#WrestlePontevedra

Russian Women Lead After Day 4; Hungary and Belarus Within Striking Distance

By Eric Olanowski

PONTEVEDRA, Spain (June 6) – Daria KHVOSTOVA (RUS) and Ekaterina VERBINA (RUS) mounted come-from-behind victories in the 50kg and 55kg gold-medal matches respectively and assisted the Russian Federation in carrying a six-point lead over Hungary into the final day of women’s wrestling at the Junior European Championships. 

In the 50kg finals, Daria Khvostova used a late takedown and gut wrench to win the battle of former European champions against Stefania PRICEPUTU (ROU), 6-3. 

The pair traded takedowns in the first period, but Khvostova found herself fighting from behind after Priceputu, the U23 world bronze medalist, had the 2-2 lead on criteria heading into the second period. 

The score remained unchanged until the 30-second mark of the second period when the Russian shot a low-level knee pull single, then transitioned into a gut wrench and took the 6-2 lead. Khvostova surrendered a stepout as time expired but held onto the three-point lead and won her second European title, and first since 2016 when she won the 43kg cadet European title in Stockholm, Sweden. 


Ekaterina VERBINA (RUS) scored a pair of takedowns in the final minute of the 55kg finals to defeat Anna SZEL (HUN), 6-6. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

In the 55kg gold-medal match, Ekaterina Verbina mounted a four-point comeback win with one-minute left and robbed Anna SZEL (HUN) of the European title. 

Verbina surrendered a pair of step outs, but scored two off a beautiful high crotch and had the 2-2 lead on criteria heading into the final three minutes. The Russian’s opponent tagged her with a takedown and gut wrench and grabbed the 6-2 lead heading into the final two minutes of the match. 

With 52 seconds remaining, Verbina picked up her offensive attack rate and to fire off high crotch after high crotch. The 2018 junior world bronze medalist scored twice off those high crotches and nabbed the 6-6 lead on criteria. Verbina held on to improve on her bronze-medal finish from last year, and won her first European title since winning the 2017 cadet European title. 

Russia also picked up a third medal on the day when Marina SUROVTSEVA defeated Greta CEPONYTE (LTU), 8-2 in the 76kg gold medal bout. 

Bernadett NAGY (HUN) shutout Kseniya DZIBUK (BLR),3-0 in the 76kg finals. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Hungary and Belarus Within Striking Distance of Russian in Team Race
Hungary (76 points) and Belarus (67 points) sit it second and third respectively and are in striking distance heading into the final day of wrestling in Spain. They each won a gold and a silver on the fourth day of the Junior European Championships. 

Hungary’s champion was Bernadett NAGY (HUN) and Belarus’ champion was Krystsina SAZYKINA (BLR). Nagy won the 76kg title with a 3-0 win over Kseniya DZIBUK (BLR), while Sazykina shutout Erika BOGNAR (HUN), 4-0 in the 59kg finals. 

Freestyle wrestling begins tomorrow morning at 11:00 (local time), and the Day 5 finals will start at 18:00. 

RESULTS

Team Scores (After Day 4) 
GOLD - Russia (79 points)
SILVER - Hungary  (73 points)
BRONZE - Belarus (67 points)
Fourth - Ukraine (64 points)
Fifth - Turkey (52 points)

50kg 
GOLD - Daria KHVOSTOVA (RUS) df. Stefania PRICEPUTU (ROU), 6-3 
BRONZE - Taru Marketta VAINIONPAEAE (FIN) df. Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA), 5-3
BRONZE - Zehra DEMIRHAN (TUR) vs. Mariia VYNNYK (UKR)

55kg
GOLD - Ekaterina VERBINA (RUS) df. Anna Hella SZEL (HUN), 6-6 
BRONZE - Sezen BELBEROVA (BUL) df. Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA), 7-0
BRONZE - Patrycja GIL (POL) df. Darya SINKAVETS (BLR), via fall

59kg 
GOLD - Krystsina SAZYKINA (BLR) df. Erika BOGNAR (HUN) , 4-0
BRONZE - Veronika RYABOVOLOVA (UKR) df. Kristina MIKHNEVA (RUS), 4-3 
BRONZE - Teresa LUMIA (ITA) df. Angelika MYTKOWSKA (POL), 9-1 

68kg 
GOLD – Tindra SJOEBERG (SWE) df. Kadriye AKSOY (TUR), via fall 
BRONZE - Ewelina CIUNEK (POL) df. Johanna MEIER (GER), via fall 
BRONZE - Khrystyna MALIAVKA (UKR) df. Marta OJEDA NAVARRO (ESP), 13-3 

76kg 
GOLD - Bernadett NAGY (HUN) df. Kseniya DZIBUK (BLR), 3-0 
BRONZE - Romana VOVCHAK (UKR) vs. Lilly SCHNEIDER (GER) 
BRONZE - Marina SUROVTSEVA (RUS) df. Greta CEPONYTE (LTU), 8-2 

#WrestlePontevedra

U23 World Championships Day 2 semis set

By Vinay Siwach

PONTEVEDRA, Spain (October 18) -- The second day of the U23 World Championships in Pontevedra will see the action in five Greco-Roman weight classes -- 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg and 97kg. The day will go on with the qualification and semifinals of these weight classes before the evening session has the gold medal bouts of the previous day.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

The semifinals for the evening session

60kg
Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) vs. Nurmukhammet ABDULLAEV (KGZ)
Kerem KAMAL (TUR) vs. Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI (GEO)

67kg
Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) vs. Seyed SOHRABI (IRI)
Gagik SNJOYAN (FRA) vs. Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN)

72kg​​​​​​​
VIKAS (IND) vs. Pavel PUKLAVEC (CRO)
Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR) vs. Gurban GURBANOV (AZE)

82kg
Mats AHLGREN (SWE) vs. Exauce MUKUBU (NOR)
Karlo KODRIC (CRO) vs. Beka GURULI (GEO)

97kg
Markus RAGGINGER (AUT) vs. Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO)
Alex SZOKE (HUN) vs. Igor ALVES (BRA) 

15:30: At 97kg, Markus RAGGINGER (AUT) and Mustafa OLGUN (TUR) put on a show. Ragginger got the early advantage. But Olgun got a stepout to level it. Ragginger got one for himself which was neutralized by Olgun before he added another to lead 3-2. But Ragginger scored a takedown and a turn to win 6-3 and move into the semifinals.

15:15: Seyed SHORABI (IRI), the U20 world champion, is into the semifinals at 67kg. He pins Amanat SAMAT UULU (KGZ) after developing a 7-0 lead.

15:05: Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) takes out Amir ABDI (IRI). Both wrestlers got the passivity calls but Gurbanov got the advantage as Abdi was called passive in the second period. Gurbanov moves into the 72kg semifinals

14:45: Alex SZOKE (HUN) looks unstoppable here in Pontevedra. He moves into the 97kg semifinals with another technical superiority win. He beats NITESH (IND) in the quarterfinals 

14:10: Kerem KAMAL (TUR) moves closer to the final of 60kg in Pontevedra. Melkamu FETENE (ISR) got the early lead with a takedown but Kamal answered with a stepout and four to lead 5-2. Fetene scored a takedown with 30 seconds left but Kamal hung on for a 5-4 win.

13:35: U23 European champion Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) was in all sorts of trouble trailing 2-0 with a minute left in the bout. But Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR) was called passive which allowed Chkhikvadze to return in the bout. He scores via a throw out of bounds. It was called clean but Georgia challenged and get the two extra points for a defensive foul from Joergensen. Chkhikvadze also got another stepout which Norway challenged but lost. A final attempt from Joergensen saw him jump over Chkhikvadze to get a four he lands on his to give up four. Chkhikvadze wins 10-2

13:20: Amir ABDI (IRI) is keeping the Iran juggernaut rolling today. He beats  Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM) 6-0 and advances to the quarterfinal at 72kg.

13:00: Kaito INABA (JPN) brought out the front suplex and got five for that. It is undoubtedly the move of the tournament. He pins Aser EBRO (ESP) at 60kg,

12:30: Kerem KAMAL (TUR) and his streak of pinning Iran wrestlers. After Belgrade, he now pins Omid ARAMI (IRI) in the 60kg bout in Pontevedra. Arami got the passivity call and was trying to score a head pinch but Kamal held him for the fall. 

12:20: Alex SZOKE (HUN), the silver medalist at 97kg from Oslo World Championships, gets the par terre advantage against Nicholas BOYKIN (USA) and then gets the turns to win 9-0 at 97kg.

12:00: Iran has not had the best of the tournaments so far but day two looks promising. At 67kg, Seyed SOHRABI (IRI) with a fall over Julian HORTA (COL).

11:45: Another U23 European champion Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) has a very different start. He wins 8-0 against Ashu BAZARD (IND) at 67kg.

11:30: Returning bronze medalist Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM) is up against U23 European champion Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO). A takedown and turn for Khachatryan. But Chkhikvadze stops in the middle of the second period to get exposure. After an exchange, Khachatryan led 6-5 and that will remain the final scoreline for this 72kg bout.

11:00: Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) will be a strong contender at 60kg in the coming years. A strong wrestler with some clean techniques and an understanding of the mat. He begins his U23 Worlds campaign with a technical superiority win over Olzhas SULTAN (KAZ).

10:30: Welcome to the second day of the U23 World Championships. It's a pleasant day here in Pontevedra with the sun out. Let the wrestlers shine!