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Ukraine Puts Four in Women's Finals at Europeans

Wednesday, April 22, 2026 - 19:09 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (April 22) -- Ukraine kicked off Women's Wrestling at the European Championships with four finalists in five weight classes, including two defending champions in Tirana.

Oksana LIVACH (UKR), defending champion at 50kg, and Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR), defending champion at 76kg, returned to the finals, while Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) and Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) made it to the 55kg and 59kg gold-medal bouts.

At 68kg, the only weight class in which Ukraine did not get a finalist, a blockbuster final is set between U23 world champion Nesrin BAS (TUR) and defending champion Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW).

Livach used her aggressive style to score multiple stepouts in her 6-2 victory over Elizaveta SMIRNOVA (UWW), setting up a rematch of the 2025 European final against Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR), who was at her defensive best against Emilia GRIGORE VUC (ROU) and won 6-0.

Alpyeyeva reached the final after a clinical 4-0 victory over Martina KUENZ (AUT) in the semifinal. She will now face former European champion Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU), who moved past Enrica RINALDI (ITA), 3-1, in a low-scoring semifinal.

Malanchuk at 55kg came alive in the second period, scoring six points and securing a fall over U23 world silver medalist Tuba DEMIR (TUR). She led 1-1 on criteria at the break, then hit a double-leg attack and tried to hold Demir on the mat for a fall, but she survived.

Demir tried a leg attack, but Malanchuk countered and held her on the mat to secure the fall with 1:45 remaining.

She will now face former European champion Andreea ANA (ROU), who saw off Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA), 10-0, in the other semifinal.

Vynnyk, who was all but beaten in the semifinal against Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE), 6-2, tripped the Azerbaijan wrestler with less than 10 seconds remaining to claim a stunning victory and reach the 59kg final. After the trip, Vynnyk also scored exposure points.

She will now face Jowita WRZESIEN (POL), who defeated Svetlana LIPATOVA (UWW), 4-2, in a low-scoring bout. Wrzesien led 3-1 and was in danger of giving up a takedown when Lipatova attacked on a single leg. However, the Polish wrestler defended well and gave up only a stepout. Lipatova challenged but lost, conceding one more point to Wrzesien.

Bas vs Shauchuk

Defending champion at 68kg, Shauchuk defeated Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU), 4-3, scoring two second-period takedowns. She had beaten the Romanian in last year’s final. For gold this year, Shauchuk will face Bas, a U23 world champion and returning silver medalist from 72kg.

Bas had no trouble completing a 12-1 technical superiority win over Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW) in the other semifinal.

RESULTS

50kg
SF 1: Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) df. Emilia GRIGORE VUC (ROU), 6-0
SF 2: Oksana LIVACH (UKR) df. Elizaveta SMIRNOVA (UWW), 6-2

55kg
SF 1: Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) df. Tuba DEMIR (TUR), via fall
SF 2: Andreea ANA (ROU) df. Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA), 10-0

59kg
SF 1: Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) df. Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE), 6-2
SF 2: Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) df. Svetlana LIPATOVA (UWW), 4-2

68kg
SF 1: Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW) df. Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU), 4-3
SF 2: Nesrin BAS (TUR) df. Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW), 12-1

76kg
SF 1: Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) df. Martina KUENZ (AUT), 4-0
SF 2: Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU) df. Enrica RINALDI (ITA), 3-1

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Sadulaev Returns to Euros After Six Years, Wins Sixth Title

Saturday, April 25, 2026 - 19:29 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (April 25) -- Abdulrashid SADULAEV's (UWW) return to the European Championships after six years ended in him winning his sixth gold medal in the history of the tournament.

Sadulaev, who is now unbeaten in 26 bouts in Europe, outwrestled Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK), 14-3, in the 97kg final. However, it was Tsakulov who opened the scoring in the final.

Tsakulov shot a double-leg early in the match to surprise Sadulaev to tried to defend using a chest-wrap. But Tsakulov kept the pressure and put Sadulaev in danger to get his two points. Sadulaev quickly reversed and scored one point before turning Tsakulov three times for a 7-2 lead.

Sadulaev challenged the decision, which he later realized that he shouldn't have, and lost it as all the scoring was accurate. Tsakulov was awarded a point for the lost challenge.

In the second period, Tsakulov threatened with some quick attacks but Sadulaev was quick on his feat to escape. He managed to score a stepout to extend his lead to 8-3. With 20 seconds remaining, Tsakulov tried another double-leg attack but Sadulaev was ready for it, countering it with a go-behind and scored a takedown.

Sadulaev could have well defended his lead but in the final 10 seconds, he hit his own attacks, scoring a takedown and then a turn to finish the bout 14-3.

In other marquee match on Saturday, Akhmed USMANOV (UWW) got the better of Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), 4-2, in the 79kg final. Usmanov was awarded an activity period point after Kadzimahamedau was warned for passivity in the first period.

Kadzimahamedau was put on the activity clock again in the second period and it was during this that Usmanov hit a double-leg attack to make it 3-0. When the activity clock expired, his lead extended to 4-0. It was only in the final few seconds that Kadzimahamedau managed a takedown but failed to get anything more.

Defending champion at 70kg David BAEV (UWW) saw off the challenge of rising star and U23 European champion Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA) and retained his gold medal after a 2-1 victory in the final.

Baev needed a stepout in the second period to take a clear one-point lead and then kept Gaidarli at a distance to win his second consecutive Euro title.

At 65kg, Bashir MAGOMEDOV (UWW) stunned a packed Feti Borova Olympic Park arena by beating home-favorite and Olympic bronze medalist Islam DUDAEV (ALB) in what turned out be a very one-sided final, beating Dudaev 10-0.

The 57kg final saw Musa MEKHTIKHANOV (UWW) stage an impressive comeback against Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE) only to be denied in the final moments. Bazarganov led 8-0 before Mekhtikhanov scored six points in the second period. But he failed to score the making winning takedown and Bazarganov took the gold medal home.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE) df. Musa MEKHTIKHANOV (UWW), 8-6

BRONZE: Aryian TIUTRIN (UWW) df. Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO), 8-5
BRONZE: Manvel KHNDZRTSYAN (ARM) df. Azamat TUSKAEV (SRB), 16-6

65kg
GOLD: Bashir MAGOMEDOV (UWW) df. Islam DUDAEV (ALB), 10-0

BRONZE: Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) df. Rashid BABAZADE (AZE), 7-0
BRONZE: Islam GUSEINOV (UWW) df. Ahmet DUMAN (TUR), 9-8

70kg
GOLD: David BAEV (UWW) df. Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA), 2-1

BRONZE: Akaki KEMERTELIDZE (GEO) df. Oleksii BORUTA (UKR), 4-0
BRONZE: Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) df. Mikyay NAIM (BUL), 10-0

79kg
GOLD: Akhmed USMANOV (UWW) df. Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), 4-2 

BRONZE: Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) df. Hrayr ALIKHANYAN (ARM), 11-1
BRONZE: Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) df. Rasul SHAPIEV (MKD), 8-0

97kg
GOLD: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) df. Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK), 14-3

BRONZE: Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) df. Richard VEGH (HUN), 5-3
BRONZE: Akhmed MAGAMAEV (BUL) df. Radu LEFTER (MDA), via fall (4-2)