#WrestlePlovdiv

Live Blog: U23 European Championships Day 4

Thursday, March 10, 2022 - 09:19 By Vinay Siwach

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PLOVDIV, Bulgaria (March 10) -- The U23 European Championships enters day four with the final five weight classes of women's wrestling in action. A few of the junior stars will be eyeing glory at the U23 level and the front runners Thursday are the Hungary and Poland teams.

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE

1350: On Mat C, Lilly SCHNEIDER (GER) had no answer Tuende ELEKES (HUN) attacks. The Junior World Championships silver medalist Schneider falls 5-0 in the 72kg quarterfinals

1345: U23 World Championships silver medalist Kendra DACHER (FRA) remains calm despite trailing against Eleni PJOLLAJ (ITA). Down 5-4, she came out with a four-point throw and secured an 8-5 lead. She did give up two more points but that did not matter much.

1325: Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR) beats Patrycja GIL (POL) at 57kg. Gil had a 6-4 lead heading into the final minute but Kamaloglu scored via a head pinch and got the two for exposure to lead 6-6. Gil had six seconds to score a point to win but she fails.

1315: Viktoria VESSO (EST) on Mat C against Birgul SOLTANOVA  (AZE). Vesso was trailing 7-6 in the final 10 seconds but a fleeing caution against Soltanova gives her the win, 7-7 on criteria.

1300: Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) gets the fall over Ameline DOUARRE (FRA). Beautiful cradle to end the bout in the first period

1215: Patrycja GIL (POL) with a big four-pointer against Tamara DOLLAK (HUN) and she comes on top in the battle of two returning silver medalists. Dollak goes down 13-2

1200: Merve KARADENIZ (TUR) with a controlled win over Kelsey BARNES (GBR). The Great Britain wrestler to make it to the U23 Europeans.

1145: What a start we had. Tamara DOLLAK (HUN) and Sezen BELBEROVA (BUL) were involved in a battle. Dollak had a 7-4 lead with less than 40 seconds left but Belberova snuck out a single-leg attack to left and scored four points. But Dollak scored an ankle pick for a takedown to win 9-8

1130: We are beginning with only two mats. 72kg will have a Nelson system.

#WrestleTirana

Kayaalp Breaks European Record with 13th Gold Medal

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 - 18:25 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (April 21) -- "I truly believe I’ve set a record that will be very difficult to break."

Riza KAYAALP (TUR) knows the true effort it takes to win 12 gold medals at the European Championships. It took him 13 years. Now, on Tuesday, he won his record-breaking 13th gold medal at the European Championships in Tirana, moving past Aleksandr KARELIN.

With that, Kayaalp became the first wrestler in any style to win 13 golds in Europe. He defeated Darius VITEK (HUN), 7-1, in a dominant 130kg final.

Apart from Tuesday's gold, Kayaalp has won European titles in 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2010.

"It’s an incredible feeling," Kayaalp said. "This was my 15th final, and in my 15th final, I achieved my 13th title. This title is especially valuable to me because achieving such long-term and consistent success -- especially in Europe, where there are very strong nations -- is not easy. I’m very proud to have broken such a big record."

Wrestling Vitek in the 130kg final, Kayaalp got the par terre position in the first period and brought the strong gut-wrench he has made his own to turn Vitek three times for six points. He went into the break leading 7-0. Vitek got the par terre position in the second period but he failed to move the mountain-of-man Kayaalp.

With chants of "Riza, Riza" reverberating at the Feti Borova Hall, Kayaalp defended his lead and despite a few instances of him slipping, Vitek could not inflict any sort of danger to score any points. After six minutes of the final and history created, Kayaalp celebrated the 13th gold medal and took his own time with the fans.

"The matches were not easy. I had tough matches," he said. "One of my matches ended 1–1. In the semifinal, I can say I was subjected to some disrespect from a strong opponent in a very intense bout. But compared to those, the final match was more meaningful for me.

"When it became 7-0, well, I’m an athlete who doesn’t like to concede points," he said. "I don’t like giving points away, so I managed to protect that score. I can say I went through the second period quite comfortably, and having a 7–0 lead helped."

The last time Kayaalp built a 7-0 lead was back in 2017, when he pinned Balint LAM (HUN) in the 130kg final after a 7-0 lead.

Kayaalp's gold is a testimony to his longevity having won his first European title in 2010, a year in which his opponent in the final, Vitek, was 10 years, five months and 12 days when Kayaalp achieved his first gold.

"When you look back, you realize you’ve made 15 finals," Kayaalp said after winning the 130kg gold medal in Tirana. "Back then, I was just thinking whether I could win one or two medals. But then, making the final every time at the European Championships, it’s like a child being born and growing up to 15 years old."

Photo

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW) df. Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO), 2-1

BRONZE: Rashad MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Omer RECEP (TUR), 8-0
BRONZE: Stefan GRIGOROV (BUL) df. Manvel KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 3-1

63kg
GOLD: Sergey EMELIN (UWW) df. Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), 9-0

BRONZE: Karen ASLANYAN (ARM) df. Mairbek SALIMOV (POL), 11-0
BRONZE: Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Pridon ABULADZE (GEO), 6-2

77kg
GOLD: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df. Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO), 1-1

BRONZE: Edvin BAFF (SWE) df. Alexandrin GUTU (MDA), 2-1
BRONZE: Robert FRITSCH (HUN) df. Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO), 1-1

87kg
GOLD: Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) df. Semen NOVIKOV (BUL), via fall (8-4)

BRONZE: Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR) df. Ihar YARASHEVICH (UWW), 1-1
BRONZE: Islam ABBASOV (AZE) df. Dogan KAYA (TUR), 5-1

130kg
GOLD: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Darius VITEK (HUN), 7-1

BRONZE: Pavel HLINCHUK (UWW) df. Marat KAMPAROV (UWW), 10-5
BRONZE: Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) df. Beka KANDELAKI (AZE), 3-1