#WrestleNoviSad

Four Russian Women Punch Tickets to Day Four Finals

By Eric Olanowski

NOVI SAD, Serbia (March 6) – Russian women won four of five semifinal matches, qualifying a quartet of wrestlers for Thursday night’s U23 European championship women’s wrestling finals.

The four Russian women who will compete for gold on Thursday night (18:00 local time) are Nadezhda SOKOLOVA, Viktoriia VAULINA, Khanum VELIEVA, and Daria SHISTEROVA. 

At 50kg, Russia’s Sokolova threw Turkan NASIROVA (AZE) to her back early in the first period and scored the fall, locking up her first European finals appearance since her 2016 title-winner performance. 

She’ll wrestle 2018 world bronze medalist Oksana LIVACH (UKR) in the 50kg gold-medal bout. To reach the finals, Livach shutout Poland’s Katarzyna KAMINSKA, 10-0, and locked up her spot in the finals. The Ukranian wrestler led 4-0 in her semifinals match against Kaminska before closing the match out with a takedown and a pair of leg laces. 

Russia’s second finalist is Viktoriia Vaulina. Vaulina was up 8-0, but surrendered six straight points to her German opponent and only led 8-6. A late headlock for the Russian increased her lead by four points and pushed her into the finals with a 12-6 victory. 

She’ll have to defeat Turkey’s Eda TEKIN to take the home 55kg gold medal. Tekin trailed 4-1 with under 20 seconds left when she picked up a takedown and an exposure, stealing the match, 5-4. 

Four-time age-group world champion Khanum Velieva is the third Russian competing for a Day 4 gold medal. Velieva used three takedowns and a step out to score the 7-0 shutout over Ukraine’s Alina RUDNYTSKA LEVYTSKA in her semifinals match. 

Velieva will wrestle Natalia STRZALKA (POL) for the 68kg gold medal. 

Strzalka scored nine unanswered second-period points after trailing 4-0 and grabbed the 9-4 victory over Yauheniya ANDREICHYKAVA (BLR). 

Russia’s remaining semifinal winner was Daria Shisterova, who led 1-0 but had to capitalize on a pair defensive of takedowns in the second period to defeat Romana VOVCHAK (UKR), 5-2. 

She’ll take on Turkey’s Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR) in tomorrow’s finals. Ozbege shutout Italy’s Enrica RINALDI (ITA), 9-0, to reach her first European finals. 

The lone weight not featuring a Russian finalist is 59kg. 

Moldova’s Anastasia NICHITA will meet Ukraine’s Anhelina LYSAK in the 59kg gold-medal match.   

Nichita only needed a little over a minute to pick up the 10-0 technical superiority victory over Russia’s Zelfira SADRADDINOVA to lock up a spot in the finals.

Her finals opponent Lysak trampled Emma Margareta JOHANSSON (SWE), 12-1 in her semifinals bout. 

Thursday’s finals begin at 18:00 (local time) and can be watched live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS
50kg 
GOLD - Oksana LIVACH (UKR) df. Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RUS) 
SEMIFINAL - Oksana LIVACH (UKR) df. Katarzyna KAMINSKA (POL), 10-0 
SEMIFINAL - Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RUS) df. Turkan NASIROVA (AZE), via fall 

55kg
GOLD - Eda TEKIN (TUR) vs. Viktoriia VAULINA (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Eda TEKIN (TUR) df. Sezen BELBEROVA (BUL), 5-4 
SEMIFINAL - Viktoriia VAULINA (RUS) df. Ellen RIESTERER (GER), 12-6 

59kg 
GOLD - Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) vs. Anhelina LYSAK (UKR)
SEMIFINAL - Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) df. Zelfira SADRADDINOVA (RUS), 10-0
SEMIFINAL - Anhelina LYSAK (UKR) df. Emma Margareta JOHANSSON (SWE), 12-1 

68kg 
GOLD - Natalia  STRZALKA (POL) vs. Khanum VELIEVA (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Natalia STRZALKA (POL) df. Yauheniya ANDREICHYKAVA (BLR), 9-4 

SEMIFINAL - Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) df. Alina RUDNYTSKA LEVYTSKA (UKR), 7-0 

76kg
GOLD - Daria SHISTEROVA (RUS) vs. Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR)
SEMIFINAL - Daria SHISTEROVA (RUS) df. Romana VOVCHAK (UKR), 5-2 
SEMIFINAL - Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR) df. Enrica RINALDI (ITA), 9-0 

#WrestleBaku

European Paris 2024 Freestyle Qualification Bouts Set

By United World Wrestling Press

BAKU, Azerbaijan (April 7) -- The final day of the European OG Qualifier in Baku, Azerbaijan with 12 Freestyle quotas to be won for the Paris Olympics. Wrestlers who finish top two in the six weight classes will qualify their countries for the the Games.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 2 REPORT

Paris Olympic Qualification Bout Set

 

57kg
Vladimir EGOROV (MKD) vs. Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE)
Georgi VANGELOV (BUL) vs. Aryan TSIUTRYN (AIN)

65kg
Maxim SACULTAN (MDA) vs. Goderdzi DZEBISASHVILI (GEO)
Haji ALIYEV (AZE) vs. Islam DUDAEV (ALB)

74kg
Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) vs. Frank CHAMIZO (ITA)
Magomedkhabib KADIMAGOMEDOV (AIN) vs. Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK)

86kg
Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) vs. Artur NAIFONOV (AIN)
Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR) vs. Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE)

97kg
Alikhan ZHABRAILOV (AIN) vs. Illia ARCHAIA (UKR)
Radoslaw BARAN (POL) vs. Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (AIN)

125kg
Kamil KOSCIOLEK (POL) vs. Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (AIN)
Alen KHUBULOV (BUL) vs. Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE)

14:15: Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) puts himself in the 86kg semifinal with a 6-2 win over Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL). Nurmagomedov led 4-0 when Ramazanov scored a takedown and tried to turn Nurmagomedov who blocked Ramazanov during the turn and got two more points.

14:05: Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) fails to break Artur NAIFONOV (AIN) defense and suffers a 2-1 loss against Naifonov who has dominated Kurugliev. Naifonov will wrestle for the Paris Olympic quota while Kurguliev will have to fight it out in Istanbul.

13:55: Magomedkhabib KADIMAGOMEDOV (AIN) and Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) put on a show. The two wrestlers scrambled for the lead and on the mat but it was Kadimagomedov who managed to beat Demirtas 6-1. He will take on Salkazanov for a place in Paris Olympics

13:50: Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) survives an attempted pin from Miroslav KIROV (BUL) as the clock expires for the break. Kirov leads 3-1 with two minutes remaining. A stepout for Salkazanov to cut the lead to 3-2. Another one makes it 3-3 with Kirov holding criteria. With 25 seconds remaining, Salkazanov manages to push Kirov out and takes a 4-3 lead and the win at 74kg.

13:40: Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) with a 2-0 victory to enter the semifinals at 74kg. He will take on Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) to win a spot for the Paris Olympics.

13:15: Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE) with a solid 6-0 win over Suleyman ATLI (TUR) at 57kg to move into the semifinals. Tokyo Olympian Georgi VANGELOV (BUL) pins Kamil KERYMOV (UKR)

13:00: Haji ALIYEV (AZE) hangs on! He moves into the 65kg semifinals with a 4-2 win over Niurgun SKRIABIN (AIN). The National Gymnastics Arena here in Baku is overjoyed with that.

12:45: Artur NAIFONOV (AIN) and Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) post contrasting wins in their 1/8 finals at 86kg. Naifonov beats  Ivars SAMUSONOKS (LAT) 10-0 while Kurguliev wins 2-0 against Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL). Naifonov and Kurguliev will clash in the quarterfinals.

12:30: Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) wins 11-0 over Aron CANEVA (ITA) at 86kg. On Mat C, Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) beats Osman GOCEN (TUR) 9-3 at 86kg. A big win for the Georgian wrestler who is moving up from 79kg.

12:10: Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) continues the winning start for Azerbaijan wrestlers by winning 10-0 at 74kg. Bayramov took only two minutes and 10 seconds to beat Tobias PORTMANN (SUI).

12:00: Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) marches on at 74kg. He beats Simon MARCHL (AUT) 7-1 to make his place in the quarterfinal.

11:40: Alikhan ZHABRAILOV (AIN), who replaced Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN), for Baku, starts with a 12-2 win over Benjamin HONIS (HUN) at 97kg.

11:35: Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE) entertains the home crowd with a technical superiority 11-0 win over Simone PIRODDU (ITA) at 57kg. Azerbaijan wrestlers are unbeaten so far in Baku

11:25: European champion Islam DUDAEV (ALB) begins his 65kg campaign with a 10-0 win over Dominik JAGUSZ (POL). He will wrestle Joshua FINESILVER (ISR) next

11:10: Two-time Olympic medalist Haji ALIYEV (AZE) felt the burn in the final minute but he does well to keep Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA) at bay and win 5-2 at 65kg. On Mat A, Erik ARUSHUNIAN (UKR) beats Andre CLARKE (GER) 7-1 at 65kg. 

11:00: Artur NAIFONOV (AIN), wrestling internationally for the first time since the 2021 World Championships, gets going with a technical superiority 10-0 win over Aimar ANDRUSE (EST).

10:45: Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Magomedkhabib KADIMAGOMEDOV (AIN) uses a big throw for four in an 11-0 win over Stas David WOLF (GER) to move into the quarterfinals at 74kg.

10:40: In the first bout of the day, Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) is up on Mat C facing Patryk OLENCZYN (POL). He leads 6-0 at the break, scoring three takedowns in counters. He adds two more in the second period and gives up three points to win 10-3 and advance at 74kg.

10:30: Day three of the European OG Qualifier in Baku with Freestyle weight classes competing for 12 Paris 2024 spots.