#WrestleIstanbul Weight-to-Watch: Freestyle 65kg

Thursday, February 10, 2022 - 13:32 By Vinay Siwach

ISTANBUL, Turkey (February 9) -- Bajrang PUNIA (IND) is unbeaten at Ranking Series events. The Indian wrestler has five golds and is looking to extend his record as he is scheduled to compete at the Yasar Dogu Ranking Series event in Istanbul Turkey.

But the Yasar Dogu may be his toughest test yet.

The Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist is entered at 65kg alongside five other world medalists who'll be looking to make a splash at the February 24-27 event, making it the competition's Weight-to-watch.

World champion Zagir SHAKIEV (RWF) and Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) are two wrestlers that can make life difficult for Punia in Istanbul while Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL), Shamil MAMEDOV (RWF) and Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) are other wrestlers who can stop him from winning gold on any given day.

Punia, however, feels that it is more about returning to the mat than his unbeaten record at the Ranking Series event which stretches back to 2018.

"I have not wrestled competitively in six months and I am desperate to return," Punia said. "I was looking forward to competing in Rome but now I am focused on the Istanbul event. While I know about my medals, I just want to get going for the year and take it from there. There are some strong wrestlers on the list but when has 65kg been a walk in the park?"

Regarded as one of the deepest weights in the world, 65kg will give wrestling fans some fireworks, aptly on the final day of the tournament.

A Punia-Muszukajev bout has been long been desired by the fans. It will be a match of contrasting styles as Punia high-paced wrestling will be up against Muszukajev's sneaky attacks and defense for six minutes.

Muszukajev has had a see-saw career since taking a transfer from Russia to Hungary. He won a bronze medal at the Worlds in 2019 but failed to win any medal at the European Championships. He also lost his bronze-medal bout at the Tokyo Games.

In Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV's (RWF) absence, Muszukajev, who has lost to Rashidov twice now, may fancy his chances but he will have to go past Shakhiev.

Zagir SHAKHIEV vs Amir YAZDANI Zagir SHAKHIEV (RWF) defeated Amirmohammed YAZDANI (IRI) to win gold in Oslo. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Shakhiev, 22, will face the field of Tokyo Olympians for the first time since winning the gold in Oslo four months ago. He will be challenged by the veterans of this weight class and also his compatriot Mamedov as the Russian Wrestling Federation is expected to treat the event as the trial for senior European Championships which are scheduled a month after Yasar Dogu.

Mamedov won the junior world title in August in Ufa, Russia but his Ivan Yargiun gold medal last month earned him a shot to challenge Shakhiev for the Euros spot. In case RWF decides to throw in Tokyo bronze medalist Rashidov, it may become a three-way battle in March.

Tulga Tumur Ochir was also on the podium in Oslo. He has been the dark horse of this weight class for quite some time. He almost had his first Ranking Series gold last year in Rome but Punia defeated him in the dying moments of the final. He can avenge that loss along with the one he suffered in the 2019 Worlds bronze medal bout in which he had Punia on the back but failed to secure the pin. The two also wrestled back in the quarterfinals of the 2018 Worlds in which Punia became first Indian to reach to win two medals at the event.

Lomtadze, the '19 world champion at 61kg, will move up to 65kg to be Georgia's mainstay at the weight after the retirement of world and Olympic champion Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO). The Yasar Dogu will be his third competition up at his new weight class. He also wrestled at the '21 Medved and the World Olympic Qualifier, where he finished in fifth and eighth, respectivly.

Another wrestler who has wrestled Punia twice at Ranking Series is Joseph MC KENNA (USA). A two-time medalist at the Ranking events, McKenna will be looking to make his first final in Istanbul.

Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ) is making a move up to 65kg from his preferred 61kg for this competition. He is a U23 world and Asian championship silver medalist but it will be a big test for Askarov as he tries to fill the shoes of Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) who retired after the Tokyo Olympics.

A few young stars are also named in the category. Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE), a two-time European bronze medalist, will like to be on the podium to earn a chance to challenge Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Haji ALIYEV (AZE) on the national team. It may be a three-way battle as the 2013 junior world champion and 2016 Worlds bronze medalist Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE) is also looking to make an impact.

20-year-old Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR), who won the Junior European Championships last year, can spring a surprise in the Turkish capital. He will be joined by former Cadet Worlds and Youth Olympic Games champion Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) who will be wrestling at the senior level for the first time.

The 65kg lot in all likelihood will throw some surprises but Punia, Muszukajev, and Tumur Ochir have their reputation on line against some of the upcoming names in the weight class.

For complete coverage of the Ranking Series events, Continental Championships and the World Championships, subscribe to the United World Wrestling's newsletter here.

65kg
Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE)
Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE)
Ilman MUKHTAROV (FRA)
Quentin STICKER (FRA)
Beka LOMTADZE (GEO)
Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN)
ROHIT (IND)
Bajrang PUNIA (IND)
Rahman Daryoosh RAHIMPOOR (IRI)
Morteza Hassanali GHIASI CHEKA (IRI)
Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ)
Adil OSPANOV (KAZ)
Bekzat YERMEKBAY (KAZ)
Ikromzhon KHADZHIMURODOV (KGZ)
Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL)
Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL)
Nikolai OKHLOPKOV (ROU)
Shamil MAMEDOV (RUS)
Zagir SHAKHIEV (RUS)
Ertugrul KAHVECI (TUR)
Mensur BAYOGLU (TUR)
Munir AKTAS (TUR)
Ozgur GOK (TUR)
Mustafa ZOPALI (TUR)
Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR)
Joseph MC KENNA (USA)
Evan HENDERSON (USA)
Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB)
Nodir RAKHIMOV (UZB)
Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)

#WrestleBucharest

Nine return to defend European titles in Women's Wrestling

Monday, February 5, 2024 - 10:52 By Vinay Siwach

BUCHAREST, Romania (February 5) -- Nine out of the ten Women's Wrestling European champions will return to the European Championships, hoping to defend their gold medals in Bucharest next week. The one not coming, Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR) is yet to recover from an injury which also kept her out of the World Championships.

Two of them, Andreea ANA (ROU) and Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU), will be the most keen on repeating as European champions. In Zagreb last year, they gave the double gold to Romania but next week, wrestling at home will give them extra motivation to repeat.

Ana and Anghel will be in the non-Olympic weight classes 55kg and 72kg respectively. Ana is a two-time European champion and will be the favorite in Bucharest. If any, former age-group European champion Ekaterina VERBINA (AIN) can trouble Ana as she returns to competition. Ukraine is sending Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) while Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA), Roksana ZASINA (POL) and Tuba DEMIR (TUR) are also in the field.

Anghel, who defeated 68kg world champion Buse TOSUN (TUR) to win the gold medal at 72kg last year, can have a tougher time this year. 68kg European champion Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) is moving to 72kg after losing her place to Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) at 68kg. Kendra DACHER (FRA), age-group world medalist Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL), U23 world champion Nesrin BAS (TUR) and Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) are also in this weight class.

Yasemin ADAR (TUR) is a six-time European champion. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

2022 world champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR) is returning to the mat after one year, having skipped all competitions after the 2023 Euros. She will, despite her time off, be the favorite to win the 76kg gold medal. Adar is chasing her seventh European title after six golds and a silver medal.

Former European champion Epp MAE (EST) will be her biggest threat as she also looks to return after a medalless World Championships. Mae recently trained in Japan with world champion Yuka KAGAMI (JPN). Anastasiia OSNIACH SHUSTOVA (UKR) will also hope to make the final.

Turkiye's world champion in 2023, Tosun will be at 68kg. She had a disastrous start to the year, losing her first-round bout at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series in January. Tosun will look to put that behind her and start afresh for the Bucharest tournament.

To avoid any disappointments, Tosun will have to navigate past world bronze medalist Koumba LARROQUE (FRA), Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), 65kg European champion Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) and former European champion Tetiana SOVA RIZHKO (UKR). Larroque won the European Championships gold medal in 2021 and will be keen on getting back on the top of the podium.

Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (AIN) will look to win her first European title since 2020. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Two world silver medalists, Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (AIN) at 53kg and Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) at 59kg, will also be in action in Bucharest.

Kaladzinskaya last wrestled at the European Championships in 2020 and won the gold medal. She will start as the favorite at 53kg despite the likes of Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) and Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) entered for the tournament.

Kaladzinskaya won the silver medal at the World Championships, dropping the final to Akari FUJINAMI (JPN). It was her first competition since winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Malmgren, the two-time defending champion, will have her task cut out this year. She lost to Kaladzinskaya at the World Championships but that loss can only be a lesson for the former U20 world champion.

Former Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE), Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (AIN), Sztalvira ORSUS (HUN), Iulia LEORDA (MDA) and Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR) can upset the field in Bucharest and finish on the podium.

Defending champion Nichita is the clear front-runner for the gold at 59kg. After finishing with a silver medal at the World Championships at 57kg, Nichita returned to competition in Zagreb but suffered a loss to Kexin HONG (CHN).

Nichita will be drawn at random into the bracket as she has no ranking at 59kg. The top seed will be Othelie HOIE (NOR), a returning European bronze medalist and world bronze medalist. Age-group world medalists Alesia HETMANAVA (AIN) and Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (AIN) can also finish on the podium.

Grace BULLEN (NOR) and Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) put a thriller in the 62kg semifinal last year. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 62kg, world bronze medalist Grace BULLEN (NOR) will have a chance to win her first European gold medal since 2020. She was a silver medalist last after suffering a heartbreaking loss to Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) in the final. She will have a chance to win the gold medal this year. Koliadenko has moved to 65kg for this tournament and is replaced by veteran Yuliia TKACH (UKR) which will also be a big test for Bullen.

Tkach, the silver medalist at 59kg from last year, has moved to 62kg after world bronze medalist Koliadenko moved up to 65kg. Tkach has every trick up her sleeve to keep Bullen at bay. But the Norway wrestler has improved leaps and bounds in recent times and can be called the favorite for this event.

One wrestler who will be waiting keenly to meet Bullen on the mat is Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL). She suffered a 7-6 loss to Bullen in the semifinal last year and finished with a bronze medal. Dudova, a former world champion at 59kg, is still trying to find her feet at 62kg. The two can only meet in the final, thanks to being seeded one and two.

Former U20 world champion Alina KASABIEVA (AIN) will also like to finish on the podium.

Mariya STADNIK (AZE) became a nine-time European champion last year. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

At 50kg, Mariya STADNIK (AZE) will look to extend her record streak of 10 European titles [12 as she has two European Games gold as well]. Last year, Oksana LIVACH (UKR) gave Stadnik a scare in the final but the Azerbaijan wrestler controlled the second period to keep her energy and win the gold.

A year older at 35, Stadnik will once again be tested by the young wrestler who will be participating in Bucharest. Livach will look to avenge the loss from last year while Miglena SELISHKA (BUL) and Emilia VUC (ROU) will also have a chance to upset the wrestling legend.

The 57kg weight class will see a new European champion as Hrushyna has not entered for her title defense. Tokyo silver medalist Iryna KURACHKINA (AIN) will be the favorite along with returning silver medalist Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) and bronze medalist Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL). Veteran Veronika CHUMIKOVA (AIN) and U20 world champion Aurora RUSSO (ITA) and former world bronze medalist Anhelina LYSAK (POL) are also entered.

World bronze medalist and returning silver medalist Irina RINGACI (MDA) will be at 65kg, hoping to win the gold that she dropped against Hristova last year. Ringaci will be tested by Taybe YUSEIN (BUL), Kriszta INCZE (ROU) and world bronze medalist at 62kg Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR).

#WrestleIstanbul Weight-to-Watch: Freestyle 65kg

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Nine return to defend European titles in Women's Wrestling