#WrestleBudapest: Senior European Championships Entries

Monday, March 21, 2022 - 16:23 By Eric Olanowski

BUDAPEST, Hungary (March 17) -- The senior continental championships season kicks off with the European Championships from March 28 to April 3 in Budapest, Hungary.

A few rivalries will once again be revived as several World and Olympic medalists are named in the list of over 400 wrestlers that will be competing at the end of this month.

The biggest names will be Taha AKGUL (TUR) and Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO). The Turkey wrestler defeated the Georgian in the first-round match in the last edition. The two have not met since then despite wrestling at the Olympics and World Championships.

Haji ALIYEV (AZE), Frank CHAMIZO (ITA), Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE), Vladislav BAITSAEV (HUN) are some other big names in freestyle.

After a stellar last season, Ukraine is bringing a solid women's team to the competition led by Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR) and Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR).

Anhelina LYSAK (POL), Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL), Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) are also entered for the competition.

Greco-Roman will see Riza KAYAALP (TUR) going for this 11th European title while other weight classes have a mix of some established stars and young studs.

Chamizo Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) will be making a return to mat since the Tokyo Olympics. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

57kg
Manvel KHNDZRTSYAN (ARM)
Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE)
Mikyay Salim NAIM (BUL)
Levan METREVELI VARTANOV (ESP)
Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO)
Niklas STECHELE (GER)
Anatolii BURUIAN (MDA)
Vladimir EGOROV (MKD)
Gary GIORDMAINA (MLT)
Razvan Marian KOVACS (ROU)
Martin ZIDZIK (SVK)
Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR)

61kg
Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB)
Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE)
Georgi VANGELOV (BUL)
Adam BIBOULATOV (FRA)
Teimuraz VANISHVILI (GEO)
Viktor LYZEN (GER)
Gamzatgadzsi HALIDOV (HUN)
Shamil OMAROV (ITA)
Besir ALILI (MKD)
Adam AL KANDOUSSI (NED)
Eduard GRIGOREV (POL)
Suleyman ATLI (TUR)

65kg
Islam DUDAEV (ALB)
Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM)
Haji ALIYEV (AZE)
Vladimir DUBOV (BUL)
Quentin STICKER (FRA)
Beka LOMTADZE (GEO)
Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN)
Maxim SACULTAN (MDA)
Adam VELLA (MLT)
Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL)
Stefan COMAN (ROU)
Stevan MICIC (SRB)
Munir AKTAS (TUR)

70kg
Orges LILA (ALB)
Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM)
Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE)
Ramazan RAMAZANOV (BUL)
Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO)
Kevin HENKEL (GER)
Daniel ANTAL (HUN)
Raul ZARBALIEV (ISR)
Gianluca TALAMO (ITA)
Alban SOPA (KOS)
Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA)
Fati VEJSELI (MKD)
Patryk OLENCZYN (POL)
Marc DIETSCHE (SUI)
Daniel CHOMANIC (SVK)
Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)

74kg
Hrayr ALIKHANYAN (ARM)
Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE)
Ali UMARPASHAEV (BUL)
Aimar ANDRUSE (EST)
Charlie BOWLING (GBR)
Giorgi SULAVA (GEO)
Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN)
Mitchell FINESILVER (ISR)
Frank CHAMIZO (ITA)
Artem AUGA (LTU)
Mihail SAVA (MDA)
Kamil RYBICKI (POL)
Zurab KAPRAEV (ROU)
Malik AMINE (SMR)
Hetik CABOLOV (SRB)
Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK)
Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR)

79kg
Arman AVAGYAN (ARM)
Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE)
Miroslav KIROV (BUL)
Erik REINBOK (EST)
Saifedine ALEKMA (FRA)
Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO)
Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)
Csaba VIDA (HUN)
Dan TSESARSKY (ISR)
Alans AMIROVS (LAT)
Stanislav NOVAC (MDA)
Dejan MITROV (MKD)
Iakub SHIKHDZHAMALOV (ROU)
Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK)
Muhammet AKDENIZ (TUR)

86kg
Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)
Akhmed MAGAMAEV (BUL)
Taimuraz FRIEV NASKIDAEVA (ESP)
Akhmed AIBUEV (FRA)
Syerus ESLAMI (GBR)
Tarzan MAISURADZE (GEO)
Ahmed DUDAROV (GER)
Patrik PUESPOEKI (HUN)
Uri KALASHNIKOV (ISR)
Ivars SAMUSONOKS (LAT)
Domantas PAULIUSCENKO (LTU)
Denis BALAUR (MDA)
Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL)
Myles AMINE (SMR)
Boris MAKOEV (SVK)
Osman GOCEN (TUR)

92kg
Hovhannes MKHITARYAN (ARM)
Benjamin GREIL (AUT)
Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE)
Ahmed BATAEV (BUL)
Damian IGLESIAS VILELA (ESP)
Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO)
Simone IANNATTONI (ITA)
Georgii RUBAEV (MDA)
Radoslaw MARCINKIEWICZ (POL)
Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR)

97kg
Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE)
Alejandro CANADA PANCORBO (ESP)
Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO)
Erik THIELE (GER)
Vladislav BAITSAEV (HUN)
Lukas KRASAUSKAS (LTU)
Radu LEFTER (MDA)
Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD)
Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL)
Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK)
Burak SAHIN (TUR)

125kg
Paris KAREPI (ALB)
Johannes LUDESCHER (AUT)
Aydin AHMADOV (AZE)
Jere HEINO (FIN)
Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)
Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER)
Daniel LIGETI (HUN)
Abraham CONYEDO RUANO (ITA)
Robert BARAN (POL)
Magomedgadzhi NURASULOV (SRB)
Gabriel TYSZ (SVK)
Taha AKGUL (TUR)

One of the world's most dominant pinners, Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL), headlines the women's wrestling entries. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Women's Wrestling

50kg
Turkan NASIROVA (AZE)
Miglena SELISHKA (BUL)
Julie SABATIE (FRA)
Lisa ERSEL (GER)
Szimonetta SZEKER (HUN)
Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA)
Emilia CIRICU BUDEANU (MDA)
Anna LUKASIAK (POL)
Emilia VUC (ROU)
Evin DEMIRHAN YAVUZ (TUR)
Nataliia KLIVCHUTSKA (UKR)

53kg
Irena BINKOVA (BUL)
Marina RUEDA FLORES (ESP)
Tatiana SALAH DEBIEN (FRA)
Annika WENDLE (GER)
Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE)
Mercedesz DENES (HUN)
Iulia LEORDA (MDA)
Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL)
Emma MALMGREN (SWE)
Zeynep YETGIL (TUR)
Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR)

55kg
Sezen BELBEROVA (BUL)
Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER)
Erika BOGNAR (HUN)
Laura STANELYTE (LTU)
Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA)
Andreea ANA (ROU)
Nova BERGMAN (SWE)
Bediha GUN (TUR)
Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR)

57kg
Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL)
Graciela SANCHEZ DIAZ (ESP)
Jenna HEMIAE (FIN)
Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER)
Tamara DOLLAK (HUN)
Anhelina LYSAK (POL)
Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU)
Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR)
Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR)

59kg
Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE)
Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL)
Elena BRUGGER (GER)
Morena DE VITA (ITA)
Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)
Grace BULLEN (NOR)
Jowita WRZESIEN (POL)
Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU)
Elif YANIK (TUR)
Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR)

62kg
Taybe YUSEIN (BUL)
Lydia PEREZ TOURINO (ESP)
Ameline DOUARRE (FRA)
Luisa NIEMESCH (GER)
Nikolett SZABO (HUN)
Nataliia SHAFIR MAZUR (ISR)
Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA)
Natalia KUBATY (POL)
Anna FABIAN (SRB)
Olivia HENNINGSSON (SWE)
Yagmur CAKMAK (TUR)
Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR)

65kg
Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)
Sofiya GEORGIEVA (BUL)
Viktoria VESSO (EST)
Kriszta INCZE (ROU)
Asli TUGCU (TUR)
Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR)

68kg
Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE)
Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA)
Noémi SZABADOS (HUN)
Irina RINGACI (MDA)
Natalia STRZALKA (POL)
Amina CAPEZAN (ROU)
Asli DEMIR (TUR)
Alla BELINSKA (UKR)

72kg
Yuliana YANEVA (BUL)
Kendra DACHER (FRA)
Anna SCHELL (GER)
Tuende ELEKES (HUN)
Eleni PJOLLAJ (ITA)
Patrycja SPERKA (POL)
Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU)
Buse CAVUSOGLU TOSUN (TUR)
Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR)

76kg
Martina KUENZ (AUT)
Mariya ORYASHKOVA (BUL)
Epp MAEE (EST)
Georgina NELTHORPE (GBR)
Francy RAEDELT (GER)
Bernadett NAGY (HUN)
Enrica RINALDI (ITA)
Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU)
Catalina AXENTE (ROU)
Fanni NAGY NAD (SRB)
Yasemin ADAR (TUR)
Anastasiia OSNIACH SHUSTOVA (UKR)

Turkish legend Riza KAYAALP will look to win his eleventh European title. He'll wrestle at 130kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Greco-Roman

55kg
Rudik MKRTCHYAN (ARM)
Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE)
Stefan GRIGOROV (BUL)
Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO)
Fabian SCHMITT (GER)
Giovanni FRENI (ITA)
Artiom DELEANU (MDA)
Denis MIHAI (ROU)
Sebastian KOLOMPAR (SRB)
Emre MUTLU (TUR)

60kg
Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM)
Murad MAMMADOV (AZE)
Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL)
Daniel BOBILLO VIGIL (ESP)
Helary MAEGISALU (EST)
Pridon ABULADZE (GEO)
Abdolmohammad PAPI (GER)
Erik TORBA (HUN)
Abere FETENE (ISR)
Justas PETRAVICIUS (LTU)
Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA)
Michal TRACZ (POL)
Razvan ARNAUT (ROU)
Dimitar SANDOV (SUI)
Kerem KAMAL (TUR)

63kg
Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM)
Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE)
Leri ABULADZE (GEO)
Etienne KINSINGER (GER)
Krisztian KECSKEMETI (HUN)
Ruben MARVICE (ITA)
Aleksandrs JURKJANS (LAT)
Victor CIOBANU (MDA)
Mateusz SZEWCZUK (POL)
Perica DIMITRIJEVIC (SRB)
Virgil BICA (SWE)
Ahmet UYAR (TUR)

67kg
Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB)
Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM)
Christoph BURGER (AUT)
Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)
Ivo ILIEV (BUL)
Stefan CLEMENT (FRA)
Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO)
Witalis LAZOVSKI (GER)
Krisztian VANCZA (HUN)
Donior ISLAMOV (MDA)
Morten THORESEN (NOR)
Mateusz BERNATEK (POL)
Pedro DE MATOS OLIVEIRA DE MORAIS CA (POR)
Mihai MIHUT (ROU)
Sebastian NAD (SRB)
Mate NEMES (SRB)
Andreas VETSCH (SUI)
Murat FIRAT (TUR)

72kg
Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE)
Deyvid DIMITROV (BUL)
Pavel PUKLAVEC (CRO)
Jakub BIELESZ (CZE)
Marcos SANCHEZ SILVA MEJIAS (ESP)
Mikko PELTOKANGAS (FIN)
Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Samuel BELLSCHEIDT (GER)
Robert FRITSCH (HUN)
Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU)
Valentin PETIC (MDA)
Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR)
Gevorg SAHAKYAN (POL)
Ali ARSALAN (SRB)
Leos DRMOLA (SVK)
Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR)

77kg
Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)
Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE)
Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL)
Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO)
Oliver KRUEGER (DEN)
Matias LIPASTI (FIN)
Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA)
Beka MAMUKASHVILI (GEO)
Zoltan LEVAI (HUN)
Ciro RUSSO (ITA)
Mantas SINKEVICIUS (LTU)
Patryk BEDNARZ (POL)
Ilie COJOCARI (ROU)
Viktor NEMES (SRB)
Denis HORVATH (SVK)
Per OLOFSSON (SWE)
Yunus BASAR (TUR)

82kg
Karapet CHALYAN (ARM)
Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE)
Rosian DERMANSKI (BUL)
Filip SACIC (CRO)
Petr NOVAK (CZE)
Ranet KALJOLA (EST)
Johnny BUR (FRA)
Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Pascal EISELE (GER)
Georgios PREVOLARAKIS (GRE)
Tamas LEVAI (HUN)
David ZHYTOMYRSKY (ISR)
Matteo MAFFEZZOLI (ITA)
Mihail BRADU (MDA)
Marcel STERKENBURG (NED)
Exauce MUKUBU (NOR)
Branko KOVACEVIC (SRB)
Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR)

87kg
Islam ABBASOV (AZE)
Yoan DIMITROV (BUL)
Matej MANDIC (CRO)
Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN)
Raido LIITMAEE (EST)
Roberti KOBLIASHVILI (GEO)
Ilias PAGKALIDIS (GRE)
Erik SZILVASSY (HUN)
Mirco MINGUZZI (ITA)
Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL)
Nicu OJOG (ROU)
Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB)
Damian VON EUW (SUI)
Kristoffer BERG (SWE)
Metehan BASAR (TUR)

97kg
Daniel GASTL (AUT)
Murat LOKIAYEV (AZE)
Kiril MILOV (BUL)
Artur OMAROV (CZE)
Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN)
Loic SAMEN (FRA)
Revazi NADAREISHVILI (GEO)
Ramsin AZIZSIR (GER)
Laokratis KESIDIS (GRE)
Robert ERSEK (HUN)
Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA)
Vilius LAURINAITIS (LTU)
Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED)
Felix BALDAUF (NOR)
Michal DYBKA (POL)
Mihail KAJAIA (SRB)
Aleksandar STJEPANETIC (SWE)
Beytullah KAYISDAG (TUR)

130kg
David OVASAPYAN (ARM)
Beka KANDELAKI (AZE)
Marko KOSCEVIC (CRO)
Stepan DAVID (CZE)
Konsta MAEENPAEAE (FIN)
Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO)
Franz RICHTER (GER)
Dariusz VITEK (HUN)
Danila SOTNIKOV (ITA)
Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU)
Oskar MARVIK (NOR)
Rafal KRAJEWSKI (POL)
Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU)
Delian ALISHAHI (SUI)
Riza KAYAALP (TUR)

#WrestleZagreb

Valiev outsmarts Sidakov again to reach Worlds final

Sunday, September 14, 2025 - 16:24 By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 14) -- For five minutes and 50 seconds in both the 74kg semifinals, there was little indication that the results will change. But 10 seconds were enough for Chermen VALIEV (ALB) and Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) to change the outcome.

Valiev was down 4-2 against Zaurbek SIDAKOV (UWW) but managed to elevate the latter's leg from an attack before tripping him on the edge for a two-point takedown, taking a 4-4 criteria lead with three seconds remaining.

Sidakov tried a desperate attack but gave up another takedown even in that short time as Valiev reached his first-ever World Championships final on debut in Zagreb, Croatia.

Takahashi was down 4-1 against Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) but the Japanese scored a takedown and turned Salkazanov through a gut-wrench to lead 5-4. He still had 6 seconds to defend and he managed to do it with ease. Slovakia challenged for fleeing from Takahashi but that was lost which added an additional point to make it 6-4.

Valiev and Takahashi, both with clutch wins, will now clash in the 74kg final for the world title on Monday.

Three other weight classes were also in action on Sunday and the United States was the only country to put two wrestlers in the finals -- Levi HAINES (USA) at 79kg and Trent HIDLAY (USA) at 92kg.

Haines, who stunned world champion Akhmed USMANOV (UWW) in the quarterfinals, scored a controlled 4-1 victory over Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL) in the semifinals. Olonbayar got the first point via passivity of Haines but the U.S. wrestler scored a counter exposure for two points and take a 2-1 lead.

He scored a ankle pick for another two-point takedown and defended his 4-1 lead for the win and reach the final, a surprise in a tough 79kg bracket.

On Monday, he will try to stop Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) from becoming Greece's first-ever wrestling world champion in history. The European champion from Greece showed some of the most high-paced wrestling in the semifinal against world silver medalist Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) to win 8-3.

Nokhodi, was often stood squared-up, had no answered to Kougioumtsidis' constant attacks as the Greece wrestlers led 6-3 at the break. He scored a single-leg takedown in the second period and won 8-3.

Hidlay, who has switched levels in his career this year, reached the final at 92kg after destroying world silver medalist Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), 15-4, in the semifinals.

Nurmagomedov was in the match when the score was 5-4 with 2:23 left but Hidlay switch gears since, scoring a go-behind, a feet-to-back four-pointer and a takedown to finish with a technical superiority win.

He will face Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW) for the gold medal after Gadzhimagomedov managed to hold off Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) for an 11-6. Firouzpour, who had multiple age-group world titles, kept shooting for Gadzhimagomedov's legs but the UWW wrestler kept countering those attack with lift exposures.

Gadzhimagomedov then sealed the win with stepout, handing him a 9-6 lead and a takedown finishing the match 11-6.

Harutyunyan pinned after Lee heroics

Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) undoubtedly had the most impressive win of the morning session when he defeated Olympic silver medalist Spencer LEE (USA) 14-3 in the quarterfinals.

The win put Harutyunyan as the favorite to advance to the final at 57kg. However, Asian champion Chongsong HAN (PRK) had different ideas. He hit a lateral drop on Harutyunyan in the semifinals and secured a fall to enter the final. Han is the first Freestyle wrestler from the DPR Korea to enter the final in 11 years.

Han will now try to become a world champion when he takes on Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) in the 57kg final after the Kyrgyz wrestler took it to Paris Olympic bronze medalist Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), winning 8-0.

Abdullaev seemed to have burnt out from the earlier matches and had little fight left in him as Almaz Uulu scored points at his will in the semifinals including four stepouts.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Chongsong HAN (PRK) vs. Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ)

SF 1: Chongsong HAN (PRK) df. Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), via fall
SF 2: Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) df. Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), 8-0

74kg
GOLD: Chermen VALIEV (ALB) vs. Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN)

SF 1: Chermen VALIEV (ALB) df. Zaurbek SIDAKOV (UWW), 6-4
SF 2: Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) df. Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK), 6-4

79kg
GOLD: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) vs. Levi HAINES (USA)

SF 1: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) df. Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI), 8-3
SF 2: Levi HAINES (USA) df. Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL), 4-1

92kg
GOLD: Trent HIDLAY (USA) vs. Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW)

SF 1: Trent HIDLAY (USA) df. Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), 15-4
SF 2: Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW) df. Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI), 9-6

#WrestleBudapest: Senior European Championships Entries

Comments

Valiev outsmarts Sidakov again to reach Worlds final