Euro

London 2012 Silver Medalist Lorincz Books Ticket to Rio at European OG Qualifier

By William May

ZRENJANIN, Serbia (April 15) – London 2012 silver medalist Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) booked his ticket to a third Olympic Games on Friday with a semifinal victory on the opening day of the European Olympic Games qualifying tournament in north central Serbia.

The three-time European champion snared a 6-4 triumph over European Games bronze medalist Dominik ETLINGER (CRO) in the 66kg semifinals in Greco-Roman to secure a berth for Hungary in Rio de Janiero this summer.

“It feels great to be going to the Olympics for a third time,” Lorincz said, adding with a wry smile “This is definitely my last Olympics – at 66kg.”

Much of Lorincz’s success the last two years, including two of his European titles, has come at the non-Olympic weight category of 71kg, while he has missed the medals podium on two of his last three trips to the world championships at 66kg.

With a ticket to Rio hanging in the balance in his bout with Etlinger, Lorincz appeared to be guilty of a false start in par terre making the score 4-4 with one minute remaining. A video review, however, resulted in a reversed call and a 6-2 lead for Lorincz.

“I thought it was about 50-50 that the challenge would be successful, but I trust my coach and now I’m happy he made the challenge,” Lorincz said.

With the victory, Lorincz joins younger brother Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) as the second wrestler on Hungary’s Rio 2016 team. The younger Lorincz qualified at last September’s world championships in Las Vegas with a fifth-place finish at 85kg in Greco-Roman.

In Friday evening’s finals, Lorincz will face Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) who grabbed Georgia’s first Rio 2016 ticket in Greco-Roman with a 5-0 victory over Dawid KARECINSKI (POL).  Bolkvadze converted in par terre with a front headlock and throw for four points in his win over Karecinski.

In other semifinals, Sanal SEMENOV (RUS) plugged one hole in Russia’s Greco-Roman juggernaut with a technical fall over Aleksandar KOSTADINOV (BUL) at 59kg. Semenov’s win gives Russia a fifth ticket in the six Greco-Roman categories for Rio 2016.

Meanwhile, Bulgaria and Poland each grabbed a pair of tickets to Rio.

Vladimir DUBOV (BUL), a world bronze medalist at the non-Olympic weight category of 61kg, rolled up three technical falls on his way to the finals at 57kg, while European Games runner-up Elitsa YANKOVA (BUL) outscored three opponents, 28-6, at 48kg in the women’s events.

Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) opened up a 5-0 lead over 2013 world champion David SAFARYAN (ARM) in the freestyle semifinals at 65kg and a cruised home with a 7-2 victory. Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL), meanwhile, turned away European champion Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS), 10-7, in the quarterfinals on her way to a Rio 2016 berth.

The hometown fans also had plenty to cheer about as former world bronze medalist Kristijan FRIS (SRB) blanked three opponents at 59kg to earn his second trip to the Olympic Games, following a seventh place finish at Beijing 2008.

Freestyle
 

57kg (17 entries)

Semifinal – Garnik MNATSAKANYAN (ARM) df. Anatoli BURUIAN (MDA), 5-3

Semifinal – Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) df. Zoheir EL OUARRAQE (FRA) by TF, 12-0, 4:50

 

Gold – Garnik MNATSAKANYAN (ARM) v Vladimir DUBOV (BUL)

Bronze – Suleyman ATLI (TUR) v Anatoli BURUIAN (MDA)

Bronze – Levan METREVELI (ESP) v Zoheir EL OUARRAQE (FRA)


65kg (16 entries)

Semifinal – Andriy KVYATKOVSKY (UKR) df. Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO), 2-2 

Semifinal – Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) df. David SAFARYAN (ARM), 7-2


Gold – Andriy KVYATKOVSKY (UKR) v Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL)

Bronze – Niko AROUZMANIDIS (GRE) v Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO)

Bronze – Maximilian AUSSERLEITNER (AUT) v David SAFARYAN (ARM)


Greco-Roman

59kg (19 entries)

Semifinal – Kristian FRIS (SRB) df. Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR) by TF, 8-0, 1:45

Semifinal – Sanal SEMENOV (RUS) df. Aleksandar KOSTADINOV (BUL) by TF, 11-2, 2:56


Gold – Kristian FRIS (SRB) v Sanal SEMENOV (RUS)

Bronze – Jani HAAPAMAEKI (FIN) v Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR)

Bronze – Ardit FAZLJIJA (SWE) v Aleksandar KOSTADINOV (BUL)


66kg (20 entries)

Semifinal – Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Dawid KARECINSKI (POL), 5-0

Semifinal – Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) df. Dominik ETLINGER (CRO), 6-4


Gold – Shamgi BOLKVADZE (GEO) v Tamas LORINCZ (HUN)

Bronze – Marius THOMMESEN (NOR) v Dawid KARECINSKI (POL)

Bronze – Artak MARGARYAN (FRA) v Dominik ETLINGER (CRO)


Women’s Wrestling

48kg (11 entries)

Semifinal – Emilia VUC (ROM) df. Natalya PULKOVSKA (UKR), 6-5 

Semifinal – Elista YANKOVA (BUL) df. Maryna MARKEVICH (BLR), 6-2


Gold – Emilia VUC (ROM) v Elista YANKOVA (BUL)

Bronze – Jacquline SCHELLIN (GER) v Natalya PULKOVSKA (UKR)

Bronze – Evin DEMIRKAN (TUR) v Maryna MARKEVICH (BLR)


53kg (14 entries)

Semifinal – Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) df. Francesca MORI (ITA) by TF, 11-1, 3:19

Semifinal – Nina HEMMER (GER) df. Yulia KHAVALDZHY BLAHINYA (UKR), 10-8


Gold – Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) v Nina HEMMER (GER)

Bronze – Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS) v Francesca MORI (ITA)

Bronze – Yulia KHAVALDZHY (UKR) v Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR)

#development

Lithuania organizes course to develop FS/WW coaches

By United World Wrestling Press

SIAULIAI, Lithuania  (November 21) – The Lithuanian Wrestling Federation, in partnership with the Lithuania Olympic Committee, are working to grow and develop Freestyle and Women Wrestling in their country.  After a long success in Greco-Roman, the LTU Federation wanted to begin to develop the other Olympic styles. As a result, they organized a Level 2 coaching course from 7-11 November 2022 with the emphasis of developing and training their current FS/WW coaches. This course was conducted in conjunction with Olympic Solidarity and United World Wrestling. 

The Level 2 Coaching course was conducted by Mr. Yusup ABDUSALAMOV (POL) – UWW Coach Educator and former Olympic silver medalist. The course had 25 participants (17 men and 8 women). “Here I saw educated, interested and very diligent coaches," said Mr. Abdusalamov. "They managed very well with all the tasks that were set before them and found unconventional, non-standard and creative approaches to solving them.”

The coach participants focused on many topics surrounding the idea of developing training sessions for wrestlers. Some of the topics included coaching the basic skills or wrestling, introduction to performance analysis, theoretical framework to planning, practice plan essentials, strength and conditioning, and nutrition and weight management. During the course, the coaches participated in practical assessments to demonstrate their knowledge.

"I have to say that we are very satisfied with how the course went. We had different expectations from the upcoming training, but we were all pleasantly surprised by the level of positivity in the learning, the number of creative tasks, the fullness of the practical sessions, the amount of imagination and thinking that this process required from us." said Sergejus Kasimovas (Head Coach of LTU National Freestyle Team). "It was a very useful and interesting experience for all of us. I am very grateful to our Wrestling Federation for organizing this course, and to UWW and the Olympic Solidarity Foundation for supporting and funding this event. We look forward to similar events in the future.”

LTHParticipants go through on-the-mat training during the course in Lithuania. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

“The seminar went exactly according to plan. It was very informative and useful for every coach and athlete. Theoretical knowledge was precisely applied in practice. Every lecture we learned new things about coaching and training planning," said Giedre Darge (WW Coach). "Trainers share their personal experiences with each other’s. Students in the course were involved in the discussions, as a result they could express their opinions. The lecturer was very competent and perfectly able to share his knowledge. A lot of attention was made to team building, which is very important for achieving a best result. Every participant after seminar were satisfied that they learned new things.” 

“I have to say that the course went very well with a high level of feedback, enthusiasm on both sides, great effort and commitment on the part of the participants." said Mr. Abdusalamov. "The organization of the course was at a good level. I would like to thank the board and staff of the Lithuanian Wrestling Federation, represented by President Giedrius Dambrauskas, and Siauliai Sports Gymnasium for the support in organizing the course."