#kaspeuro2018

Friday Nights Euro C'ship Finals Set in Women's Wrestling

Thursday, May 3, 2018 - 21:10 By Eric Olanowski

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Host nation Russia along with five other nations put wrestlers into the finals of the 2018 European Championships at The Palace of Sport Youth in Dagestan, Russia. 

Russia led the way by placing three wrestlers in the Friday nights (6:00 PM) finals, while Belarus and Bulgaria each a pair of wrestlers in the finals. The remaining three wrestlers hailing from Azerbaijan, Finland, and Sweden. 

2017 world champion Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR)

At 53kg, 2017 world champion Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) capitalized on two takedowns and a step out to defeat Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE), 5-2 in a very slow paced match. 

In the other semifinal, Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS) trailed after giving up a four-point arm spin to Poland's Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL). The Russian remained calm and took the outright lead after picking up her third takedown, ultimately winning the bout, 6-5. 

53kg
GOLD - Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) vs. Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS)

Semifinal - Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) df. Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE), 5-2.
Semifinal - Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS) df. Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL), 6-5.
 

Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS), European Championship finalist at 57kg. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne)

57kg
Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) will grapple with Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS) in the 57kg gold-medal bout. Ologonova stole her spot in the finals from Azerbaijan's Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE), 3-2.

The Russian picked up the match-winning takedown with 13-seconds left, closing out the match listening to the Azerbaijan coaching staff pound the mat in disgust. 


GOLD - Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) vs. Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS)

Semifinal - Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS) df. Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE), 3-2 
Semifinal - Bilyana Zhivkova DUDOVA (BUL) df. Emese BARKA (HUN), 7-1 
Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS), one of three Russian women to make Friday nights finals. 

62kg
The third Russian to make it to the finals was Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS) who routed Germany's Luzie MANZKE, 8-2. Trazhukova kicked started the point scoring friendzy with a four-point throw and closed the match with a takedown and exposure. 


GOLD – Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS) vs. Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL)

Semifinal - Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS) df. Luzie MANZKE (GER), 8-2 
Semifinal - Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL) df. Veranika IVANOVA (BLR), 10-2 65kg
 Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), 65kg European Championship finalist. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne) 

65kg
Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) will take on Finland's 2015 world runner-up, Petra OLLI (FIN) in the 65kg gold-medal bout. 

Olli, the 2017 U23 European champion extended her lead to 1-0 lead after a takedown to a gut wrench. The Bulgarian coaches questioned the call and threw the challenge block. Olli was award the point for the failed challenged and beat Viktoria Ivanova BOBEVA (BUL), 6-0.


GOLD – Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) vs. Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)

Semifinal - Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) df. Henna Katarina JOHANSSON (SWE), 6-1  
Semifinal - Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) df. Viktoria Ivanova BOBEVA (BUL), 6-0 

Jenny FRANSSON (SWE), the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist. 

72kg
Jenny FRANSSON (SWE), the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist is Sweden's lone women's wrestling finalist at the fourth day of action. She dominated her way to an 8-1 semifinal victory over Turkey's Beste ALTUG and will wrestle Belarus' Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA in Friday nights final.

GOLD - Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) vs. Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (BLR)

Semifinal – Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) df. Beste ALTUG (TUR), 8-1
Semifinal - Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (BLR) df. Alena PEREPELKINA (RUS), 7-5 

#UnitedWorldWrestling

Cuba’s Trujillo Diaz honored with IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award

Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 09:29 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (November 24) — Wrestling coach Raul TRUJILLO DIAZ (CUB) received the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award on Monday during a ceremony at the Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The award was presented by IOC President Kirsty COVENTRY and Sergii BUBKA, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Entourage Commission.

Trujillo Díaz has been one of the key figures in the inexorable rise of Cuba as one of the leading nations in Greco-Roman, with more than 52 years of coaching experience. He coached the Cuban and Portuguese national teams across five editions of the Olympic Games.

Cuba

“I am very honoured to receive this extraordinary recognition, Trujillo Diaz said. “I would like to thank the IOC, all the athletes I have coached over the past 50 years, the other wrestling coaches and people who worked tirelessly behind the scenes in the sport to which I have dedicated my life. All were my motivation and example. I also want to take the opportunity to thank United World Wrestling (UWW). And a big thank-you to someone very special who has always been with me – my family – for their great support.”

One of the legends he has trained is five-time Olympic champion Mijain LOPEZ (CUB), who at Paris 2024 became the first athlete in any sport to win five consecutive Olympic gold medals in the same event. Others who have been trained by Trujillo Diaz are Rio 2016 champion Ismael BORRERO (CUB) and Luis ORTA (CUB), the 60kg champion at Tokyo 2020.

As well as introducing training innovations that have helped lead his nation to success, Trujillo Díaz has published numerous research papers and articles on wrestling science and pedagogy. He has also worked widely for UWW across Latin America as an educator, bringing the breadth of his knowledge and experience to new generations of athletes and coaches.

Alongwith Truillo Diaz, volleyball coach Lang PING also received the IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award.

"It's really special to be here with all of you and to celebrate our two coaches for their incredible commitment and their lifetime of work in serving their athletes to become the best athlete, but also the best humans that they can be," said IOC President Kirsty Coventry during the ceremony. "So many of us who compete in sport know and understand that the lessons that we learn in sport will guide us in our everyday life after and this is where the role of coaches is so important,” she added.