#WrestleRome

Matteo Pellicone Entries

By Eric Olanowski

For the second consecutive year, the Italian ancient port city of Ostia will host the opening Ranking Series event of the year, the Matteo Pellcione. The "Pellicone" kicks off March 4-7 and will feature 360 athletes from 32 different countries.

57kg
Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA( CUB)
Brandon Jesus ESCOBAR AMADOR (HON)
Pankaj PANKAJ (IND)
Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ)
Daulet TEMIRZHANOV (KAZ)
Ali M M ABURUMAILA (PLE)
Saban KIZILTAS (TUR)
Nicholas Raymond SURIANO (USA)
Joseph Daniel COLON (USA)

61kg
Anvar SUVINIITTY (FIN)
Kumar RAVI( IND)
Suraj Sanju ANNIKERI (IND)
Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ)
Suleyman ATLI (TUR)
Ahmet DUMAN (TUR)
Tyler Lee GRAFF (USA)
Ethan Ryan LIZAK (USA)


Bajrang PUNIA (IND) is one of two freestyle wrestlers looking to win back-to-back Matteo Pellicone titles. (Photo: Bajrang Punia)

65kg
Alejandro Enrique VALDES TOBIER (CUB)
Mauricio Javier SANCHEZ SALTOS (ECU)
Rohit ROHIT (IND)
Bajrang BAJRANG (IND)
Behnam Eshagh EHSANPOOR (IRI)
Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ)
Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL)
Jose Javier RODRIGUEZ COLON (PUR)
David HABAT (SLO)
Selim KOZAN (TUR)
Hamza ALACA (TUR)
Joseph Christopher MCKENNA (USA)

70kg
Vishal KALIRAMANA (IND)
Gianluca TALAMO (ITA)
Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ)
Mustafa KAYA (TUR)
Haydar YAVUZ (TUR)
Alec William PANTALEO (USA)


London Olympic champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) is on a quest to win his third Ranking Series gold medal and first since the '19 Yasar Dogu. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

74kg
Jeandry GARZON CABALLERO (CUB)
Sandeep Singh MANN (IND)
Narsingh Pancham YADAV (IND)
Jitender JITENDER (IND)
Mitchell Louis FINESILVER (ISR)
Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA)
Daniyar KAISANOV (KAZ)
Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ)
Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR)
Malik Michael AMINE (SMR)
Fazli ERYILMAZ (TUR)
Yakup GOR (TUR)
Jordan BURROUGHS (USA)

79kg
Rahul RATHI (IND)
Salvatore DIANA (ITA)
Galymzhan USSERBAYEV (KAZ)
Muhammet Nuri KOTANOGLU (TUR)
Muhamed Mustafa MC BRYDE (USA)
David Vincent MC FADDEN (USA)

86kg
Clayton Steven PYE (CAN)
Hunter Jeffery LEE (CAN)
Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB)
Chahar PARVEEN (IND)
Deepak PUNIA (IND)
Aron CANEVA (ITA)
Simone IANNATTONI (ITA)
Yeskali DAULETKAZY (KAZ)
Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ)
Ethan Adrian RAMOS (PUR)
Osman GOCEN (TUR)
Zahid VALENCIA (USA)
Mark John HALL II (USA)
Myles Najee MARTIN (USA)

92kg
Gino Tanislado AVILA DILBERT (HON)
Parveen PARVEEN (IND)
Elkhan ASSADOV (KAZ)
Erhan YAYLACI (TUR)
James Patrick DOWNEY III (USA)
 

97kg
Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE)
Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB)
Satywart KADIAN (IND)
Alireza Mohammad KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI)
Alisher YERGALI (KAZ)
Evan Amadour RAMOS (PUR)
Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR)
Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR)
Kollin Raymond MOORE (USA)
Hayden Nicholas ZILLMER (USA)


Rio Olympic champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) is returning to the mat for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery in early '20. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

125kg
Amarveer DHESI (CAN)
Sumit SUMIT (IND)
Amin Hossein TAHERI (IRI)
Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ)
Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ)
Taha AKGUL (TUR)
Anthony Robert NELSON (USA)


Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) is 23-0 in Ranking Series events and is looking to bag his seventh RS gold. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Greco-Roman

55kg
Arjun HALAKURKI (IND)
Giovanni FRENI (ITA)
Khorlan ZHAKANSHA (KAZ)
Andre Ricardo CARDOSO OLIVEIRA SILVA (POR)
Joshua Xavier MEDINA (PUR)
Viktor VEDERNIKOV (RUS)
Serif KILIC (TUR)
Elcin ALI (TUR)
Ekrem OZTURK (TUR)

60kg
Adam Takahashi MACFADYEN( CAN)
Luis Alberto ORTA SANCHEZ (CUB)
Antonio Jordan RUIZ MORA (ECU)
Krisztian KECSKEMETI (HUN)
Gyanender GYANENDER (IND)
Abere FETENE (ISR)
Zhanserik SARSENBIYEV (KAZ)
Antonio MARTINS CABRAL (POR)
Emin Narimanovitch SEFERSHAEV (RUS)
Ahmet UYAR (TUR)
Kerem KAMAL (TUR)
Ildar HAFIZOV (USA)
Dylan Steven GREGERSON (USA)

63kg
Sachin RANA (IND)
Giovanni Paolo ALESSIO (ITA)
Sultan ASSETULY (KAZ)
Mirambek AINAGULOV (KAZ)
Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ)
Julinho Benjamim CORREIA DJU (POR)
Marat Maksumovitch GARIPOV (RUS)
Aleksei TADYKIN (RUS)
Abdurrahman ALTAN (TUR)
Mehmet CEKER (TUR)
Samuel Lee JONES (USA)


Rio Olympic champion Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB) will compete at 67kg. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

67kg
Daniel Troy COLES (CAN)
Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB)
Andres Roberto MONTANO ARROYO (ECU)
Mohamed Ibrahim Elsayed Ibrahi ELSAYED (EGY)
Mate KRASZNA I(HUN)
Krisztian Istvan VANCZA (HUN)
Ashu ASHU (IND)
Steve MOMILIA (ITA)
Nurbek KYZYROV (KAZ)
Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ)
Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ)
Nazir Rachidovitch ABDULLAEV (RUS)
Enes BASAR (TUR)
Haci KARAKUS (TUR)
Atakan YUKSEL( TUR)
Raymond Anthony BUNKER III (USA)
Jamel Rasheed JOHNSON (USA)

72kg
Cristhian Alberto RIVAS CASTRO( ECU)
Robert Attila FRITSCH (HUN)
Amit AMIT (IND)
Kaharman KISSYMETOV (KAZ)
Chingiz LABAZANOV (RUS)
Selcuk CAN (TUR)
Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR)
Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR)

77kg
Yosvanys PENA FLORES (CUB)
Oldrich VARGA (CZE)
Jakub BIELESZ (CZE)
Zoltan LEVAI (HUN)
Singh GURPREET (IND)
Matteo MAFFEZZOLI (ITA)
Riccardo Vito ABBRESCIA (ITA)
Luca DARIOZZI (ITA)
Ciro RUSSO (ITA)
Tamerlan SHADUKAYEV (KAZ)
Askhat DILMUKHAMEDOV (KAZ)
Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ)
Marciano George ALI (PUR)
Abuiazid MANTSIGOV (RUS)
Yunus Emre BASAR (TUR)
Furkan BAYRAK (TUR)
Fatih CENGIZ (TUR)
Patrick Harrison SMITH (USA)
Peyton Burke WALSH (USA)
Benjamin Errol PROVISOR (USA)


Reigning 77kg world champion Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) will compete up at 82kg. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

82kg
Laszlo SZABO( HUN)
Tamas LORINCZ (HUN)
Tamas LEVAI (HUN)
Singh HARPREET (IND)
Miras BARSHYLYKOV (KAZ)
Adlan AKIEV( RUS)
Emrah KUS( TUR)
Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR)
Salih AYDIN (TUR)
Terrence Mosley ZALESKI (USA)
John Walter STEFANOWICZ JR (USA)
Ravaughn Richard Ravelle PERKINS (USA)

87kg
Ioannis NARLIDIS (CAN)
Daniel GREGORICH HECHAVARRIA (CUB)
Petr NOVAK (CZE)
Ariel Andres ALFONSO RODRIGUEZ (HON)
Istvan TAKACS (HUN)
David LOSONCZI (HUN)
Viktor LORINCZ (HUN)
Kumar SUNIL (IND)
Nikolay KOZHUKHOV (ISR)
Fabio PARISI (ITA)
Mirco MINGUZZI (ITA)
Simone FIDELBO (ITA)
Azamat KUSTUBAYEV (KAZ)
Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ)
Bekkhan OZDOEV (RUS)
Ali CENGIZ (TUR)
Dogan GOKTAS (TUR)
Josef Patrick RAU (USA)
Alan Ernesto VERA GARCIA (USA)
Patrick Anthony MARTINEZ (USA)


Reigning two-time world champion Musa EVLOEV (RUS) is searching for his third Ranking Series title (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

97kg
Gabriel Alejandro ROSILLO KINDELAN (CUB)
Artur OMAROV (CZE)
Ondrej DADAK (CZE)
Kevin MEJIA CASTILLO (HON)
Balazs KISS (HUN)
Erik SZILVASSY (HUN)
Hardeep HARDEEP (IND)
Luca SVAICARI (ITA)
Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ)
Yerulan ISKAKOV (KAZ)
Musa EVLOEV (RUS)
Cenk ILDEM (TUR)
Ibrahim TIGCI (TUR)
Daniel Collett MILLER (USA)
Tracy Gangelo HANCOCK (USA)

130kg
Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI)
Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB)
Stepan DAVID (CZE)
Abdellatif Mohamed Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY)
Naveen NAVEEN (IND)
Samuele VARICELLI (ITA)
Luca GODINO (ITA)
Nurmakhan TINALIYEV (KAZ)
Mansur SHADUKAYEV (KAZ)
Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ)
Zurabi GEDEKHAURI (RUS)
Riza KAYAALP( TUR)
Adam Jacob COON (USA)
Cohlton Michael SCHULTZ (USA)
Lance Westley CATHCART (USA)


'19 world champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) is one of three women's wrestling returning champions. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Women's Wrestling

50kg
Patricia Alejandra BERMUDEZ (ARG)
Mariya STADNIK (AZE)
Kamila BARBOSA VITO DA SILVA (BRA)
Miglena Georgieva SELISHKA (BUL)
Madison Bianca PARKS (CAN)
Yusneylis GUZMAN LOPEZ (CUB)
Lucia Yamileth YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU)
Meenakshi MEENAKSHI (IND)
Svetlana ANKICHEVA (KAZ)
Valentina Ivanovna ISLAMOVA BRIK (KAZ)
Emilia Alina VUC (ROU)
Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS)
Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RUS)
Mariia TIUMEREKOVA (RUS)
Aynur ERGE (TUR)
Whitney CONDER( USA)
Victoria Lacey ANTHONY (USA)

53kg
Diana Mary Helen WEICKER (CAN)
Samantha Leigh STEWART (CAN)
Lianna de la Caridad MONTERO HERRERA (CUB)
Luisa Elizabeth VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU)
Nandini Bajirao SALOKHE (IND)
Divya KAKRAN (IND)
Carmen DI DIO (ITA)
Sara ETTAKI (ITA)
Assylzat SAGYMBAY (KAZ)
Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ)
Anzhelika VETOSHKINA (RUS)
Aleksandra SKIRENKO (RUS)
Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS)
Esra PUL (TUR)
Areana Louise VILLAESCUSA (USA)
Alexandra Wray HEDRICK (USA)

55kg
Jacqueline Del Rocio MOLLOCANA ELENO (ECU)
Ambra CAMPAGN A(ITA)
Aisha UALISHAN( KAZ)
Viktoriia VAULINA (RUS)


Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR), the two-time world medal winner, will compete at 57kg. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

57kg
Giullia RODRIGUES PENALBER DE OLIVEIRA (BRA)
Evelina Georgieva NIKOLOVA (BUL)
Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL)
Tianna Grace KENNETT (CAN)
Anju ANJU (IND)
Arianna CARIERI (ITA)
Morena DE VITA (ITA)
Rebecca DE LEO (ITA)
Aurora RUSSO (ITA)
Francesca INDELICATO (ITA)
Altynay SATYLGAN( KAZ)
Emma TISSINA (KAZ)
Nazira MARSBEK KYZY (KGZ)
Nuraida ANARKULOVA (KGZ)
Odunayo Folasade ADEKUOROYE (NGR)
Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR)
Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS)
Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RUS)
Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (RUS)
Mehlika OZTURK (TUR)
Jenna Rose BURKERT (USA)
Allison Mackenzie RAGAN (USA)

59kg
Anshu ANSHU (IND)
Sarita SARITA( IND)
Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ)
Aleksandra NITSENKO (RUS)
Elif YANIK (TUR)
Abigail Elizabeth NETTE (USA)

62kg
Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA)
Michelle Christina FAZZARI (CAN)
Jessica Lise BROUILLETTE (CAN)
Marianna SASTIN (HUN)
Sakshi MALIK (IND)
Sonam SONAM (IND)
Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA)
Elena ESPOSITO (ITA)
Sara DA COL (ITA)
Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ)
Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ)
Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ)
Aminat Oluwafunmilayo ADENIYI (NGR)
Valeria KOBLOVA ZHOLOBOVA (RUS)
Anzhela FOMENKO (RUS)
Cansu AKSOY (TUR)
Mallory Maxine VELTE (USA)

65kg
Nisha NISHA (IND)
Veronica BRASCHI (ITA)
Gaukhar MUKATAY (KAZ)
Aina TEMIRTASSOVA (KAZ)
Dinara KUDAEVA SALIKHOVA (RUS)
Henna Katarina JOHANSSON( SWE)
Asli TUGCU (TUR)


World champion Tamyra STOCK MENSAH (USA) will try to improve on her runner-up finish from last year's Matteo Pellicone. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

68kg
Sofiya Hristova GEORGIEVA (BUL)
Mimi Nikolova HRISTOVA (BUL)
Olivia Grace DI BACCO (CAN)
Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB)
Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE)
Anita ANITA (IND)
Laura GODINO (ITA)
Irina KAZYULINA (KAZ)
Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)
Battsetseg SORONZONBOLD (MGL)
Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)
Anastasiia BRATCHIKOVA (RUS)
Valeriia TRIFONOVA (RUS)
Tindra Linnea SJOEBERG (SWE)
Asli DEMIR (TUR)
Nesrin BAS (TUR)
Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA)
Tamyra Mariama STOCK MENSAH (USA)
Alexandria Junis GLAUDE (USA)

72kg
Yekaterina LARIONOVA (KAZ)
Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)
Marina SUROVTSEVA (RUS)
Kristina DUDAEVA (RUS)
Kadriye AKSOY (TUR)


Olympic champions Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS) and Erica Elizabeth WIEBE (CAN) are both entered at 76kg. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

76kg
Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA)
Mariya Gerginova ORYASHKOVA (BUL)
Erica Elizabeth WIEBE (CAN)
Milaimys de la Caridad MARIN POTRILLE (CUB)
Genesis Rosangela REASCO VALDEZ (ECU)
Samar Amer Ibrahim HAMZA (EGY)
Kiran KIRAN (IND)
Eleni PJOLLAJ (ITA)
Enrica RINALDI (ITA)
Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ)
Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)
Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS)
Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS)
Precious Rosanna BELL (USA)

#WrestleParis

Women's Wrestling at Olympics: 20 years strong

By United World Wrestling Press

PARIS (July 8) -- Inside an academy located in the middle of a farm at a village in Haryana, the northern Indian state that’s the country’s wrestling capital, a bunch of teenage girls had scribbled the name of their hero on a wall – Helen MAROULIS (USA).

When women’s wrestling made its Olympic debut, some of these girls were not even born. There were no roads leading up to the academy where they trained until a few years ago — the best way to reach the academy was on foot from the nearest highway exit point roughly a couple of miles away. And internet connectivity was patchy at best.

Yet, the story of Maroulis’s dominance had traveled to this far-flung village and became a part of the folklore. Few stories illustrate better the impact and the reach of women’s wrestling.

In less than three weeks, the eyes of the entire sporting – and wider – world will be fixed on Paris when the Olympic Games get underway. On the mat at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Champ de Mars, more stories of inspiration will unfold, paving the way for many young wrestlers to follow in the footsteps of their heroes.

At the Paris Olympics, women's wrestling will celebrate its 20th year of being at the Games. Back in 2004, when it was included in Athens, there were only four categories. In Paris, as was the case in Tokyo, there will be six — the same as Freestyle and Greco-Roman.

The 2024 Games will also be significant for the officials. As many as 11 female referees will be part of the officials. Back in 1988, it was only one.

AthensWomen's Wrestling at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

Wrestling at the Paris Olympics will also be a symbolic occasion given the key role France played in the evolution of the women’s game. It was at Pas-de-Calais where women’s wrestling took one of its first steps. A club in Calonne-Ricouart was the first to open its doors to women in 1971.

From this tiny space in a region roughly three hours from Paris, women’s wrestling spread in other parts of France before it became a popular activity in the rest of the world.

The seeds that were sown in France have blossomed in countries across the world. As women’s wrestling traveled to Beijing, London, Tokyo and now arrives in Paris – following the journey that began in Athens – it left behind immaculate footprints for young, aspiring children to follow.

Tayla FORD (NZL)Tayla FORD (NZL) is the first wrestler from New Zealand who will compete at the Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Next month, when the competition gets underway in the French capital, history will be in the offing as Tayla FORD (NZL) will become the first female wrestler from her country to make it to the Olympics.

Ford’s story is one of sheer perseverance, not just hers but even of those around the wrestler. Her father, a high school wrestler, got Ford into wrestling after it was included in the Olympics programme. He had a mat installed in their garage and every day, the father and daughter trained.

In a way, Ford’s story is similar to the wrestlers from the Olympic women’s wrestling’s undisputed powerhouse, Japan.

The queen of wrestling, Saori YOSHIDA (JPN), began her journey in the same way. Before she went on to win every title there was to win – three Olympic gold medals, 13 World Championship titles, four Asian Games and Asian Championship gold medals each – Yoshida learnt the art at home.

Her father built a dojo at home where Yoshida, began to wrestle before she could even run properly. The rest, as they say, is history. The rise of Kaori ICHO (JPN), who went 13 years without a loss, followed a similar arc. And so do the stories of the other Japanese women, from Risako KAWAI to Yui SUSAKI.

Not to forget Icho, who won four gold medals at the Olympics, becoming the first Olympic athlete to win four golds in the same individual sport.

In Athens 20 years ago, Japan won only 2 gold medals. Since then, they have won 13. This level of dominance is rare to see in any sport. One of the few countries that’s consistently come close to challenging Japan’s dominance, and been a thorn in their flesh when it comes to a clean sweep of gold medals, is the USA.

Remarkably, the USA did not even compete at the World Championships until 1989, two years after the first edition for women took place. But once they landed on the scene, they took everyone by storm.

Afsoon JOHNSTON (USA) – who won a bronze medal – Asia DEWEESE (silver) and Leia KAWAII (silver) finished on the podium in 1989 and became sort of the pioneers of women’s wrestling in the US. Since then, there hasn’t been a time when the athletes from the Olympic powerhouse haven’t been among the medals.

The rise of women’s wrestling in the US is also a fascinating story, with nearly 50,000 girls competing in high school championships last year. Those young girls saw the wrestling stars from the country on television and decided to tread the same path they’d chosen.

A major reason for the surge in popularity in the US has been wrestlers like Maroulis. Her gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016 – the first American woman to achieve that feat – is seen as one of the big milestones that gave the sport a massive push.

Maroulis’s feat didn’t just inspire children in the US. The story traveled the world over, including a remote village in India. If anything, it showcased the sport’s transcending influence.