Development

Guinea Hosts Referee and Coaches Course

By United World Wrestling Press

CONAKRY, Guinea (September 10th) -- Right after the Tokyo Olympic Games, the Guinean Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles pursued UWW's coaches and referee courses.

The Guinean Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles benefited from a consolidation course aimed at both coaches and referees. Indeed, in order to develop the Guinean Federation, its President, army captain Soumah Mohamed Souleymane, called on Mr Nenad Lalovic, the President of United World Wrestling, to reinforce the capacities of the technicians and administrators of his organization.

In answer to this request, United World Wrestling, through its Development Department lead by Deqa Niamkey, dispatched two UWW experts to fulfill the mission, including Vincent Aka, Development Officer, and Carlos Garcia, Educator.

As a starter to the beginning of the opening ceremony, the National Olympic Committee of Guinea, whose presence honored the assembly, set the pace by introducing the Guinean Wrestling Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles as the best sports federation in the country.

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Opening ceremony: UWW experts with the members of the Guinean Federation and the 1st Vice-President of the Guinean NOC.

The course took place at the 28 September Stadium in Conakry, from the 30 August to the 5 September. It saw the participation of 36 people, of which 11 were overseers and 25 participating athletes, including seven women. Very interested in understanding training methods and refereeing rules, 23 wrestlers attended all sessions.

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The course’s objective was to equip coaches and referees for both Olympic wrestling and beach wrestling. In addition, skill acquisition in training and refereeing was on the program for, also, both Olympic and beach wrestling, and emphasis was put on how to create one’s club so as to ensure wrestlers the best safety possible. Returning to their homeland, Camara Fatoumata Yarie and Camara Mohamed Ismaël, both high-level athletes and residents at the UWW Africa Center, benefited from this course in the context of their professional transition.

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On the left, Camara Fatoumata, the top student of the promotion, with Camara Ismaël.

The main subjects of the course were training pedagogy, safety before, during and after practice, the ethics of a UWW trainer, the trainer’s environment and how does one navigate within. The rules and regulations of Olympic and beach wrestling were put forward and, above all, applied during the pedagogical situations.

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Simultaneously, the course offered the possibility to train the Guinean Federation to use the Athena platform and to the follow-up of emails.

The course ended with a beach wrestling competition that allowed all participants to set themselves in a real life situation with regard to all aspects of wrestling ; from coaching to wrestling and refereeing, coaches and athletes were gauged on the field.

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A glance on the attitudes and behaviors during this real life situation was enough to perceive the true potentials at works among the trainers, referees and athletes - and that cram the Guinean Federation of Associated Wrestling styles.

We will be able to fully chaperon the professionalization of this organization by overseeing the creation of its clubs and structures alongside the setting up of a privileged relationship with the National Olympic Committee. One of the main assets of the Federation is the direct link it enjoys with the army, the national police and the local police. The existence of military sport in our country offers a real opportunity to boost the development of wrestling. And the long-term vision that army captain Mohamed Souleymane Soumah singles out shall allow us to prevail.

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Closing ceremony.

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The girls’ collective ready for the take-off of wrestling in Guinea.

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open: five women’s wrestling storylines

By Taylor GREGORIO

ZAGREB, Croatia (January 25) — The 2023 season is officially here as next week Zagreb, Croatia, will play host to the first Ranking Series event — Zagreb Open set for February 1-5.

With close to 600 wrestlers registered for the event, it throws a number of storylines, especially in women’s wrestling.

Akari FUJINAMI (JPN)

1. Japan returns to Ranking Series events after 5 year hiatus
The women’s team of Japan will be returning to a Ranking Series event after an absence of five years; the last competition being the 2018 Klippan Lady Open in Sweden. But this is the first time that all of Japan’s three styles will be competing at a Ranking Series event.

Headlining the Japanese squad is three-time world champion and Tokyo Olympic champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN), registered at 50kg. At just 23 years old, Susaki also has three U17 World titles, two U20 golds and a 2022 U23 World championship. She is joined by 2021 World champion Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) at 53kg and world bronze medalists Sae NANJO (JPN) at 57kg and Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) at 62kg.

Four of the other six Japanese women expected to compete own age-group World titles, including Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) at 55kg, Yui SAKANO (JPN) at 59kg, Mahiro YOSHITAKE (JPN) at 65kg and Ayano MORO (JPN) at 76kg.

2. World champs Parrish, Fujinami in loaded 53kg bracket
A highly anticipated clash of world champions can occur at this weight as reigning gold medalist Dominique PARRISH (USA) and 2021 champ Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) are registered to compete. Parrish rolled to a world title in her senior world debut last September.

Fujinami was noticeably missing from the bracket as she pulled out due to an injury just days before the World Championships.

There are seven other past world medalists scattered throughout the field, including 2022 bronze winner Karla GODINEZ (CAN). She won her medal at 55kg in Belgrade, but moving down to 53kg in preparation for the Olympic year. Tokyo Olympic silver medalist and two-time world bronze medalist Qianyu PANG (CHN).

In addition to Fujinami, the other three medal winners from 2021 are registered for this weekend — silver medalist Iulia LEORDA (MDA) and bronze medalists Samantha STEWART (CAN) and Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL). 

A third Canadian world medalist in the mix at this weight is 2018 bronze winner Diana WEICKER (CAN). Poland is also bringing 2017 bronze medalist Roksana ZASINA (POL).

Helen MAROULIS (USA)

3. Six world champs registered at 57kg
There are three past senior world champions and three past U23 world champions set to compete in Zagreb at 57kg. Leading the group is 2016 Olympic champion and three-time world champion MAROULIS (USA). Also a Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist, Maroulis is the USA’s first women’s wrestling Olympic champion as well as its first two-time Olympic medalist in the women’s division. She earned silver in the 2022 World Championships, falling to Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) in the finals.

The reigning world champ at 59 kg, Anastasia NICHITA (MDA), is moving down a weight class to 57kg. The two-time European champion is sure to bring some power to the bracket.

Also competing is Ningning RONG (CHN), who won the senior world title in 2018. That same year, she captured silver at the U23 World Championships. Her last major international event was the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

U23 world champions Sae NANJO (JPN), Anhelina LYSAK (POL) and Alexandria TOWN (CAN) will be in Zagreb.

Nanjo is a two-time U23 World champ and two-time U20 World champ, and Lysak owns a 2015 U17 world gold. Both are senior world medalists with Nanjo winning bronze in 2021 and Lysak winning bronze in 2022.

Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)

4. Notable weight class changes
As noted earlier, 2022 world champion at 59kg Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) is moving down to 57kg for this tournament. 

Also changing weight classes is last year’s World runner-up at 59kg Grace BULLEN (NOR), who is bumping up to 62kg. Bullen, who lost a heartbreaker in the 2022 World finals, claimed gold at the 2018 U23 World Championships at 59kg.

Koumba LARROQUE (FRA), who has bounced between 65kg and 68 kg over the last couple of years is registered at 68kg. She has been successful at both weight classes. Most recently at 65kg, Larroque took third at the 2022 senior world championships. At 68kg, she was a 2018 world silver medalist and 2021 U23 world champion.

5. Women’s field full of returning world medalists
There will be no shortage of superstars in the women’s brackets at the Zagreb Open. There are 16 returning senior world medalists across the field, including four 2022 world champions — Yui SUSAKI (JPN), Dominique PARRISH (USA), Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) and Amit ELOR (USA). 

After producing one of the most impressive performances of the 2022 season, 20-year-old Elor, who won U20, U23 and Senior World titles in a span of eight weeks, returns to the international stage at 72 kg. 

Silver medalists expected to compete are Helen MAROULIS (USA), Kayla MIRACLE (USA) and Samar HAMZA (EGY).

Rounding out the returning medalists are ten bronze winners, counting Anna LUKASIAK (POL), Vinesh VINESH (IND), Mengyu XIE (CHN), Anhelina LYSAK (POL), Jowita Maria WRZESIEN (POL), Xiaojuan LUO (CHN), Sakura MOTOKI (JPN), Mallory VELTE (USA), Irina RINGACI (MDA) and Koumba LARROQUE (FRA). 

Fans can watch all the action live on uww.org or on UWW's app and follow along on Twitter @wrestling and Instagram @unitedworldwrestling.