European Games

Marzaliuk Tops Vorobeva at European Games, Day 3 Semifinals Set

By United World Wrestling Press

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)
 

#WrestleIstanbul

Tuesday's U17 World Championship semifinals set

By Eric Olanowski

ISTANBUL, Turkiye (August 1) --- The second day of wrestling at the 2023 U17 World Championships will continue with Greco-Roman action at 45kg, 51kg, 60kg, 71kg and 92kg. 

Today's schedule will be a little different than Monday's schedule. The morning session, which starts at 11:00 (local time), will run through the quarterfinals before taking our mid-day break. We'll return at 17:00 for the semifinals, then roll directly into the first round of medal bouts at 18:00.

Tuesday's opening session will feature 26 medalists from this year's continental champions, including ten wrestlers who reached the top of the podium at the 2023 Asian, European, African or Pan-American Championships.

Everything you need to know:
📍Istanbul, Turkiye 🇹🇷
🗓️: July 31-August 6
Qualification: 11:00
🥇🥈🥉= 18:00
#️⃣#WrestleIstanbul
🖥️: uww.org 
📱: UWW App

Here's a list of the reigning continental champs in action on Tuesday:
45kg - Turan DASHDAMIROV (AZE)
51kg - Ilia KANDALIN (AIN)
51kg - Omar Mohamed Hussin Abdelfatah IBRAHIM (EGY)
51kg - Mohammad Meraj Esmaeil MOHMADI (IRI)
60kg - Kiryl VALEUSKI (AIN)
60kg - Clisman Adrian CARRACEDO VELIZ (ECU)
60kg - Mohamed Ayman Mohamed Gaber IBRAHIM (EGY)
71kg - Abdurakhman ABDULKADYROV (AIN)
71kg - Youssef Ahmed Kadry Mohamed BADAWY (EGY)
92kg - Abdelfattah Elarabi Mohamed ABDELZAHER (EGY)
92kg - Saba PURTSELADZE (GEO)
92kg - Aliakbar Rasoul ASGHARIVALAD I(IRI)

Semifinal matchups (As the system updates in):
45kg
Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM) vs. RUSTEM ABATSIEV (AIN) 
Turan DASHDAMIROV (AZE) vs. Alireza Ahmad AMIRIGHASRODDASHTI (IRI) 

51kg
Dostonbek ORIPOV (UZB) vs. Ilia KANDALIN (AIN) 
Manu YADAV (IND) vs. Artur BROYAN (ARM) 

60kg
Kiryl VALEUSKI (AIN) vs. Saba SURMANIDZE (GEO) 
Roman KARIMOV (AZE) vs. Mingiian GORIAEV (AIN) 

71kg
Alkan AKAR (TUR)  vs. Ahmadreza Nourmohamad MOHAMADIAN (IRI) 
Arionas KOLITSOPOULOS (GRE) vs. Abdurakhman ABDULKADYROV (AIN) 

92kg
Mikayil ISMAYILOV (AZE) vs. Saba PURTSELADZE (GEO) 
Gabriel Eduardo STAN (ROU) vs. Saipula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (AIN)

15:23: That'll do it for the morning session. We'll take a 90-minute break and see you back here at 17:00 for the semifinals.

15:00: Akar wins the 20-point match and moves into the semifinals, but, without a doubt, that was the match of the competition thus far.

14:52: The current match on Mat C has been crazy. Isodzhon NURAKHMADOV (TJK) and Alkan AKAR (TUR) are leaving everything they have on the mat.

14:39: This kid Turan DASHDAMIROV (AZE) is blowing through the competition today. His technique--especially in par terre--is unmatched. If you're looking for someone to keep an eye out over the next few years, he's your guy.

14:15: That's back-to-back falls on Mat C, and they both came on the wrong side for the defending continental champs. First, it was Abdelzaher who got pinned. Then, Artur BROYAN (ARM) punched his ticket to the 51kg semifinals after head-locking U17 Asian champ Mohammad Meraj Esmaeil MOHMADI (IRI) in the opening 15 seconds.

14:07: Nurbolot SYRGABAI UULU (KGZ) just dominated African champion Abdelzaher. He was up 13-5 before pinning the reigning U17 African champion.

13:50: I just snagged a quick bite to eat and came back in time to catch all the stars that are about to come up on Mat C.

On a side note: Mohamed Ayman Mohamed Gaber IBRAHIM (EGY) has a shark on his Egyptian singlet. I've never seen that before, outside of the Kyrgyz singlets. What is the significance of the shark on the Egyptian singlet?

13:27: Mat C is the one to keep an eye on. Starting with bout 209, there will be three consecutive continental medalists wrestling. Saipula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (AIN), the U17 European silver medalist, will wrestle first, followed by continental champs Abdelfattah Elarabi Mohamed ABDELZAHER (EGY) and Mohammad Meraj Esmaeil MOHMADI (IRI).

13:13: Reigning Pan-American champion Clisman Adrian CARRACEDO VELIZ (ECU) just defeated Kemal KAKABAYEV (TKM), 8-0, and secured Ecuador's first-ever Greco-Roman win at the U17 World Championships.

12:46: Rodin has Asgharivaldi on the ropes. The Croatian wrestled a calculated first period and leads 1-0 after the opening two minutes.

Just as I say that, Asgharivaldi picks up a passivity point and is going to work on top.

12:40: Reigning U17 Asian champion Aliakbar Rasoul ASGHARIVALADI (IRI) is making his way to Mat C with a massive smile on his face. He's wrestling Croatia's Andrej RODIN (CRO).

12;12: Khachatryan just picked up the biggest upset of the morning thus far, taking out U17 African champion Badawy, 6-1, setting up a 71kg second-round match against U17 Asian bronze medalist Ahmadreza Nourmohamad MOHAMADIAN (IRI).

Mohamadian kicked off his day with a 9-0 opening-round win against Antoni Adam TRETTER (POL).

12:09: Khachatryan was just awarded four points for a throw in the danger zone, taking the 5-1 lead over U17 African champion Badawy. There are 68 seconds left, but the four-pointer is currently under review. Originally, the Armenian was only awarded two, but after the officials came together, they changed it to four points.

11:54: Youssef BADAWY (EGY), the reigning 71kg U17 African champion, will be the first continental champion to take the mat today. He'll wrestle Armenia's Gor KHACHATRYAN (ARM) in two matches on Mat C.

11:40: That does it for this morning's repechage session, which means we'll roll right into the qualification round.

11:34: Ahmed stopped a cartwheel attempt by Ismagulov, picked up four points and punched his ticket to the 110kg bronze-medal match. He'll try to become the first Egyptian wrestler to win a U17 world medal since Mohamed EL SAYED (EGY) finished with a silver medal at the 2015 U17 World Championships.

11:29: The big guys at 110kg Bekzhan ISMAGULOV (KAZ) and Mohamed Abdelnaby Hegazy Farag AHMED (EGY) are going toe-to-toe on Mat C. They are currently knotted up, 3-3, with 90 seconds left and a spot in tonight's bronze-medal match on the line.

11:10: The crowd has returned in full form to the Başakşehir Gençlik ve Spor İlçe Müdürlüğü Tesisleri in Istanbul to watch the second day of Greco-Roman wrestling. It'll be around 30 minutes before any of the above-listed continental champs take the mat. For now, we'll run through the repechage matches to determine who'll wrestle in tonight's bronze-medal matches.

10:45 - We're 15 minutes away from starting Day Two action.