Georgia Grabs Greco-Roman U23 European Team Title

Wednesday, March 6, 2019 - 21:05 By Eric Olanowski

NOVI SAD, Serbia (March 6) – Georgia (178 points) wrapped up the Greco-Roman team title at the U23 European Championships, 11 points ahead of second-place Russia (167 points). They closed out the final day of Greco-Roman wrestling with a solo gold medalist and brought their tournament championship total to five.

Ramaz ZOIDZE was Georgia’s fifth overall gold medalist. He won the 72kg title with a controlling 7-1 victory over Russia’s Magomed YARBILOV (RUS).

Georgia’s second Day 3 finalist was Giorgi MELIA (GEO). Melia fell to Finland’s Arvi SAVOLAINEN, 4-1, in the 97kg gold-medal match. The Georgian led 1-1 on criteria but gave up a late takedown and a lost challenge dropping the match, 4-1. Although he didn’t leave as a titleholder, Melia’s silver medal still helped Georgia win the team title by claiming his 20-second place points.

Meanwhile, second-place Russia had a trio of Day 3 finalists but only walked away with a single champion.

Alen MIRZOIAN claimed Russia’s second overall gold of the tournament, blowing out the host nation’s Sebastian NAD, 10-0, in the opening period of the 67kg gold-medal bout.

Mirzoian grabbed the 1-0 lead with a passivity point, then quickly went to work in the par terre position. The Russian picked up two points from a leg foul and added a point from a failed Serbian challenge, which brought the score to 4-0. The returning U23 European champion closed out the match 10-0 with a four-point throw and a gut wrench for good measures.

In the 82kg finals, Zotlan LEVAI (HUN) trailed 1-1 on criteria before picking up the match's first takedown to steal the gold medal from Russia’s third finalist Vaag MARGARIAN, 3-1.

Levai's Wednesday night win gave him his second U23 European title. He also won the 2017 U23 European title.

The final gold medal of the day went to Kerem KAMAL, who defeated Romania’s Razvan ARNAUT in the 60kg gold-medal bout and helped Turkey finished in third place in the team race.

In the finals, Kamal scored the first passivity points, but a Romanian reversal evened the match at 1-1. The Turkish wrestler scored a late period step out and regained the lead, 2-1, heading into the closing period.

Kamal started the second period with a pair of step outs, extending his lead to 4-1. Kamal stopped an arm throw attempt and wrapped up his second consecutive U23 European Championships with a gold medal, bringing his overall age-group European gold medal bout to five.

Georgia won the Greco-Roman team title with 178 points. Russia had 167 points and finished in second place. Turkey, Romania, and Ukraine rounded out the top-five respectively.

Greco-Roman
Team Scores
GOLD – Georgia (178 points)
SILVER – Russia (167 points)
BRONZE - Turkey (141 points)
Fourth – Romania (78 points)
Fifth – Ukraine (70 points)

60kg
GOLD - Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Razvan ARNAUT (ROU), 5-1
BRONZE - Ivo Krasimirov ILIEV (BUL) df. Zhora ABOVIAN (UKR), 4-2
BRONZE - Sadyk LALAEV (RUS) df. Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI (GEO), 7-0

67kg
GOLD - Alen MIRZOIAN (RUS) df. Sebastian NAD (SRB), 10-0
BRONZE - Artur POLITAIEV (UKR) df. Valentin PETIC (MDA), 8-0
BRONZE - Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR) df. Alexandru SOLOMON (ROU), 7-4

72kg
GOLD - Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) df. Magomed YARBILOV (RUS), 7-1
BRONZE - Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR) df. Juan Sebastian AAK (NOR), 9-5
BRONZE - Stoyan Stoychev KUBATOV (BUL) df. Islambek DADOV (AZE), 4-2

82kg
GOLD - Zotlan LEVAI (HUN) vs. Vaag MARGARIAN (RUS), 3-1
BRONZE - Hasan Basri YILDIRIM (TUR) df. ltun VAZIRZADE (AZE), 2-0
BRONZE - Stanislau SHAFARENKA (BLR) df. Svetoslav NIKOLOV (BUL), via fall

97kg
GOLD - Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) df. Giorgi MELIA (GEO), 4-1
BRONZE - Ibrahim TIGCI (TUR) df. Ruslan BEKUZAROV (RUS), 5-0
BRONZE - Vladen KOZLIUK (UKR) df. Arif NIFTULLAYEV (AZE), via fall

#WrestleTirana

Kayaalp Nears Record-Breaking 13th European Gold

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 - 06:12 By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (April 20) -- Riza KAYAALP (TUR) is now one win away from becoming the most successful Greco-Roman wrestler in Europe.

At the European Championships in Tirana, Kayaalp reached the 130kg final on Monday to take a step closer to breaking Aleksandr KARELIN's long-time record of 12 European gold medals.

Kayaalp was returning to the European Championships after two years and showed now signs of as he began with a fall over Albert VARDANYAN (ARM) using an arm throw before winning a 1-1 battle against Marat KAMPAROV (UWW).

In a dramatic semifinal which resulted in the disqualification of Pavel HLINCHUK (UWW), Kayaalp kept his composure despite the aggression of Hlinchuk, a former U23 world champion.

Kayaalp got the par terre advantage in the first period but Hlinchuk escaped. However, he tried to throw Kayaalp who blocked the throw and landed on top for two points, making his lead 3-0. Hlinchuk challenged the decision but lost it and Kayaalp led 4-0.

Riza KAYAALP (TUR) wrestles Marat KAMPAROV (UWW) in the quarterfinal of 130kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Perhaps it was coming as the referee had warned the two wrestlers time and again to wrestle without aggression. But 30 seconds before the end of the first period, Kayaalp used a strong hand on Hlinchuk's neck. Hlinchuk first responded with shoulder to Kayaalp and then proceed to slap the Turkish wrestler who fell on the mat.

The judges decided to disqualify Hlinchuk from the competition for his act and Kayaalp, supported by a very vocal Turkish team, entered his 15th European Championships final.

He will now face Darius VITEK (HUN) who held on to his 1-1 criteria win over Beka KANDELAKI (AZE) and who now stands between Kayaalp and history.

Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) tries to throw Islam ABBASOV (AZE) during the 87kg semifinals. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Novikov faces Bisultanov

After a season off, Olympic champion and returning silver medalist Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) will be in the 87kg final to change the color of his medal when he takes on Olympic bronze medalist Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN).

Bisultanov and Novikov faced each other in Paris and the Bulgarian defeated Bisultanov 5-1 in the opening round.

But Bisultanov looked in control in Tirana as he pinned Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR) in the semifinals while Novikov managed to beat returning bronze medalist Islam ABBASOV (AZE), 4-0.

Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) defeated Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) in the 77kg semifinals. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Four-time and defending champion Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) returned to the final with an easy 3-1 victory in the semifinal over Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) to set up a rematch of 2025 European final against Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO).

The Georgian will be keen on avenging that loss against Amoyan after he reach the final, beating Robert FRITSCH (HUN), 8-0, using two big throws for four points each.

In a shock at 63kg, U23 world champion Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) stunned defending champion Kerem KAMAL (TUR), 6-5, in the semifinals.

Kamal was leading 5-0 but Eriomenco managed to score from par terre. His two-point takedown was challenged by Turkiye but he lost the challenge, giving Eriomenco the clear lead.

For the gold medal, Eriomenco will face veteran and former world champion Sergey EMELIN (UWW) who scored an easy 9-0 technical superiority win over Mairbek SALIMOV (POL).

At 55kg, world champion and returning bronze medalist Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) moved into his first European final after beating Manvel KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 3-1.

He will face defending champion Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW) who defeated Omer RECEP (TUR), 11-0.

RESULTS

55kg
SF 1: Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) df. Manvel KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 3-1
SF 2: Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW) df. Omer RECEP (TUR), 11-0

63kg
SF 1: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) df. Kerem KAMAL (TUR), 6-5
SF 2: Sergey EMELIN (UWW) df. Mairbek SALIMOV (POL), 9-0

77kg
SF 1: Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) df. Robert FRITSCH (HUN), 8-0
SF 2: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df. Alexandrin GUTU (MDA), 3-1

87kg
SF 1: Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) df. Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR), via fall
SF 2: Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) df. Islam ABBASOV (AZE), 4-0

130kg
SF 1: Darius VITEK (HUN) df. Beka KANDELAKI (AZE), 1-1
SF 2: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Pavel HLINCHUK (UWW), via disqualification (4-0)

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Georgia Grabs Greco-Roman U23 European Team Title

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Kayaalp Nears Record-Breaking 13th European Gold