#WrestleTokyo

Lopez, Kayaalp Set for #WrestleTokyo Semifinal Collision Course

Saturday, July 31, 2021 - 05:32 By United World Wrestling Press

Share this article

TOKYO, Japan (July 31) --- A blockbuster day awaits wrestling fans on the opening day at the Tokyo Olympics as three-time defending champion Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) is set for a collision with Rio Olympics silver medalist Riza KAYAALP (TUR).

The two were drawn on the upper side of the bracket at 130kg weight class and are on path to meet in the semifinal at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba on Sunday.

The first set of draws was completed in Tokyo for two weight classes, 60kg and 130kg, in Greco Roman and one in women's wrestling – 76kg.

Lopez will take on Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU) in the first round while Kayaalp will be up against Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU).

Fourth seed Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) will have to overcome Lopez in the quarterfinal if he wants to reach the semifinal.

At 60kg, home favorite and world champion Kenchiro FUMITA (JPN) has drawn Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG) and fourth seed Ali Reza NEJATI (IRI) is up against Armen MELIKYAN (ARM) in the first round.

The other side can see two young stars U23 world champion Kerem KAMAL (TUR) and Individual World Cup champion Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KAZ) meet in the quarterfinals. The winner can possibly wrestle second seed and former world champion Sergey EMELIN (ROC) in the semifinal.

Wrestlers at 76kg in women's wrestling also received their draws and five-time world champion Adeline GRAY (USA) will be wrestling Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN) in her first bout while defending champion Erica WIEBE (CAN) will wrestle European champion Epp MAEE (EST) in her first round.

Former world champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR) can wrestle Gray in the second round. The semifinal can see former Olympic champion Natalia VOROBEVA (ROC) wrestle one of them. But she has to go through Samar HAMZA (EGY), Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) and Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ).

In another top first-round bout, Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER) will take on Rio Olympic fifth-placer and former world silver medalist Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR).

World silver medalist and local hope Hiroe MINAGAWA (JPN) begins her campaign against veteran wrestler Burmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL). Ochirbat is wrestling in her third Olympics and was one of the wrestlers from Athens Olympics as well.

Stadnik retires: Europe's best who rewrote history

Wednesday, February 5, 2025 - 11:06 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

BAKU, Azerbaijan (February 4) -- Four Olympic medals, six World Championships medals, 10 European titles, two European Games golds, many triumphs and heartbreaks later, Mariya STADNIK (AZE) has called it a day.

Stadnik, who debuted 22 years ago in 2003, announced her decision to retire from wrestling in an event organized by Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation in Baku on Monday. In an emotional video, Stadnik can be seen removing her shoes on the mat in front of a crowd and then speaking about her career.

"I recorded my name in the history of Women's Wrestling. Thank you to everyone who created this story together with me," Stadnik wrote on Instagram. "Now it's time to close this page of my life and write a new history."

Back in 2003, Stadnik began with a gold medal at the U17 European Championships, won a U20 world title two years later, added senior one as well and had a storied Olympic career which was laden with heartbreaks.

"I always had the motivation and will to win," Stadnik said last year. "I have had this will since early childhood, and this is endless."

READ MORE: Stadnik, 34, remains unbeaten in Europe

Though her will has stretched her career over two decades, Stadnik's decision to retire came after a lot of thought.

"In wrestling, I used all my chances," Stadnik said. "Now I understand that the time has come when I can be useful for wrestling in another role."

The 36-year-old, who was born in Ukraine but competed for Azerbaijan, will be moving into a caretaker role with the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation in Women's Wrestling and will be responsible for churning out new stars.

When Stadnik made her debut in 2003, Japan, China, United States and Canada were top nations. However, Stadnik changed that. She won her first World Championships medal in 2007 and qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in which she won a bronze medal as an 18-year-old.

Soon, she won her first world title in 2009 and emerged as the new force from Europe. She went on to win the European Championships as well. Stadnik brought competition to Women's Wrestling.

"For these countries, the competition with me was always serious," she said. "We always had tense and intriguing fights that were followed by the whole world. Mariya Stadnik from Azerbaijan was always a danger for them."

Mariya STADNIK (AZE)Mariya STADNIK (AZE) won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

Perhaps it was no surprise that she was in the final of 2011 World Championships and 2012 London Games. However, she came up short both times to Hitomi OBARI (JPN).

"I give a lot of respect to Obara because she was stronger than me at that moment and the London gold was hers," she said. "She was my strongest opponent whom I respect very much."

Barring those Japanese hurdles, Stadnik was unstoppable. She added more medals at the continental level and always stood on the podium at the World Championships.

Mariya STADNIK (AZE)A dejected Mariya STADNIK (AZE) at the 48kg medal ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

Then came the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Stadnik was at the peak of her wrestling her. A Olympic gold would take so much off her back. She was in the final of the 48kg in Rio and the gold medal was within touching distance as she was leading Eri TOSAKA (JPN) 2-1 in the final. But Tosaka crushed those dreams in the final five seconds, beating Stadnik 3-2.

Stadnik till today has no explanation as to what happened in those last five seconds of the final against Tosaka.

"I didn't watch my match from Rio for two years and still can't find an explanation why that competition ended like that," Stadnik said. "I knew and felt that the Rio gold should have been mine."

Stadnik geared up for one more time. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics would have been perfect ending for her. But by then, wrestling had changed with two-day weight ins, a newer generation of wrestlers had come up and Yui SUSAKI (JPN) was on a mission.

Mariya STADNIK (AZE)Mariya STADNIK (AZE) lost her first meeting with Yui SUSAKI (JPN) 2-2 at the Klippan Lady Open in 2018. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Max Rose-Fynn)

The first time Stadnik and Susaki faced each other was in the Klippan Lady Open final in 2018. Stadnik was winning the final but Susaki scored a stepout in the final second to shock Stadnik.

People doubted Stadnik and her mental strength. The 2019 World Championships gave a huge boost of confidence for Stadnik who won her second of the two world titles in Astana, exactly ten years after winning her first.

The Tokyo Olympics were just 10 months away and Stadnik was ready for it. However, with COVID-19 pandemic, it got pushed to 2021 and Susaki went on to win the gold medal with a 41-0 record in four bouts including a 10-0 rout of Stadnik in the semifinals.

Stadnik still managed to win a bronze medal, her fourth of the Olympics, tying her with Kaori ICHO (JPN) and Saori YOSHIDA (JPN). Icho was four golds and Yoshida has three silver and one bronze.

"I know people talk about the gold medal but I am so happy with this bronze. It's satisfying," she said back in 2021.

But Stadnik wasn't satisfied with wrestling. After being away from the mat in 2022, she returned in 2023 and won her ninth European title, the most in Women's Wrestling, extending her unbeaten streak in European Championships to 34 bouts.

Then she made a run for the Paris Olympics and though that meant taking losses to opponents she used to toy with in the past, the mother of two secured her place for Paris in the final qualifiers in Istanbul. Her body was ageing, reducing weight was becoming gruesome and her opponents were becoming quicker.

She returned home without a medal but became the first female wrestler to compete at five Olympics. Soon after Paris, Stadnik reflected on what she has left for wrestling and decided that a role off the mat was more suited now. Letting go off something so big in her life was hard and emotional for her.

"When I watched the video in which I take my shoes off, I had tears," she said. "This is the end of an important part of my life. What I loved so much for many years is ending."