Wiebe Sticks Vorobeva in Battle of Olympic Champs

Friday, May 24, 2019 - 20:05 By Eric Olanowski

SASSARI, Italy (May 24) – In arguably the most anticipated women’s wrestling match in the Ranking Series' two-year history, Rio Olympic champion Erica WIEBE (CAN) only needed two minutes to pick up the fall over London Olympic champion Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS).

In the first period of the 76kg finals, Wiebe ducked a front headlock attempt from her Russian opponent and used an unorthodox inside leg hook to throw Vorobeva on her back for the fall. “The secret to my success is I’m pretty dangerous from every position,” Wiebe said when asked out the unconventional maneuver she used to pick up the fall. She went on to say, “Today was a test, and I’m happy with how I competed. I love being creative on the mats, and I love to get to wrestling positions. That’s my bread and butter, so I went for it.”

The Budapest world bronze medalist went on to say “I wanted to go out there and compete. I wanted to make (Vorobeva) uncomfortable. I knew if I got her on her back, I wanted to stick her.” That's exactly what she did to pick up her second career Ranking Series title and first since last year's Poland Open.

Tamyra MENSAH (USA) defeated world runner-up Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN), 4-0 and won her third Ranking Series title of the year. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

In another highly anticipated women’s wrestling matchup on Friday night, Tamyra MENSAH (USA), who hadn’t even been in Italy for 24 hours, capped off her impressive run to a third consecutive Ranking Series title with a 4-0 win over Budapest world runner-up Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN).

The American landed in Italy on Thursday at 22:30, didn’t get to bed until well after midnight, then had to get up before sunrise for her final weight cut before weights.

Mensah fought through all sorts of adversity to get to Sassari, including having to check her weight on a baggage scale at Chicago’s airport - but her coach continued to hammer home that she needed to embrace the adversity and remind herself why she fell in love with the sport.

The second-ranked wrestler in the world didn’t use the long travel as an excuse, nor did she look at her extremely tough draw as a downfall. Mensah drew into Rio Olympic silver medalist Maryia MAMASHUK (BLR) in her first match. She won that match, 10-0. In her second match, she picked up a 5-1 win over Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) and followed that up with a 9-2 semifinals routing of two-time European champion Anastasia BRATCHIKOVA (RUS).

In the finals, Mensah scored a pair of first-period takedowns to defeat Danielle Lappage, who was up from her Budapest weight of 65kg.

Mensah’s Friday night win in Sardinia helped her lock up the No. 2 seed at the Nur-Sultan World Championships.

Grace BULLEN (NOR) shutout Budapest bronze medalist Pooja DHANDA (IND), 5-0 in the 57kg finals. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Bullen Avenges Loss to Dhanda, Wins 57kg Title
Norway’s U23 world champion Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR) avenged her World Championship loss to Budapest bronze medalist Pooja DHANDA (IND), scoring a 5-0 shutout win in the 57kg finals. Bullen won her first Ranking Series title after failing to win a gold at the previous two. ”It feels awesome. I’ve tried twice this year and got third and second.”

Bullen had no problem putting her five points on the board, picking up an inactivity point and a takedown before the end of the first period. In the second period, the Norwegian wrestler planted Dhanda on her back and held her there for nearly the entirety of the second period and scored the 5-0 shutout win.

“I lost to her at the worlds, so it means a lot that I can (wrestle) a match so great.” Bullen added, “I can just see the development that I’ve had in my technical wrestling…I feel like I’m growing every day, so it’s really fun to do that and ultimately perform at such a big competition like this, so it means a lot.”

Henna JOHANSSON (SWE) made her first appearance at 62kg and won the Sassari gold medal. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Sweden Wins Trio of Golds; Johansson Wins Highly Coveted 62kg Titled
Sweden brought a stacked squad to Sardinia and ended up having three champions in Sofia MATTSSON, Henna JOHANSSON, and Jenny FRANSSON. Mattsson won the 55kg gold medal, and Johansson walked away as the 62kg champion.

In the 55kg finals, a matchup of past world champions was supposed to happen – but tenth-ranked Mattsson got her hand raised after seventh-ranked Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) injury defaulted out of the match before the whistle blew.

Mattsson added 14 points to her previous total of 18 and will sit inside the top-4 of the rankings with 32 points heading into the final Ranking Series event of the year.

In her first appearance at 62kg, Henna Johannsson hit a thunderous four-point double leg in the first period, followed by a deep double in the second period, and defeated No. 18 (at 59kg) Elmira GAMBAROVA (AZE), 6-4.

“I feel strong; I feel good, and I feel fast. I think 62kg is perfect for me.”

Johansson’s win leaves the Swedish coaching staff with a tough decision heading into the European Games and World Championships. Do they go with Johansson or do you go with the bronze medalist at this weight, Malin MATTSSON (SWE)? Mattsson beat Johansson two weeks ago, but Johansson outplaced here in Sardinia. “Of course I’m chasing her, and she’s chasing me. I think that’s making us step up a little bit more.”

When asked if she’s solidified her spot for Sweden at the European Games, Johansson said, “I hope so. I just knew I had to go out today and do my best because I didn’t two weeks ago. But I did what I could, and I hope the spot is going to be mine.”

In closing, the 62kg champion said, “My goal is to go to the World Championships and try to qualify Sweden for the Olympics.”

Sweden third champion was Jenny Fransson. The Olympic bronze medalist tallied three wins in the 72kg Nordic-style bracket.

Seema picked up a 10-0 win over Russia's Daria LEKSINA (RUS) in the 50kg gold-medal bout. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Final Three Non-Nordic Golds Went to India, Russia, and Canada
The last three non-Nordic weight gold medals of the night went to Seema SEEMA (IND), Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS), and Linda MORAIS (CAN), who won the 50kg, 53kg, and 59kg titles respectively.

India’s Seema Seema picked up a statement win over Daria LEKSINA (RUS) in the 50kg gold-medal bout, ending the match early after scoring five takedowns. Seema grabbed a pair of takedowns and led 4-0 after the first period, then tacked on three additional takedowns in period number two to end the match by technical superiority with over 60 seconds left on the clock.

Seema came into the Sassari ranked 30th in the world with 14 points. The Indian wrestlers win on Friday night doubled her Ranking Series point total and catapulted her up the rankings to No. 7 in the world behind sixth-ranked Olympic bronze medalist SUN Yanan (CHN) who has 25 points.

Russia’s Ekaterina POLESHCHUK controlled KIM Hyungjoo (KOR) in the 53kg finals from whistle to whistle and claimed her first gold medal since winning the Alexander Medved Prizes back in 2017. Poleshchuk, the 2018 U23 world bronze medalist, came into the weekend with 8 Ranking Series points, which was good enough for the 39th ranking in the last set of point-based rankings. Her 16 point win on Friday brought her new total to 24 points, moving her up into the eight spots when the next rankings come out.

Linda MORAIS (CAN) sacked Kumari MANJU (IND) in the 59kg finals after being up 9-0 and picked her first care Ranking Series title.

The final day of wrestling at the Sassari City Matteo Pellicone Memorial begins tomorrow at 10:00 (local time) when freestyle takes over.

RESULTS

Team Scores
GOLD – Canada (147 points)
SILVER – Russia (120 points)
BRONZE – Kazakhstan (102 points)
Fourth - Sweden (90 points)
Fifth - India (80 points)

50kg
GOLD - Seema SEEMA (IND) df. Daria LEKSINA (RUS), 10-0
BRONZE - Jacqueline MOLLOCANA ELENO (ECU) df. Kamila BARBOSA VITO DA SILVA (BRA), 10-1
BRONZE - Fredrika PETERSSON (SWE) df. Jade DUFOUR (CAN), 10-0

53kg
GOLD - Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS) df. KIM Hyungjoo (KOR), 6-1
BRONZE – Diana WEICKER (CAN) df. Anzhelika VETOSHKINA (RUS), via fall
BRONZE - Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU) df. Samantha STEWART (CAN), via fall

55kg (Single bronze)
GOLD - Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) df. Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR), via injury default
BRONZE – Viktoriia VAULINA (RUS) df. Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ), 12-1

57kg
GOLD - Grace BULLEN (NOR) df. Pooja DHANDA (IND), 5-0
BRONZE - Lissette Alexandra ANTES CASTILLO (ECU) df.
Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS), 5-4
BRONZE – Alexandria TOWN (CAN) df. Katsiaryna YANUSHKEVICH (BLR), via fall

59kg
GOLD - Linda MORAIS (CAN) df. Kumari MANJU (IND), via fall
BRONZE - Laurence BEAUREGARD (CAN) df. Kelsey CAMPBELL (USA), 8-2

62kg
GOLD - Henna Katarina JOHANSSON (SWE) df. Elmira GAMBAROVA (AZE), 6-4
BRONZE – Lais NUNES DE OLIVERIA (BRA) df. Mallory VELTE (USA), 6-4
BRONZE - Malin Johanna MATTSSON (SWE) df. Marwa AMRI (TUN), 7-2

65kg
GOLD – Gabriella SLEISZ (HUN)
SILVER – Aina TEMIRTASSOVA (KAZ)
BRONZE – Braxton STONE (CAN)

68kg
GOLD - Tamyra MENSAH (USA) df. Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN), 4-0
BRONZE - Anastasia BRATCHIKOVA (RUS) df. Mariya MAMASHUK (BLR), 4-3
BRONZE - Divya KAKRAN (IND) df. Irina KAZYULINA (KAZ), 10-5

72kg
GOLD – Jenny FRANSSON (SWE)
SILVER – Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)
BRONZE – Tatiana MOROZOVA (RUS)

76kg
GOLD - Erica Elizabeth WIEBE (CAN) df. Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS), via fall
BRONZE – Epp MAE df. Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS), 8-7
BRONZE - Aline FOCKEN (GER) df. Iselin SOLHEIM (NOR), 8-0

#WrestleIstanbul

Lee qualifies for Paris 2024; India, China earn first Freestyle spots

Sunday, May 12, 2024 - 11:36 By Vinay Siwach

ISTANBUL, Türkiye (May 11) -- Spencer LEE (USA) says it was a long day for him in Istanbul but he needed only 36 seconds to qualify for the Olympics.

After four bouts in over 10 hours at the World Olympic Qualifier in Istanbul, Lee thrashed Rakhat KALZAN (KAZ) 12-2 in just 36 seconds in the Paris 2024 qualification bout at 57kg to qualify the United States for the Olympics.

"It was kind of a long day because our bracket was a little smaller," Lee said. "Even though I was like first up pretty much, there was a little bit of a break, with the bronze medal, like people coming back to repechage. There's a lot of space between my matches."

Lee spent only 7 minutes and 50 seconds on the mat, winning three bouts before the first minute finished. The only match that went all the way was his 1/8 final against Wanhao ZOU (CHN) as Lee survived a scare, winning 10-9.

But in his quarterfinal, Lee rocked former European champion Vladimir EGOROV (MKD) 12-2 in 53 seconds using his high gut and used the same move to beat Kalzan 12-2 to confirm his journey.

"I do think that it was like 18 or 19 days I had before this," Lee said about his recovery time after the U.S. trials three weeks ago. "It was a really quick turnaround. I remember like having two or three days off and then I was already scrapping in the room again, like not 100 percent. But we were getting back into it because this is a big deal. It's a big tournament."

Lee also knew that winning the quota from the semifinals was important and did not leave it to Sunday when he would have to win the bronze medal and then the playoff.

"If you don't win right on the semis and you don't qualify, and in the long day, the next day to making weight again, and then competing in other two matches. Better is to win the semis than not," he said.

Lee, a two-time former U20 world champion, was out of international wrestling for eight years. He returned at the Pan-Am Championships earlier this year and won gold. He later defeated Thomas GILMAN (USA) in the best-of-three finals in the U.S. trials to earn the right to wrestle in Istanbul.

"It's not like you really excel in the layoff," he said. "I definitely needed some competition internationally before I competed at the Olympics anyway. So if anything, you see it as a blessing, it was a good thing. Americans are really, really into your face all over you most of the time. Then over here, they're a little more calculated, a little smarter. I think that it was good to get that feel again. Because like I said, you know, eight years has been a long time for me to compete internationally. So I'm glad that I'm back on the scene."

Apart from winning a medal at the Olympics, Lee has another special reason to be in Paris. His mother, a former judoka, hails from France and her family lives there.

"This is a big deal for me," he said. "My family lives in France. They live outside of Bordeaux. My grandmother never has seen me wrestle and it's a really big deal for me to compete in my mother's home country."

Spencer LEE (USA) and AMAN (IND) after their qualification for the Paris Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

The second spot at 57kg was clinched by AMAN (IND), making him the first male wrestler from India to win a Paris Olympic quota, that it failed to win at the World Championships or the Asian Olympic Qualifier.

Aman, the Asian champion in 2023, defeated Asian Games silver medalist Chongsong HAN (PRK) 12-2 to complete a commanding day in which he had three wins, two of them via technical superiority.

"When I lost the Asian Olympic qualifier, my coaches told me that I should not wrestle outside my style," Aman said. "My style is not to allow the other wrestler to finish the bout. I have to wrestle for six minutes. I had only this target in my mind that I have to wrestle six minutes here."

Out of Aman's three wins on Saturday, only one bout went the full distance. He was up against Tokyo Olympian Georgi VANGELOV (BUL) in his first bout and built a 2-1 lead at the break. But relentless in his attacks, he quickly made it 6-1 before Vangelov hit a double-leg takedown to cut it to 6-3. But it was not enough as Aman won 10-4. Andri YATSENKO (UKR) was up next but Aman showed no mercy, winning the bout 12-2 a minute and eight seconds before time.

"I thought that Vangelov bout was a tight one," he said. "I didn't want him to get to my legs to finish it with a lace. So I kept my distance and scored points whenever I got a chance."

Aman was replacing Ravi DAHIYA (IND), a Tokyo Olympic silver medalist and three-time Asian champion, and was under pressure to win India's first spot for the Paris 2024 in Freestyle.

"I am relieved," he said. "It was big responsibility on me to qualify especially in the lowest weight. I was checking the records and India has a wrestler qualifying at this weight since 2004. So I had not qualified, everyone would have blamed me."

India had a chance to win another spot as SUJEET (IND) reached the semifinal against Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) but the latter proved too strong for the former. Tumur Ochir, who earlier defeated Zain RETHERFORD (USA), beat Sujeet 6-1 to earn the Paris spot.

The two were in some intense scrambles but Tumur Ochir seemed the more active wrestler. Sujeet was put on the activity clock in each period, in which he failed to score, giving Tumur Ochir a 2-0 lead. Sujeet got a point for Tumur Ochir's passivity to come within one-point distance for a win.

But his desperate attempts to get a stepout or takedown went in vain and Tumur Ochir hit a four-pointer in the final seconds to claim a 6-1.

The second spot at 65kg was claimed by European champion Islam DUDAEV (ALB) who defeated Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR) 12-2 in the semifinal. This was Albania's second Paris 2024 qualification in any style.

While Arushanian was easily seen off, Dudaev must thank his stars as he won his quarterfinals only after a long challenge that Albania threw, asking for a takedown against Kwang Jin KIM (PRK).

Kim led 2-0 with 30 seconds left on the clock when Dudaev hit a single-leg and attempted a takedown. As the time ticked, he failed to control Kim and complete a takedown. However, Albania challenged that at one point, Dudaev had control of the takedown with Kim in three-point contact with the mat.

On review, it was confirmed that Dudaev actually completed a takedown, giving him a 2-2 win which Kim did not accept and spent a few minutes protesting the decision.

Albania almost had a second Paris 2024 when Cherman VALIEV (ALB) defeated Viktor RASSADIN (TJK) 2-2 in the 74kg semifinal but Rassadin challenged and on review, it was seen that Valiev committed a singlet-pull. Rassadin was awarded a point that gave him a 3-2 win.

Valiev had defeated Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) in the quarterfinals and with his loss to Rassadin, Chamizo will not be at the Paris Olympics.

In the other 74kg semifinal, three-time world silver medalist and European champion Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) defeated Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR), 4-2, to qualify for his first Olympics. After Salkazanov took 2-2 criteria lead with a stepout, Demirtas made attempts to score but Salkazanov countered one of them and scored a go-behind to make the score 4-2.

At 86kg, European champion Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL) defeated Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO), 5-3, with a takedown in the final seconds to earn the Paris qualification while Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) controlled his semifinal and posted a 3-0 win over Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR) and qualified Greece for the Paris Games.

In a stunning moment of brain-fade, Awusayiman HABILA (CHN) gave up a takedown in the final five seconds against Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL) to drop his semifinal at 97kg, 2-2, and lose the Paris spot.

Erik THIELE (GER) won the other spot at 97kg after he tired out Radu LEFTER (MDA) and won 3-0.

China did achieve its first Paris quota in Freestyle when Zhiwei DENG (CHN) defeated Jose DIAZ (VEN), 4-0, in the 125kg semifinal and two-time Olympian Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ) defeated Daniel LIGETI (HUN), 12-2, to win the other available spot.

RESULTS

57kg Paris Qualification Bouts
Spencer LEE (USA) df. Rakhat KALZAN (KAZ), 10-0
AMAN (IND) df. Chongsong HAN (PRK), 12-2

65kg Paris Qualification Bouts
Islam DUDAEV (ALB) df. Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR), 12-2
Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) df. SUJEET (IND), 6-1

74kg Paris Qualification Bouts
Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) df. Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR), 4-2
Viktor RASSADIN (TJK) df. Cherman VALIEV (ALB), 3-2

86kg Paris Qualification Bouts
Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL) df. Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO), 5-3
Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) df. Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR), 3-0

97kg Paris Qualification Bouts
Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL) df. Awusayiman HABILA (CHN), 2-2
Erik THIELE (GER) df. Radu LEFTER (MDA), 3-0

125kg Paris Qualification Bouts
Zhiwei DENG (CHN) df. Jose DIAZ (VEN), 4-0
Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ) df. Daniel LIGETI (HUN), 12-2

Wiebe Sticks Vorobeva in Battle of Olympic Champs

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Lee qualifies for Paris 2024; India, China earn first Freestyle spots