#WrestleIstanbul

Spencer Lee one step closer to Olympic dream

Friday, May 3, 2024 - 12:37 By Vinay Siwach

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ISTANBUL, Turkiye (May 3) -- The world will finally see the return of Spencer LEE (USA) on a big stage. The one-time phenom is coming to Istanbul in a bid to qualify the United States for the Paris Olympics at 57kg.

Lee is a former U17 and U20 world champion and was primed to be the next superstar from the U.S. However, he could never get going at the international stage and only participated in an international tournament in 2024, eight years after his U20 world title. At the Pan-Am Championships this year, Lee won the gold medal at 57kg.

Despite his three NCAA titles and a college record a few can dream of, Lee hasn't returned to the international scene partly due to injuries and partly due to his college commitments. After two surgeries, battles with health, a heartbreaking loss in NCAAs, a long return and wins over former Iowa teammate Thomas GILMAN (USA) at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Lee is finally here.

"I’ve had such a tough time trying to stay healthy and trying to compete to the best of my ability,” Lee said after winning the trials. "I’m still not healthy but I’m healthy enough to wrestle hard against really, really good opponent.”

That's what he will have to do in Istanbul. In the 57kg bracket, Lee will be unseeded and can be drawn against any of the big names in the first round. Tokyo Olympian Georgi VANGELOV (BUL), former U23 world champion AMAN (IND), world silver medalist Alireza SARLAK (IRI) and local star Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR) are a few names he will have to keep an eye on.

The field also includes world bronze medalists Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL) and Horst LEHR (GER) along with former European champion Vladimir EGOROV (MGL), Asian Games silver medalist Chong Song HAN (PRK) and Andrii YATSENKO (UKR).

If his opponents need a form check, Lee won four bouts at the trials, outscoring his opponents 35-11 with wins over Tokyo bronze medalist Gilman and Zane RICHARDS (USA). And his attacks are solid as ever as Gilman found out in the best-of-three series.

Three wrestlers in each Olympic weight class will receive Paris 2024 quotas in Istanbul, two being the winners of the semifinals and the third will be decided with a playoff between the two bronze medal winners. Lee would hope to secure it as the winner of the semifinal and avoid going, if fortunate, through repechage.

Apart from qualifying the U.S. in Istanbul, there is extra motivation for Lee to win in Istanbul. Lee's mother, Carry, is from France where she met Lee's father, Larry, both judokas. And, he can become the first Olympic champion for the U.S. in the lowest weight class since 2008.

Lee is aware that the road to Paris is still 'long and hard'. But the 25-year-old is ready.

"I have work to do."

#WrestleBucharest

Stadnik wins 10th European title; Adar makes golden return

Thursday, February 15, 2024 - 19:17 By Vinay Siwach

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BUCHAREST, Romania (February 15) -- A lot of focus before the European Championships this year was on Riza KAYAALP (TUR) going past Aleksandar KARELIN's record of 12 European gold medals. Understandable as those are the only two wrestlers with European titles in double digits.

But on Thursday, a woman joined the two legends with her 10th European gold medal -- Mariya STADNIK (AZE).

At the age of 35 years, Stadnik remains unbeaten in Europe winning the gold medal at 50kg at the European Championships in Bucharest, Romania.

The fact that she did that without conceding a point in three matches speaks volumes about her level even so later in her career which has spanned over 15 years now.

Mariya STADNIK (AZE)Mariya STADNIK (AZE) pins Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) in the 50kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Stadnik wrestled former European champion Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) in the final and never faced a real threat. Demirhan tried to hit a whizzer but Stadnik stopped her and scored two points. That made Demirhan cautious of attacking Stadnik and kept her distance. Stadnik led 3-0 at the break for a passivity point.

Demirhan tried pushing Stadnik out in the second period but the latter blocked her again and tripped her for a four-pointer. Turkiye challenged the call and won as the jury ruled it was only a stepout, making the score 4-0 in Stadnik's favor. But Stadnik did not take long to hit a four-pointer and secure the fall in four minutes and two seconds.

In her earlier bouts, Stadnik defeated Milana DADASHEVA (AIN) in two minutes and 12 second while Oksana LIVACH (UKR), the finalist last year, managed to hold Stadnik for six minutes but dropped her semifinal bout 6-0.

Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE)Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) celebrates after winning the 59kg gold medal in Bucharest. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Azerbaijan won a second gold medal at 59kg as Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) defeated Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR) 3-3 in the final. With that, Kolesnik won her first career championship title ever.

Kolesnik led Filipovych 1-1 on criteria as both wrestlers were given activity time and both failed to score. As soon as her activity time ended, Filipovych hit a single-leg attack and scored a takedown with a minute and 26 seconds remaining in the match.

But still time left in the bout Kolesnik hooked Filipovych's leg using her own and tried coming on top. The referee did not confirm any control but did caution the Ukrainian athlete for blocking. Azerbaijan challenged asking for a takedown and it was confirmed by the jury, giving Kolesnik a 3-3 criteria lead and 24 seconds to defend.

She would go on to defend her lead and win the gold medal, becoming the second woman wrestler from Azerbaijan to win the senior European title.

The defending champion at 59kg and the favorite to repeat Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) pulled out of the competition after suffering an injury in her quarterfinal against Tamara DOLLAK (HUN). Nichita was reported to have broken ribs.

Yasemin ADAR (TUR)Yasemin ADAR (TUR) won her seventh European title on Thursday. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Yasemin ADAR (TUR) became the second most successful woman wrestler in Europe after she won her seventh gold medal, only behind Stadnik's 10. She won her first title in 2016 and has since won in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023. She also has a silver medal from 2020.

Wrestling in the final against Anastasiia SHUSTOVA (UKR), Adar did not contact much in the first period, giving Shustova a passivity point and a 1-0 lead at the break. But she shifted gears in the second period, hitting a double-leg for a takedown and a turn to lead 4-1 while Shustova was on the activity clock. As the clock expired, Adar led 5-1.

As Shustova attempted a desperate low single, Adar got around and threw her for a four which Ukraine challenged. Shustova seemed to have control on Adar and Ukraine asked that its wrestler should get the four. It lost the challenge and Adar led 10-1. Adar would finish the final with a takedown and a 12-1 score with a minute remaining.

Buse TOSUN (TUR)World champion Buse TOSUN (TUR) won her first European title. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

World champion Buse TOSUN (TUR) gave Turkiye a second gold medal, winning her first European title after she won the 68kg gold medal against Tetiana SOVA RIZHKO (UKR).

Tosun won silver medals in the last two editions of the European Championships but managed to cross the final hurdle, five months after becoming a world champion at 68kg.

After a minute of little action, Tosun hit trip on Sova and got while Sova rolled over Tosun to get two points for herself, making the score 4-2 in Tosun's favor. Sova was called passive in the second period which awarded Tosun another point to make it 5-2.

Andreea ANA (ROU)Andreea ANA (ROU) won her third straight European title and first at home. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Andreea ANA (ROU) defended her 55kg gold medal dominantly in front of her home crowd to give Romania a gold medal at this European Championships. This was Ana's third consecutive European gold medal.

Wrestling Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) in the final, Ana built a 4-0 lead. She hit a counter in the second period and got a takedown which Moldova challenged but lost making it 7-0 for Ana. She would hit a snap takedown and a counter to finish the bout 11-0 with 22 seconds remaining on the clock.

 

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RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Mariya STADNIK (AZE) df. Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR), via fall (10-0)

BRONZE: Milana DADASHEVA (AIN) df. Oksana LIVACH (UKR), 17-15
BRONZE: Miglena SELISHKA (BUL) df. Ana PIRVU (ROU), 10-0

55kg
GOLD: Andreea ANA (ROU) df. Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA), 11-0

BRONZE: Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER) df. Mariia VYNNYK (UKR), via fall (8-11)
BRONZE: Roksana ZASINA (POL) df. Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN), 7-3

59kg
GOLD: Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) vs. Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR), 3-3

BRONZE: Alesia HETMANAVA (AIN) df. Anastasia NICHITA (MDA), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Patrycja GIL (POL) df. Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU), via fall (7-2)

68kg
GOLD: Buse TOSUN (TUR) df. Tetiana SOVA RIZHKO (UKR), 5-2

BRONZE: Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) df. Danute DOMIKAITYTE (LTU), via fall
BRONZE: Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) df. Khanum VELIEVA (AIN), via fall (8-8)

76kg
GOLD: Yasemin ADAR (TUR) df. Anastasiia SHUSTOVA (UKR), 12-1

BRONZE: Bernadett NAGY (HUN) df. Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA), 8-3
BRONZE: Enrica RINALDI (ITA) df. Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU), 5-2