Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! February 26, 2019

By Eric Olanowski

Discussing this week's Dan Kolov and Russia's 2019 Freestyle World Cup Rosters. Also reviewing results from the Hungarian and German Grand Prix' and the Cerro Pelado. 

1. Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Begins Thursday 

Four Olympic gold medalists and four world champions have entered this week’s Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov tournament, United World Wrestling’s second freestyle and women's wrestling Ranking Series event of the 2019 season.

Two-time defending world champion Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) and Olympic champions Taha AKGUL (TUR), Jordan BURROUGHS (USA), Kyle Frederick SNYDER (USA), and Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) have each signed up to compete in Ruse.

While on the women’s side defending world champions Petra OLLI (FIN), RONG Ningning (CHN), and Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL) are all scheduled to wrestle.

Winner of the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov will be awarded eight (8) points, with second, third and fifth place grabbing six (6), four (4), and two (2) points respectively.

In addition to the placement points, wrestlers will receive additional points based on the number of participants in their bracket. For weight categories with 10 or fewer entries, an additional six (6) points will be added. For categories with 11-20 wrestlers entered an additional eight (8) points will be added. Ten (10) points will be added to any weight category with more than 20 entries.

The two remaining freestyle and women's wrestling Rankings Series events are the Sassari (May 24), and the Yasar Dogu (July 12).

If you missed the first Ranking Series event, the Ivan Yariguin, click here to view the event hub. 

2. Lorincz Lifts Host Nation to Hungarian Grand Prix Title  

Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) picked up his second Ranking Series title of the year with a 6-0 shutout victory over Algeria's Ivan LIZATOVIC in the 87kg Hungarian Open finals, catapulting the host nation to the top of the leaderboard, five points above Iran, who led after the first nine weight classes.

In the finals, the Hungarian exposed his Algerian opponent twice with a pair of gut wrenches after the Lizatovic was dinged for passivity, and owned the 5-0 lead. A second period step out gave Lorincz the 6-0 advantage and his second Ranking Series gold of the season. The Hungarian also had a title-winning performance at the Zagreb Open two weeks ago. 

Lorincz is quietly building a case to be looked at as one of the most dominate Greco-Roman wrestlers in the world after the first two Ranking Series events. Lorincz has an undefeated 9-0 record this season and has scored six shutout victories while outscoring his opponents 45-8.

The host nation Hungary (91 points), who wasn’t even in the top-five after the opening day of wrestling, edged Iran (86 points) by five points to win the team title. Ukraine (83points), Turkey (68 points) and Korea (65 points) rounded out the top-five, respectively.

FINALS RESULTS
55kg - Ilkhom BAKHROMOV (UZB) df. Reza Kheirollah KHEDRI (IRI), 6-4
60kg - Seunghak KIM (KOR) df. Firuz TUKHTAEV (UZB), via inj. def. 
63kg - Shinobu OTA (JPN) df. Erbatu TUO (CHN), 6-0 
67kg - Hansu RYU (KOR) df. Ruslan KUDRYNETS (UKR), 8-1 
72kg - Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Sachino DAVITAIA (GEO), via inj. def. 
77kg - Viktor NEMES (SRB) df. Dmytro PYSHKOV (UKR), 2-1 
82kg - Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Rajbek BISULTANOV (DEN), 7-1
87kg - Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) df. Bachir SID AZARA (ALG), 6-0 
97kg - Tracy Gangelo HANCOCK (USA) df. Fatih BASKOY (TUR), 3-3 
130kg - Heiki NABI (EST) df. Georgi CHUGOSHVILI (BLR), 2-0 

Day One Wrap 
Day Two Wrap 

3. Russia Releases World Cup Roster 
World champions Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (70kg) and Zaurbek SIDAKOV (74kg) lead the Russian Federation’s 20-man roster for the 2019 Freestyle World Cup. 

The 2018 freestyle world champions will be without world champions Zaur UGUEV (57kg) and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (97kg), and two-time world runner-up RASHIDOV Gadshimurad (61kg),  but their lineup will feature 2018 third-place finishers Akhmed CHAKAEV (65kg) and Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (79kg). 

For Russia to earn top-billing in 2019, the home side will need to win a Group A side which includes a resurgent Cuban team, Japan, and Turkey. 

The United States heads up Group B but faces steep competition from a Georgia squad rife with former world and Olympic champions, including two-time defending heavyweight world champion Geno PETRIASHVILLI. A young Iranian team and ever-improving Mongolia squad fill out Group B. 

Group A - RUS (1), CUB (4), JPN (5), TUR (8)
Group B - USA (2), GEO (3), IRI (6), MGL (7)

The 2019 Freestyle World Cup beings on March 16 in Yakutsk, Russia, and will be live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org. 

Russia’s World Cup Roster
57kg - Muslim SADULAEV                   
57kg - Aryian TIUTRIN             
61kg - Eduard GRIGOREV                   
61kg - Magomedrasul IDRISOV                      
65kg - Akhmed CHAKAEV                   
65kg - Nachyn KUULAR                       
70kg - David BAEV                  
70kg - Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV    
74kg - Zaurbek SIDAKOV                    
74kg - Magomed KURBANALIEV         
79kg - Magomed RAMAZANOV          
79kg - Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV                      
86kg - Vladislav VALIEV                      
86kg - Dauren KURUGLIEV                  
92kg - Magomed KURBANOV             
92kg - Alikhan ZHABRAILOV               
97kg - Rasul MAGOMEDOV                
97kg - Igor OVSIANNIKOV                   
125kg - Anzor KHIZRIEV                      
125kg - Said GAMIDOV                       

4. Cuba Wins Six Cerro Pelado International Golds 
Cuban wrestlers won six of eight freestyle gold medals at last weekend’s Cerro Pelado in Havana, Cuba. United States’ Ben WHITFORD and Brandon SORENSEN won the 61kg and 70kg gold medals respectively and were the only two non-Cubans to win a gold medal.

Darthe CAPELLAN (CAN) was the only wrestlers not from Cuba or the United States to medal at the Cerro Pelado. He won a bronze medal at 57kg. 

RESULTS
57kg 
GOLD - Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB)
SILVER - Alexei ALVAREZ BLANCO (CUB)        
BRONZE - Frank PERELLI (USA) 

BRONZE - Darthe CAPELLAN (CAN)

61kg
GOLD – Ben WHITFORD (USA)            
SILVER - Cory CLARK (USA)

BRONZE - Aleynier HERNANDEZ GUILARTE (CUB)

65kg
GOLD - Alejandro VALDES TOBIER (CUB) 
SILVER – Evan HENDERSON (USA)
BRONZE – Dean HEIL (USA) 

Cristian SOLENZAL LOPEZ (CUB) 

70kg    
GOLD – Brandon SORENSEN (USA)    
SILVER Lavion MAYS  (USA)    
BRONZE - David CARR (USA) 
BRONZE Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB)

74kg    
GOLD - Geandry GARZON CABALLERO (CUB)
SILVER - Thomas GANTT (USA)           
BRONZE Joey LAVALLEE (USA)
BRONZE - Dan VALIMONT (USA)

79kg - No competition                                                           

86kg    
GOLD - Yurieski TORREBLANCE QUERALTA (CUB)      

SILVER - Kenneth COURTS (USA)        
BRONZE - Brett PFARR (USA) 
BRONZE - Lazaro HERNANDEZ LUIS (CUB)

92kg - No competition                                               

97kg    
GOLD - Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB)   
SILVER - Yongen BASTIDAS (CUB)
BRONZE - Kevyn GADSON (USA)

125kg  
GOLD -  Yudenny ALPAJON ESTEVES (CUB)

SILVER - Dominique BRADLEY (USA)
BRONZE - Lazaro SILVA (CUB)

BRONZE - Tanner HALL (USA)

5. Grand Prix of Germany Wraps Up in 
Five different nations won a women’s wrestling gold medal at the last weekend’s German Grand Prix, but Canada and the United State were the frontrunners with three gold medalists each. 

The host nation Germany had a pair of champions, while Nigeria and Russia each had a solo gold-medal winner.

The most notable championship performance came from Russia’s 2012 Olympic champion Natalya VOROBIEVA (RUS). Vorobieva, who made her return to the mat three weeks ago at the Henri Deglane Challenge, made only her second tournament appearance since her runner-up finish at the Rio Olympics. Vorobieva absence was due to the birth of her son shortly after the 2016 Olympic Games. 

In the finals, Vorobieva defeated Martina KUENZ (AUT) to win her first gold medal since the 2015 Golden Grand Prix. 

RESULTS
50kg 
GOLD - Whitney CONDER (USA)         
SILVER - Katharina BAUMGARTNER (GER)     
BRONZE - Victoria ANTHONY (USA)
BRONZE - Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA) 

53kg    
GOLD - Diana WEICKER (CAN)
SILVER - Sofia MATTSSON (SWE)        

BRONZE - Jessica BLASZKA (NED) 
BRONZE - Marina RUEDA FLORES (ESP) 

55kg
GOLD - Cameron GUERIN (USA)

SILVER - Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER)
BRONZE - Jeannie  KESSLER (AUT)

57kg    
GOLD - Adekuoroye ODUNAYO (NGR)           
SILVER - Anna Hella SZEL (HUN)         
BRONZE - Elena BRUGGER (GER)
BRONZE - Francesca INDELICATO (ITA) 

59kg    
GOLD - Andrea GRASRUECK (GER)
SILVER - Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ) 

BRONZE – Debora LAWNITZAK (GER)

62kg
GOLD - Luisa LIEMESCH (GER)

SILVER - Johanna MATTSSON (SWE)
BRONZE - Marwa AMRI (TUN) 
BRONZE - Mallory VELTE (USA) 

65kg
GOLD - Braxton STRONE-PAPADOPOULOS (CAN)
SILVER - Amanda HENDEY (USA)
BRONZE - Macey KILTY (USA)
BRONZE - JuliaSALATA (USA) 

68kg    
GOLD - Olivia DIBACCO (CAN)
SILVER - Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN)       
BRONZE - Anna SCHELL (GER)
BRONZE -Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)

72kg    
GOLD - Guilford, Dymond GUILFORD (USA)
SILVER - Sennett, Andrea Rose SENNETT (USA)         
BRONZE -Molnar, Zsuszanna  MOLNAR (SVK)

76kg    
GOLD - Natalya VOROBIEVA (RUS)
SILVER - Martina KUENZ (AUT)           
BRONZE - Francy RAEDELT (GER)

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media 

1. Big Move Monday -- Ibragim Ilyasov (RUS) -- 2018 U-23 Europe @ilyasov_57
2. RYU Hansu with a nasty front head! Team Korea took two titles on the weekend which was good enough for a 5th place team finish! #grecoromanwrestling #wrestling ? @martin_gabor__
3. Olympic champion KIM Hyeonwoo ?? gets an early win #hungariangp2019 .
4. Great early action on Day 1 at the #hungariangp2019 #unitedworldwrestling #wrestling#grecoromanwrestling
5. Happy @alliseeisgold Day (2/22)! Счастливого @alliseeisgold дня!

#WrestleBudapest

Big-throwing Machado claims debut Ranking Series gold

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 20) -- Thamires MACHADO (BRA) made brief headlines at the Pan-American Olympic Games Qualifiers in Mexico. She threw Amit ELOR (USA) for a lateral drop for four points. Machado had Elor in trouble which could have seen Elor, the champion in Paris Games, lose early. However, Machado fizzled out and lost her bout 6-4.

A year later on Saturday, the Brazilian won her first major gold medal at the Budapest Ranking Series after a stunning show of strength and big throws at the Ranking Series over the weekend.

"In every practice back home, I try to do the four-point moves. I want to throw," Machado said after receiving the gold medal.

In other weight classes, Grace BULLEN (NOR) had another epic match with Irina RINGACI (MDA) and won gold at 65kg and Kennedy BLADES (USA) won another Ranking Series gold to remain undefeated at 68kg going into the World Championships.

European champion Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) and Amina TANDELOVA (UWW) won at 55kg and 62kg respectively.

Machado, competing in her first-ever Ranking Series event, won the 76kg gold medal with wins over Asian champion Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) and world U20 champion PRIYA (IND) in semifinal and final, respectively.

In the gold-medal bout, Machadofaced former world U17 and U20 champion Priya and used a similar lateral drop like she did against Elor to score a four-pointer over Priya in the first minute.

Priya was pushing for a stepout and Machado used that momentum to drop her for four-points. It was catch-up from there on for Priya who failed to score any points in the first period. She got a stepout in the second get on board. Struggling to get to Machado's legs, Priya forced another stepout to make it 4-2.

Machado was put on the activity clock in the last minute but she was happy to conceded that point than to go for all-out attack during those 30 seconds. Priya also waited for the activity clock to expire before pushing for a point, perhaps a mistake to take her foot of the pedal in the final minute.

During that time, Machado managed to catch her breath and defended all attacks, including one in the last five seconds to win 4-3 and the gold medal.

"I am happy to win this gold medal in Ranking Series," she said. "This is so special for me"

In the semifinals, Machado got the better of Medet Kyzy, who opened the scoring with a double-leg takedown for two points. She led 3-0 at the break as Machado failed to score after being put on the 30-second activity clock.

Machado got her first points when she defended a leg attack from Medet Kyzy and scored a go-behind takedown. She then launched a powerful gut-wrench and turned her three times to lead 8-3. Two stepouts in quick succession for Medet Kyzy cut Machado's lead to 8-5 but the Kyrgyzstan wrestler had only a minute left to score more points and secure the win.

As they scrambled for the final minute, Machado and Medet Kyzy locked each other at the edge but it was the latter who fell outside of the zone first which gave another point to Machado with 33 seconds left. Machado held her positions better than Medet Kyzy and managed to score another stepout to lead 10-5 and win the bout.

Born in one of the favellas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Machado was part of one of the social project by the local council which taught wrestling to young kids. She joined the program and managed to learn wrestling.

In 2019, she won gold medal at the Pan-Am U20 Championships, her second ever competition. For five years, she was away from wrestling, but in 2024, she returned and won the Henri Deglane Grand Prix and was second at the 2025 Pan-Am Championships.

Bullen survives Ringaci

If both remain at the same weight class in the future, the Bullen-Ringaci rivalry can be the most fearsome in Women's Wrestling. The latest example was their 65kg final in Budapest where Bullen, down 16-8, pinned Ringaci was claim her second win over the former world champion in four months.

Ringaci, who needed one more turn from par terre or just survive the pin from Bullen, was frustrated with yet another loss and pushed aside Bullen after the bout.

The match began with a wonderful counter from Ringaci, who hit a cut-back after a Bullen snap to pass-by and got four points. Watch above. While Bullen survived the fall attempt, she fell behind 6-0.

A little later, it was Ringaci's chance survive a pin attempt from Bullen who lifted Ringaci well over her waist-level and slammed her for four. The first period ended with Bullen leading 6-6 on criteria.

Bullen tried the exact move of snap to pass-by in the second period and this time she succeeded, scoring two points and taking a clear 8-6 lead. Ringaci scored a takedown 30 seconds into the second period and scored six more points using three gut-wrenches. As she was going for the final turn to win the bout, Bullen blocked and got the headlock to pin Ringaci.

An aghast Ringaci was left in tears as Bullen herself was shocked to have won the bout, having snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

At 68kg, Kennedy BLADES (USA) had a fine tournament, winning her second Ranking Series event and third tournament of 2025. In the final, she defeated Noemi SZABADOS (HUN), 13-2, a wrestler she had defeated 10-0 at the Zagreb Open in February.

The only bout she was not able to win via technical superiority was her semifinal against Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) as the Bulgarian was able to stop Blades to a 6-2 win. Blades had little injury scare in the final few seconds of the match but managed to continue.

Verbina captured the 55kg gold medal after a controlled 6-1 win over Karla GODINEZ (CAN) in the final while Tandelova blanked Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) 3-0 in the 62kg final.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) df. Karla GODINEZ (CAN), 6-1

BRONZE: Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA) df. Amory ANDRICH (GER), 10-0

62kg
GOLD: Amina TANDELOVA (UWW) df. Alina KASABIEVA (UWW), 3-0

BRONZE: Ana GODINEZ (CAN) df. Nikolett SZABO (HUN), 10-0
BRONZE: MANISHA (IND) df. Krystsina SAZYKINA (UWW), via fall (9-0)

65kg
GOLD: Grace BULLEN (NOR) df. Irina RINGACI (MDA), via fall (10-16)

BRONZE: Eniko ELEKES (HUN) df. Ekaterina KOSHKINA (UWW), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Macey KILTY (USA) df. Kadriye KOCAK AKSOY (TUR), 10-4

68kg
GOLD: Kennedy BLADES (USA) df. Noemi SZABADOS (HUN), 13-2

BRONZE: Brooklyn HAYS (USA) df. Hyeonyeong PARK (KOR), 5-4
BRONZE: Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) df. Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW), 11-1

76kg
GOLD: Thamires MACHADO (BRA) df. PRIYA (IND), 4-3

BRONZE: Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) df. Valeriia TRIFONOVA (UWW), 11-0
BRONZE: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Seoyeon JEONG (KOR), 12-1