#WrestleSofia

LIVE BLOG: World Olympic Qualifiers, Day Two

By United World Wrestling Press

Women's wrestling gets underway in Sofia as 12 Olympic spots will be decided at the World Olympic Qualifiers on Friday. (Day 1 Wrap)

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER | PHOTOS

SEMIFINALS (As they come in)

50kg

Anna LUKASIAK (POL) vs. Seema SEEMA (IND)
Lucia Yamileth YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU) vs. Patricia Alejandra BERMUDEZ (ARG) 

53kg 
Betzabeth angelica ARGUELLO VILLEGAS (VEN) vs. Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS) 
Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU) vs. Samantha Leigh STEWART (CAN) 

57kg
Giullia OLIVEIRA (BRA) vs. Mathilde Hélène RIVIERE (FRA) 
Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RUS) vs. Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR) 

62kg
Veranika IVANOVA (BLR) vs. Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL) 
Liubov OVCHAROVA (RUS) vs. Luisa Helga Gerda NIEMESCH (GER) 

68kg
Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) vs. Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) 
Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) vs.Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE)

76kg
Yasemin ADAR (TUR) vs. Martina KUENZ (AUT) 
Maria Jose ACOSTA ACOSTA (VEN) vs. Alla BELINSKA (UKR) 

13:27: The quarterfinals are underway in Bulgaria! The match order is listed below.

12:54: That was unexpected! Bullen crushed Morais, 12-2, in less than two minutes and moved into the 57kg quarterfinals. She'll now face Johanna LINDBORG (SWE) for a spot in tonight's quarterfinals

12:47:  The matchup between world champions Linda Morais and U23 world champion Grace Bullen is up now on Mat B!

11:58: That was short-lived. Adar rallied off 16 unanswered points and moved into the quarterfinals with an 18-7 win. She'll wrestle U23 and junior world champion Milaimys de la Caridad MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) for a spot in tonight's semifinals.

11:55: There's a huge upset brewing on Mat A. Genesis Rosangela REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) leads '17 world champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR), 7-2, after the opening period.

11:50: That's back-to-back massive wins for Kriszta Incze. In her two patches, she's defeated two-time Olympic bronze medalist Jackeline Renteria Castillo and world runner-up Elif Jale Yesilrmak. She'll take on world silver medalist Liubov OVCHAROVA (RUS) next.

11:47: Two-time Olympic bronze medalist Renteria trails Incze, 3-2, with 80 seconds left. They are wrestling on Mat A.

11:21:  How about this upcoming match between world champions on Mat B (Bout 201)? It'll be Linda Morais and U23 world champion Grace BULLEN (NOR).

10:56: World champion Linda Morais opens up her day with an impressive three-minute 10-0 routing of '16 Olympian Bediha GUN (TUR).

10:33: Mat A is about to heat up! Two-time world bronze medalist from Hungary Emese BARKA and world champion Linda MORAIS (CAN) will wrestle in back-to-back matches. 

10:08:  How about that timing? Kriszta INCZE (ROU) scored a step out with three seconds left and ended Elif YESILIRMAK's (TUR) quest to become the first Turkish woman to reach the Olympic Games on three occasions. 

10:02: What a way to kick off our women's wrestling opening session! We'll have two-time Olympic bronze medalist Jackeline RENTERIA CASTILLO (COL) beginning the day on Mat A. 

10:00: Just minutes away from action here in Sofia

#Grappling

Grappling Gi: Kazakhstan, Poland emerge best teams at World Championships

By Vinay Siwach

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (October 12) -- Kazakhstan stole the show in men's Grappling Gi, winning four of the nine gold medals on the final day of the World Grappling Championships.

Alikhan ALSHINBAY (KAZ) won the gold medal at 58kg, Samat AITPANBET (KAZ) claimed a submission victory at 62kg, Sarsen ZHETIBAYEV (KAZ) defeated former world champion Iker CAMARA (ESP) 2-1 at 71kg and Ruslan ISRAILOV (KAZ) held on to a 5-2 win at 92kg.

Kazakhstan won the team title with 185 points, well clear of second-placed United States which could get only 68 points and third-placed Poland 66 points.

In women's grappling gi, Poland continued its dominance with yet another solid performance, earning it the team title. Led by returning champion Justyna SITKO (POL), Poland claimed two gold medals and 110 points overall to finish first. Kazakhstan was second with 43 points and Ukraine was third with 40 points.

Poland had five finalists with two winning the gold medals. Sitko defended her gold medal at 90kg with a 7-1 win over Alena VLASOVA (AIN) while Weronika ROT (POL) defeated Anna REMNEVA (AIN), 10-0, in the 71kg to win gold.

Alicja STYPULKOWSKA (POL) was also in the final but she came up short. Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP) defeated her, 6-4, in the 53kg final. Magdalena GIEC (POL) ended up with a silver medal for the second year in a row, dropping the 58kg final 9-5 against Nikolett KIS (HUN).

In the 64kg final, Alsu IANSHINA (AIN) won via submission against Adrianna MAZUR (POL).

RESULTS

Men's Grappling Gi

58kg
GOLD: Alikhan ALSHINBAY (KAZ) df. Jerzy IZDEBSKI (POL), 4-2

BRONZE: Zhyldyzbek ABYLBEKOV (KGZ) df. Vahid ALAKBAROV (AZE), via submission (3-2)
BRONZE: Nurbek SATYBALDY (KAZ) df. Jad HERZHAFT (FRA), 12-5

62kg
GOLD: Samat AITPANBET (KAZ) df. Nurbek MYRZALINOV (KAZ), via submission (0-2) 

BRONZE: Sultan SHARIPOV (AIN) df. Guillermo GUTIERREZ (ESP), via submission (4-0) 
BRONZE: Joseph DIEHL (USA) df. Daniiar ZHAMANKULOV (KGZ), 8-3

66kg
GOLD: Giorgi RAZMADZE (GEO) df. Mayis NERSESYAN (ARM), 6-4

BRONZE: Anthony DE OLIVEIRA (FRA) df. Yurii CHERKALIUK (UKR), via submission (9-0)
BRONZE: Daulet ZHUMADULLAYEV (KAZ) df. Zack ZINZOW (USA), 3-2

71kg
GOLD: Sarsen ZHETIBAYEV (KAZ) df. Iker CAMARA (ESP), 2-1

BRONZE: Jedrzej LOSKA (POL) df. Cole MORRISON (USA), via submission (0-2)
BRONZE: Oleksandr HULIAIEV (UKR) df. Nico PULVERMUELLER (GER), 2-2

77kg
GOLD: Imam AMAGAEV (AIN) df. Adlan MADAYEV (KAZ), 6-4

BRONZE: Dmitriy MIKHAILIDI (KAZ) df. Pierre MANZO (FRA), 5-1
BRONZE: Arthur LEROY (FRA) df. Jakub NAJDEK (POL), 4-2

84kg
GOLD: Ruslan VALIEV (FRA) df. Hajimurad PURTIYEV (AZE), 6-0

BRONZE: Jeremie BLAIN (CAN) df. Bekarys SHYNGGYSBEK (KAZ), in overtime (1-1)
BRONZE: Igor DZIAG (POL) df. Samy MEZACHE (FRA), via submission (6-2)

92kg
GOLD: Ruslan ISRAILOV (KAZ) df. Mantas DAUBLYS (LTU), 5-2

BRONZE: Ramazan KUSSAINOV (KAZ) df. Borja ALVAREZ (ESP), via submission (6-0)
BRONZE: Pablo ESTEPA NIETO (ESP) df. Julian VANDERLINDEN (USA), 4-3

100kg
GOLD: Kristof SZUCS (HUN) df. Ramazan ABDRAKHIMOV (KAZ), via submission (10-2)

BRONZE: Ivan MALIN (UKR) df. Konstantin LI (KGZ), 6-1
BRONZE: Roman LUKASHEVICH (AIN) df. Pavlos VLACHOS (GRE), via submission (5-0)

130kg
GOLD: Abu GUDANATOV (AIN) df. Saulet ABUSSALIKHOV (KAZ), 2-1

BRONZE: John HANSEN (USA) df. Ioannis KARGIOTAKIS (GRE), 3-2
BRONZE: Eldar RAFIGAEV (MDA) df. Akhmed GAIRBEKOV (AIN), via submission (0-4)

Justyna SITKO (POL)Justyna SITKO (POL), center, defended her gold medal at 90kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Women's Grappling Gi

53kg
GOLD: Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP) df. Alicja STYPULKOWSKA (POL), 6-4

BRONZE: Zuzanna KOWALSKA (POL) df. Alina KASKINOVA (KAZ), via submission (2-2)
BRONZE: Polina KRUPSKAIA (AIN) df. Anna BEZHENAR (UKR), 3-2

58kg
GOLD: Nikolett KIS (HUN) df. Magdalena GIEC (POL), 9-5

BRONZE: Tetiana ASTAKHOVA (UKR) df. Rachel GUTIERREZ (USA), via submission (5-2)
BRONZE: Breanna STIKKELMAN (USA) df. Joanna ZABULEWICZ (POL), 4-4

64kg
GOLD: Alsu IANSHINA (AIN) df. Adrianna MAZUR (POL), via submission (2-2)

BRONZE: Fariza KULYNTAY (KAZ) df. Raluca ROSCA (ITA), 7-2
BRONZE: Veronika KARAKHONOVA (AIN) df. Sylwia WIERZBOWSKA (POL), via submission (5-0)

71kg
GOLD: Weronika ROT (POL) df. Anna REMNEVA (AIN), 10-0

BRONZE: Kateryna SHAKALOVA (UKR) df. Valeriia PROKOPIUK (UKR), 7-1
BRONZE: Emily GUENZLER (GER) df. Tatiana KABANOVA (AIN), via submission (0-4)

90kg
GOLD: Justyna SITKO (POL) df. Alena VLASOVA (AIN), 7-1

BRONZE: Tammy GRIEGO (USA) df. Vlada BOIAKHCHIEVA (AIN), via submission (2-2)