#BeachWrestlingWorldSeries

Mat Medalists Come to Rio for Beach Wrestling's Second Stop

By Tim Foley

RIO DE JANEIRO (May 10) -- With the shadow of Caricoa 2 looming over the beach wrestling circle at Olympic Park in Barra de Tijuca, world silver medalist Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA) and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO) are preparing to compete in the second stop of United World Wrestling's Beach Wrestling World Series (BWWS).

Silva, a local hero since parlaying her 2014 silver medal in freestyle wrestling into a number of charitable acts in her home country, comes into the tournament hopeful she can earn enough points to qualify for the 2019 ANOC World Beach Games in San Diego this October.


'I want to represent my country. well," said Silva. 'This is going to be a lot of fun!"

For Marsagishvili the aim seems to be even simpler: to have fun wrestling. One of the world's best 86kg wrestlers, Marsagishvili travels to Rio on the heels of winning the BWWS first top in Chaves, Portugal. The quick-smiling Georgian not only took home the 1000 CHF prize for winning his weight category, but another 1000 CHF for winning the event's Move of the Tournament.

"The environment is so enjoyable at beach wrestling," Marsagishvili said at the time. "I look forward to these competitions and wrestling my best."

Marsagishvili will have a tougher tournament in Rio than he did in Chaves, facing off against two-time defending beach wrestling world champion Muhammed INAM of Pakistan. Inam won last year's world championships in deciding fashion and is looking to make it a three-peat later this year in Zagreb, Croatia at the world championships. 

Also joining the field is Reece Humphrey, a celebrated former member of the USA National Team in freestyle. His upperbody techniques and high-energy are sure to play well with tomorrow's crowds.

Wrestling action start at 2pm local time with coverage on United World Wrestling and FloWrestling.org.

Entry Lists

Men's Beach Wrestling 

70kg
Panah ILYASLI (AZE)
Jerome Kamel HOYTE (BAR)
Joilson DE BRITO RAMOS JUNIOR (BRA)
Joao Victor DOS SANTOS SILVA (BRA)
Levan KELEKHSASHVILI (GEO)
Niko AROUZMANIDIS (GRE)
Inayat ULLAH (PAK)
Hugo Miguel DA SILVA PASSOS (POR)
Mehmet Emin OGUT (TUR)
Semen RADULOV (UKR)
Reece HUMPHREY (USA)

80kg
Ibrahim YUSUBOV (AZE)
Angelo Rafael MARQUES MOREIRA (BRA)
Marcelo Antonio CASTRO CUMSILLE (CHI)
Davit KHUTSISHVILI (GEO)
Georgios KOULOUCHIDIS (GRE)
Edmilson BRITO GOMES (POR)
Efe Sami UNAL (TUR)

90kg
Kanan ALIYEV (AZE)
Wanderson Messias DA SILVA LIMA (BRA)
Pedro Henrique DE OLIVEIRA E SILVA ROCHA (BRA)
Andre Luiz RAMOS PINTO (BRA)
Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO
Grigorios KRIARIDIS (GRE)
Christos SAMARTSIDIS (GRE)
Muhammad INAM (PAK)
Adao Rafael ANDRADE DA SILVA (POR)
Murat OZKAN (TUR)

+90kg
Oyan NAZARIANI (AZE)
Davi Jose ALBINO (BRA)
Guilherme EVANGELISTA DIAS (BRA)
Christopher HIPOLITO DE ALMEIDA (BRA)
Mamuka KORDZAIA (GEO)
Ioannis KARGIOTAKIS (GRE)

Women's Beach Wrestling

50kg
Claudia Soledad CABRERA (ARG)
Fernanda ASCENCIO PERES (BRA)
Kamila BARBOSA VITO DA SILVA (BRA)
Susana Paula DE ALMEIDA DOS SANTOS (BRA)
Carmen Nireida GOMES TEIXEIRA VIEIRA (POR)

60kg
Crystal Shanika HOLDER (BAR)
Camila FAMA TRISTAO (BRA)
Ana Luiza PEREIRA FRANCA (BRA)
Isabel Cristina RODRIGUES (POR)
Mehlika OZTURK (TUR)

70kg
Brenda AGUIAR DOS SANTOS (BRA)
Nikeli FERREIRA DE OLIVEIRA (BRA)
Sonia Marina PEREIRA BRAZIO (POR)

+70kg
Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA)
Dailane GOMES DOS REIS (BRA)
Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR)

#development

Dominican Republic hosts flawless More Than Medals 2024 camp

By United World Wrestling Press

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (August 3) — The Dominican Olympic Sports Center was the epicenter of a transformative experience for athletes and coaches. More Than Medals 2024 exceeded expectations, offering a comprehensive program that combined sports development with personal growth and community action.

For seven days, 13 countries and 32 wrestlers were immersed in an environment of learning and camaraderie. Top-notch facilities allowed for high-performance training, while workshops on nutrition, sports psychology, injury prevention, and leadership provided valuable tools for the athletes' future.

The week was marked by a series of specialized clinics led by experts in various areas:

  • Applied Psychology in Sports (Lic. Rusbel Salomón)
  • Nutrition Applied to Weight Control Sports (Dr. Francisco Soto)
  • Doping Prevention (Dra. Laura Anabel Pinedo)
  • Sports Injury Prevention (Lic. Abel Caballero)

These sessions enriched the participants' knowledge and promoted the importance of holistic health in sports.

Training sessions were led by each national coach, allowing everyone to experience different countries' training styles and learn new methods.

A fun activity day was organized with the support of the Dominican Wrestling Federation, including sightseeing in the traditional Santo Domingo neighborhood.

The commitment to the community was evident in the inspiring beach cleanup day. Athletes and coaches worked side by side to preserve the environment, demonstrating that sport can catalyze positive change.

The Dominican Wrestling Federation played a crucial role as the event's main organizer, demonstrating exceptional commitment and efficiency in ensuring the program’s success. Their collaboration, alongside the support of the Dominican Olympic Committee, was instrumental in creating a memorable and impactful experience for all participants.

More Than Medals 2024 also left a lasting impact on the Dominican sports community. Through exchanging knowledge and promoting values such as respect, inclusion, and solidarity, the program strengthened local sports and laid the foundation for a more promising future.

As a flagship initiative of United World Wrestling, More Than Medals continues to showcase the power of sport to unite people and generate positive change. We look forward to future editions of this inspiring program and the continued success of its mission.