) in the final. The 18-year-old from Hungary got the better of Dmitrii BABORYKO (AIN) to reach Tuesday's gold medal match.

Khasay HASANLI (AZE) tries to score on Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) in the 77kg semifinal at the U23 European Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

This wasn't the only bout on Monday that had a gripping backstory and ended with one of the wrestlers getting his revenge.

In the 77kg weight class, Khasay HASANLI (AZE) stunned the reigning world and European U23 champion Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) 7-0 to set up a final encounter with Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR).

Like Vyshnyvetskyi and Bakir, this was part three of the rivalry between Hasanli and Gutu. In fact, it was a rivalry only on paper as the Moldovan wrestler had defeated his Azerbaijani opponent twice. On both those occasions, it was in the finals: in the U23 European Championships last year, Gutu won 6-3 and at the U23 Worlds later, he won the gold with a 3-1 win.

Competing in front of his home crowd, the 22-year-old didn't concede a single point as he turned the tables in style. In the semifinal against Gutu, Hasanli got the par terre position and scored two points for a correct throw. Gutu was docked two caution points for committing a defensive foul and was put in par terre. Hasanli did not make any big moves but Gutu was cautioned again for a leg foul, ending the bout due to his two cautions.

Hasanli wasn't the only one with a chance to win a gold medal in front of his own supporters. In the 63kg category, Ziya BABASHOV (AZE) beat Abere FETENE (ISR) 5-3 to give himself a fighting chance of winning a title, when he faces off against the U23 World and European Championships bronze medallist Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA).

Babashov, a 2022 senior European Championship silver medallist, began with a convincing 4-1 win over Mairbek SALIMOV (POL) and followed it up with another comfortable victory, this time over Talibsho KHAIBARAU (AIN).

The march to the final marks an improvement for Babashov, who made exits in the round of 16 at the U23 European and World Championships in 2023. However, in Eriomenco, he faces a formidable opponent, who gave up just two points en route to the final.

Meanwhile, in the 55 kg category, Adam ULBASHEV (AIN) upset defending champion Denis MIHAI (ROU) 3-2 in a close quarterfinal bout. However, he later lost 6-5 to Emre MUTLU (TUR) in the semifinals in an equally tough encounter.

Mutlu, the European Championship gold medallist in 2022, will wrestle Giorgi TOKHADZE (GEO) for the gold medal on Tuesday. Tokhadze beat Ivan STEFANSKYI (UKR) 13-4 in his first bout and followed it up with a commanding 8-0 win over Rashad MAMMADOV (AIN).

In the 87kg class, Aues GONIBOV (AIN) will take on Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) in the final. Gonibov did not concede a single point on his way to the gold medal bout. He started with a 9-0 win over Nikolaos IOSIFIDIS (GRE) and then defeated former U23 world champion Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) 3-0 in the quarterfinals. In the semis, he got the better of Samet YALDIRAN (TUR) 2-0.

Bolkvadze's road to the final was a little more complicated, as he had to overcome stiff competition posed by Ilya MIALESHCHYK (AIN) before beating him 8-4 and sealing his spot in the title round.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Emre MUTLU (TUR) vs. Giorgi TOKHADZE (GEO)

SF 1: Giorgi TOKHADZE (GEO) df. Rashad MAMMADOV (AZE), 8-0
SF 2: Emre MUTLU (TUR) df. Adam ULBASHEV (AIN), 6-5

63kg
GOLD: Ziya BABASHOV (AZE) vs. Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA)

SF 1: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) df. Aleksandr ANDREEV (AIN), via fall (2-2
SF 2: Ziya BABASHOV (AZE) df. Abere FETENE (ISR), 5-3

77kg
GOLD: Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR) vs. Khasay HASANLI (AZE)

SF 1: Khasay HASANLI (AZE) df. Alexandrin GUTU (MDA), via cautions (7-0)
SF 2: Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR) df. Attila TOESMAGI (HUN), 5-2

87kg
GOLD: Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) vs. Aues GONIBOV (AIN)

SF 1: Aues GONIBOV (AIN) df. Samet YALDIRAN (TUR), 2-0
SF 2: Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Ilya MIALESHCHYK (AIN), 8-4

130kg
GOLD: Koppany LASZLO (HUN) vs. Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR)

SF 1: Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) df. Muhammet BAKIR (TUR), 9-1
SF 2: Koppany LASZLO (HUN) df. Dmitrii BABORYKO (AIN), 1-1

Chudyk Leads as Ukraine Captures Three Gold at #WrestleDortmund

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Vyshnyvetskyi, Hasanli avenge losses to rivals, reach U23 European finals