#NFRoundup

UPDATED: NF Roundup Blog, March 9 - March 14

Tuesday, March 9, 2021 - 14:11 By United World Wrestling Press

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The Russian National Freestyle Championships are underway in Ulan-Ude and the first three gold medals were claimed on Friday night. Dagestani wrestlers  Zavur UGUEV and Magomed KURBANOV claimed 57kg and 92kg golds, respectively, while Alania's Artur NAIFONOV won gold at 86kg.

Day Two Finals Results

57kg: Zavur UGUEV df. Nachyn MONGUSH, 9-5
86kg: Artur NAIFONOV df. Dauren KURUGLIEV, 1-1  ⠀
92kg: Magomed KURBANOV df. Anzor URISHEV, via forfeit

Day Two Semifinal Results

70kg
GOLD: Israil KASUMOV vs. Evgeny ZHERBAEV 
SEMIFINAL: Israil KASUMOV df. Abdula AKHMEDOV, 10-0
SEMIFINAL: Evgeny ZHERBAEV df. Chermen VALIEV, 13-4

74 kg
GOLD: Zaurbek SIDAKOV vs. Razambek ZHAMALOV
SEMIFINAL: Zaurbek SIDAKOV df. Timur BIZHOEV, 5-3
SEMIFINAL: Razambek ZHAMALOV df. Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV, 2-1 

125 kg
GOLD: Atsamaz TEBLOYEV vs. Sergey KOZYEV 
SEMIFINAL: Atsamaz TEBLOYEV  df. Baldan TSYZHIPOV, via injury default
SEMIFINAL: Sergey KOZYEV df. Zelimkhan KHIZRIEV, 5-1 ⠀

Follow all the action from the Russian National Freestyle Championships on www.wrestrus.ru.

Yazdani and Atri Book Tickets to Tokyo Olympic Games

Rio Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) defeated Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) to win Iran's 86kg team trial for Tokyo Olympic Games.

Yazdani earned his first point from an inactivity on behalf of Ghasempour, then ended the first period with a 3-0 lead after a successful takedown.

In the second period, Ghasempour responded with two points of his own. He scored a single-leg takedown but it wasn’t enough for the two-time U23 world champion as Yazdani earned another takedown and won the match, 5-2.

The then-22-year-old achieved gold at the Rio Olympics and will now be looking to become Iran's first-ever two-time Olympic champion.

“We are both from a town (Jouybar) and even train at the same club. We know each other very well and it makes the match even more difficult,” said Yazdani after his win over Ghasempour. The Olympic champ added, “In such a close match, the winner will be the wrestler who has makes fewer mistakes and is more ready. I hope the most deserving wrestler is the one who'll compete at Tokyo Olympic Games.”

“Because of the COVID crisis, we were in full quarantine and weren't allowed to leave the national team's training camp. The situation has tough, but that's what we have to do for out Olympics preparations.”

In the second Olympic trails match, '19 Asian champion Reza ATRI (IRI) met '19 cadet world champion Rahman AMOUZAD KHALILI (IRI) for the 57kg spot.

The 18-years-old Khalili opened the match with a single leg takedown and led 2-0. In the second period, he extended his lead to 4-2, but Atri's experienc showed up in the last :30 seconds as he scored four points -- stealing the match, 6-4. 

Iran has earned six combined Olympic spots in both Freestyle and Greco-Roman. In freestyle, Iran earned three Olympic berths at the '19 World Championships at 57kg, 86kg and 125kg, while the Greco-Roman team has qualified 60kg, 77kg and 130kg for the Olympics.

The focus for Iran turns to the Olympic Qualification events, as they'll look to qualify the remaining six weights. 

#WrestleBucharest

Nine return to defend European titles in Women's Wrestling

Monday, February 5, 2024 - 10:52 By Vinay Siwach

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BUCHAREST, Romania (February 5) -- Nine out of the ten Women's Wrestling European champions will return to the European Championships, hoping to defend their gold medals in Bucharest next week. The one not coming, Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR) is yet to recover from an injury which also kept her out of the World Championships.

Two of them, Andreea ANA (ROU) and Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU), will be the most keen on repeating as European champions. In Zagreb last year, they gave the double gold to Romania but next week, wrestling at home will give them extra motivation to repeat.

Ana and Anghel will be in the non-Olympic weight classes 55kg and 72kg respectively. Ana is a two-time European champion and will be the favorite in Bucharest. If any, former age-group European champion Ekaterina VERBINA (AIN) can trouble Ana as she returns to competition. Ukraine is sending Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) while Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA), Roksana ZASINA (POL) and Tuba DEMIR (TUR) are also in the field.

Anghel, who defeated 68kg world champion Buse TOSUN (TUR) to win the gold medal at 72kg last year, can have a tougher time this year. 68kg European champion Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) is moving to 72kg after losing her place to Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) at 68kg. Kendra DACHER (FRA), age-group world medalist Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL), U23 world champion Nesrin BAS (TUR) and Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) are also in this weight class.

Yasemin ADAR (TUR)Yasemin ADAR (TUR) is a six-time European champion. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

2022 world champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR) is returning to the mat after one year, having skipped all competitions after the 2023 Euros. She will, despite her time off, be the favorite to win the 76kg gold medal. Adar is chasing her seventh European title after six golds and a silver medal.

Former European champion Epp MAE (EST) will be her biggest threat as she also looks to return after a medalless World Championships. Mae recently trained in Japan with world champion Yuka KAGAMI (JPN). Anastasiia OSNIACH SHUSTOVA (UKR) will also hope to make the final.

Turkiye's world champion in 2023, Tosun will be at 68kg. She had a disastrous start to the year, losing her first-round bout at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series in January. Tosun will look to put that behind her and start afresh for the Bucharest tournament.

To avoid any disappointments, Tosun will have to navigate past world bronze medalist Koumba LARROQUE (FRA), Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), 65kg European champion Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) and former European champion Tetiana SOVA RIZHKO (UKR). Larroque won the European Championships gold medal in 2021 and will be keen on getting back on the top of the podium.

Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (AIN)Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (AIN) will look to win her first European title since 2020. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Two world silver medalists, Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (AIN) at 53kg and Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) at 59kg, will also be in action in Bucharest.  

Kaladzinskaya last wrestled at the European Championships in 2020 and won the gold medal. She will start as the favorite at 53kg despite the likes of Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) and Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) entered for the tournament.

Kaladzinskaya won the silver medal at the World Championships, dropping the final to Akari FUJINAMI (JPN). It was her first competition since winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Malmgren, the two-time defending champion, will have her task cut out this year. She lost to Kaladzinskaya at the World Championships but that loss can only be a lesson for the former U20 world champion.

Former Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE), Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (AIN), Sztalvira ORSUS (HUN), Iulia LEORDA (MDA) and Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR) can upset the field in Bucharest and finish on the podium.

Defending champion Nichita is the clear front-runner for the gold at 59kg. After finishing with a silver medal at the World Championships at 57kg, Nichita returned to competition in Zagreb but suffered a loss to Kexin HONG (CHN).

Nichita will be drawn at random into the bracket as she has no ranking at 59kg. The top seed will be Othelie HOIE (NOR), a returning European bronze medalist and world bronze medalist. Age-group world medalists Alesia HETMANAVA (AIN) and Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (AIN) can also finish on the podium.

Grace BULLEN (NOR)Grace BULLEN (NOR) and Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) put a thriller in the 62kg semifinal last year. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 62kg, world bronze medalist Grace BULLEN (NOR) will have a chance to win her first European gold medal since 2020. She was a silver medalist last after suffering a heartbreaking loss to Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) in the final. She will have a chance to win the gold medal this year. Koliadenko has moved to 65kg for this tournament and is replaced by veteran Yuliia TKACH (UKR) which will also be a big test for Bullen.

Tkach, the silver medalist at 59kg from last year, has moved to 62kg after world bronze medalist Koliadenko moved up to 65kg. Tkach has every trick up her sleeve to keep Bullen at bay. But the Norway wrestler has improved leaps and bounds in recent times and can be called the favorite for this event.

One wrestler who will be waiting keenly to meet Bullen on the mat is Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL). She suffered a 7-6 loss to Bullen in the semifinal last year and finished with a bronze medal. Dudova, a former world champion at 59kg, is still trying to find her feet at 62kg. The two can only meet in the final, thanks to being seeded one and two.

Former U20 world champion Alina KASABIEVA (AIN) will also like to finish on the podium.

Mariya STADNIK (AZE)Mariya STADNIK (AZE) became a nine-time European champion last year. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

At 50kg, Mariya STADNIK (AZE) will look to extend her record streak of 10 European titles [12 as she has two European Games gold as well]. Last year, Oksana LIVACH (UKR) gave Stadnik a scare in the final but the Azerbaijan wrestler controlled the second period to keep her energy and win the gold.

A year older at 35, Stadnik will once again be tested by the young wrestler who will be participating in Bucharest. Livach will look to avenge the loss from last year while Miglena SELISHKA (BUL) and Emilia VUC (ROU) will also have a chance to upset the wrestling legend.

The 57kg weight class will see a new European champion as Hrushyna has not entered for her title defense. Tokyo silver medalist Iryna KURACHKINA (AIN) will be the favorite along with returning silver medalist Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) and bronze medalist Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL). Veteran Veronika CHUMIKOVA (AIN) and U20 world champion Aurora RUSSO (ITA) and former world bronze medalist Anhelina LYSAK (POL) are also entered.

World bronze medalist and returning silver medalist Irina RINGACI (MDA) will be at 65kg, hoping to win the gold that she dropped against Hristova last year. Ringaci will be tested by Taybe YUSEIN (BUL), Kriszta INCZE (ROU) and world bronze medalist at 62kg Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR).