#WrestlePontevedra

Russia Brings Freestyle Finalist Total to Seven

By Eric Olanowski

PONTEVEDRA, Spain (June 8) – Russia holds the team lead after the sixth day of freestyle competition and inserted three additional wrestlers into gold-medal matches -- bringing their overall finalist total to seven. 

Russia opened up the freestyle competition by winning 12 of 13 matches, went 11-3 on Saturday, and brought their freestyle win/loss total to 23-4. Their three Day 7 finalists who’ll wrestle for gold at 74kg, 92kg, 125kg, respectively, are Dmitrii KUPRIN, Aslanbek SOTIEV, Saipudin MAGOMEDOV. 

Of the three Russian finalists, Magomedov and Sotiev will have the toughest test in the finals.

Soltiev will wrestle Azerbaijan’s two-time age-level world bronze medalist Askhab HAMZATOV. 

Hamzatov, who had locked up his third European medal, will be wrestling in the junior finals for the second consecutive year. Last year, Hamzatov fell to Russia’s Azamat ZAKUEV in the 92kg finals and settled for a silver medal. 

Magomedov will take on Ukraine’s Yurii IDZINSKYI in the 125kg finals. This’ll be the third time that Idzinskyi has competed in the European finals, but the Ukrainian has fallen in each of his two previous attempts. Idzinskyi fell in the U23 European finals earlier this year, and also dropped last year’s junior European finals. 

The other finalist is Dmitrii Kuprin. He’ll wrestle Turkey’s Abdulvasi BALTA (TUR) in the 74kg finals. 

The Day 7 finals begin on Sunday at 18:00 and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS

61kg 
GOLD - Hrachya MARGARYAN (ARM) vs. Oleksandr YEVSIEIENKO (UKR)
SEMIFINAL - Hrachya MARGARYAN (ARM) df. Hamza ALACA (TUR), 5-2
SEMIFINAL - Oleksandr YEVSIEIENKO (UKR) df. Gamzatgadzhi KHALIDOV (HUN), 10-9 

74kg 
GOLD - Abdulvasi BALTA (TUR) vs. Dmitrii Alekseevitch KUPRIN (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Abdulvasi BALTA (TUR) df. Valentin BORZIN (MDA), 8-3 
SEMIFINAL - Dmitrii KUPRIN (RUS) df. Goga MAMIAURI (GEO), 9-2

86kg 
GOLD - Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) vs. Mher MARKOSYAN (ARM)
SEMIFINAL - Mher MARKOSYAN (ARM) df. Slavik NANIEV (RUS), 6-4
SEMIFINAL - Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) df. Demid KARACHENKO (UKR), 11-3 

92kg 
GOLD - Askhab HAMZATOV (AZE) vs.  Aslanbek SOTIEV (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Aslanbek SOTIEV (RUS) df. Aliaksei PARKHOMENKA (BLR), 10-4
SEMIFINAL - Askhab HAMZATOV (AZE) df. Matous VONDAL (CZE), 6-0 

125kg
GOLD - Saipudin MAGOMEDOV (RUS) vs. Yurii IDZINSKYI (UKR)
SEMIFINAL - Saipudin MAGOMEDOV (RUS) vs. Islam ABUEV (AZE), 5-0 
SEMIFINAL - Yurii IDZINSKYI (UKR) df. Mikita HORHUN (BLR), 11-0 

#WrestleParis

Techniques, safety, focus: UWW referees ready for Paris 2024

By United World Wrestling Press

ATHENS, Greece (August 1) -- United World Wrestling referees for Paris 2024 completed a three-day seminar from June 21 to 23, hosted by the Greek Wrestling Federation in Athens. The seminar was held to prepare for the Olympics, where referees will be ITOs.

The program consisted of self and group analysis of previous performance, theoretical study, mental preparedness, medical and safety training as well as on-the-mat training with Women's Wrestling, Freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestlers and coaching experts.

Led by the President of the UWW Athletes Commission, Arsen JULFALAKYAN, as well as coaches Alfred TER-MKRTCHYAN, Patrick NUDING and Amiran KARDANOV and wrestlers Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) and Christos KOUTSOURIDIS (GRE), referees analyzed common wrestling techniques and tactics in all styles and the proper philosophy and mechanisms referees should utilize when evaluating these situations.

Referee seminar

During these sessions, Julfalakyan also emphasized concerns and questions he receives from wrestlers and how we can improve the communication between athletes and referees when discussing the application of the rules.

Mental strength training sessions were led by Holger KNOLL, a trained mental strength coach specializing in athlete training. His sessions focused on how referees can improve their concentration and focus before, during and after competitions.

Babak SHADGAN, President of the UWW Medical Commission, provided medical and safety training, with focus on the role a referee plays in injury prevention.

In addition to the referee's instruction, Tristan MORAD, UWW Sports Department Coordinator, provided a presentation on the logistics and schedule of the wrestling of Paris 2024.

United World Wrestling and the UWW Referee Commission graciously thank the Greek Wrestling Federation and its President, Stergios LEONKIS, and UWW Bureau Vice President, Theodore HAMAKOS and numerous volunteers for their organization and hospitality in hosting the seminar.