#WrestleNoviSad

Trio of Russians Make Day Three Finals

By Eric Olanowski

NOVI SAD, Serbia (March 5) – Russia, who trails Georgia by 38 points heading into the third day of wrestling, won all three of their semifinal matches on Tuesday night and inserted their fourth Greco-Roman wrestler into the U23 European finals. 

Alen MIRZOIAN (RUS), Magomed YARBILOV (RUS), and Vaag MARGARIAN (RUS) are the trio of Russians who locked up their spot in the Day 3 finals. The trio will have an opportunity on Wednesday night to match their teammate Islam OPIEV's Day 2 gold-medal performance.

Defending U23 European champion Alen Mirzoian defeated 2017 U23 European bronze medalist Artur POLITAIEV (UKR), 9-4, in the semifinals and will meet Serbia’s Sebastian NAD for the 67kg title. 

At 72kg, Magomed Yarbilov became Russia’s second Day 3 finalist after he won the battle between past junior world bronze medalists and beat Islambek DADOV (AZE), 3-0, in the semifinals.

Yarbilov will wrestle Georgia’s returning U23 European champion Ramaz ZOIDZE in the 72kg gold-medal bout. 

In his opening round matchup, Zoidze exacted revenge on Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR), the man who stole the U23 world title from him a season ago. Zoidze also defeated Hrant KALACHYAN (ARM) and Norway’s Juan AAK on his way to a second consecutive U23 European final.

Russia's third Day 3 finalist is defending U23 European champion Vaag Margarian. Margarian defeated Turkey’s Hasan YILDIRIM (TUR) in the 82kg semifinals and set up a finals date with Hungary’s Zotlan LEVAI. 

Returning champion Kerem KAMAL (TUR) will wrestle for his second consecutive U23 European title (Photo: Gabor Martin)

The pair of Day 3 gold-medal matches that won’t feature a Russian wrestler will take place at 60kg and 97kg. 

At 60kg, Turkey’s defending U23 European champion Kerem KAMAL (TUR) scored the impressive 9-0 win over Georgia’s Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI. Kamal will meet Romania’s Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) in the 60kg gold-medal match. 

At 97kg, Finland’s 2018 junior world champion and U23 European bronze medalist Arvi SAVOLAINEN scord the 4-0 shutout win over Turkey’s Ibrahim TIGCI in the semifinals and will take on Giorgi MELIA (GEO) in tomorrow’s gold-medal bout. 

The Day 3 finals begin on Wednesday at 18:00 (local time).

Results  
60kg
GOLD - Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) vs. Kerem KAMAL (TUR)
SEMIFINAL - Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) df. Zhora ABOVIAN (UKR), 2-0
SEMIFINAL - Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI (GEO), 9-0

67kg
GOLD - Sebastian NAD (SRB) vs. Alen MIRZOIAN (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Sebastian NAD (SRB) df. Alexandru SOLOMON (ROU),6-1
SEMIFINAL - Alen MIRZOIAN (RUS) df. Artur POLITAIEV (UKR), 9-4 

72kg
GOLD - Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) vs. Magomed YARBILOV (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) df. Juan AAK (NOR), 12-4 
SEMIFINAL - Magomed YARBILOV (RUS) df. Islambek DADOV (AZE), 3-0 

82kg 
GOLD - Zotlan LEVAI (HUN) vs. Vaag MARGARIAN (RUS)

SEMIFINAL - Vaag MARGARIAN (RUS) df. Hasan YILDIRIM (TUR), 3-1
SEMIFINAL - Zotlan LEVAI (HUN) df. Stanislau SHAFARENKA (BLR), 8-0 

97kg 
GOLD - Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) vs. Giorgi MELIA (GEO)
SEMIFINAL - Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) df. Ibrahim TIGCI (TUR), 4-0|
SEMIFINAL - Giorgi MELIA (GEO) df. Arif NIFTULLAYEV (AZE), 7-4

2026 U23 European Championships

Three Golds Power Belarus to First U23 Euro Women's Team Title

By Vinay Siwach

ZRENJANIN, Serbia (March 13) -- Three golds medals on Friday propelled Belarus to win its first-ever Women's Wrestling team title at the U23 European Championships. Belarus finished with 171 points to claim the top spot while Russia was second with 141 points. Ukraine finished third with 140 points.

After winning one gold medal on Thursday, Belarus added three through Aryna DZEMCHANKA MARTYNAVA (BLR), Kseniya TSIARENIA (BLR) and Viktoryia RADZKOVA (BLR). It also won one silver and one bronze while all 10 wrestlers contributed points to the team score.

European champion Alina SHAUCHUK (BLR) claimed the 68kg gold medal on Thursday and the gold rush on Friday began with Martynava scoring a tough win over Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR) in the 57kg final, a repeat from last year's edition.

In what turned out to be one-move match, Martynava scored a double-leg head-outside takedown in the first 10 seconds of the bout. She then sat on her two-point lead for five minutes and 50 seconds. In the second period, Martynava was called passive and Filipovych was given a point.

But the Ukrainian failed to score two more points that were needed for a win that would have avenged her loss from last year's final which Martynava won 8-2.

The Belarus wrestler now has two U23 European gold medals to go with her silver at the U23 World Championships and gold medal at the U20 World Championships.

The second gold for Belarus was won by Kseniya TSIARENIA (BLR) after she defeated Ekaterina KOSHKINA (RUS), 4-2, in the 65kg final. Tsiarenia controlled the match giving little chance to Koshkina to score.

It was only in the dying seconds of the match that Koshkina managed to score a harmless takedown for two points.

The third gold medal for Belarus was won by Viktoryia RADZKOVA (BLR) who denied Veronika VILK (CRO) a chance of winning a historical gold medal at 72kg. Radzkova opened the scoring when Vilk was called passive. Vilk then tried an arm-throw but Radzkova blocked her and scored two points to lead 3-0 at the break.

Vilk tried a headlock in the second period but Radzkova was ready for it and again blocked Vilk's attempt to score two points. A turn for exposure added two more points for Radzkova that extended her lead to 7-0.

Perhaps ready for another throw from Vilk, Radzkova stood up and when Vilk tried the throw, she once again blocked and landed on top. The two points plus two more points for the turn gave Radzkova an 11-0 win with a minute nine seconds left.

Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP) was also trying to achieve a historic gold for Spain but was denied as Anastasiia POLSKA (POL) used a fireman's carry to secure a fall in just a minute and 17 seconds and win gold at 53kg.

Senior world bronze medalist Amina TANDELOVA (RUS) claimed the 62kg gold medal after beating Ruzanna MAMMADOVA (AZE), 5-3, in the final.

Tandelova, who won silver at U23 Europeans in 2023, used a beautiful arm-throw to score the first four-pointer. The first point for Tandelova was from the activity period of Mammadova in which the Azerbaijan wrestler failed to score.

Mammadova scored a takedown and activity clock point to cut the lead but it was still not enough to overturn the result.

Photo

RESULTS

53kg
GOLD: Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR) df. Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP), via fall (4-0)

BRONZE: Sevval CAYIR (TUR) vs. Nargiz SAMADOVA (AZE)
BRONZE: Ekaterina KARPUSHKINA (RUS) df. Kseniya KOSTSENICH (BLR), via inj. def.

57kg
GOLD: Aryna DZEMCHANKA MARTYNAVA (BLR) df. Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR), 2-1

BRONZE: Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN) df. Amory ANDRICH (GER), 7-5
BRONZE: Felicitas DOMAJEVA (NOR) df. Romaissa EL KHARROUBI (FRA), 5-0

62kg
GOLD: Amina TANDELOVA (RUS) df. Ruzanna MAMMADOVA (AZE), 5-3

BRONZE: Iris THIEBAUX (FRA) df. Gulsum BINGOL (TUR), 4-0
BRONZE: Alicja WOJEWODZKA NOWOSAD (POL) df. Naemi LEISTNER (GER), 5-1

65kg
GOLD: Kseniya TSIARENIA (BLR) df. Ekaterina KOSHKINA (RUS), 4-2

BRONZE: Maria PANTIRU (ROU) df. Bianca CONTRAFATTO (ITA), via fall (8-0)
BRONZE: Oleksandra RYBAK (UKR) df. Saga SVENSSON (SWE), 11-1

72kg
GOLD: Viktoryia RADZKOVA (BLR) df. Veronika VILK (CRO), 11-0

BRONZE: Karolina JAWORSKA (POL) df. Daniela BRASNAROVA (BUL), 5-0
BRONZE: Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (RUS) df. Greta TVERSKYTE (LTU), 3-3