#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)

#WrestleWarsaw

16 Reigning Champs Entered into #WrestleWarsaw Euro C'ships

By Eric Olanowski

WARSAW, Poland (April 16) -- The European Championships start next week in Poland with more than half of 2020's champions returning to the mat for wrestling's premier continental event. 

A total of seven champions will return in women's wrestling, joined by five in freestyle and four in Greco-Roman. The 2020 European Championships were held in Rome just prior to the worldwide shutdown of sports in March of that year.

Grace BULLEN (NOR) and Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) won titles at 57kg and 59kg respectively in 2020, but both opting for 59kg in '21. The Norwegian two-time European champion traditionally wrestles at the Olympic weight of 57kg, but she's moving up to conserve energy for the final Olympic Qualification event of the year, the World Olympic Qualifier (May 5-9) in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Two-time world gold medalist and reigning Euro champ Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) is the favorite at 53kg, but last year's 55kg top-two finishers, respectively, Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS) Mariia VYNNYK (UKR), are looking to take out the Belarusian.

Miglena SELISHKA enters the European Championships fresh off winning the European Olympic Qualifier event, where she punched Bulgaria's ticket to the Olympic Games at 50kg. For her to win a second consecutive European title, Selishka will have to navigate a 50kg bracket that'll feature Mariya STADNIK (AZE), Emilia Alina VUC (ROU) and Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS). Stadnik was the '19 world champion, while Vuc and Poleshchuk finished with silver and bronze, respectively. Other threats include world bronze medalists Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) and Oksana LIVACH (UKR).

The final pair of women's wrestling '20 champions are the Russian one-two-punch of Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) and Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS).

Velieva, who qualified Russia for the Olympic Games with a second-place finish at the European Olympic Qualifier, is entered at 68kg. She'll share the bracket with European Olympic Qualifier champion and fellow Tokyo Olympian Koumba LARROQUE (FRA).

Vorobeva, the London Olympic champion, replaced defending champion Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS) at 76kg. Other returning medalist entered at 76kg include bronze medalists Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER) and Iselin SOLHEIM (NOR).

Freestyle will feature five men with aspirations to defend their European golds.

Reigning three-time heavyweight champion of the world Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) highlights the long list of star-studded freestyle entries. The 27-year-old Georgian's likely path to a third European title will go through his long-time rival and seven-time continental champion Taha AKGUL (TUR).

At 74kg, Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) is looking to win a third straight European title and fifth overall. Standing in the Italian's way will be the man who defeated him in the finals at the Individual World Cup Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS). Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO), the '21 European Olympic Qualifier champion and '18 world runner-up, is also entered at 74kg.

Russia's '19 86kg world bronze medalist Artur NAIFONOV (RUS) will be making his third appearance at the European Championships. He's undefeated in those past two trips and won golds in '18 and '20. Fellow Tokyo Olympians Myles AMINE (SMR), Osman GOCEN (TUR), Stefan REICHMUTH (SUI) and Ali SHABANAU (BLR) will also compete at 86kg.

Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) and Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR) claimed gold in Rome last year at the none Olympic weights of 70kg and 92kg, respectively. Gadzhiev, who is coming off a 65kg fifth-place finish at the Olympic Qualifier event, will move back up to the non-Olympic weight of 70kg. Karadeniz, who qualified Turkey for the Olympic Games at 97kg, is staying put at the Olympic weight.

Three-time world champion Frank STAEBLER (GER) is on a quest to win a third European title. He's entered at 72kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

In Greco-Roman, there will be a quartet of returning champions.

It's no secret that Germany's three-time world champion Frank STAEBLER (GER) struggles to make 67kg. So, for a second year, the "Mele Machine" will try to win European gold at 72kg. If he wins, he'll match his continental gold tally with his world gold total.

But, to win that third continental gold, Staebler will have to get through '20 European bronze medalist Selcuk CAN (TUR) and Individual World Cup finalist Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM).

At 130kg, Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU) was the first wrestler not named Riza KAYAALP (TUR) to win a 130kg European title since '12. Kayaalp, who fell to an uncharacteristic seventh-place finish last year, is heading into Warsaw with a tenth continental gold on his mind.

Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM) and Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) are the final pair of returning gold medalists. They'll compete at 60kg and 77kg, respectively.

The European Championships start on April 19-25 in Warsaw, Poland, and can be followed live on www.uww.org.