#DanKolov2019

Dan Kolov Women's Wrestling Preview

Wednesday, February 27, 2019 - 19:31 By Eric Olanowski

RUSE, Bulgaria (February 27) - Reigning world champions Petra OLLI (FIN), RONG Ningning (CHN), and Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) will wrestle at this week’s Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov tournament, United World Wrestling’s second freestyle and women's wrestling Ranking Series event of the 2019 season.

In addition to the three reigning world champions, there will be seven defending Dan Kolov gold medalists and 25 women who are ranked inside the top-15 that'll be competing for the all-important Ranking Series points.

Deepest Weight Class: 57kg
Without a doubt, the most loaded weight class of the tournament is 57kg. This weight features three of the four Budapest world medalists, including China's Rong Ningning and Bulgaria's Bilyana DUDOVA. The two wrestled each other for the Budapest gold medal, where Rong was victorious, 3-3, on criteria.

Rong earned the top-spot in Budapest and collected the No.1-ranking at 57kg with her 60 Ranking Series points. Dudova’s runner-up finish at the 2018 world championships gave her 50 Ranking Series points, which are good enough for the second ranking. India’s Pooja DHANDA (IND) is the third and final returning 57kg medalist entered at this weight. Dhanda is ranked No. 5 in the world and has 25 Ranking Series points.

In total, five top-10 wrestlers will compete at 57kg, with Grace BULLEN (NOR) and Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU) rounding out the ranked competitors.

Bullen jumped into the third spot in the world rankings with her 30 Ranking Series points after her fifth-place finish at worlds and bronze-medal finish at the Ivan Yariguin.

Though it didn’t count towards her Ranking Series points, Bullen does have a recent win over defending world champion Rong. Bullen used a last-second takedown to knock off Rong in the U23 finals to win her first world title. This win came just over a month after the 2018 Budapest World Championships.

Ranked Wrestlers
No. 1 Ningning RONG (CHN)
No. 2 Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL)
No. 3 Grace BULLEN (NOR)
No. 5 Pooja DHANDA (IND)
No. 6 Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU)

Yusein Looking for Back-To-Back Kolov Titles
After a tumultuous 13th-place finish at the Ivan Yariguin, reigning 62kg world champion Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) used the 2018 Dan Kolov as a turning point in her season. That 3-3 quarterfinal round loss to Russia’s Inna TRAZHUKOVA at the Ivan Yariguin sparked something inside of the Bulgarian that ignited one of the most impressive runs in the world across all divisions.

After that January defeat, Yusein didn’t drop another match and went on to have gold-medal performances at the Yasar Dogu, the Ion Corneanu & Ladislau Simon Memorial and, the world championships.

Yusein is the No.1 ranked wrestler in the world at 62kg and has 60 Ranking Series points.

Ranked Wrestlers
No. 1 Taybe YUSEIN (BUL)
No. 4 Mallory Maxine VELTE (USA)
No. 5 Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR)
No. 11 Malin MATTSSON (SWE)

Olli One of Three World Champions Entered
Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) is one of the three defending world champions that’ll be wrestling in Ruse. Olli defeated Canada’s Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN), 6-5, in the 65kg world-title bout to become Finland’s first-ever women’s wrestling world champion.

Olli will wrestle at 65kg where she’s the No.1 ranked wrestler in the world. She brings 60 Ranking Series points into the Dan Kolov.

The only ranked opponent she could face this weekend is third-ranked Forrest MOLINARI (USA). Molinari, who’s ranked third in the world, lost in the bronze-medal match at the 2018 world championships and 2019 Ivan Yariguin. She has 28 Ranking Series points.

Ranked Wrestlers
No. 1 Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN)
No. 3 Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA)

Pair of Returning Champions Entered at 53kg and 68kg
Two weight classes feature a total of four defending Dan Kolov champions. They are 53kg and 68kg.

Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) and Roksana ZASINA (POL) won the 53kg and 55kg Dan Kolov titles respectively last season – but only one will have the opportunity to win the 53kg title.

Krawczyk was Poland’s world team representative at 53kg in 2018, but Zasina will be dropping back down to 53kg where she’s welcomed the most success of her career. While at 53kg, Zasina finished with a bronze medal at the world championships– the only one of her career.

Meanwhile, Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) and Agnieszka WIESZCZEK KORDUS (POL) also won a pair of Kolov titles last year and find themselves in the same weight. Hanzlickova and Wieszczek Kordus will compete at 68kg.

Hanzlickova will be moving up from her 2018 championship weight of 65kg, while Wieszczek Kordus will be stepping down from her 72kg Kolov title-winning weight.

Ranked Wrestlers at 53kg
No. 2 Sarah Ann HILDEBRANDT (USA)
No. 3 Qianyu PANG (CHN)
No. 6 Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL)

Ranked Wrestlers at 68kg
No. 4 Feng ZHOU (CHN)
No. 5 Tamyra Mariama MENSAH (USA)

Two World Finalists Entered at 55kg and 76kg
There are two world finalists that are entered at 55kg and 76kg.

Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR) and Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) are the only two ranked wrestlers competing at 55kg, and they're the only two wrestlers who’ve previously reached a world final.

SIdakova is coming off her first world finals appearance where she fell short against Japan’s Mayu Mukaida, while Mattsson has reached the world finals five times. The Swedish wrestler captured the 2009 world title but dropped her other four world finals matches.

SIdakova holds 40 Rankings Series points and is the second-ranked wrestler in the world at 55kg. Mattsson, who left Budapest with a seventh-place finish, is ranked No. 7 in the world with 18 Ranking Series points.

The second weight class that’ll feature a pair of past world finalists is 76kg.

Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER) and Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR) fell short in the world finals two seasons ago but failed to medal at last year’s world championships.

Focken won two matches before falling to the eventual third-place finisher and Rio Olympic champion Erica WIEBE (CAN) in the quarterfinals and had settled for eighth place. The German wrestler bounced back at the Ivan Yariguin and won the bronze medal, helping her take control of the third spot in the world ranking with 28 Ranking Series points

After a silver-medal finish in Paris, Marzaliuk lost her first match in Budapest to Hungary’s Zsanett NEMETH and dropped down to 14th place. The tenth-ranked Belarusian wrestler rebounded at the Ivan Yariguin and collected 14 Ranking Series after a second-place finish.

Ranked Wrestlers at 55kg
No. 2 Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR)
No. 7 Sofia MATTSSON (SWE)

Ranked Wrestlers at 76kg
No. 5 Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER)
No. 10 Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR)

Sun Looking for Second Gold of the Year
China’s Rio Olympic and 2018 world bronze medalist Yanan SUN (CHN) will make her second appearance of the year. Last weekend, she wrestled her way to a 50kg Klippan Lady Open title in Sweden.

The Chinese star is the highest ranked 50kg wrestler that’s entered into the Dan Kolov. She owns 25 Ranking Series points and is ranked third in the world behind Japan’s two-time world champion Yui SUSAKI and two-time Olympic medalist Mariya STADNIK (AZE).

Ranked Wrestlers
No. 3 Yanan SUN (CHN)
No. 8 Fredrika PETERSSON
No. 13 Victoria ANTHONY
No. 14 Dauletbike YAKHSHIMURATOVA

Ranking Series Point Structure (Placement Points + Entry Points = Total Points)

Placement Points
GOLD - 8 points
SILVER - 6 points
BRONZE - 4 points
BRONZE - 4 points
Fifth - 2 points
Fifth - 2 points

Entry Points
10 or less entries - 6 points
11-20 entries - 8 points
20 or more entries - 10 points

SCHEDULE

February 27 (Wednesday)
16:30 - Draw - FS - 61, 70, 79, 92kg; GR - 55, 63, 72, 82kg; WW - 55, 59, 65, 72kg

February 28 (Thursday)
8:00 - Medical examination and weigh-in 1 - FS - 61, 70, 79, 92kg; GR (+2 kg) - 55, 63, 72, 82kg; WW - 55, 59, 65, 72kg
10:00 - Elimination rounds - FS - 61, 70, 79, 92kg; GR - 55, 63, 72, 82kg; WW - 55, 59, 65, 72kg
16:00 - Draw - FS - 57, 65, 74; GR-87 ,97, 130; WW - 62 ,68 ,76kg
16:30 - Opening ceremony
17:00 - Semifinals FS - 61, 70, 79, 92kg; GR - 55, 63, 72, 82kg; WW - 55, 59, 65, 72kg

March 1 (Friday)
8:00 - Medical examination and weigh-in 1 - FS - 57, 65, 74; GR (+ 2 kg) - 87, 97, 130; WW - 62, 68, 76kg
8: 30 - Weigh-in 2 FS - 61,70,79, 92 kg; GR (+ 2 kg) - 55,63,72,82 kg; WW - 55,59,65, 72 kg Referee meeting
10: 00 - Elimination rounds FS - 57, 65, 74; GR - 87, 97, 130; WW - 62, 68, 76 kg
10: 00 - Repechages FS - 61, 70, 79, 92kg; GR - 55, 63, 72, 82kg; WW - 55, 59, 65, 72kg
16: 30 - Draw - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR - 60, 67, 77kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg
17: 00 - Semi-finals FS - 57, 65, 74; GR - 87, 97, 130; WW - 62, 68, 76kg
18:00 - Final matches and awarding ceremony - FS - 61,70,79, 92kg; GR - 55, 63, 72, 82kg; WW - 55, 59, 65, 72kg

March 2 (Satuday)
8:00 - Medical examination and weigh-in 1 - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR (+ 2 kg) - 60, 67, 77 kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg
8:30: - Weigh-in 2 - FS - 57, 65, 74; GR (+ 2 kg) - 87, 97, 130; WW - 62, 68, 76kg
10: 00 - Elimination rounds - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR - 60, 67, 77 kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg
10:00 - Repechages - FS - 57, 65, 74; GR - 87, 97, 130; WW - 62, 68, 76kg
17:00 - Semifinals - FS 86, 97, 125kg;GR - 60, 67, 77 kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg
18: 00 - Final matches and awarding ceremony - FS - 57, 65, 74; GR - 87, 97, 130; WW - 62, 68, 76kg

March 3 (Sunday)
8:00 - Weigh-in 2 - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR (+ 2 kg) - 60, 67, 77kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg
Repechages - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR (+ 2 kg) - 60, 67, 77 kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg
Final matches and awarding ceremony - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR - 60, 67, 77 kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg

#WrestleBudapest

Budapest Ranking Series 2026: Greco-Roman Storylines to Watch

Monday, July 13, 2026 - 09:20 By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 13) -- Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Russia, Turkiye, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan are among the countries bringing full Greco-Roman squads for the Budapest Wrestling Ranking Series, scheduled from July 15 to 19.

Among the many stars and storylines that will be played out in Budapest, a few will be under extra spotlight. Here's what to watch in Greco-Roman at the final Ranking Series stop for the year:

Evloev Returns After 5 Years

Musa EVLOEV (RUS) was among the best wrestlers in the world and he confirmed that by winning the 97kg Greco-Roman gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. A two-time world champion, Evloev was at the peak of his career from 2018 to 2021.

After losing to legend Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) at the 2017 World Championships, Evloev went on an unbeaten run. He defeated Aleksayan in the 2018 World Championships final, 2020 Individual World Cup and the Tokyo final.

However, Evloev has not competed since. He made his comeback at the Benur Pashayan Memorial held in Armenia, but lost his first bout, 3-2, to U23 world champion Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM).

In Budapest, Evloev would be keen on addressing his shortcomings and getting used to competing, especially under new Greco-Roman rules.

In addition to Khloyan, world bronze medalist Arif NIFTULLAYEV (AZE), two German young stars Darius KIEFER (GER) and Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER), European medalist Alex SZOKE (HUN), Asian silver medalist NITESH (IND), former U20 world champion Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ), and Olympic bronze medalist Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) are also in the entries.

Uzbekistan's Top Team

Uzbekistan is bringing a strong squad to Budapest led by world champion Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB). Since winning the 63kg gold last year, Khalmakhanov has moved up to 67kg and won the Zagreb Open and U23 Asian Championships.

He will now face the 67kg field in Budapest that includes European medalist Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM), U23 world champion Mohamed ABDELREHIM (EGY), European medalist Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO), among others.

World silver medalist Alisher GANIEV (UZB) is also in a tough bracket at 60kg. Olympic medalist Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) will be at 60kg after a stint at 63kg at the Ulaabaatar Open in which he lost a group bout but still won gold.

Elmir ALIYEV (AZE) and Nihad GULUZADE (AZE) both will be tough opponents for Ganiev, who is be joined by compatriot Mehroj BAKHRAMOV (UZB). Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (RUS) and Sadyk LALAEV (RUS) too, can cause trouble.

Uzbekistan, perhaps to select teams for the World Championships and the Asian Games, have entered two wrestlers in almost all weights. At 77kg, world medalist Abdullo ALIEV (UZB) and Asian medalist Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB) will be up against some big names.

Former U20 world champion Moustafa ALAMELDIN (EGY) has moved up to 77kg while age-group world champion Anri PUTKARADZE (GEO) will be making his senior debut. Hungary has entered three wrestlers, Robert FRITSCH (HUN), Levente LEVAI (HUN) and Zoltan LEVAI (HUN), making the field even deeper.

Others at 77kg include Idris IBAEV (GER), Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA), Ali ARSALAN (SRB) and Joel ADAMS (USA).

Can Cengiz Challenge?

Since finishing 10th at the Paris Olympics, former world champion Ali CENGIZ (TUR) has not been competing. He will mark his return in Budapest at 87kg, but can he challenge the young field after his two-year absence?

Asian champion Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) will be his biggest test apart from the three Hungarian hammers Tamas LEVAI (HUN), Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) and Istvan TAKACS (HUN).

Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) is also entered in the bracket and can make a run to the gold medal on his day.

Battles Everywhere

At 82kg, Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) will be up against old nemesis Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), the Paris Olympic silver medalist who shattered Makhmudov's dreams of winning a gold medal.

Asian champion and Qatar history-maker Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) at 82kg will be among the wrestlers eyeing gold in Budapest. A win here will make him one of the favorites to win gold in Astana. Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) is also entered.

Kerem KAMAL (TUR) will have his task cut out at 63kg against Asian champion Aftandil TAALAIBEK UULU (KGZ), European champion Sergey EMELIN (RUS) and Zhambolat LOKYAEV (RUS), who will also wrestle for the first time since 2021.

At 130kg, most countries have gone with two wrestlers. Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) and Darius VITEK (HUN) are medal contenders at home. Kazakhstan has gone with Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ) and Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ).

Former European champion Sergei SEMENOV (RUS) is back and will battle youngster Marat KAMPAROV (RUS) as both seek places on Russia's World Championships team. The United States has gone with three wrestlers, Aden ATTAO (USA), Adam COON (USA) and Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA).