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

Saturday, April 16, 2016 - 08:33 By William May

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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)

In Taraz, Burroughs puts on a double-leg show

Friday, November 3, 2023 - 17:47 By Vinay Siwach

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TARAZ, Kazakhstan (November 3) -- The talk around Jordan BURROUGHS's (USA) return to 74kg was dominated by his weight cut. After spending three years at 79kg, the United States star was returning to the Olympic weight class on Friday at the DA Kunayev tournament.

Burroughs put those doubts to rest by reaching the final at 74kg with three dominant wins in Taraz, Kazakhstan. He will now be looking to win his first gold at 74kg at any level since the 2020 Pan-Am Championships title.

"I'm adjusting to the new weight class, again," Burroughs said after his semifinal. "I have not been at 74kg for three years. I have got a lot of rust that I have to knock off. I have a lot of things working against me but I feel good."

 

Opening the tournament with a 9-2 win over Yerkhan BEXULTANOV (KAZ), Burroughs was quick on his feet with fake attacks and a change of directions. He combined that with go-behinds for takedowns and also used some turns. A forfeit got him a place in the quarterfinals against Zafarbek OTAKHONOV (UZB) which he won 9-2.

"Taking it one match at a time was my plan coming in here," he said.  It's not going to be easy but confident that I could get the job done."

If those wins were not enough, Burroughs won his semifinal against Yerbarys SATYBALDY (KAZ) 10-0 to enter the final on Saturday. He will now take on former Asian champion Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ), perhaps Burroughs' biggest test yet in his return.

"All things considered, my age, time of the year, what lies ahead of me, and what lay behind me, I feel solid," he said.

Jordan BURROUGHS (USA)Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) outscored his opponents 28-3 in three bouts.

Since winning his record-breaking sixth world title in Belgrade last year, Burroughs has been dealt with some blows on the mat. In December, he lost to Ali SAVADKHOUI (IRI), his first career loss to an Iranian wrestler. Earlier this year, he failed to make the U.S. team at 79kg after losing to Chance MARSTELLER (USA).

Coach Brandon SLAY, who is with Burroughs in Taraz, finds a silver lining in him not making the world team in June.

"The silver lining, if there was one of not making the World Team, was he got to start his descent earlier," Slay said. "If wrestled in Serbia then he would have taken some time off after that and it would probably be a lot harder for him to get down to this weight so early."

The plan to wrestle at the DA Kunayev tournament was also part of the return to the Olympic weight class as there is no international competition left this year. Slay explained that the team did not come in with any game plan but wanted Burroughs to move more.

"I don't think there was necessarily a change in game plan," he said. "The main encouragement for him is to move his hands and move his feet because when he's moving, he's a very dangerous wrestler. He's hard to get his hands on. He's faking. He's really dangerous.

"When standing, just like most wrestlers, if you're a bird in a tree not moving at all, right, you're easier to shoot. So when he's floating and fluttering and moving his hands and feet then he's on track."

Jordan BURROUGHS (USA)Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) will wrestle Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ) in the final on Saturday.

Burroughs not only moved but he attacked every bout. He trapped opponents for gut-wrench, strapped the legs, countered their attacks, and scored stepouts at will. And while there was a two-kilogram exemption at the tournament, Burroughs was doing this at 74.4kg.

"We got a little workout with him this morning and he was 74.4kg," Slay said. "He's only 0.4kg over scratch. He's scoring lots of points, getting in on his shots, and then he's still moving his feet, even at the very end of the match. I'm pleased. I think we have to keep that [wrestle at 74kg in almost three years] in mind."

Burroughs certainly rolled back the years with his performance on Friday in an almost packed Taraz Arena. And like at every tournament he wrestles, it did not matter if he was tired after his bouts, everyone wanted a photo clicked with him.

"There are not a lot of 35-year-old people who are competing like me," Burroughs said. "Anytime I am at a tournament, I am a title threat. It's fun to be always in the race."

Burroughs is not only the title threat like always, there is one more thing in order.

"Doubles still work."

He will hope that it works on Saturday as well.