#WrestleWarsaw

Kayaalp Wins 10th Euro Title; Evloev Leads 3 Russians Into GR Finals

Saturday, April 24, 2021 - 20:46 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

WARSAW, Poland (April 24) -- Normally, teams wait until the tournament finishes to click their group photos after they finish on the podium. But Saturday was not a normal day for Turkey and no one wanted to wait another day.

As soon as the medal ceremony for 130kg finished, Turkey team jumped on the stage to take pictures, with every member showing the number ten with their hands.

It was a tribute as Riza KAYAALP (TUR) won his 10th senior European Championships title on Saturday at the Sportowa COS Torwar stadium in Warsaw, Poland.

Greco-Roman action continued on day six of the Championships as five gold medals were decided with Russia capturing two of them. Hungary, Serbia and Turkey claimed the remaining three.

Kayaalp had to wait until the final match of the day to claim his historic title. The Turkey legend had dominated his competition on Friday to reach the final against Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO), same wrestler he had defeated to win the 2019 European title.

For the record, Kayaalp won the final 3-1 against Kajaia after scoring a takedown and one point for Kajaia's passivity. He gave up a point for his own inactivity in the second period but that did not mean much as he claimed the gold medal with ease.

The 31-year-old the value of winning a gold medal in an Olympic year, especially given how unpredictable the 130kg weight category is around the world.

“It feels great to win 10 gold medals in 11 [European Championships] finals,” Kayaalp said. “In Greco Roman it is much more difficult to win it. It is good step for Tokyo as well.”

With 90 days still left for the Games, the two-time Olympic medalist feels he can still improve and will return to Warsaw to compete at the Poland Open Ranking series event.

“I will continue to improve. I will compete in Poland to see how well prepared I am for Tokyo,” he said.

Another world champion and Olympic medalist who added to his European Championships count was Tamas LORINCZ (HUN). His last European title came way back in 2014, since then winning two bronze medals at the 2017 and 2018 Championships.

Wrestling in the final of 77kg, Lorincz made little work of one of the three finalists from Turkey on Saturday Yunus BASAR (TUR), completing a technical superiority 8-0 win.

Turkey's Ekrem OZTURK (TUR) also finished with a silver medal at 55kg as Emin SEFERSHAEV (RUS) claimed the gold medal with a 7-0 win.

Beginning on a slow note, Sefershaev waited for Ozturk's passivity but failed to capitilise on the par terre position. He later scored his second point via a pushout to extend his lead to 2-0.

To Ozturk's surprise, he was once again called for passivity in the second period and Sefershaev did not make any mistake this time with a huge four-point throw to make it 7-0. Any tries of Ozturk's were denied as the Russian gave his country the first of the two gold medals.

Russia captured the title at 63kg as well with Zhambolat LOKYAEV (RUS) defeating Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE) 5-0 in the final. It was their second bout in four months as the Individual World Cup winner Lokyaev had defeated Mammadov 2-0 in the quarterfinal in Belgrade.

After getting warned for passivity, Mammadov failed to stop Lokayev from a lift from the par terre position and gave up four points. It was enough for the Russian to hold on to the lead until the final whistle.

The surprise of the day came at 87kg as Friday's star performer Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR) fell in the final against Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) 5-1 as the Serb avenged his 3-10 loss to Maskevich at the Individual World Cup in December.

Maskevich has defeated a world medalist, a world champion and secured a come-from-behind fall on Friday but looked off color a day later. He got the advantage when Datunashvili was warned for inactivity but Belrussian failed to capitalize.

In turn, he gave up four points from par terre when he was warned for passivity, giving the Serb a 5-1 lead.

He got another chance late in the second period when he got Datunashvili in par terre again but could not complete his signature body lock throws, ending his roller-coaster campaign with a silver medal.

Datunashvili, a transfer from Georgia, broke out in a celebration with his coach after winning the gold medal, a first for the country in Greco-Roman after four years.

Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) df Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR)
Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) defeated Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR) in the 87kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

In the bronze medal bouts at 55kg, former world champion Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) defeated Fabian SCHMITT (GER) 8-0 with two big throws in the first period while Rudik MKRTCHYAN (ARM) claimed the second bronze by beating Artsiom KATSAR (BLR) with a similar scoreline.

History was created in 63kg weight category as Aleksandrs JURKJANS (LAT) won his country first senior European medal since 1938. He ended the 83-year wait by capturing the bronze medal with a 7-5, come-from-behind victory over Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM).

Leri ABULADZE (GEO) was quick to finish his bronze medal bout against Mihai MIHUT (ROU) 9-1 to claim the third spot.

At 77kg, Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO) hung on for 5-1 win over Michael WIDMAYER (GER) and Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) won the bronze medal by beaten Dmytro PYSHKOV (UKR) 6-0.

Former and current world champions at 87kg Milad ALIRZAEV (RUS) and Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) won the bronze medals. The Russian claimed a big win over Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN) 8-1 while Beleniuk had a close bout against fellow world medalist Denis KUDLA (GER), winning it 1-1.

The 130kg bronze medals were settle with just one point difference in both bouts as world medalist Eduard POPP (GER) overcame Oleksandr CHERNETSKYY (UKR) 2-1 and Zurabi GEDEKHAURI (RUS) won 3-2 against Romas FRIDRIKAS (LTU).

Evloev shines as Russia reach 3 finals

After sending two wrestler to the finals on Friday, Russia improved and entered three on Saturday, led by two-time defending world champion Musa EVLOEV (RUS).Just like the freestyle 97kg category is dominated by Russia, the Greco-Roman is no different, thanks to Evloev.

Close to two months after winning the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series in Rome, Evloev was back on the mat, demolishing his opponents in his usual calm and composed manner.

He began with a 4-0 win over Markus RAGGINGER (AUT) and followed it with a technical superiority win over Yevhenii SAVETA (UKR). In the semifinals, he met Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA), a silver medalist from last year's European Championships.

Evloev was the first to go into a par terre position and gave a 1-0 lead to Kakhelashvili. But the Italian's flee in gave Evloev two points and a 2-1 lead. He later got another point for Kakhelashvili's inactivity. The 3-1 score was enough to take him to the final.

Evloev will look to reclaim the title he had won in 2019 but skipped the 2020 tournament where the gold medal was won by Armenian legend Artur Aleksanyan (ARM).

Trying to stop him in the final will be 38-year-old Balazs KISS (HUN). He won the semifinal against Mikalai STADUB (BLR) with an identical score of 3-1.

With the entry into the final, Kiss has confirmed atleast a silver medal, a first for him in 11 attempts at the European Championships. His previous three medals have all been bronze.

Saturday was the first time he reached the finals of the tournament since began competing at the senior level dating back to 2003. In the last 18 years he has competed at 11 Championships, including this year, and one Games.

2018 World Champion and 2019 runner-up Sergey EMELIN (RUS) will look to add to Russia's tally of gold medals in Warsaw as he reached the final at 60kg.

Emelin was at his brutal self as he finished all his bout well before time, winning all three of them via technical superiority.

His wins include a 9-0 scoreline over Grzegorz KUNKEL (POL) in the qualification round, 8-0 over Jozsef ANDRASI (HUN) in the quarterfinal and 9-0 over Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) in the semifinal.

But the final may not see the same as he wrestles two-time junior world champion and European silver medalist Kerem KAMAL (TUR) on Sunday. Kamal will like to change the colour of his medal from last year as he finished with a silver and a bronze in 2019.

Kerem KAMAL (TUR) Senior European Championships 2021

His road to the final was unlike Emelin as he had to work harder for his wins. In the quarterfinal he defeated Viktor PETRYK (UKR) 5-1 before beating Hleb MAKARANKA (BLR) 7-2 in a closely contest semifinal.

Kamal scored a point via pushout before Makaranka gave up another for inactivity. He went for big throw but could only get two points after a successful challenge. Makaranka got one for reversal but still trailed 1-4.

The Belarussian was awarded a point for Kamal's passivity but he failed to complete a throw from par terre, instead giving exposure to Kamal for two points. It was challenged by his corner but was unsuccessful as Kama secured a 7-2 win.

At the Olympic weight category of 67kg, Mateusz BERNATEK (POL) delighted the home country as he reached the final with a thrilling 5-4 win over Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM).

By assuring himself atleast a silver medal, Bernatek claimed his first European medal at the senior level, and deservedly so.

Galstyan ran to a 4-0 lead with a slip by and roll within the first period of the bout. But he was warned for passivity and Bernatek got him him in a front headlock lift for two points. While going for the second one, he was failed and Galstyan grabbed the opportunity to pin him.

Poland corner challenged the call for a leg foul and they did it successful. That gave Bernatek two more points and a 5-4 lead over Galstyan which stayed till the end.

Mateusz Lucjan BERNATEK (POL) Senior European Championships 2021
Mateusz Lucjan BERNATEK (POL) after winning his semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

He will wrestle Mate NEMES (SRB) who defeated Murat FIRAT (TUR) 3-3 on criteria in the other semifinal at 67kg.

Firat was leading 3-1 after a passivity and gut wrench points but committed a leg foul in the second period which gave Nemes a 3-3 lead, based on the caution Firat had received.

Junior World and European champion Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) made it to the final at 72kg and will face Olympic bronze medalist Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO).

The Armenian defeated Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series gold medalist this year Robert FRITSCH (HUN) 3-1 while the Georgian was quick to stop another local wrestler from reaching the final by beating Roman PACURKOWSKI (POL) 6-0.

With Pacurkowski's defeat, world medalist Selcuk CAN (TUR) and former world champion Frank STAEBLER (GER) will return empty-handed from Warsaw. Can lost 3-11 in the quarterfinal after he had defeated Staebler 6-6 in the pre-quarters.

At 82kg, Adlan AKIEV (RUS), who is participating in a European Championships after four years, reached the final against Radzik KULIYEU (BLR).

The finals of 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg, and 97kg will be held on Sunday, the final day of the 2021 senior European Championships in Warsaw.

Greco-Roman Finals Matches

63kg
GOLD - Sergey EMELIN (RUS) vs. Kerem KAMAL (TUR)

SEMIFINAL - Sergey EMELIN (RUS) df. Razvan ARNAUT (ROU), 9-0
SEMIFINAL - Kerem KAMAL (TUR) vs. Hleb MAKARANKA (BLR), 7-2

67kg
GOLD - Mateusz BERNATEK (POL) vs. Mate NEMES (SRB)

SEMIFINAL - Mateusz BERNATEK (POL) df. Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM), 5-4
SEMIFINAL - Mate NEMES (SRB) df. Murat FIRAT (TUR), 3-3

72kg
GOLD - Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) vs. Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)

SEMIFINAL - Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Robert Attila FRITSCH (HUN), 3-1
SEMIFINAL - Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) Roman PACURKOWSKI (POL), 6-0

82kg
GOLD - Adlan AKIEV (RUS) vs. Radzik KULIYEU (BLR)

SEMIFINAL - Adlan AKIEV (RUS) df. Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO), 6-1
SEMIFINAL - Radzik KULIYEU (BLR) df. Rajbek Alvievich BISULTANOV (DEN), 1-1

97kg
GOLD - Musa EVLOEV (RUS) vs. Balazs KISS (HUN)

SEMIFINAL - Musa EVLOEV (RUS) df. Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA), 3-1
SEMIFINAL - Balazs KISS (HUN) df. Mikalai STADUB (BLR), 3-1

Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) Senior European Championships 2021
Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) won his fourth European title on Saturday. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Greco-Roman Medal Bouts Day 6

55kg
GOLD - Emin SEFERSHAEV (RUS) df Ekrem OZTURK (TUR), 7-0

BRONZE - Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) df. Fabian SCHMITT (GER), 8-0
BRONZE - Rudik MKRTCHYAN (ARM) df. Artsiom KATSAR (BLR), 8-0

63kg
GOLD - Zhambolat LOKYAEV (RUS) df. Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE), 5-0

BRONZE - Leri ABULADZE (GEO) df. Mihai Radu MIHUT (ROU), 9-1
BRONZE - Aleksandrs JURKJANS (LAT) df. Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM), 7-5

77kg
GOLD - Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) df. Yunus Emre BASAR (TUR), 6-0

BRONZE - Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO) df. Michael Felix WIDMAYER (GER), 5-1
BRONZE - Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) df. Dmytro PYSHKOV (UKR), 6-0

87kg
GOLD - Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) vs. Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR), 5-1

BRONZE - Milad Valerikovitch ALIRZAEV (RUS) df. Turpan Ali Alvievich BISULTANOV (DEN), 8-1
BRONZE - Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) df. Denis Maksymilian KUDLA (GER), 1-1

130kg
GOLD -Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO), 3-1

BRONZE - Eduard POPP (GER) df. Oleksandr CHERNETSKYY (UKR), 2-1
BRONZE - Zurabi GEDEKHAURI (RUS) df. Romas FRIDRIKAS (LTU), 3-2

#WrestleWarsaw

After Heartbreaking Rio Exit, Lappage Focused on Tokyo Olympics

Monday, June 7, 2021 - 18:08 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

Three hours before her bout at the Rio Olympics, Danielle Lappage made an entry in her personal wrestling journal:

“August 18, 2016. 7 a.m. Today is the day I have been dreaming of for over a decade! I will be the first women’s wrestling match of the day against Ukraine- she is tough but I am better. You are an OLYMPIC CHAMPION!”

All the sacrifices she had made, all the hard work she’d put in for 13 years was now on the line.

Alas, it was not meant to be.

The warm-up hall at the Olympic center in Rio was full of wrestlers gearing up for the big day – the fifth of wrestling at the 2016 Games. Lappage was one of them. Like everyone else, the Canadian was also giving final touches to her preparations. "It was very random. It was a warm-up I had done hundreds of times before,” she says. “I had a lot of pain in my butt.”

Lappage lay on the mat, hiding her pain from her competitors, who were training right next to her. She asked her sparring partner to call the medical staff. During her second last warm-up, her partner made a slight movement and a sharp feeling went through her left butt. Lappage collapsed right there. "I was super devastated and emotional," she says.

She doesn't turn emotional while recounting the horrific incident from Rio almost five years ago but that day, Lappage was left in tears and her Olympic dream was shattered.

Lappage was born in Olds, a small town south of Alberta to Valerie and Robert Lappage. At the age of three, she joined gymnastics classes and later she added swimming to her schedule. Her introduction to wrestling was only when she was 12 years old.

“When I got to sixth grade, my school offered many sports for free. Badminton, athletics, basketball, volleyball, wrestling and rugby,” she says. “Because I was strong and athletic, I tried every sport. I was never just a wrestler until after high school.”

But when it came to picking a sport in which she wanted to make a career in, Lappage was always clear in her mind. “I truly had a passion for it [wrestling]. I always knew that I was going to wrestle,” she says. “I went to Simon Fraser University in Vancouver and continued to wrestle there.”

The seeds of the Olympic dream had been sown before that. Back in 2004 when women's wrestling was inducted into the Games, Lappage was wrestling her first national championships. She did not win but she knew she wanted to be an Olympian. Next year, she won the gold medal. The dream was quickly becoming her belief that she can win the Olympics by 2016.

“My career up to Rio was focused on 2016,” she says. “Even when I was a young girl I was thinking that 2016, it would be the ideal year, I would be the ideal age.”

The journey began with the junior world title in 2010. Lappage did try to be on Canada's 2012 Olympic team but missed out. A couple of years later, she took big strides. She won the senior nationals, world university championships and even the Commonwealth Games.

But life gifts you a sucker punch when you are least ready. Lappage took two weeks off after the 2014 World Championships and in her first practice on return, tore her ACL. Was that the end of a dream? She went into a soul-searching mode. Wrestling took a back seat but only momentarily.

Against all odds, she won the Canadian Olympic trial in December 2015. She had taken her first step towards the goal and was motivated to achieve it until it all came crashing down in that warm-up hall.

“I was pinching myself and telling myself that it had to be a nightmare,” she recalls. “But when I realised it wasn't, I was trying to pump myself in my mind saying 'you can wrestle with an injury, people have done this before.'

“Then I went to wrestle but I could even use my left leg. I had to forfeit the tournament. What I remember the most in the moment of pulling out was looking up to the stands and seeing my parents. They were so confused and scared. At that moment I became super emotional and the day, the moment, even months after that moment, were devastating.”

There was no clarity over the injury. Her taking the mat against Yulia TAKCH (UKR) was just an athlete desperate to not let go of the dream.

“I had ruptured a hamstring muscle,” Lappage says. She was told about it when she returned to the Olympic village. “It's so unexplainable and so confusing to me as to how and why it happened.”

The days that followed were hard. During the recovery phase after the ACL injury, Lappage had the motivation of the Rio Olympics. After Rio, she had none.

“The emotional toll that injury had on me and the uncertainty that will I be able to come back physically, had me questioning whether I could, or whether I wanted to, whether it was the right thing in my life to wrestle,” she says.

Her blog entries give a clearer picture of her thoughts soon after. Six months passed as she battled self-doubts and thought of leaving the sport. “The mental side, the uncertainty of 'will I be the same? Will I re-hurt it?'” she continues, “have always been the most challenging.”

Thankfully, she could take her mind off wrestling and focus on her studies. At the Simon Fraser University, Lappage had completed her BA in Criminology and followed it with a MA degree in the same. Her injury made her give up the plans of policing.

Back in 2012, she sat for LSAT but could not clear for law school. It was luck by chance that while applying for different jobs she realized that her score was considered for five years. She applied for the University of Calgary. She never thought of it but she was accepted.

Calgary was going to become her new home after eight years at SFU. While she had to leave her former teammates, she would be paired with Rio Olympic champion Erica Wiebe.

“I saw having a law degree, being a lawyer was the best way I could help the less fortunate and my community,” she says. “Formal education was actually helpful to me to be a great wrestler and also be a good student. It was an opportunity to have a balance – the physical and mental, both. When I was having a hard day physically or emotionally or mentally with wrestling, it was good to have something else to focus on.”

Perhaps that's what got her back into wrestling.

In February 2018, Lappage decided to wrestle again. She instantly did not make goals but she wanted to test herself again and test at the highest level.

Klippan Lady Open is one of the most prestigious wrestling tournaments for women. In the Nordic country of Sweden, female wrestlers from around the world try to win the gold medal. Lappage, in that year, was also trying.

In her first international bout after a long hiatus, Lappage faced Tamyra MENSAH STOCK (USA), a two-time Ivan Yargiun champion and USA's brightest prospect. The category was also 68kg, a bump up from Lappage's regular 63kg.

The Canadian won 4-2. Laura SKUJINA (LAT) did not pose any challenge in the semifinal and Lappage was in the final. She could not have planned it better.

Against Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR), Lappage won 9-4 and the gold medal on her return to the international stage. That was the beginning of a memorable year.

She racked up gold medals at All Ukrainian Memorial Tournament, Canada Cup and Poland Open with a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games sandwiched between them. To cap it all off, she won a silver medal at the World Championships, only her second in the long career.

“I surprised myself and a lot of people that I was able to come back, move and wrestle the way I did,” she says.

She could see the Tokyo Games were on the horizon. She had to make a decision of committing herself to another Olympics, live life thinking and preparing for one specific day.

"I didn't have my goals set on Tokyo until 2018. I took it season by season because I was so upset,” she says. “It was fast approaching so I had to commit myself. Around that time, I made Tokyo a specific goal.”

Danielle Lappage 2018 World ChampionshipsDanielle LAPPAGE (CAN) lost in the quarterfinal of the 2019 World Championships in Nursultan, Kazakhstan. (Photo: UWW / GABOR MARTIN)

Securing a quota for a country is the first step towards fulfilling an Olympic dream. Lappage could not even do that.

“2018 was a great year for me. I was confident and didn't feel too much pressure,” she says. “A year after, I think I didn't work on my mental game as much as I needed to. I took my confidence and focus for granted and I didn't wrestle my best, for example the 2019 World Championships.”

That was the first qualifying event for the Tokyo Games. In Nursultan, Kazakhstan, Lappage had the chance to book Canada's ticket in the 68kg weight class. She was 30 seconds away when a lapse in concentration took it all away.

Just 18 months ago, she had defeated Cherkasova in Sweden. But she lost to her 7-8 when it mattered the most. The Ukrainian lost her semifinal, ending Lappage's repechage hopes.

“One of those losses that I thought is going to harm me after, follow me in my career,” she says. “That happens in wrestling. Just had to go back to the drawing board, analyse that, work on that part of the game and that's what I did.”

But then, the Covid-19 pandemic brought everything to a standstill. Sports events were getting cancelled and the Pan-Am Olympic Qualifier in Ottawa, Canada was under a cloud. Two years after she came back to relaunch her wrestling career, Covid-19 threatened to take it all away.

Ultimately, United World Wrestling, wrestling’s global governing body, decided to conduct the qualifiers without spectators. It was enough for Lappage, as she won the 68kg gold medal and with that, earned an Olympic spot for her country, two months after winning the national Olympic trials. Finally, she could dream of being an Olympic champion again.

But there was one more twist to Lappage's story. Canada announced they would pull out of the Olympics because of the pandemic if they went ahead as scheduled. But then, the International Olympic Committee announced the Games were postponed by a year.

A year and three months have passed since that day in Ottawa, Lappage has not competed internationally. Forget competing, she has not stepped outside Canada, majorly because of the strict quarantine rules of the country.

“The uncertainty of it all has been very difficult when you sit back and you allow the fear and anxiety to stir up, it does get a little bit stressful obviously,” she says.

“In sports, you face struggles, challenges, setbacks regularly. I guess it was just one of those," she says. "It was similar to an injury. You have to sit back and reflect and plan training and plan better when things are not ideal. When they announced that it was going to be delayed, of course, it was not ideal. But in my opinion, it was better than being cancelled. It's still happening and I have an extra year to prepare and be better than I would have in 2020.”

Just to ascertain that, she will be wrestling at the last ranking series event in Poland in June before the Games. The Poland Open will be her big test since the World Championships in Central Asia. Like Lappage, her opponents are also getting better and she knows it.

“There are no easy opponents,” she says. “It's an open field and I am not looking at anybody lightly. Hence, we all ought to be on our 'A' game and we ought to be the best on our day and if we are able to bring everything together on that day we will be successful.”

Danielle LappageDanielle LAPPAGE (CAN) won the Pan-Am Olympic Qualifiers in Ottawa, Canada to qualify Canada for the Olympic Games. (Photo: UWW / TONY ROTUNDO)

Lappage is in the twilight of her career. But like many elite athletes, she is wrestling with the idea of when to call it quits.

“I enjoy the training, the process, the schedule, the details, the experiences and the social aspect,” she says. “But of course it will end soon. Maybe one more cycle would be max. I have not thought about it, I have not committed to it.”

Lappage has clearly come a long way from that injury in Rio. At one point she was on the verge of leaving the sport and five years later, she is thinking about Paris. But in sport, as in life, nothing should be taken for granted.

“Since Rio, I have not taken any day for granted, any competition for granted, any experience for granted. For years, I count this as my bonus life, my second life and in the sport my second chance. It's been awesome.”

Lappage learnt that lesson long back.