#WrestleZagreb

Grand Prix Zagreb Open Entries

By Eric Olanowski

ZAGREB, Croatia (January 25) --  World champions Victor CIOBANU (MDA) and Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) lead the field at the Grand Prix Zagreb Open that begins January 29 in the Croatian capital.

Another big name entered in the tournament is Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Parviz NASIBOV (UKR). He is bumping up a weight class for the tournament and will wrestle at 72kg instead of 67kg.

Datunashvili will be taking a trip to his neighboring country to compete for the first time since winning the gold medal at the Oslo World Championships at 87kg. He will likely face his rival Kyril MASKEVICH (BLR) in Zagreb as well. The two met in the Oslo finals which the Serbian wrestler won.

For Serbia, twin brothers Mate and Viktor NEMES (SRB) are also entered into the field. They begin another Olympic cycle in the hope of qualifying and performing at the Olympics together. In Tokyo, only Mate was able to qualify.

While Ciobanu won the world title at 60kg, he is entered at 63kg for the tournament. He also will be in action after a three-month gap.

A host of young stars are also seeking glory. U23 world champion Tamas LEVAI (HUN), former European champion Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL), and U23 Euro champion Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) are looking for some hardware.

Victor CIOBANUVictor CIOBANU (MDA) will wrestle at 63kg in Zagreb. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

55kg

Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO)
Fabian SCHMITT (GER)
Artiom DELEANU (MDA)
Leonid MOROZ (MDA)
Mihai Denis FLORIN (ROU)
Koriun SAHRADIAN (UKR)
Mykola HAVRYCHKIN (UKR)

60kg

Maksim KAZHARSKI (BLR)
Viachaslau MAKARANKA (BLR)
Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL)
Daniel BOBILLO (ESP)
Pridon ABULADZE (GEO)
Etienne KINSINGER (GER)
Justas PETRAVICIUS (LTU)
Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA)
Michał TRACZ (POL)
Sebastijan NAD (SRB)
Sebastijan KOLOMPAR (SRB)
Dimitar SANDOV (SUI)
Zhora ABOVIAN (UKR)
Viktor PETRYK (UKR)
Dmytro TSYMBALIUK (UKR)
Vladyslav KUZKO (UKR)
Diego ROMERO (USA)
Randon MIRANDA (USA)

63kg

Ivan LIZATOVIC (CRO)
Domagoj CELICEK (CRO)
Andy JUAN (ESP)
Leri ABULADZE (GEO)
Krisztián KECSKEMETI (HUN)
Erik TORBA (HUN)
Abere FETENE (ISR)
Aleksandrs JURKJAN (LAT)
Victor CIOBANU (MDA)
Rusu CORNELIU (MDA)
Mateusz SZEWCZUK (POL)
Pedro CALDAS (POR)
Arnaut RAZVAN (ROU)
Perica DIMITRIJEVIC (SRB)
Jonas MÜLLER (SUI)
Alex BICA (SWE)
Oleksandr HRUSHYN (UKR)
Hevorh ARZUMANIAN (UKR)

67kg

Christoph BURGER (AUT)
Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR)
Maksim NEHODA (BLR)
Alejandro CONCEPCION (ESP)
Mamadassa SYLLA (FRA)
Stefan CLEMENT (FRA)
Gagik SNJOYAN (FRA)
Witalis LAZOVSKI (GER)
István VANCZA (HUN)
Shon NADORGIN (ISR)
Konstantinas KESANIDI (LTU)
Alexei HAHLOVSCHI (MDA)
Morten THORESEN (NOR)
Mihai Radu MIHUT (ROU)
Mate NEMES (SRB)
Andreas VETSCH (SUI)
Niklas ÖHLEN (SWE)
André JONSSON (SWE)
Oleksii MASYK (UKR)
Dmytro MIROSHNYK (UKR)
Dmytro VASYLIEV (UKR)
Robert PEREZ (USA)

72kg

Stefan STEIGL (AUT)
Pavel PUKLAVEC (CRO)
Marcos SANCHEZ-SILVA (ESP)
Junior BENITEZ (ESP)
Mikko PELTOKANGAS (FIN)
Iuri LOMADZE (GEO)
Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Otar ABULADZE (GEO)
Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO)
Idris IBAEV (GER)
Samuel BELLSCHEIDT (GER)
Róbert FRITSCH (HUN)
Attila TOSMAGI (HUN)
Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU)
Vilius SAVICKAS (LTU)
Eimantas VILIMAS (LTU)
Valentin PETIC (MDA)
Håvard JORGENSEN (NOR)
Juan Sebastian AAK (NOR)
Mateusz BERNATEK (POL)
Gevorg SAHAKYAN (POL)
Roman PACURKOWSKI (POL)
BOTEZ IGOR ANDREI (ROU)
Aleksa ERSKI (SRB)
Michael PORTMANN (SUI)
Olah OLIVER (SVK)
Erik PERSSON (SWE)
Christoffer DAHLEN (SWE)
Miru OLSSON (SWE)
Maksym YEVTUSHENKO (UKR)
Parviz NASIBOV (UKR)
Andrii KULYK (UKR)
Vladyslav YEVTUSHENKO (UKR)
Pat SMITH (USA)

77kg

Kazbek KILOU (BLR)
Tsimur BERDYIEU (BLR)
Luka MALOBABIC (CRO)
Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO)
Oliver KRUGER (DEN)
Matias LIPASTI (FIN)
Akseli YLI-HANNUKSELA (FIN)
Johnny BUR (FRA)
Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA)
Beka MAMUKASHVILI (GEO)
Demuri KAVTARADZE (GEO)
Pascal EISELE (GER)
Zoltán LEVAI (HUN)
Mantas SINKEVICIUS (LTU)
Mihai PETIC (MDA)
Semion BREKKELI (MDA)
Per-Anders KURE (NOR)
Iwan NYLIPIUK (POL)
Patryk BEDNARZ (POL)
Ilie COJOCARI ILIE (ROU)
Viktor NEMES(SRB)
Aleksa ILIC (SRB)
Nicolas CHRISTEN (SUI)
Leos DRMOLA (SVK)
Denis HORVATH (SVK)
Rasmus ÅSTROM (SWE)
Albin OLOFSSON (SWE)
Yasaf ZEINALOV (UKR)
Artur POLITAIEV (UKR)
Volodymyr YAKOVLIEV (UKR)
Elmar NURALIIEV (UKR)
Dmytro VASETSKYI (UKR)
Burke PADDOCK (USA)
RaVaughn PERKINS (USA)

82kg

Karlo KODRIC (CRO)
Filip SACIC (CRO)
Jonni SARKKINEN (FIN)
Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Tornike DZAMASHVILI (GEO)
Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO)
Roland SCHWARZ (GER)
Tamás LEVAI (HUN)
Móric KISMONI (HUN)
David ZHYTOMYRSKY (ISR)
Exauce MUKUBU (NOR)
Daniel COJOC VASILE (ROU)
Branko KOVACEVIC (SRB)
Marc WEBER (SUI)
Anton OLSSON (SWE)
Alexander JOHANSSON (SWE)
Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR)

87kg

Radzik KULIYEU (BLR)
Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR)
Filip SMETKO (CRO)
Matej MANDIC (CRO)
Ivan HUKLEK (CRO)
Kristian LUKAC (CRO)
Vjekoslav LUBURIC (CRO)
Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN)
Roberti KOBLIASHVILI (GEO)
Lasha GOBADZE (GEO)
Gurami KHETSURIANI (GEO)
Hannes WAGNER (GER)
Istvan TAKACS (HUN)
Erik SZILVASSY (HUN)
David LOSONCZI (HUN)
Arminas LYGNUGARIS (LTU)
Gabriel LUPASCO (MDA)
Marcel STERKENBURG (NDL)
Ruben Elias BEEN (NOR)
Kułynycz ARKADIUSZ (POL)
Szymon SZYMONOWICZ (POL)
Samuel OJOG NICI (ROU)
Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB)
Dickov ŽARKO (SRB)
Damian VON EUW (SUI)
Christian ZEMP (SUI)
Alex KESSIDIS (SWE)
Zakarias BERG (SWE)
Algot KALLMAN (SWE)
Artur OVSEPIAN (UKR)
Vitalii ANDRIIOVYCH (UKR)
Alan VERA (USA)

97kg

Daniel GASTL (AUT)
Markus RAGGINGER (AUT)
Pavel HLINCHUK (BLR)
Mikalai STADUB (BLR)
Uladzislau PUSTASHYLAU (BLR)
Vinko PRODANOVIC (CRO)
Artur OMAROV (CZE)
Dadak ONDREJ (CZE)
Mathias BAK (DEN)
Jesus GASCA (ESP)
Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN)
Loïc SAMEN (FRA)
Giorgi MELIA (GEO)
Revazi NADAREISHVILI (GEO)
Azizsir RAMSIN (GER)
Laokratis KESIDIS (GRE)
Róbert ERSEK (HUN)
Dáriusz VITEK (HUN)
Vilius LAURINAITIS (LTU)
Martynas NEMSEVISIUS (LTU)
Mindaugas VENCKAITIS (LTU)
Arnoldas Baranovas (LTU)
Tyrone STERKENBURG (NDL)
Felix BALDAUF (NOR)
Marcus WORREN (NOR)
Tadeusz Michalik MICHALIK (POL)
Ionut Cristnel Florin GOSA (ROU)
Aleksandar SIMONVIC (SRB)
Mario VUKOVIC (SRB)
Micheil KADJAJA (SRB)
Aleksandar STJEPANETIC (SWE)
Vladlen KOZLIUK (UKR)
Andrii DEHTIAROV (UKR)
Zielimkhan DZIHASOV (UKR)
YEVHENII Saveta  (UKR)
Yurii DOROHAN (UKR)
Valentyn SHKLIARENKO (UKR)
Vladyslav HONCHAR  (UKR)
Tracy HANCOCK (USA)

130kg

Georgi CHUGOSHVILI (BLR)
Marko KOSCEVIC (CRO)
Konsta MAENPAA (FIN)
Franz RIHTER (GER)
Jello KRAHMER (GER)
Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU)
Rornas FRIDRIKAS (LTU)
Oskar MARVIK (NOR)
Rafał KRAJEWSKI (POL)
Istvan BEREI LENARD (ROU)
Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU)
Delian ALISHAHI (SUI)
Mykola KUCHMII (UKR)
Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR)
Sviatoslav KALASHNIKOV (UKR)
Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA)
Tanner FARMER (USA)

#WrestleBudapest

Grace Bullen Move: Outside Trip That Defines European Champ

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 9) -- Grace BULLEN (NOR) lost the most important match of her career while attempting her trademark outside trip, trying to finish the bout with a fall. It came in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games semifinal against Sakura MOTOKI (JPN), who countered with a neck bridge, tossing Bullen over for the fall.

UWW+

Despite the mixed results the move has produced over the years, Bullen did not hesitate to use it in the 2026 European Championships final against Amina TANDELOVA (RUS). Trailing 9-0, Bullen hooked her left foot behind Tandelova's heel and brought her down for the fall.

Three months after their epic European 62kg final, Bullen and Tandelova will be at the Budapest Ranking Series from July 15 to 19, the last stop to gain ranking points before the World Championships.

They will be joined by a strong field that includes former world champion Qi ZHANG (CHN), world bronze medalist Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR), and European medalists Johanna LINDBORG (SWE) and Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR).

The field also includes Ana GODINEZ (CAN) and former U20 world champion Eniko ELEKES (HUN), who will have the backing of the home crowd. Two Indians, MANSI (IND) and SAVITA (IND), are also entered among others.

Grace BULLEN (NOR)Grace BULLEN (NOR) performs the outside trip against Amina TANDELOVA (RUS) during the 62kg final at the European Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

The same move also rescued Bullen at the Tirana Ranking Series, where she trailed Mansi before winning 6-5.

Speaking after winning European gold, Bullen acknowledged both the risk and the reward of the move.

"I know it's my go-to when I'm down, but I also lost in that situation, the same place," Bullen said. "I know how it is being on the receiving end, also being an attacker in that situation. But glad it worked out for me.

"It's more risky that way and just locking the leg and going forward it's much less risky, especially for me."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Grace Bullen (@gracebullen7)

 

A pivotal career decision saw Bullen relocate her training base to Georgia under coach Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI. Since moving to 62kg, she has won world and Olympic medals and established herself as one of the division's most dangerous wrestlers. The demanding training in Georgia and the move up in weight have transformed her wrestling and her mindset, even if the results have occasionally fluctuated.

"I'm also getting older," she said. "I have to be wise with how I train and so I keep my shape."

That experience has also made Bullen more patient than she was five years ago.

"I've years of experience in wrestling," she said. "I take losses with a greater smile than I ever did before. Just knowing that this year I was in two ranking series competitions and only won one match, I am more patient with everything. I know that even though I lose, I can win in the future."