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Weekly FIVE! March 12, 2018

Monday, March 12, 2018 - 12:47 By Eric Olanowski

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Reviewing the March installment of United World Wrestling’s world rankings, this week's Women's World Cup and the President Cup of Buryatia Republic
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1. This Week's Women’s World Cup 
United World Wrestling has released the schedule for Women’s Wrestling World Cup which kicks off March 17-18. The dual-meet based events is an annual highlight of the international wrestling calendar, being held in Takasaki, Japan.

The eight participating teams have been separated into two pools with Japan and Belarus leading groups A and B. After tying for second place at the 2017 World Championships with the United States, Belarus has been awarded the Group B tiebreaker. Pool A will consist of Canada, Japan, Sweden and the United States and Pool B will consist of Belarus, China, Mongolia, and Romania.

Japan, who won last year’s World Cup in Russia, will be without 2017 World Champion Yui SUSAKI (48kg) who lost in a recent wrestle-off against rival Yuki IRIE (JPN). Otherwise, the Japanese side is scheduled to start a number of world and Olympic champions in Takasaki, including RIO 2016 titlist Risako KAWAI (63kg) and Sara DOSHO (69kg).

Saturday, March 17 (Local Time)
9:00 am: Canada v. United States (Mat A) // Mongolia v. China (Mat B)
10:15 am: Japan v. Sweden  (Mat A) // Belarus  v. Romania (Mat B)
11:30 am: Sweden v. United States  (Mat A) // Romania v. China (Mat B)
12:45 pm: Japan v. Canada (Mat A) // Belarus  v. Mongolia (Mat B)
4:30 pm: Opening Ceremonies
5:00 pm: Sweden v. Canada (Mat A) // Romania v. Belarus  (Mat B)
6:15 pm: Japan v. United States (Mat A) // Belarus v. China (Mat B)

Sunday, March 18 (Local Time)
9:00 am: Seventh Place Match
10:30 am: Fifth Place Match
1:00 pm: Bronze Medal Match
2:30 pm: Gold Medal Match

2. Russians Nearly Sweep President Cup of Buryatia Republic

Headed by six-time President Cup of Buryatia Republic champion, Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) and Ivan Yarygin silver medalist Anzor URISHEV (RUS), Russians wrestlers captured nine out of ten gold medals at the President Cup of Buryatia Republic.

Photo: BEKHBAYAR Erdenebat (MGL)

Takhti Cup champion BEKHBAYAR Erdenebat (MGL) was the lone non-Russian wrestler to seize a gold medal when he defeated Khuresh-Ool DONDUK (RUS), 2-1 for the 57kg crown.

Also of note, 2016 Olympic silver medalist A. GEDUEV (RUS) pulled out of the tournament after winning his first bout, 10-0. Geduev has yet to finish a full individual competition since being upended in the finals of the 2016 Olympic Games by Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), 6-6 on criteria.

Since the Olympics, Geduev’s last full tournament was the 2017 Clubs World Cup where he suffered a 10-7 loss to Omid HASSANTABAR (Setaregan Sari) while competing for Bimeh Razi.

FINAL RESUTLS:
57kg: BEKHBAYAR Erdenebat (MGL) df. Khuresh-Ool DONDUK (RUS), 2-1
61kg: Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) df. Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (RUS), 3-1
65kg: Bayar TSYENOV (RUS) df. Eduard GRIGORIEV (RUS), 11-0
70kg: Evgeni ZHERBAEV (RUS) df. Alibek AKBAEV( (RUS), 5-1
74kg: Arslan BUDOZHAPOV (RUS) df. GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL), 10-0
79kg: Radik VALIEV (RUS) df. Khusey SUYUNCHEV (RUS) via forfeit
86kg: Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) df. PUREJAV Unurbat (MGL), 3-0
92kg: Anzor URISHEV (RUS) df. Timur BATOROV (RUS), 10-0
97kg: Igor ОVSIANNIKOV (RUS) df. ULZISAIKHAN Batsul (MGL), 2-0

125kg: Tsibik MAKSAKOV (RUS) df. Alan HUGAEV (RUS) via forfeit

3. Freestyle Rankings
The March installment of United World Wrestling’s freestyle world rankings were released and are based on results from the Ivan Yarygin and the African and Asian Championships. The next ranking series events are the European and Pan-American Championships which will both be held in the first week of May.

Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, and Iran each have at least one wrestler ranked atop of March’s rankings.

The Mongolian quartet of top-ranked wrestlers are Asian and President Cup of Buryatia Republic medalist GANZORIG Mandakhnaran and NATSAGSUREN Zolboo, Ivan Yarygin bronze medalist LUVSANDORJ Turtogtokh and TSEVEENSUREN Tsogbadrakh.

Uzbekistan’s threesome of wrestlers receiving the top-ranking is Asian champion Magomed IBRAGIMOV and Asian medalists Abbos RAKHMONOV and Rashid KURBANOV.

After outscoring the competition 32-2 on his way to winning his first Asian Championships, Hassan Aliazam YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) gets the nod as the first ranked wrestler at 86kg.

The remaining first ranked wrestlers are Asian champion Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ), and Nigeria’s African Champion Ogbonna Emmanuel JOHN (NGR).

FULL RANKINGS

4. Greco-Roman Rankings
In the March edition of United World Wrestling’s Greco-Roman rankings, four front-runners held onto their previous rankings after the Takhti Cup (IRI), Granma y Cerro Pelado (CUB) and the African and Asian Championships. 

The four wrestlers holding onto their No. 1 rankings were Asian champion Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) and Asian medalists Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) and K. ZHOLCHUBEKOV (KGZ).

New to the No. 1 spot was the pair of Asian champions in Askhat DILMUKHAMEDOV (KAZ) and Seyedmostafa SALEHIZADEH (IRI). Also new to the top-spot was Takhti medalists Khussein MUTSOLGOV (KAZ), Reza KHEDRI (IRI) and U. AMATOV (KGZ).

The next ranking series events will be the European and Pan-American Championships which will both be held the first week of May.

FULL RANKINGS

5. Women’s Wrestling Rankings
After an impressive showing at the Klippan Lady Open and Asian Championships, China dominates the latest edition of United World Wrestling’s women's rankings with six top-ranked wrestlers.

Three of the four remaining leading ranked wrestlers in PAK Yongmi (PRK), Saki IGARASHI (JPN) and 2018 Yarygin champion PUREVDORJ Orkhon (MGL) are all coming off Asian gold medal performances.

Coming off her fifth Klippan Lady Open championship, Petra OLLI (FIN) claims the last top-spot.

The next two ranking series events are the European and Pan-American Championships which will be held the first week of May.

FULL RANKINGS

Weekly FIVE In Social Media
1. #LunesDeMotivacion the last promise. Here is the story of the Stig-Andre Berge fighter from #Noruega ?? in those @JuegosOlimpicos of @Rio2016. #idrett #wrestling #lucha
2. @Ivan_FSWrestling reacts to Geduev dropping out of the President Cup of Buryatia Republic

3. Big Move Monday! 
4. Flag Friday 
5. Score That Saturday: Who scored on this exchange? 

#WrestleBratislava

On 14th attempt, Prevolaraki wins historic European gold for Greece

Friday, April 11, 2025 - 22:47 By Vinay Siwach

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BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (April 11) -- Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) made her first trip to the European Championships in 2011 when she was 19 years old. She competed in 14 European Championships and returned home with eight medals -- four silvers and four bronzes -- over the last 13 years.

Now 33 and competing at her 14th European Championships, Prevolaraki won her first gold medal with a thrilling win over Andreea ANA (ROU), ending a 24-year wait for Greece to have a champion in Women's Wrestling at the continental event. Former world champion Sofia POUMPOURIDOU (GRE) was the last and only other European champion for Greece in Women's Wrestling.

"I am very happy that I managed to earn the gold medal," Prevolaraki said. "I was waiting so many years to be the European champion and I am 33 years old but I managed to do it."

Over the years, Prevolaraki has lost four finals, all to different opponents. But Friday, she managed to keep her composure in a close bout for the win.

"This time I am more experienced and I did not feel any pressure," she said.  I played freely and good things happen when you have no pressure."

Wrestling in Bratislava in the 53kg weight class, Prevolaraki was hit with passivity first and put on the 30-second clock which expired without Prevolaraki scoring to give Ana 1-0 lead.

Ana extended her lead to 3-0 when Prevolaraki tried to hit a cut-back but was unsuccessful in the move. With more than two minutes remaining, Ana tried defending her 3-0 lead but was put on the activity clock when 1:10 were left.

During the 30-second period, Prevolaraki went for the leg-attack but Ana moved and tried getting behind Prevolaraki which she almost did and tried throwing the Greek with a cradle. But Prevolaraki was alerted and did not land in danger and scored a takedown. The activity clock against Ana expired which added another point for Prevolaraki, making the score 3-3 with the Greece wrestler leading on criteria of last point scored.

Romania decided to challenge, a strategic one. Even a lost challenge would need Ana to score a point to win from 4-3 with Prevolaraki lead and 3-3 with criteria to Prevolaraki.

On review, Romania lost the challenge and Prevolaraki led 4-3. Ana hit a sweep single and tried forcing Prevolaraki out of bounds but the Greece wrestler turned it around to get Ana's head out first and get another point to lead 5-3 which she defended and won the gold medal.

Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE)Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) at the medal ceremony of the European Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

"I think I have had a good career," she said. "I am sad that I don't have an Olympic medal but I have many European medals and world Championships medals."

Prevolaraki, a four-time Olympian, a rare feat in wrestling, paid tribute to three-time Olympic champion Buvaisar SAITIEV, by wearing a shirt with his photo and message. Saitiev had passed away in March at the age of 49 years.

"The legend [Saitiev] is for all wrestler all over the world and his legend has no bounds. I wanted to pay a tribute to this legend," she said.