European Games

Marzaliuk Tops Vorobeva at European Games, Day 3 Semifinals Set

Thursday, June 27, 2019 - 11:28 By United World Wrestling Press

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MINSK, Belarus (June 27) - For Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR), the road to a second straight European Games gold medal started with an Olympic champion. 

The 31-year-old Belarusian defeated two-time Olympic medalist Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS) 2-1 at 76kg in her first match Thursday in Minsk, Belarus. Vorobeva scored first and led 1-0 at the break, but Marzaliuk battled back to win. 

She was then pushed in her quarterfinal match against returning world bronze medalist Martina KUENZ (AUT), but prevailed 3-2. Marzaliuk will face 2015 world bronze medalist Epp MAE (EST) in the semifinals. The other semifinal match at 76kg will pit Sabira ALIYEVA (AZE) against Francy RAEDELT (GER).

Three-time Olympic medalist Mariya STADNIK (AZE) also remained on track for a second European Games gold medal. She picked up a 10-0 technical superiority in under a minute against Anna LUKASIAK (POL) in the quarterfinals at 50kg. Stadnik will meet world No.7 Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR), a 2017 world bronze medalist and two-time European medalist. 

World No.2 Oksana LIVACH (UKR) advanced to the semifinals at 50kg after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Miglena SELISHKA (BUL). She will face Viyaleta CHYRYK (BLR) in the semifinals.

Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR) came from behind to stun world No.2 Grace BULLEN (NOR) 9-8 in the quarterfinals at 57kg. Bullen led 6-4 after the first period, but Kurachkina came out strong in the second period and pulled out the win. She will battle Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) in the semifinals. Also at 57kg, Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) shut out world No.8 Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) 6-0 to reach the semifinals, where she will face Bediha GUN (TUR). 

World No.1 Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) moved into the semifinals with a 4-0 victory over world No. 7 Johanna MATTSSON (SWE) at 62kg. Her semifinal opponent will be world No.5 Yuliia TKACH (UKR), a 2014 world champion and 2015 European Games silver medalist. Elmira GAMBAROVA (AZE) and Kriszta INCZE (ROU) will square off in the other semifinal match at 62kg.

Thursday's semifinal matches are scheduled to begin at 18:00 local time.

SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS

Women's Wrestling

50kg
SEMIFINAL - Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) vs. Mariya STADNIK (AZE)
SEMIFINAL - Oksana LIVACH (UKR) vs. Viyaleta CHYRYK (BLR)

57kg
SEMIFINAL - Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) vs. Bediha GUN (TUR)
SEMIFINAL - Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) vs. Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR)

62kg
SEMIFINAL - Yuliia TKACH (UKR) vs. Taybe YUSEIN (BUL)
SEMIFINAL - Elmira GAMBAROVA (AZE) vs. Kriszta INCZE (ROU)

76kg
Sabira ALIYEVA (AZE) vs. Francy RAEDELT (GER)
Epp MAE (EST) vs. Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR)
 

European Games

Beleniuk, Aleksanyan, Hryshchanka Claim Golds on Final Day of European Games

Sunday, June 30, 2019 - 14:55 By United World Wrestling Press

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MINSK, Belarus (June 30) - Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM), one of the world's most decorated Greco-Roman wrestlers, can now add European Games gold medalist to a resume that includes an Olympic gold, three world titles and four European titles.

The 27-year-old Armenian shut out local favorite Aliaksandr HRABOVIK (BLR) 5-0 in the gold-medal match at 97kg in Greco-Roman on the final day of the European Games at the Minsk Sports Palace.

Aleksanyan scored a passivity point in the first period and led 1-0 at the break. He pulled away in the second period, going up 3-0 before executing a gut wrench with a little over a minute remaining in the match.

World No.1 Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) claimed the gold medal at 87kg, improving on his silver-medal performance at the previous European Games in 2015. Beleniuk, a 2015 world champion and 2016 Olympic silver medalist, defeated multiple-time U23 world medalist Islam ABBASOV (AZE) 3-1 in the gold-medal match. It was a rematch of this year's European Championships gold-medal match at 87kg, which Beleniuk won 5-1. 

On Sunday, the 28-year-old Ukrainian scored first off a passivity and then used a gut wrench to go up 3-0 in the first period. Abbasov, ranked No.5 in the world, would add a point off a passivity in the second period, but Beleniuk would hang on to win by two. He celebrated with a victory dance on the mat. 

Kiryl HRYSHCHANKA (BLR) sent the home crowd into a frenzy by winning a gold medal at 130kg in the final wrestling match of the European Games. He topped multiple-time European medalist Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) 5-1 in the finals. The Belarusian heavyweight went down 1-0 before turning the tables. With Kajaia looking for a turn in par terre, Hryshchanka reversed the action and put the Georgian in trouble, nearly securing a fall and gaining two points in the process. He then used an exposure to go up 4-1. He would add a passivity point in the final period to win by four. 

World No.4 Viktor LORINCZ (HUN), a two-time world bronze medalist, earned a bronze medal at 87kg by defeating Ivan HUKLEK (CRO) 7-1. The other bronze medal at 87kg was won by Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL), who picked up a 7-1 victory over Radzik KULIYEU (BLR). Kulynycz trailed at the break before scoring seven unanswered points in the second period. 

Felix BALDAUF (NOR), a 2017 European champion, took home a bronze medal at 97kg with a 6-1 win over Olympic bronze medalist Cenk ILDEM (TUR). Two-time U23 world champion Aleksandr GOLOVIN (RUS) rebounded from a semifinal loss to Aleksanyan to beat Revazi NADAREISHVILI (GEO) 5-1 for a bronze medal at 97kg.

A pair of 2016 Olympic bronze medalists won bronze medals at 130kg, Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) and Sabah SHARIATI (AZE). Semenov, a returning world champion, dominated Mykola KUCHMII (UKR) 10-1. Shariati edged Oskar MARVIK (NOR) 3-2, scoring the go-ahead takedown with just under two minutes remaining.  It's Shariati's second European Games medal as he won a silver medal in 2015. 

RESULTS

Greco-Roman

87kg
GOLD - Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) df. Islam ABBASOV (AZE), 3-1
BRONZE - Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) df. Ivan HUKLEK (CRO), 7-1
BRONZE - Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL) df. Radzik KULIYEU (BLR), 7-1

97kg
GOLD - Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) df. Aliaksandr HRABOVIK (BLR), 5-0
BRONZE - Felix BALDAUF (NOR) df. Cenk ILDEM (TUR), 6-1
BRONZE - Aleksandr GOLOVIN (RUS) df. Revazi NADAREISHVILI (GEO), 5-1

130kg
GOLD - Kiryl HRYSHCHANKA (BLR) df. Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO), 5-1
BRONZE - Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) df. Mykola KUCHMII (UKR), 10-1
BRONZE - Sabah SHARIATI (AZE) df. Oskar MARVIK (NOR), 3-2