#WrestleWarsaw

Poland Open Entries (June 8-13)

By Eric Olanowski

WARSAW, Poland (June 1) --- The final Ranking Series event of the year, the Poland Open (June 8-13), kicks off next Tuesday in Warsaw and will welcome over 365 athletes from 44 nations.

The Poland Open will have massive implications on the remaining '21 event calendar. In addition to serving as the final point-scoring event for seeding (top four) at the '21 Tokyo Olympic Games, it'll also help determine the seeding for October's Oslo World Championships, and ultimately who earns a portion of the 600,000 CHF prize package for the 2021 Ranking Series top-three finishers.

Wrestling at the Poland Open kicks off on June 8 and can be followed live on www.uww.org. 

Ranking Series prize distribution (per weight):
First Place: 10,000 CHF 
Second Place: 7,000 CHF 
Third Place: 3,000 CHF 

Freestyle

57kg
Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG)
Oscar Eduardo TIGREROS URBANO (COL)
Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS)
Stevan Andria MICIC (SRB)
Nathan Khalid TOMASELLO (USA)
Nicholas Raymond SURIANO  (USA)
Makhmudjon SHAVKATOV (UZB)

61kg
Kumar RAVI (IND)
Reza Ahmadali ATRINAGHARCHI (IRI)
Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ)
Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ)
Jahongirmirza TUROBOV (UZB)
Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB)

65kg
Agustin Alejandro DESTRIBATS (ARG)

Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV  (HUN)
Gamzatgadzsi HALIDOV (HUN)
Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ)
Eduard GRIGOREV (POL)
Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL)
Andrii SVYRYD (UKR)
Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR)
Joseph Christopher MC KENNA (USA)
John Michael DIAKOMIHALIS (USA)

70kg
Haji ALIYEV (AZE)
Daniel ANTAL (HUN)
Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ)
Ernazar AKMATALIEV  (KGZ)
Oleksii BORUTA (UKR)
James Malcolm GREEN (USA)
Alec William PANTALEO (USA)
Sirojiddin KHASANOV (UZB)

74kg
Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE)

Jasmit Singh PHULKA  (CAN)
Amr Reda Ramadan HUSSEN  (EGY)
Augusto MIDANA (GBS)
Lennard WICKEL (GER)
Lucas Marco KAHNT (GER)
Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN)
Mostafa Mohabbali HOSSEINKHANI (IRI)
Yones Aliakbar EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI)
Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA)
Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ)
Daniyar KAISANOV (KAZ)
Vadim PETRAUSKAS BABUSKIN (LTU)
Kamil RYBICKI  (POL)
Andrzej Piotr SOKALSKI (POL)
Patryk Krzysztof OLENCZYN (POL)
Tajmuraz Mairbekovic SALKAZANOV (SVK)
Semen RADULOV (UKR)
Denys PAVLOV (UKR)
Jason Michael NOLF (USA)

79kg
Aimar ANDRUSE (EST)
Erik REINBOK (EST) 
Milan MESTER (HUN)
Csaba VIDA (HUN)
Jakub Patryk WLADCZYK (POL)
Mateusz Dariusz KAMPIK (POL)
Jakub SYKORA (SVK)
Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK)
Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR)
Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB)
Rashid KURBANOV (UZB)

86kg
Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG)
Carlos Arturo IZQUIERDO MENDEZ (COL)
Patrik SZUROVSZKI (HUN)
Ekerekeme AGIOMOR  (NGR)
Pool Edinson AMBROCIO GREIFO (PER)
Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL)
Cezary Marek SADOWSKI (POL)
Filip ROGUT (POL)
Myles Nazem AMINE (SMR)
Stefan REICHMUTH (SUI)
Zahid VALENCIA (USA)

92kg
Robin Michael FERDINAND (GER)

Richard VEGH  (HUN)
Zbigniew Mateusz BARANOWSKI (POL)
Krzysztof Grzegorz SADOWIK (POL)
Erhan YAYLACI (TUR)
Selim YASAR (TUR)
Mustafa Kemal KIYI (TUR)}
Illia ARCHAIA (UKR)
Jden Michael Tbory COX (USA)
Nathan Dyamin JACKSON (USA)
Myles Najee MARTIN  (USA)
Rustam SHODIEV (UZB)
Ajiniyaz SAPARNIYAZOV (UZB)

97kg
Mohammed FARDJ (ALG)

Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE)
Alireza Mohammad KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI)}
Ali Khalil SHABANIBENGAR (IRI)
Mohammadhossein Askari MOHAMMADIAN (IRI)
Abraham de Jesus CONYEDO RUANO (ITA)
Serik BAKYTKHANOV  (KAZ)
Alisher YERGALI (KAZ)
Lukas KRASAUSKAS (LTU)
Magomedgadji Omardibirovich NUROV (MKD)
Radoslaw BARAN (POL)
Michal Jan BIELAWSKI (POL)
Kollin Raymond MOORE (USA)

125kg
Djahid BERRAHAL (ALG)

Diaaeldin Kamal Gouda ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY)
Youssif Mohamed Badea HEMIDA (EGY)
Sumit SUMIT (IND)
Amin Hossein TAHERI (IRI)
Amir Hossein Abbas ZARE (IRI)
Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ)
Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ)
Robert BARAN (POL)
Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR)
Nicholas Edward GWIAZDOWSKI (USA)

Two-time Olympic champion Roman VLASOV (RUS) will look to lock up his spot on Russia's Tokyo team. He can do so by outplacing Abuiazid MANTSIGOV (RUS) at 77kg. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Greco-Roman
55kg

Ekrem OZTURK (TUR)

Serif KILIC (TUR)
Max Emiliano NOWRY (USA)

60kg
Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG)

Nikolai Soheil MOHAMMADI  (DEN)
Haithem MAHMOUD  (EGY)
Ahmed Fouad Fouad Hussein BAGHDOUDA  (EGY)
Helary MAEGISALU (EST)
Krisztian KECSKEMETI (HUN)
Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN)
Ildar HAFIZOV (USA)
Mukhammadkodir YUSUPOV (UZB)

63kg
Abdeldjebar DJEBBARI (ALG)

Christopher Josef KRAEMER (GER)
Ayata SUZUKI  (JPN)
Artor Zaitsev HAGERUP (NOR)
Mairbek SALIMOV (POL)
Michal Jacek TRACZ (POL)
Lenur TEMIROV (UKR)
Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB)
Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB)

67kg
Abdelmalek MERABET (ALG)

Julian Stiven HORTA ACEVEDO  (COL)
Mohamed Ibrahim Elsayed Ibrahi ELSAYED (EGY)
Abouhalima Mohamed Elsaid ABOUHALIMA (EGY)
Krisztian Istvan VANCZA (HUN)
Erik TORBA (HUN)
Balint KORPASI (HUN)
Zaur KABALOEV (ITA)
Mateusz Radoslaw SZEWCZUK (POL)
Murat FIRAT (TUR)
Enes BASAR (TUR)
Bohdan KOVERNYUK (UKR)
Alejandro SANCHO (USA)
Mirzobek RAKHMATOV (UZB)
Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB)

72kg
Fredrik Holmquist BJERREHUUS (DEN)
Robert Attila FRITSCH (HUN)
Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR)
Juan Sebastian AAK (NOR)
Mateusz Lucjan BERNATEK (POL)
Roman PACURKOWSKI (POL)
Selcuk CAN (TUR)
Cengiz ARSLAN  (TUR)
Aram VARDANYAN (UZB)

77kg
Oliver Marco KRUEGER (DEN)
Mikko Petteri PELTOKANGAS  (FIN)
Sakke Petteri PUROLAINEN (FIN)
Zoltan LEVAI (HUN)
Tamas LORINCZ (HUN)
Per Anders KURE (NOR)
Gevorg SAHAKYAN (POL)
Iwan NYLYPIUK (POL)
Roman VLASOV (RUS)
Abuiazid MANTSIGOV (RUS)
Yunus Emre BASAR (TUR)
Fatih CENGIZ (TUR)
Artur POLITAIEV (UKR)
Yasaf ZEINALOV (UKR)
Jesse Alexander PORTER (USA)

82kg
Fadi ROUABAH (ALG)

Rafig HUSEYNOV  (AZE)
Rajbek Alvievich BISULTANOV (DEN)
Ranet KALJOLA (EST)
Roni Ilmari PUROLAINEN (FIN)
Laszlo SZABO (HUN)
Tamas LEVAI (HUN)
Magnus GROENVIK (NOR)
Mateusz Lukasz WOLNY (POL)
Filip Kacper KAZIMIERCZAK (POL)
Alex Michel BJURBERG KESSIDIS (SWE)
Yaroslav FILCHAKOV   (UKR)
Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB)

87kg
Bachir SID AZARA (ALG)

Ronisson BRANDAO SANTIAGO (BRA)
Mohamed Moustafa Ahmed Abdall METWALLY (EGY)
Istvan TAKACS (HUN)
David LOSONCZI (HUN)
Viktor LORINCZ (HUN)
Michal Andrzej DYBKA (POL)
Arkadiusz Marcin KULYNYCZ  (POL)
Szymon SZYMONOWICZ (POL)
Metehan BASAR (TUR)
Dogan GOKTAS (TUR)
Semen NOVIKOV (UKR)
Alan Ernesto VERA GARCIA (USA)
Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB)

97kg
Adem BOUDJEMLINE  (ALG)
Islam ABBASOV (AZE)
Mathias BAK (DEN)
Arvi Martin SAVOLAINEN (FIN)
Jan ZIRN (GER)
Ilja KLASNER (GER)
Erik SZILVASSY (HUN)
Balazs KISS (HUN)
Alex Gergo SZOKE (HUN)
Mehdi Mohammad BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI)
Mohammadhadi Abdollah SARAVI (IRI)
Gerard Cyprian KURNICZAK (POL)
Piotr CHUDZIK (POL)
Tadeusz MICHALIK (POL)
Mihail KAJAIA  (SRB)
Ergali AYKHIMBAEV (UZB)

130kg
Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI)
Abdellatif Mohamed Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY)
Heiki NABI (EST)
Eduard POPP (GER)
Adam VARGA (HUN)
Aliakbar Hossein YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI)
Amin Mohammadzaman MIRZAZADEH (IRI)
Amir Mohammadali GHASEMIMONJEZI (IRI)
Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU)
Romas FRIDRIKAS (LTU)
Nikola MILATOVIC (NOR)
Rafal Andrzej KRAJEWSKI (POL)
Dominik Tomasz KRAWCZYK (POL)
Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU)
Lenard Istvan BEREI (ROU)
Cohlton Michael SCHULTZ (USA)
Muminjon ABDULLAEV (UZB)


Two-time world champion Mariya STADNIK (AZE) headlines the women's wrestling entries at 50kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Women’s Wrestling

50kg
Mariya STADNIK (AZE)
Valentina Ivanovna ISLAMOVA BRIK  (KAZ)
Adijat Avorshai IDRIS  (NGR)
Anna LUKASIAK (POL)
Agata Marta WALERZAK (POL)
Katarzyna MADROWSKA (POL)
Emilia Alina VUC (ROU)
Mariia TIUMEREKOVA (RUS)
Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RUS)
Aynur ERGE (TUR)
Oksana LIVACH (UKR)
Erin Simone GOLSTON (USA)

53kg
Samantha Leigh STEWART (CAN)

Joseph Emilienne ESSOMBE TIAKO (CMR)
Annika WENDLE (GER)
Vinesh VINESH (IND)
Sumiya ERDENECHIMEG (MGL)
Roksana Marta ZASINA (POL)
Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL)
Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS)
Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS)
Esra PUL (TUR)
Ronna Marie HEATON (USA)
Amy Ann FEARNSIDE  (USA)

55kg
Aisha UALISHAN (KAZ)
Dominika Ewa KULWICKA (POL)
Alicja CZYZOWICZ (POL)
Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU)
Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS)
Zeynep YETGIL (TUR)
Iryna KHARIV CHYKHRADZE (UKR)

57kg
Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR)
Mathilde Hélène RIVIERE (FRA)
Elena Heike BRUGGER (GER)
Fatoumata Yarie CAMARA (GUI)
Anshu ANSHU (IND)
Odunayo Folasade ADEKUOROYE (NGR)
Patrycja GIL (POL)
Jowita Maria WRZESIEN (POL)
Magdalena Urszula GLODEK (POL)
Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS)
Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RUS)
Valeria KOBLOVA ZHOLOBOVA (RUS)
Mehlika OZTURK (TUR)
Eda TEKIN (TUR)
Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR)
Tetyana KIT (UKR)
Helen Louise MAROULIS (USA)

59kg
Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ)
Nuraida ANARKULOVA (KGZ)
Nazira MARSBEK KYZY (KGZ)
Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (RUS)
Elif YANIK (TUR)

62kg
Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA)
Ana Paula GODINEZ GONZALEZ (CAN)
Marianna SASTIN (HUN)
Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ)
Aminat Oluwafunmilayo ADENIYI (NGR)
Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS)
Liubov OVCHAROVA (RUS)
Marwa AMRI (TUN)
Cansu AKSOY (TUR)
Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR)
Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR)
Kayla Colleen Kiyoko MIRACLE (USA)

65kg
Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL)
Aina TEMIRTASSOVA  (KAZ)
Aleksandra WOLCZYNSKA (POL)
Kamila Czeslawa KULWICKA (POL)
Kriszta Tunde INCZE (ROU)
Linnea Antonia SVENSSON (SWE)
Malin Johanna MATTSSON (SWE)
Henna Katarina JOHANSSON  (SWE)
Asli DEMIR (TUR)
Asli TUGCU (TUR)
Oksana KUKHTA HERHEL (UKR)

68kg
Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)
Danielle Suzanne LAPPAGE (CAN)
Enas Mostafa Youssef Khourshed AHMED (EGY)
Koumba Selene Fanta LARROQUE (FRA)
Anna Carmen SCHELL (GER)
Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)
Battsetseg SORONZONBOLD  (MGL)
Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)
Natalia Iwona STRZALKA (POL)
Ewelina Weronika CIUNEK (POL)
Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL)
Khanum VELIEVA (RUS)
Tindra Linnea SJOEBERG (SWE)}
Nesrin BAS (TUR)
Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR)
Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (UKR)
Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA)|

72kg
Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)

Catalina AXENTE (ROU)
Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS)
Buse TOSUN (TUR)
Alla BELINSKA (UKR)

76kg
Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR)

Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA)
Erica Elizabeth WIEBE (CAN)
Samar Amer Ibrahim HAMZA (EGY)
Epp MAEE (EST)
Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER)
Francy RAEDELT (GER)
Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ)
Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)
Tumentsetseg SHARKHUU (MGL)
Patrycja SPERKA (POL)
Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS)
Alena STARODUBTSEVA (RUS)
Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR)
Dymond Precious GUILFORD  (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.