#Rome2018

Komarov Wins Fourth European Junior Gold

Wednesday, August 1, 2018 - 18:55 By Eric Olanowski

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ROME, Italy (August 1) - Russia inserted four wrestlers into gold medal bouts on the final day of Greco-Roman action at the 2018 European Junior Championships and won two gold medals, bringing their overall tournament total to four gold medals. 

Aleksandr KOMAROV (RUS) and Artur SARGSIAN (RUS) were the two Russians who were successful in their championship matches on the third day of wrestling in Rome. 

Komarov, the three-time age-level world champion and most dominant Junior in the world defeated Nicu Samuel OJOG (ROU), 5-2 in the 82kg gold medal bout. 

The four-time age-level European champion trailed 2-1 after surrendering a pair of step outs in the opening minute of the bout. Shortly after, the Russian stopped an arm-spin attempt and scored the match's first takedown, taking the 3-2 lead.

Komarov, who remains undefeated on his international career (cadet, junior and senior) scored his second takedown of the match and extended his lead to three points. Ultimately, his takedown to close out the opening period ended up being the final points of the bout which give Russia their third Greco-Roman gold medal of the competition. 

Artur Sargsian gave Russia their second gold medal of the day and fourth overall with a dominating 8-0 shutout performance over Markus RAGGINGER (AUT) in the 97kg championship match. 

The Russians pace was too high for Ragginger to match, as he bolted out to a 6-0 lead, scoring a takedown along with a massive four points off a throw to end the first period with a six-point lead. 

Sargsian's shuck-by with 30 seconds left ended the match and gave him his first continental championship gold medal. 

Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Germany won the remaining three gold medals on the final day of Greco-Roman competition. 

At 60kg, Germany’s 2015 cadet world bronze medalist, Andrej GINC (GER), rolled over Abu AMAEV (RUS), 11-1 to win his second age-level continental medal. 

Ginc scored the match's first takedown with a head-pinch after back peddling for nearly 30 seconds, ultimately controlling the 2-1 lead.

After a short break for clock issues, last year’s European Championship 12th place finisher scored an enormous five-point move, extending his lead to 7-1. He followed that up with a four-point throw, ending the match 11-1 and giving Germany their first Greco-Roman gold medal since Hannes Wagner’s (GER) gold medal in 2015. 

After giving up the final takedown, Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR) hung on to beat Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO), 5-3 in the 67kg finals. 

The two traded a pair of passivity points before Liavonchyk opened the match up with two turns, taking the 5-1 lead. The action was blown dead, and the finalists were brought up to their feet where Khetsuriani scored a takedown, closing the gap in the score to 5-3.  But, time was on Liavonchyk’s side, and he was able to hold on to take the match, 5-3. 

In the plodding 72kg finals, Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) and Magomed YARBILOV (RUS) traded passivity points before Ganizade was awarded two points for a correct throw, winning the championship bout, 3-1. 

RESULTS 
European Junior Greco-Roman Team Scores
GOLD – Russia (195 points)
SILVER - Georgia (113 points)
BRONZE – Armenia (101 points)
Fourth – Belarus (91 points)
FIFTH – Ukraine (80 points)

60kg 
GOLD – Andrej GINC (GER) df. Abu Muslim Aptievitch AMAEV (RUS), 11-1

BRONZE – Ararat MANUCHARYAN (ARM) df. Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI (GEO), 6-0
BRONZE –  Jacopo SANDRON (ITA) df. Ivan CHERKAS (UKR), 5-0 

67kg 
GOLD –  Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR) df. Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO), 5-3 

BRONZE – Miakhdi Abubakarovitch IAKHIAEV (RUS) df. Mahammadali HASANOV (AZE), 8-0 
BRONZE –  Ismail GUN (TUR) df. Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR), 8-0 

72kg 
GOLD – Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) df. Magomed YARBILOV (RUS), 3-1 

BRONZE –  Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df. Nikoloz TCHIKAIDZE (GEO), 9-1 
BRONZE –  Tamas LEVAI (HUN) df. Anthony Ezra SANDERS (GER), 9-0 

82kg
GOLD –  Aleksandr Andreevitch KOMAROV (RUS) df. Nicu Samuel OJOG (ROU), 5-2 

BRONZE –  Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR) df. Erik ELOYAN (ARM), 8-0
BRONZE –Vitalii ANDRIIOVYCH (UKR) df. Szymon SZYMONOWICZ (POL), 9-0 

97kg
GOLD – Artur SARGSIAN (RUS) df. Markus RAGGINGER (AUT), 8-0 

BRONZE –  Arvi Martin SAVOLAINEN (FIN) df. Michail IOSIFIDIS (GRE), 9-0 
BRONZE –  Luca SVAICARI (ITA) df. Damian VON EUW (SUI), 8-6 

#WrestleIstanbul

Stars to follow in Women's Wrestling at World Qualifier

Monday, May 6, 2024 - 08:14 By Vinay Siwach

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ISTANBUL, Türkiye (May 6) -- Mariya STADNIK (AZE) has endured quite a few heartbreaks in her 16-year-long career. The most recent was her fall against Oksana LIVACH (UKR) in the final five seconds of the match. A win would have confirmed a fifth trip to the Olympics for her.

The four-time Olympic medalist will now be in Istanbul for the World OG Qualifier -- the last chance -- in a bid to earn a Paris 2024 quota. It will also put her one step closer to winning an unprecedented fifth Olympic medal, a feat no one has achieved in wrestling.

But Stadnik isn't the only one with so much to fight for in Istanbul.

Two-time European champion Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR) was also seconds away from earning a spot for Paris when Tokyo silver medalist Iryna KURACHKINA (AIN) scored a takedown to beat her. Hrushyna missed the Tokyo flight after suffering an injury two months before the Games.

Now, she will be in Istanbul along with Tokyo bronze medalist Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) who is not yet qualified at 57kg. Both will compete for the three spots available along with other top wrestlers like Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE), Giullia PENALBER (BRA), Aurora RUSSO (ITA), Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL), Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU), Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (AIN) and Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR).

In each Olympic weight class, the winner of the semifinals will earn a berth for the Paris Games for their respective countries. The third spot will be earned by the winner of the playoff between the two bronze medalists of the weight class.

This provides an extra opportunity to the wrestler who lost to the two best wrestlers of their respective weight classes. The repechage, bronze-medal bouts and the playoff will be held the next day.

China, which managed three quotas at the Asian OG Qualifier, will be hoping to claim all six spots for Paris as Jia LONG (CHN) and Feng ZHOU (CHN) compete in the 62kg and 68kg respectively.

Ziqi FENG (CHN), Qianyu PANG (CHN), Kexin HONG (CHN) and Juan WANG (CHN) clinched the 50kg, 53kg, 57kg and 76kg spots with the last three coming at the Asian OG Qualifier in Bishkek last month.

For Long, who was in Tokyo, the field at 62kg will be strong. Veranika IVANOVA (AIN), Lais NUNES (BRA), MANSI (IND), Mariana CHERDIVARA (MDA), Kriszta INCZE (ROU) and Nesrin BAS (TUR) are a few wrestlers who can trouble Long.

Bas is an interesting choice by Turkiye as she regularly competes in the 72kg weight class. She was a U23 world champion in the same. But with the 68kg qualification by world champion Buse TOSUN (TUR) and 76kg by European champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR), Bas decided to move down.

At 68kg, Feng will have to raise her game if she wants to represent China in Paris. The weight has 23 wrestlers including the likes of Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL), Linda MORAIS (CAN), Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE), NISHA (IND) and Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU).

Hristova would be doubly motivated to win a quota in Istanbul after she missed it in Baku. Leading 8-0 against Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR) in the quarterfinal, she got put on the mat by Skobelska and the Ukrainian secured a fall, leaving Hristova heartbroken.

A few European stars have not managed to earn a Paris spot at 53kg. Two-time Olympian Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) will be a strong contender to claim one of the three spots at 53kg.

Annika WENDLE (GER), Sztalvira ORSOS (HUN), Zeynep YETGIL (TUR), Mariia VYNNYK (UKR), Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) and Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) will be fighting it out for the quotas as well.

Karla GODINEZ (CAN), the favorite at the Pan-Am OG Qualifier, suffered a loss and failed to qualify Canada. But she will be in Istanbul to earn that spot and join her sister Ana who qualified at 62kg. Khulan BATKHUYAG (MGL) will be a strong contender as well.

Among the big names at 76kg, Martina KUENZ (AUT), Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (AIN), Yuliana YANEVA (BUL), Samar HAMZA (EGY), Epp MAE (EST), Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) and Anastasiia SHUSTOVA (UKR) are taking the trip to Istanbul.

Despite all the stars assembling in Istanbul, Stadnik will be the center of attraction. How does a 36-year-old bounce back from her first-ever loss in Europe? Is she still good enough to compete against some of the best in the world? Is she a medal threat for Paris 2024?

A win in Istanbul will answer those questions.