#WrestleBelgrade

Rotter Focken Delivers in Final Women's Match in Belgrade

Wednesday, December 16, 2020 - 20:52 By Andrew Hipps

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Interview with Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)

BELGRADE, Serbia (December 16) -- On Wednesday night, Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER) delivered in a big way in the final women's wrestling match of the Individual World Cup in Belgrade, Serbia.

The 29-year-old German secured the gold medal at 76kg with a fall over 2017 world champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR).

Rotter Focken, a 2014 world champion and four-time world medalist, led 1-0 at the break after a tactical opening period. Early in the second period, Adar, who defeated Olympic champion Erica WIEBE (CAN) by fall in the semifinals, fired off a double leg. Rotter Focken defended the shot and whipped the Turkish wrestler to her back to secure the fall.

Russia claimed the team title in women's wrestling, finishing with seven medals, including two gold medals. A day after Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (50kg) won gold, Svetlana LIPATOVA gave Russia its second gold in women's wrestling by edging Mariana CHERDIVARA ESANU (MDA) 2-1 at 59kg.

Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS) gave Russia its second gold in women's wrestling at the Individual World Cup (Photo: Gabor MARTIN, UWW)

After Lipatova scored the only point of the opening period off the activity clock, Cherdivara Esanu came back to take the criteria lead in the second period after scoring a point of her own off the activity clock. A short time later, the Moldovan wrestler was put on the activity clock for a second time. She was unable to score, giving Lipatova her lead back, which was enough to earn the narrow victory.

Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) won the title at 57kg (Photo: Gabor MARTIN, UWW)

Three Moldovan women competed for gold on Wednesday, but only European champion Anastasia NICHITA (57kg) came out victorious. 

Nichita earned the gold medal at 57kg with a 5-1 victory over world No.7 Anshu ANSHU (IND). Nichita led 1-0 at the break. She tacked on more points in the second period, scoring a two-point exposure with a throw before adding a takedown midway through the final period.

Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR) throws Irina RINGACI (MDA) for four points (Photo: Gabor MARTIN, UWW)

Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR), a 2018 junior world bronze medalist, used a big second period to help her earn a 14-4 technical superiority over Irina RINGACI (MDA) and capture the gold medal at 65kg. Rizhko went up 4-0 early before Ringaci responded with a takedown and gut wrench to grab the criteria lead heading into the break. Rizhko came out strong in the second period, throwing Ringaci to her back and nearly securing the fall. The Ukrainian built her lead to 8-4 before tossing Ringaci again to her back for four points to go up 12-4. She closed out the match by getting a takedown with 25 seconds remaining. 

Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) topped Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) to win gold at 68kg (Photo: Gabor MARTIN, UWW)

Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ), a junior world silver medalist, overcame a slow start to defeat Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) 8-2 and claim the gold at 68kg. Hanzlickova, a 2020 Yasar Dogu champion, led 1-0 at the break after scoring off the activity clock. The 21-year-old Zhumanazarova quickly took the lead in the second period after shooting a double leg and scoring the match's first takedown. She added to her lead with another takedown before Hanzlickova scored a point off a step out to cut the deficit to 4-2. With less than 20 seconds remaining, Zhumanazarova shot a double leg and scored a four-point takedown to blow the match wide open.

Both Russia and Ukraine finished the day with one gold medal and two bronze medals.

Veronika CHUMIKOVA (57kg) and Khanum VELIEVA (68kg) won bronze medals for Russia, while Kateryna ZELENYKH (59kg) and Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (68kg) earned bronze for Ukraine. 

Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) and Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) took the bronze medals at 65kg. 

Mehlika OZTURK (TUR) won a bronze at 57kg after getting a fall over Arianna CARIERI (ITA).

Magdalena GLODEK (POL) edged Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER) to win a bronze medal at 59kg.

Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR) defeated the Rio Olympic champion Wiebe to win a bronze at 76kg. The other bronze at 76kg was won by Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ).

Women's Wrestling Medal Match Results

57kg
GOLD: Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) df. Anshu ANSHU (IND) by VPO1, 5-1
BRONZE: Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RUS) df. Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) by VPO1, 2-2
BRONZE: Mehlika OZTURK (TUR) df. Arianna CARIERI (ITA) by VFA, 5-0

59kg
GOLD: Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS) df. Mariana CHERDIVARA ESANU (MDA) by VPO1, 2-1
BRONZE: Kateryna ZELENYKH (UKR) df. Elif YANIK (TUR) by VSU, 10-0
BRONZE: Magdalena GLODEK (POL) df. Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER) by VPO1, 8-7

65kg
GOLD: Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR) df. Irina RINGACI (MDA) by VSU1, 14-4
BRONZE: Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) df. Asli DEMIR (TUR) by VPO, 4-0
BRONZE: Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) df. Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS) by VFA, 6-6

68kg
GOLD: Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) df. Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) by VPO1, 8-2
BRONZE: Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) df. Sofiya Hristova GEORGIEVA (BUL) by VSU1, 13-2
BRONZE: Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (UKR) df. Hanna SADCHANKA (BLR) by VSU, 10-0

76kg
GOLD: Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER) df. Yasemin ADAR (TUR) by VFA, 3-0
BRONZE: Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR) df. Erica Elizabeth WIEBE (CAN) by VPO1, 3-1
BRONZE: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS) by VPO1, 11-8
 

#WrestlingHistory

Wrestling History: Who was Ivan Yarygin?

Monday, March 24, 2025 - 11:49 By United World Wrestling Press

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For most, a trip to Krasnoyarsk, Siberia on the last weekend of January each year would sound chilling. Afterall, it is one of the coldest regions on the planet.

But for the past 35 years, wrestlers from around the world attend the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in January, the tournament which kicks off the season for most countries.

The prestigious tournament sees close to 1000 wrestlers vying for the gold medals in Freestyle and Women's Wrestling. But who was Ivan Yarygin after whom the tournament is named?

Born in Kemerovo, Soviet Union on November 7, 1948, Yarygin was a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a world champion who went on to became the coach of the Soviet Union team and later the Russian national team.

In 1966, aged 18, Yarygin was stationed in Krasnoyarsk with the army and began training with legendary coach Dmitry MINDIASHVILI to polish his technique.

Famous for winning his Olympic bouts via fall, Yarygin won seven bouts at the 1972 Games in just over seven minutes. Those were days when a bout could extend till nine minutes. He pinned all seven wrestlers before time and no one has come close to matching that record.

How did Yarygin begin training in wrestling?

Yarygin played football in his village. His big built made him a perfect goalkeeper, a position he continued to play during his driving school training in Abakan. Vladimir CHARKOV, a wrestling club trainer, saw Yarygin and asked him to try wrestling. And just by chance, Yarygin began his wrestling career.

The Freestyle wrestler primarily competed at 100kg and was known for his dynamic training and ditching traditional methods in wrestling. He quickly rose through the ranks in Soviet wrestling circles. He debuted internationally in 1970 at the European Championships and finished with a silver medal. Ahmet AYIK (TUR) defeated him in the 100kg final. But Yarygin won the European gold in 1972, the first of his three continental titles.

Later that year, Yarygin participated in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games and won gold medal in 100kg without giving up a single point in seven bouts. He defeated Khorloo BAYANMUNKH (MGL) and Jozsef CSATARI (HUN) in the finals round.

His results dipped after the Munich Olympics, with 1974 being a humbling year, Yarygin moved back to village. "I trained in the village every day like a peasant," Yarygin had famously said. "I chopped enough firewood for three winters ahead."

Yarygin returned and made sure he was still the winner. The gold medal in Montreal was not as simple as Munich but there was still no match for Yarygin. He went on to win the gold medal in 1976, his second in Olympic Games.

In the first bout of the 1976 Games, Yarygin faced Harald BUTTNER who had defeated him in the European Championships. However, Yarygin managed to keep Buttner at bay and won 13-5.

Yarygin's results soon declined and he failed to top the standings in USSR. He would finally make way for younger generation before the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

After his retirement, Yarygin tried his hand at coaching and administration. Yarygin was the coach of the Soviet Freestyle team from 1982 to 1992 and later became the president of the wrestling federation from 1993 to 1997. Russia hosted the 1997 World Championships in Krasnoyarsk which Yarygin led in organization.

Yarygin died on October 11, 1997 in a car accident. United World Wrestling inducted him into the UWW Hall of Fame in 2010.