Weekly FIVE! April 23, 2018

Sunday, April 22, 2018 - 13:18 By Eric Olanowski

Reviewing next weeks European Championships, the Burroughs and Chamizo super match-up and Pan-American line-up release date.

1. Burroughs, Chamizo Match-Up Set for May 17
Last week, Beat the Streets New York announced that the colossal match-up between reigning superstar world champions Jordan BURROUGHS (USA), and Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) has been set for May 17 in New York City.

Burroughs, the 29-year-old offensive juggernaut is a five-time world medalist and the reigning world champion at 74kg. Since stepping on the international scene in 2011, the 2012 London Olympic champion has dominated the 74kg weight category, winning four gold medals at the World Championships.

Chamizo, the 25-year-old defensive wizard and reigning world champion at 70kg has since moved up to 74kg in preparation for the 2018 World Championships in Budapest, Hungry. Since moving up this season, Chamzio has produced 74kg gold medals at the International Ukrainian Tournament where he beat 2011 world silver medalist, Franklin GOMEZ (PUR) and the Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament where he bested reigning European Champion, Soener DEMIRTAS (TUR).

Two-time Olympic champion, Roman VLASOV (RUS). Photo by Tony Rotundo.

2. European Championships – Greco-Roman Begins Next Monday
Steered by the duo of Olympic champions in Roman VLASOV (RUS) and Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM), the Greco-Roman field at the European Championships is littered with Olympic medalists.

Rio finalist Riza KAYAALP (TUR), the three-time world champions from Turkey will be looking for his seventh European title. Other medalists from the Rio Game include bronze medalists Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR), Cenk ILDEM (TUR), Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE), Denis Maksymilian KUDLA (GER) and Sabah SHARIATI (AZE).

April 30 - 55kg, 63kg, 77kg, 87kg, and 130kg
May 1 - 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg, and 97kg

LINE-UPS: uww.io/Zm1A3

2017 world champion, Yasemin ADAR (TUR). Photo by Tony Rotundo.

3. European Championships – Women’s Wrestling Starts Next Wednesday
The women’s wrestling field is guided by returning world and European champions, Yasemin ADAR (TUR) and Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) and boasts entries from seven of the eight defending champions. Last year’s 60kg champion, Lyubov OVCHAROVA (RUS) is the singular 2017 titleholder who will not be competing next week in Dagestan, Russia.

Mariya STADNIK (AZE), the Olympic silver medalist and 2011 world champion will be looking for her seventh European championship. Stadnik hasn't suffered a defeat at the European championships during her time at the senior-level.

The four remaining defending champions are Anastasia BRATCHIKOVA (RUS), Grace BULLEN (NOR), Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) and Monika MICHALIK (POL).

May 2 - 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg, and 76kg
May 3 - 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 65kg, and 72kg

LINE-UPS: http://uww.io/jLeYc

Olympic champion, Taha AKGUEL (TUR). Photo by Tony Rotundo.

4. European Championships – Freestyle Actions Opens up Next Friday
Headed by the trio of Olympic gold medalists, Taha AKGUEL (TUR), Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS), freestyle features seven of the eight returning champions. Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) is the lone champion who does not return from the 2017 Novi Sad European Championships.

Other notable wrestlers that'll be competing in Dagestan are returning champions, Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS), Frank Chamizo, Soner Demirtas, Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE) and Riza YILDIRIM (TUR).

In addition to the returning champions, Azerbaijan's three Olympic medalists in Haji ALIYEV (AZE), Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE), and Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) are expected to be in the hunt for a gold medal.

May 4 - 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg, and 97kg
May 5 - 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg, and 125kg

LINE-UPS: uww.io/b3kNR

Three-time world and Olympic champion, Kyle SNYDER (USA). Photo by Tony Rotundo.
5. Pan-American Championship Rosters to be Released Tuesday
The Pan-American championships preliminary line-ups which feature the threesome of Olympic champions in Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB), Jordan Burroughs and Kyle SNYDER (USA) will be released on Tuesday, April 24.

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media
1. 2018 European C'ships - Official Teaser #kaspeuro2018 @wrestrus_ru @wrestrus.ru @dagestan.wrestling @wrestdag_rd @wrestling.dagestan

2. 7 Days To Go #kaspeuro2018
@sadulaev_abdulrashid @sadulaev_86 @wrestling.dagestan @dagestan.wrestling @wrestdag_rd @wrestrus.ru @wrestrus_ru
#dagestan #russia #freestyle #wrestler #olympic #champion #wrestling

3. @alliseeisgold and @frankchamizo92 set to headline @beatthestreets on May 17.

4. When you love wrestling too much?
TAP WITH WHO YOU WANNA TRY IT
Когда ты сильно любишь борьбу?
ОТМЕТЬ ТОГО С КЕМ ХОТЕЛ БЫ ПОВТОРИТЬ
Video by @kazwrestlingonline @amonya65

5. ?“Endure the hardships
When you succeed
Have a fantastic story to define
سختی ها رو تحمل کن
وقتی به موفقیت رسیدی
یه داستان فوق العاده برا تعریف داری
#greco_roman #77 #wrestling #Tokyo2020” @aligaraii ?

#WrestleParis

Paris 2024: Lopez confident in his quest for fifth Olympic gold

Sunday, July 21, 2024 - 06:14 By United World Wrestling Press

PARIS (July 21) -- In the history of the Olympic Games, only one athlete has won the gold medals five consecutive times: Ireen Wüst. At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, the Dutch speed skater completed the milestone and etched her name into the history books when she won the 1,500m race.

No Summer Olympian has ever won gold medals in the same individual event five consecutive times. No wrestler has ever won five gold medals. All that could change in Paris. And the man sniffing at the record is Mijain LOPEZ (CUB).

The man they fondly call ‘Gigante de Herradura’ and ‘El Terrible’ currently holds the record of winning the same individual Olympic event four times along with swim legend Michael Phelps, track hero Carl Lewis, the American discus throw hero Al Oerter, the sailor from Denmark Paul Elvstrom and Kaori ICHO (JPN) who, like Lopez, has four gold medals.

Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) winning the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Born on August 20, 1982, the super heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestler made his first appearance at the Olympics in 2004. He was accompanied in the contingent by his elder brother Michel, a boxer (his other older sibling, Misael, was a rower). Michel won a bronze medal in the super-heavyweight division in Athens, a medal that continued Cuba’s historic dominance in boxing.

Lopez observed everything quietly at his maiden Games and when he returned to the biggest stage of all, in Beijing four years later, he would take the field by storm. The 6-foot-5-inch tall wrestler won a gold and repeated that feat in 2012, then in 2016 and the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

“I feel like it is a dream,” Lopez said. “I believe that it's a goal that I have had throughout my career. I have won four gold medals. I believe winning an Olympic gold medal is hard. So winning four and five is exceptional.”

Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) defends his gold medal at 2012 London Olympic Games (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

His stranglehold in the super heavyweight division at the Olympics has played side-by-side with his dominance at the World Championships – where he has five titles and three silver medals – and the nine Pan American Championships crowns that are to his name.

Lopez last competed at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. After beating Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) in the gold medal bout on superiority, he stayed away from the mat before resurfacing last year to renew his bid for a fifth Olympic gold.

In May 2023, he announced his intention to come back but didn’t straightaway dive into competition mode although he would have been the favorite to defend his Pan American Games title.

Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) won his third gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

But due to a personal loss in the weeks leading up to the Pan-Am Games, Lopez opted out of the competition and chose to prepare himself for the bigger battle. He watched from the sidelines as for the first time since 2003, a new face stood on the top of the podium at the Pan-Am Games.

All the while, Lopez had been training with single-minded focus at his bases in Varadero, the scenic beach resort roughly 150 km from Havana, and the Pelado High-Performance Centre in Havana.

In Paris, he might have to fight two battles simultaneously. The first against his aging body — he is 41 years old at the moment. And once he manages that, the Cuban will have to navigate through a tough field, especially since he isn’t among the seeded wrestlers in the 130kg category.

Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) won his fourth gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

Lopez has sounded unfazed. If anything, he is itching to better the record of one of his favorite athletes, someone he has called the greatest Olympian of all time – Phelps.

“The preparation is done. I feel in optimal condition and all wrestlers are motivated both in Cuba and internationally. It has been a very important time for me to keep the motivation to get to my sixth Olympic Games and fight for my fifth medal,” he said. “Something I am doing with great focus to be able to show the world that everything you have in mind, and want to achieve, can be achieved. I know it's in my mind, and I believe the possibility of achieving that result is high.”

Lopez wrestles in Paris on August 5 and 6.

Weekly FIVE! April 23, 2018

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Paris 2024: Lopez confident in his quest for fifth Olympic gold