#WrestlePlovdiv

#WrestlePlovdiv Live Blog: U23 European Championships Day 3

By Vinay Siwach

PLOVDIV, Bulgaria (March 9) -- It's day three at the U23 European Championships and some of the biggest names of women's wrestling will be in action in Plovdiv. World champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) and her fellow teammate and defending champion Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) will be on the mat. Moldova's rising star and junior Worlds silver medalist Maria LEORDA (MDA) also wrestles today. Keep an eye on U23 world champion Andreea ANA (ROU).

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

Olympic medalistsTen Olympic medalists are at #WrestlePlovdiv as Greco-Roman coaches. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan) 

1245: U23 world champion Andreea ANA (ROU) leads 5-0 against Nova BERGMAN (SWE) at the break at 55kg. A whizzer to get her four points to get going. Bergman did provide some challenge but Ana moves into the semifinal

1225: Anna SZEL (HUN) and Morena DE VITA (ITA) with a humdinger! The Hungarian was leading 6-4 with 20 seconds remaining and defended an attack with a split. But De Vita scored a takedown with 5 seconds remaining. Hungary challenged the call but lost.

1215: Earlier in the day, defending silver medalist Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) came up with a huge five-point throw before securing the pin over Laura STANELYTE (LTU) at 55kg

1210: Bernadett NAGY (HUN) with a first-period 11-0 win over Vanesa KALOYANOVA (BUL) at 76kg. She is looking for her first continental title.

1200: A series of gut and exposures from world champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) and she moves on to the quarterfinals at 68kg

1155: Ersel almost has a takedown but Szeker defends by keeping her opponent's hand in grip. Both are in the danger zone but the referee scores a stepout for Szeker. Germany challenges the call asking for a takedown. It is confirmed that Ersel actually stepped out before getting the takedown. 6-3 win for Szeker

1150: A tight first-round battle going on Mat B! Szimonetta SZEKER (HUN) leads Lisa ERSEL (GER) by a point. She was called passive early but scored a takedown before giving up one. Now, she has scored another to lead 4-3

1140: Defending champion Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) warms up with a victory via fall over Fatme SHABAN (BUL). She is coming from a gold medal-winning performance in Istanbul.

1100: After some great action in Greco-Roman, it's time for women's wrestling at the U23 European Championships in Plovdiv. Some big names are entered for the five weight classes that are in action.

#WrestleZagreb

WATCH: Chasing 97kg gold

By United World Wrestling Press

ZAGREB, Croatia (November 3) -- The 97kg weight class at the World Championships in Zagreb saw all four Paris Olympic medalists entered with Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN), defending world champion, as the favorite to win the gold medal in Zagreb.

Apart from Tazhudinov, the field included silver medalist from Paris and European champion Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO), Paris bronze medalists Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) and Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI), world and Olympic champion Kyle SNYDER (USA), Asian champion Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) and multiple elite wrestlers.

WATCH THE FULL VIDEO DOCUMENTERY HERE

Magomedov and Matcharashvili bowed out early the semifinals pairs were -- Tazhudinov vs Azarpira and Snyder vs Yoshida.

Azarpira knocked off Tazhudinov with a thrilling win in the semifinals and Snyder used his experience to beat Yoshida to enter the final against Azarpira who had defeated him in Paris in the bronze-medal bout.

Snyder and Azapira squared off in the final with the latter taking early lead but the Snyder, the machine he is, came back and defeated the Iranian 4-2, winning his fourth gold medal at the World Championships.

Tazhudinov and Yoshida went on to win the bronze medals on offer, finishing the podium in one of the premium weight classes in the world.