Ivan Yarygin

Sadulaev and Snyder Seek Second Yarygin Crowns

By Eric Olanowski

KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 27) -- Russia, Turkey and the United States each have representatives competing in the final championship session at the 2018 Ivan Yarygin. Russia leads the way with five finalists, followed by the United States with two and Turkey with one.  

The finals will feature a pair of Olympic champions in Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS) and Kyle SNYDER (USA) who are looking to win their second Yarygin titles. Sadulaev’s last Yarygin title came in 2014 and Synder’s came last season. If Synder wins tonight, he’d become the second American to ever win back-to-back Yarygin titles. 

Also included in tonight’s finals will be 2017 world silver medalist, Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) and 2017 Grand Prix of Paris champion, David TAYLOR III (USA).

Heading into the final two women’s wrestling weight categories, China and Japan are tied with three gold medals apiece. The Chinese have an opportunity to take the gold medal lead as they have two wrestlers competing in tonight's finals. The remaining two representatives in the final championships session hail from Japan and Russia.

FINAL MATCH-UPS
74kg
GOLD - Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) vs. Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS)
BRONZE – Dovletmyrat ORAZGYLYJOV (TKM) vs. Mandakhnaran GANZORIG (MGL)
BRONZE - Muhammet DEMIR (TUR) vs. Kakhaber KHUBEZHTY (RUS)

86kg
GOLD - David TAYLOR III (USA) vs. Fatih ERDIN (TUR)
BRONZE – Zaur BERADZE (GEO) vs. Vladislav VALIEV (RUS)
BRONZE - Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB) vs. Artur NAIFONOV (RUS)

92kg
GOLD - Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) vs. Anzor URISHEV (RUS)
BRONZE – Serda BOKE (TUR) vs. Yury BELONOVSKIY (RUS)
BRONZE - Turtogtokh LUVSANDORJ (MGL) vs. Nicholas HEFLIN (USA)

97kg
GOLD - Rasul MAGOMEDOV (RUS) vs. Kyle SNYDER (USA)
BRONZE – Yunus DEDE (TUR) vs. Vladislav BAITCAEV (RUS)
BRONZE - Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) vs. Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL)

Women’s wrestling

72kg

GOLD - Juan WANG (CHN) vs. Masako FURUICHI (JPN)
BRONZE – Tatiana KOLESNIKOVA MOROZOVA (RUS) vs. Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL)
BRONZE - Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) vs. Alena PEREPELKINA (RUS)

76kg
GOLD - Qian ZHOU (CHN) vs. Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS)
BRONZE – Viktoriia FROLOVA (RUS) vs. Paliha PALIHA (CHN)
BRONZE - Epp MAE (EST) vs. Anzhela KATAEVA (RUS)

THIS IS THE START OF THE DAY THREE LIVE NOTEBOOK

The final day of wrestling at the 2018 Ivan Yarygin kicks off at 11:00am. Here is where you can WATCH the four men's freestyle and two women's wrestling categories that are in action today. 

Here is everything that you may have missed from DAY TWO of the #Yarygin2018.

LIVE UPDATES 

10:59 AM - ONE MINUTE UNTIL GO TIME! 

11:09 AM - The final day of wrestling is offically underway at the 2018 Ivan Yarygin. 

11:29 AM  - Qualification matches are being wrestled on Mats A and B. 

11:49 AM - WW 72kg QUARTERFINAL -  Alena PEREPELKINA (RUS) picks up a fall over Nomin Erdene PURVEE (MGL) after being down 12-4! 

12:02 AM -WW 72kg QUARTERFINAL -  Masako FURUICHI (JPN) df. Tatiana KOLESNIKOVA MOROZOVA (RUS), 6-0 to make the Yarygin semifinals. 

12:15 AM - The crowd erupts as PUREVJAV Unurbandat (MGL) throws T. STEFANIK (USA) and picks up the fall in the FS 86kg QUALIFICATION round. 

12:48 PM - K. SNYDER (USA) is wrestling on Mat C. 

12:54 PM - Olympic champions finish back-to-back matches with 10-0 victories. 

1:26 PM - V. VALIEV (RUS), 2017 world bronze medalist is up on Mat A. 

1:44 PM - D. TAYLOR (USA) uses two takedowns to defeat Olympic silver medalist, S. YASAR (TUR), 4-0. 

1:50 PM:  A. NAIFONOV (RUS) hangs on and defeats D. KURUGLIEV (RUS), 3-2 to make the 86kg semifinals. 

1:51 PM:  Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS), 2017 world silver medalist picks up the 13-2 victory.

1:55 PM: Kyle Snyder is wrestling over on Mat 6 where he has a 3-0 lead.

2:15 PM:  A. Sadulaev  (RUS) just picked up the 10-0 technical superiority victory over Nicholas HEFLIN (USA). 

2:18 PM - FS 97kg SEMIFINALS are starting over on Mat C. 

2:22 PM - R. MAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. B. ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL), 12-1 to make the finals at 97kg. 

2:35 PM: FS 97kg FINAL:  R. MAGOMEDOV (RUS) v. K. SNYDER (USA).

#WrestleIstanbul

Stars to follow in Women's Wrestling at World Qualifier

By Vinay Siwach

ISTANBUL, Türkiye (May 6) -- Mariya STADNIK (AZE) has endured quite a few heartbreaks in her 16-year-long career. The most recent was her fall against Oksana LIVACH (UKR) in the final five seconds of the match. A win would have confirmed a fifth trip to the Olympics for her.

The four-time Olympic medalist will now be in Istanbul for the World OG Qualifier -- the last chance -- in a bid to earn a Paris 2024 quota. It will also put her one step closer to winning an unprecedented fifth Olympic medal, a feat no one has achieved in wrestling.

But Stadnik isn't the only one with so much to fight for in Istanbul.

Two-time European champion Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR) was also seconds away from earning a spot for Paris when Tokyo silver medalist Iryna KURACHKINA (AIN) scored a takedown to beat her. Hrushyna missed the Tokyo flight after suffering an injury two months before the Games.

Now, she will be in Istanbul along with Tokyo bronze medalist Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) who is not yet qualified at 57kg. Both will compete for the three spots available along with other top wrestlers like Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE), Giullia PENALBER (BRA), Aurora RUSSO (ITA), Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL), Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU), Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (AIN) and Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR).

In each Olympic weight class, the winner of the semifinals will earn a berth for the Paris Games for their respective countries. The third spot will be earned by the winner of the playoff between the two bronze medalists of the weight class.

This provides an extra opportunity to the wrestler who lost to the two best wrestlers of their respective weight classes. The repechage, bronze-medal bouts and the playoff will be held the next day.

China, which managed three quotas at the Asian OG Qualifier, will be hoping to claim all six spots for Paris as Jia LONG (CHN) and Feng ZHOU (CHN) compete in the 62kg and 68kg respectively.

Ziqi FENG (CHN), Qianyu PANG (CHN), Kexin HONG (CHN) and Juan WANG (CHN) clinched the 50kg, 53kg, 57kg and 76kg spots with the last three coming at the Asian OG Qualifier in Bishkek last month.

For Long, who was in Tokyo, the field at 62kg will be strong. Veranika IVANOVA (AIN), Lais NUNES (BRA), MANSI (IND), Mariana CHERDIVARA (MDA), Kriszta INCZE (ROU) and Nesrin BAS (TUR) are a few wrestlers who can trouble Long.

Bas is an interesting choice by Turkiye as she regularly competes in the 72kg weight class. She was a U23 world champion in the same. But with the 68kg qualification by world champion Buse TOSUN (TUR) and 76kg by European champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR), Bas decided to move down.

At 68kg, Feng will have to raise her game if she wants to represent China in Paris. The weight has 23 wrestlers including the likes of Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL), Linda MORAIS (CAN), Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE), NISHA (IND) and Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU).

Hristova would be doubly motivated to win a quota in Istanbul after she missed it in Baku. Leading 8-0 against Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR) in the quarterfinal, she got put on the mat by Skobelska and the Ukrainian secured a fall, leaving Hristova heartbroken.

A few European stars have not managed to earn a Paris spot at 53kg. Two-time Olympian Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) will be a strong contender to claim one of the three spots at 53kg.

Annika WENDLE (GER), Sztalvira ORSOS (HUN), Zeynep YETGIL (TUR), Mariia VYNNYK (UKR), Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) and Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) will be fighting it out for the quotas as well.

Karla GODINEZ (CAN), the favorite at the Pan-Am OG Qualifier, suffered a loss and failed to qualify Canada. But she will be in Istanbul to earn that spot and join her sister Ana who qualified at 62kg. Khulan BATKHUYAG (MGL) will be a strong contender as well.

Among the big names at 76kg, Martina KUENZ (AUT), Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (AIN), Yuliana YANEVA (BUL), Samar HAMZA (EGY), Epp MAE (EST), Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) and Anastasiia SHUSTOVA (UKR) are taking the trip to Istanbul.

Despite all the stars assembling in Istanbul, Stadnik will be the center of attraction. How does a 36-year-old bounce back from her first-ever loss in Europe? Is she still good enough to compete against some of the best in the world? Is she a medal threat for Paris 2024?

A win in Istanbul will answer those questions.