BuchaWrestU23

Reigning U23 World Champion Cengiz and Cataraga Reach Semifinals

Monday, November 12, 2018 - 13:39 By Eric Olanowski

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BUCHAREST, Romania (November 12) – The opening day semifinals at the 2018 U23 World Championships are set and four different nations will have a pair of wrestlers competing for a spot in tomorrow night’s finals. The four nations that have two wrestlers taking the mat tonight are Georgia, Moldova, Russia, and Turkey. 

Georgia is led by the five-time age level world champion, Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO). Pataridze, who is coming off a thirteenth-place finish at the senior-level world championships is looking to improve on his runner-up finish at last year’s U23 World Championships where he was defeated in the finals by 2018 world champion, Sergey SEMENOV (RUS). 

In the 130kg semifinals, Pataridze will wrestle Finland’s Konsta MAEENPAEAE (FIN), who is looking to become his nations second U23 world finalist ever. 

Georgia’s second semifinalist is 2018 world bronze medalist, Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO). He'll take on Balbai DORDOKOV (KGZ) for a spot in the 55kg finals.

Daniel CATARAGA (MDA) celebrates after making the U23 World semifinals.  (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne)

Moldova’s pair of finalists are Alexandru BICIU (MDA) and Daniel CATARAGA (MDA). 

In a rematch of the U23 European Championship finals, Biciu will try to avenge that loss to Mihai MIHUT (ROU) with a spot in the 63kg finals on the line, while reigning U23 world champion Daniel Cataraga will see Sajan SAJAN (IND) in the 77kg semifinals.

Russian National champion, Vitalii KABALOEV (RUS), and U23 European bronze medalist, Gazi KHALILOV (RUS), will wrestle in the 55kg and 87kg semifinals respectively. 

At 55kg, Kabaloev will wrestle 2015 junior world bronze medalist Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ), and Khalilov will scrap against Cuba’s 2018 senior-level world team member, Daniel GREGORICH HECHAVARRIA (CUB), in the semifinals at 87kg. 

Meanwhile, Turkey’s reigning U23 world champion Fatih CENGIZ (TUR) and two-time U23 European finalist Osman YILDIRIM (TUR) will also wrestle for a spot in tomorrow night’s finals. 

In the 87kg semifinals, Cengiz will have to get past Rajbek BISULTANOV (DEN), while Yildirim will be pitted against Egypt's Abdellatif MOHAMED (EGY) in the 130kg semifinals.

The semifinals are set to begin at 18:00 PM local time at Bucharest’s Polyvalent Hall.

Semifinal Match-ups 
55kg
Balbai DORDOKOV (KGZ) vs. Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) 
Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ) vs. Vitalii KABALOEV (RUS)

63kg
Katsuaki ENDO (JPN) vs. Meysam Karamali DALKHANI (IRI) 
Alexandru BICIU (MDA) vs. Mihai Radu MIHUT (ROU)

77kg
Rajbek Alvievich BISULTANOV (DEN) vs. Fatih CENGIZ (TUR) 
Sajan SAJAN (IND) vs. Daniel CATARAGA (MDA)

87kg
Semen NOVIKOV (UKR) vs. Islam ABBASOV (AZE) 
Daniel GREGORICH HECHAVARRIA (CUB) vs. Gazi KHALILOV (RUS)

130kg
Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO) vs. Konsta MAEENPAEAE (FIN) 
Osman YILDIRIM (TUR) vs. Abdellatif Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY)

#WrestleBudapest

Grace Bullen Move: Outside Trip That Defines European Champ

Thursday, July 9, 2026 - 10:31 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 9) -- Grace BULLEN (NOR) lost the most important match of her career while attempting her trademark outside trip, trying to finish the bout with a fall. It came in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games semifinal against Sakura MOTOKI (JPN), who countered with a neck bridge, tossing Bullen over for the fall.

UWW+

Despite the mixed results the move has produced over the years, Bullen did not hesitate to use it in the 2026 European Championships final against Amina TANDELOVA (RUS). Trailing 9-0, Bullen hooked her left foot behind Tandelova's heel and brought her down for the fall.

Three months after their epic European 62kg final, Bullen and Tandelova will be at the Budapest Ranking Series from July 15 to 19, the last stop to gain ranking points before the World Championships.

They will be joined by a strong field that includes former world champion Qi ZHANG (CHN), world bronze medalist Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR), and European medalists Johanna LINDBORG (SWE) and Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR).

The field also includes Ana GODINEZ (CAN) and former U20 world champion Eniko ELEKES (HUN), who will have the backing of the home crowd. Two Indians, MANSI (IND) and SAVITA (IND), are also entered among others.

Grace BULLEN (NOR)Grace BULLEN (NOR) performs the outside trip against Amina TANDELOVA (RUS) during the 62kg final at the European Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

The same move also rescued Bullen at the Tirana Ranking Series, where she trailed Mansi before winning 6-5.

Speaking after winning European gold, Bullen acknowledged both the risk and the reward of the move.

"I know it's my go-to when I'm down, but I also lost in that situation, the same place," Bullen said. "I know how it is being on the receiving end, also being an attacker in that situation. But glad it worked out for me.

"It's more risky that way and just locking the leg and going forward it's much less risky, especially for me."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Grace Bullen (@gracebullen7)

 

A pivotal career decision saw Bullen relocate her training base to Georgia under coach Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI. Since moving to 62kg, she has won world and Olympic medals and established herself as one of the division's most dangerous wrestlers. The demanding training in Georgia and the move up in weight have transformed her wrestling and her mindset, even if the results have occasionally fluctuated.

"I'm also getting older," she said. "I have to be wise with how I train and so I keep my shape."

That experience has also made Bullen more patient than she was five years ago.

"I've years of experience in wrestling," she said. "I take losses with a greater smile than I ever did before. Just knowing that this year I was in two ranking series competitions and only won one match, I am more patient with everything. I know that even though I lose, I can win in the future."