#Yariguin2019

Russia Captures Five of Seven Golds on Day Two of Ivan Yariguin

By Eric Olanowski

KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 25) - Russia, riding on the coattail of their two-time world champion Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV, claimed a combined five gold medals across freestyle and women’s wrestling on the second day of competition at the 30th Annual Ivan Yariguin. 

Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov stuck two-time world bronze medalist GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) in the 70kg finals to claim his first Yariguin title. Gazimagomedov scored three takedowns and then caught Ganzorig on his back during a failed Mongolian roll-through attempt, which was meant to stop the Russian from grabbing his fourth takedown. Either way, Gazimagomedov picked up the fall after leading 10-0. 

Muslim SADULAEV (RUS) scored four points on a first-period feet-to-back double leg and outlasted Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS), 4-4 in the 57kg gold medal bout. 

Magomedrasul IDRISOV (RUS) gave the Russian Federation their third freestyle gold medal of the day when he made easy work of Romania’s Nikolai OKHLOPKOV, shutting him out, 7-0, in the 61kg gold-medal bout. 

Viktoriia VAULINA and Mariia KUZNETSOVA stopped Japan from sweeping the Day 2 women’s wrestling finals and provided the host nation with their final two gold medals of the day. 

Vaulina stuck Nao TANIYAMA (JPN) in the 55kg finals after commanding a lead 7-0 lead, and Kuznetsova rode a nine-point first period to grab the 9-4 win over Misuzu ENOMOTO (JPN) in the 65kg gold-medal bout. 

Kika KAGATA and Yuzuka INAGAKI handed Japan the pair of remaining women’s wrestling gold medals. 

Kagata controlled the 50kg gold-medal bout from the first whistle and capped off her Yariguin rookie trip with a 10-0 victory over Anzhelika VETOSHKINA (RUS). 

The game plan for Kagata, the four-time age-level world champion, was apparent and worked like a charm. The Japanese plan was to overemphasize the fake to the left leg and come back to the right with a high crotch. Kagata scored a pair of early first period takedowns with her heavy fake, then tacked on an exposure and commanded for the 6-0 lead before ending the match with a defensive stop that transitioned to a leg lace, giving her the 10-0 technical superiority victory. 

Yuzuka Inagaki survived a scare and narrowly edged Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS), 4-3, to win the 59kg gold medal. 

Inagaki, the 2017 cadet world champion, scored the first takedown of the match, using an overhook to a high crotch and ended the opening period with a two-point advantage. 

In the final period, Inagaki went back to what worked in the first period and scored her second takedown of the match with an overhook to a high crotch,  extending her lead to 4-0. 

Things got interesting from this point of the match. 

A Lipatova exposure and reversal cut Inagaki’s lead to 4-3. With under 10 seconds remaining in the match, the Russian went for and was awarded the match-winning takedown as the clock hit zero. Lipatova gained the 5-4 advantage as time expired, but a successful Japanese challenge that lasted nearly four minutes reversed the call and helped Inagaki narrowly escape with the 4-3 victory. 

Day three action from the Ivan Yariguin resumes tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m. local time. 

RESULTS

Freestyle 

57kg 
GOLD - Muslim SADULAEV (RUS) vs. Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS)
BRONZE - NARMANDAKH Lkhangarmaa (MGL) df. ZOU Wanhao (CHN),  4-4 
BRONZE -  Thomas Patrick GILMAN (USA) df. Bekhbayar ERDENEBAT (MGL), 14-8

61kg 
GOLD - Magomedrasul IDRISOV (RUS) df. Nikolai OKHLOPKOV (ROU), 7-0 
BRONZE - Ramazan FERZALIEV (RUS) df. Otgonbaatar GANSUKH (MGL), 10-0 
BRONZE - Eduard GRIGORIEV (RUS) df. TSERMAA Chinzorig (MGL), 4-0 

70kg
GOLD - Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Mandakhnaran GANZORIG (MGL), via fall
BRONZE -  ENKHBAYAR Byambadorj (MGL) df. Askhat SLYAMKHANOV (KAZ), 8-0 
BRONZE - Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS) df. David BAEV (RUS), 8-4

Women’s Wrestling 

50kg 
GOLD - Kika KAGATA (JPN) df. Anzhelika VETOSHKINA (RUS), 10-0 
BRONZE - Dauletbike YAKHSHIMURATOVA (UZB) df. Anudari NANDINTSETSEG (MGL), 3-2
BRONZE - Victoria Lacey ANTHONY (USA) df. Elena VOSTRIKOVA (RUS), 6-1

55kg
GOLD - Viktoriia VAULINA (RUS) df. Nao TANIYAMA (JPN), via fall. 
BRONZE - BAT OCHIR Bolortuya (MGL) df. Ekaterina VERBINA (RUS), 7-5

59kg 
GOLD - Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) df. Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS), 4-3 
BRONZE - ALTANTSETSEG Battsetseg (MGL) df. Zelfira SADRADDINOVA  (RUS), 7-4 

65kg
GOLD - Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS) df.  Misuzu ENOMOTO (JPN), 9-4 
BRONZE - Bolortungalag ZORIGT (MGL) df. SALIKHOVA Dinara (RUS), via fall 
BRONZE - Yulia PRONTSEVITCH (RUS) df. Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA), 4-1 

#WrestleBaku

Malmgren boosts Olympics preparations with U23 Euro title

By United World Wrestling Press

BAKU, Azerbaijan (May 23) -- Jonna MALMGREN’S (SWE) social media bio, glittering with gold medal emojis, will soon have a new addition.

A three-time European medallist [two gold and a silver], four-time U17 and U20 European medal winner, a U20 world champion and a Youth Olympics gold medallist, the Paris Olympic-bound wrestler added another title to her overflowing cabinet. The 23-year-old, on Thursday, won her second consecutive U23 European Championship gold medal here.

And she did it with minimal fuss, winning the final against Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) 5-0.

Competing in the 55kg category instead of her usual 53kg, Malmgren conceded only two points in her four bouts and that too in her opening match against Tuba DEMIR (TUR). After that 10-2 win, she didn’t allow any of her opponents the slightest of chances to nick a point from her.

Jonna MALMGREN (SWE)Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) used a duck under to score two points over Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) in the 55kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

In the gold medal bout, Vynnyk tried testing Malmgren’s patience by blocking her attacking channels but the Swede isn’t a one-trick wrestler, as she has shown in the past.

Malmgren’s wrestling style can outfox many. She is never steady on the mat. Her legs constantly shuffle back and forth, and she moves around in circles. Her hands are always trying to break the opponent’s defense and the prying eyes look for the tiniest of gaps that she could exploit with her breathtaking speed.

Her Ukrainian opponent learned it the hard way. If Vynnyk planned to keep the scoreline close, she succeeded to an extent. But it was always going to be tough to sustain that level of defense, especially with the risk of being penalized for passivity, which she was inside the first two minutes of the bout.

Malmgren upped the ante in the second period, using a duck under to add two points to her tally. Then, with a little more than a minute remaining, she got control of Vynnyk’s arm and neck before turning her over onto her back for two more points.

Malmgren ran to her corner to celebrate her second consecutive title, the kind of performance that will leave her in good stead in the build-up to the Paris Olympics.

Mariia ORLEVYCH (UKR)Mariia ORLEVYCH (UKR) defeated Laura KUEHN (GER) to win the 76kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

It was a mixed day for Ukrainian wrestlers, who featured in three out of the five finals that were held on Thursday and lost two while winning one.

Minutes after Vynnyk lost to Malmgren, Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (AIN) defeated Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR) 9-2 in the final of the 68kg category. It was the biggest title so far of the 20-year-old former U20 European silver medallist’s career.

But Mariia ORLEVYCH (UKR) ensured her country didn’t end the opening day of women’s wrestling with zero gold medals.

The former U20 European Championship silver medallist won the first title of her career as she defeated Laura KUEHN (GER) 6-0 in a lopsided 76kg final.

Orlevych looked in sublime form and was in the attacking mode from the get-go. Within the first 60 seconds, the Ukrainian used a one-on-two and scored a takedown over Kuehn for two points.

Kuehn defended well for the rest of the period but mid-way through the second period, Orlevych was on the offensive again, using the arm-drag to push her opponent on the mat for a further two points. Desperate to make a comeback, a tired Kuehn went for a single-leg attack but missed and Orlevych caught her on the counter to add two more points and seal the bout.

Natallia VARAKINA (AIN)Natallia VARAKINA (AIN), right, celebrates after winning the 50kg gold medal after beating Zehra DEMIRHAN (TUR), left, in the final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Earlier in the finals session, Natallia VARAKINA (AIN) won the gold medal in the most dramatic of circumstances, beating Zehra DEMIRHAN (TUR) 8-8 on criteria in the 50kg final.

Varakina led 8-4 with only 10 seconds remaining but Demirhan cut the deficit to two points with a push-out and a caution to Varakina. As the clock ticked down, with just seven seconds remaining, Demirhan forced another takedown to level the scores at 8-8. However, as she tried to sneak in another point, the time was up and Varakina was declared the winner by the virtue of a higher-point hold.

Alesia HETMANAVA (AIN)Alesia HETMANAVA (AIN) held on to a 5-3 win over Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (AIN) in the 59kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

The 59kg final, a battle between two former U20 world champions, Alesia HETMANAVA (AIN) held on to a close 5-3 win over Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (AIN). Hetmanava was leading 4-0 with 25 seconds left in the bout when Sidelnikova scored her first point using a stepout. Both got in a tangle and Sidelnikova tripped Hetmanava who fell on her back and in danger of a fall, surviving that position as the time ran out.

Sidelnikova challenged asking for four points but the judges upheld the original decision of two points and Hetmanava won the gold medal 5-3.

Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR)Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) will wrestle for the 53kg gold medal on Friday. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Ukraine puts three more in finals

Meanwhile, on Friday, Ukraine will have more chances to win a women’s wrestling gold medal at the U23 European Championships when their three more wrestlers take to the mat in the gold medal bouts on Friday.

Leading the way for them in Thursday’s early rounds and the semifinals was the U23 European Championship silver medallist and U23 Worlds bronze medal winner Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) at 53kg.

Malanchuk didn’t concede a single point en route to the final, beating Venera NAFIKOVA (AIN) 8-0 in the quarterfinals and Laura STANELYTE (LTU) 7-0 in the semis. She will face home favorite Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE) in the final.

Joining her in the title bout will be U20 European champion and U23 Worlds silver medallist Iryna BONDAR (UKR). Bondar wasn’t tested in her early rounds but was challenged in the semifinals by Alina KASABIEVA (AIN), who tried to make a late comeback. Bondar, however, prevailed 7-4 to set up a final encounter with Yana TRETSIAK (AIN) at 62kg.

The third Ukrainian in the final will be Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR) who, like her compatriot, was dominant in all her bouts. She will face Alina SHAUCHUK (AIN) in the 72kg gold medal match.

Paris-bound and former world champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) will wrestle for the 65kg after she showed the gulf in class at the age-group level. She scored a 10-0 win in the quarterfinal and then handed another Paris-bound wrestler, Nesrin BAS (TUR), a 8-2 loss. She will take on Ekaterina KOSHKINA (AIN) for the gold medal.

Koshkina dominated her semifinal 12-2 against Ingrid SKARD (NOR) but survived a scare in the quarterfinal against Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU). Trailing 10-5, Koshkina secured a fall over Zelenykh.

The 57kg final will be a battle between Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) and Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR).

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RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Natallia VARAKINA (AIN) df. Zehra DEMIRHAN (TUR), 8-8

BRONZE: Ana Maria PIRVU (ROU) df. Khrystyna BASYCH (SVK), 6-2
BRONZE: Natalia WALCZAK (POL) df. Gabija DILYTE (LTU), 5-2

55kg
GOLD: Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) df. Mariia VYNNYK (UKR), 5-0

BRONZE: Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA) df. Tuba DEMIR (TUR), 8-4
BRONZE: Anastasiia IANDUSHKINA (AIN) df. Aliaksandra BULAVA (AIN), 13-3

59kg
GOLD: Alesia HETMANAVA (AIN) df. Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (AIN), 5-3

BRONZE: Ruzanna MAMMADOVA (AZE) df. Ana Maria PUIU (ROU), via fall (8-0)
BRONZE: Amel REBIHA (FRA) df. Sevim AKBAS (TUR), 6-1

68kg
GOLD: Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (AIN) df. Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR), 10-2

BRONZE: Viktoryia RADZKOVA (AIN) df. Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER), via fall
BRONZE: Karolina POK (HUN) df. Luciana BEDA (MDA), 5-3

76kg
GOLD: Mariia ORLEVYCH (UKR) df. Laura KUEHN (GER), 6-0 

BRONZE: Zsofia VIRAG (HUN) df. Nazar BATIR (TUR), 4-2
BRONZE: Olga KOZYREVA (AIN) df. Daniela TKACHUK (POL), via fall (5-4)

Semifinals

53kg
GOLD: Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) vs. Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE)

SF 1: Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE) df. Laura STANELYTE (LTU), 7-0
SF 2: Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) df. Sevval CAYIR (TUR), 11-0

57kg
GOLD: Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) vs. Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR)

SF 1: Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) df. Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR), 3-1
SF 2: Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR) df. Volha HARDZEI (AIN), 8-0

62kg
GOLD: Yana TRETSIAK (AIN) vs. Iryna BONDAR (UKR)

SF 1: Yana TRETSIAK (AIN) df. Viktoria VESSO (EST), 4-4
SF 2: Iryna BONDAR (UKR) df. Alina KASABIEVA (AIN), 7-4

65kg
GOLD: Ekaterina KOSHKINA (AIN) vs. Irina RINGACI (MDA)

SF 1: Irina RINGACI (MDA) df. Nesrin BAS (TUR), 8-2
SF 2: Ekaterina KOSHKINA (AIN) df. Ingrid SKARD (NOR), 12-2

72kg
GOLD: Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR) vs. Alina SHAUCHUK (AIN)

SF 1: Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR) df. Olesia BEZUGLOVA (AIN), via fall (7-0)
SF 2: Alina SHAUCHUK (AIN) df. Bukrenaz SERT (TUR), 2-1