#WrestleBucharest

Two-Time Olympic Champ Vlasov Leads Three Russians Into Day Six Finals

By Eric Olanowski

BUCHAREST, Romania (April 11) – The Russian Federation’s Greco-Roman train is on track to defend their European team title from last year after opening up the Greco-Roman share of the competition by inserting three wrestlers into the Day 6 finals. 

The loaded five-man day-five squad featured reigning world champions Stepan MARYANYAN and Sergey SEMENOV, two-Olympic champions Davit CHAKVETADZE and Roman VLASOV, and U23 world runner-up Vitalii KABALOEV. 

Stepan MARYANYAN (RUS) will wrestle for his first European title since 2015. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

Both reigning world champions Maryanyan and Semenov were undefeated on the day heading into the semifinals, but only Maryanyan came out on top of his semifinals match and will wrestle for gold on Saturday night.

Maryanyan, the reigning world champion at 67kg, picked up shutout wins over Michal Jacek TRACZ (POL) and Justas PETRAVICIUS (LTU), then scored an 11-3 win over last year’s European eighth-place finisher, Levani KAVJARADZE (GEO) to lock up his spot in tomorrow’s finals. 

Maryanyan, who will be looking for his first continental top finishes since 2015, will wrestle Rio Olympic bronze medalist Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR) in the 67kg finals match. 

Berge grabbed a 5-2 win in the semifinals over Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE) and will wrestle in his second consecutive European title match. He fell short in last year’s finals to Mihai MIHUT (ROU). 

Russia’s second reigning world champion who was looking to make the finals was Sergey Semenov. Semenov fell to Georgia’s Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO), 3-2, in the semifinals, ending his run to a continental title. 

The Georgian big man will see eight-time European champion Riza KAYAALP (TUR) in the finals. In Kayaalp’s semifinals match, he avenged his opening round world championship loss to Heiki NABI (EST), 4-0. If the Turkish superstar is able to win tomorrow night, he’ll surpass Kamza YERLIKAYA (TUR) Turkish record of eight European titles. 

Meanwhile, the story was the same for the Russian Olympic champions as one came out on top and one fell short of his goal of winning a European title. 

London and Rio Olympic gold-medal winner Roman Vlasov scored four wins on Friday and made it to the 77kg finals. But, Rio Olympic champion Davit Chakvetadze wasn’t so lucky and dropped a one-point match to Azerbaijan’s Islam ABBASOV in the quarterfinals. Abbasov ended up making it to the finals where he’ll square off against Ukraine’s Rio runner-up Zhan BELENIUK. 

Vlasov, the defending 77kg European champion, completed his run to the finals with wins over tenth-ranked Bozo STARCEVIC (CRO), Ukraine’s Mykola DARAGAN, 2017 world champion Viktor NEMES (SRB), and U23 world bronze medalist Fatih CENGIZ (TUR). 

Vlasov will wrestle Germany’s Roland SCHWARZ in tomorrow night’s gold-medal match. Schwarz barreled past Bulgaria’s Daniel ALEKSANDROV, 10-2, to make the finals. 

Vitalii KABALOEV was one of three Russian's who made the Day 6 finals. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

The final Russian who was in action on Day 5 was Vitalii Kabaloev. In his European debut, the U23 world runner-up scored perhaps one of the most shocking upsets of the tournament, knocking off defending world champion Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE), 7-5. 

Kabaloev will go toe-to-toe with Romania’s Florin TITA (ROU), who used the home crowd to help push him to the 5-4 victory over Anders ROENNINGEN (NOR). 

The Day 6 finals behind at 18:00 local time, and can be followed on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS 
55kg
GOLD - Vitalii KABALOEV (RUS) vs. Florin TITA (ROU)
SEMIFINAL - Vitalii KABALOEV (RUS) df. Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE), 7-5 
SEMIFINAL - Florin TITA (ROU) df. Anders ROENNINGEN (NOR), 5-4 

63kg
GOLD - Stepan MARYANYAN (RUS) vs. Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR)
SEMIFINAL - Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR) df. Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE), 4-2 
SEMIFINAL - Stepan MARYANYAN (RUS) df. Levani KAVJARADZE (GEO), 11-3 

77kg
GOLD - Roman VLASOV (RUS) vs Roland SCHWARZ (GER) 
SEMIFINAL - Roland SCHWARZ (GER) df. Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL), 10-2 
SEMIFINAL - Roman VLASOV (RUS) df. Fatih CENGIZ (TUR), 3-1 

87kg
GOLD - Islam ABBASOV (AZE) vs. Zhan BELENIUK (UKR)
SEMIFINAL - Islam ABBASOV (AZE) df. Mikalai STADUB (BLR), 4-0 
SEMIFINAL - Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) df. Eividas STANKEVICIUS (LTU), 5-1 

130kg 
GOLD - Riza KAYAALP (TUR) vs. Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO)
SEMIFINAL - Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Heiki NABI (EST), 4-0 
SEMIFINAL - Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) df. Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) 3-2

#WrestleBucharest

European Championships WW 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 65kg, 72kg semis set

By United World Wrestling Press

BUCHAREST, Romania (February 15) -- The fourth day of the European Championships will be all about women's wrestling as five weight classes will be in action -- 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 65kg and 72kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 3 REPORT

Semifinals for the evening session

53kg
Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (AIN) vs. Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE)
Sztalvira ORSUS (HUN) vs. Jonna MALMGREN (SWE)

57kg
Anhelina LYSAK (POL) vs. Iryna KURACHKINA (AIN)
Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) vs. Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL)

62kg
Grace BULLEN (NOR) vs. Veranika IVANOVA (AIN)
Luisa NIEMESCH (GER) vs. Johanna LINDBORG (SWE)

65kg
Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU) vs. Irina RINGACI (MDA)
Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) vs. Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)

72kg
Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) vs. Nesrin BAS (TUR)
Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU) vs. Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR)

12:50: Never a disappointing moment when these two wrestle! Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) gets Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) in the quarterfinals at 53kg. Yetgil takes a 4-2 lead but Malmgren thunders back and pins Yetgil.

12:35: Irina RINGACI (MDA) had only one match in the morning session and she won 10-0 against Dinara KUDAEVA (AIN). Ringaci is looking to make amends as she won a silver medal last year.

12:20: Johanna LINDBORG (SWE) scores late in the match to beat Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) 3-2 and advance to the semifinals at 62kg. What a huge win for Lindborg. She will take on Luisa NIEMESCH (GER)

12:10: Iryna KURACHKINA (AIN) with a fall over Russo. She had built an 8-0 lead before hitting a four and getting a fall. She will now take on Anhelina LYSAK (POL) at 57kg.

11:50: Grace BULLEN (NOR) led 4-0 at the break and then made it 14-5 before getting the fall over Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE). Bullen is a returning silver medalist after suffering a heartbreaking loss in the 62kg final last year

11:40: Anhelina LYSAK (POL) with a 26-second fall over Irina OLOGONOVA (AIN). Lysak is one of the favorites to win the 57kg gold medal. She will face the winner of Aurora RUSSO (ITA) and Iryna KURACHKINA (AIN)

11:35: Defending champion Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) with a fall at 53kg, dashing the hopes of local Elena IONESCU (ROU). Malmgren is looking to win his third straight European title.

11:25: Sztalvira ORSUS (HUN) was trailing Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) in their 53kg bout but she makes a comeback to beat Malanchuk 9-5.

11:20: What a match on Mat C! Olesia BEZUGLOVA (AIN) was leading 8-7 after she had scored a four-pointer on Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL). But the Polish wrestler hits a double-leg and lifts Bezuglova and gets two points with three seconds left. Choluj wins 9-8

11:15: The mat B has seen quick results! World and Olympic bronze medalist Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) with a 47-second fall against Elma ZEIDLERE (LAT). Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU), formerly wrestling for Ukraine, beats Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) 10-0

11:05: Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) takes out Erika BOGNAR (HUN) in the opening match at 57kg. Aliyeva is a returning silver medalist and looking to earn her first gold.

10:50: U20 world champion Aurora RUSSO (ITA) took her time but beat Anna MICHALCOVA (CZE) 5-1 and advanced at 57kg. She will face Tokyo silver medalist Iryna KURACHKINA (AIN) in the 1/8 finals.

10:30: Welcome to day four of the European Championships. Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) and Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU) will be looking to defend their titles at 53kg and 72kg. Zhala ALIYEV (AZE), Irina RINGACI (MDA), Grace BULLEN (NOR), Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) are wrestling as well.