event, calendar, 2018 events, tournaments, 2019 events, wrestling, Women's Wrestling, freestyle, Greco-Roman

United World Wrestling Announces 2018 Host Cities and Dates

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (September 8) – United World Wrestling today announced the finalized list of host cities and dates for the 2018 season along with a handful of locations for 2019 championships in Europe and Africa.

As released during the world championship, the international calendar is highlighted by the Senior European Championships in wrestling-rich city of Kaspiisk, Russia and the fast-rising Nigerian Wrestling Federation hosting the Senior African Championships in Port Hartcourt.

Added to the calendar, Istanbul will host the popular U23 European Championships in mid-June and Zagreb was confirmed for the Cadet World Championships.

The 2019 calendar is also starting to take shape with the African Championships awarded to Tunis (TUN), the Senior European Championships to Bucharest (ROU), the Junior European Championships to Pontevedra (ESP) and the Cadet European Championships to Faenza (ITA).

The Greco-Roman World Cup, U23 World Championships and Junior Pan-American championships location and dates will be finalized soon.

World Cups

Women’s Wrestling World Cup         Takasaki (JPN) // March 17-18
Freestyle World Cup                           Iowa City (USA) // April 7-8

African Championships

All Styles and Age Groups                  Port Harcourt (NGR) // February 7-11

Asian Championships

Senior Asian Championships              Bishkek (KGZ) // February 28- March 4
Junior Asian Championships               New Delhi (IND) // July 19-22
Cadet Asian Championships               Tashkent (UZB) // May 3-6

European Championships

Senior European Championships        Kaspiisk (RUS) // March 20-25
U23 European Championships           Istanbul (TUR) // June 5-10
Junior European Championships        Roma (ITA) // July 31- August 5
Cadet European Championships         Kiev (UKR) // May 8-13

Oceania Championships

All Styles and Age Groups                  Yigo (GUM) // May 17-20

Pan American Championships

Senior Pan-American C’Ships             Lima (PER) // April 27-29
Cadet Pan-American C’Ships              Guatemala (GUA) // May 25-27

World Championships

Cadet World Championships              Zagreb (CRO) // July 3-8
Junior World Championships              Trnava (SVK) // September 18-23
Senior World Championships             Budapest (HUN) // October 22-28

GR Veteran World Championships    Perm (RUS) // TBD
FS Veteran World Championships     Skopje (MKD) // TBD

#WrestleTirana

Ukraine Puts Four in Women's Finals at Europeans

By Vinay Siwach

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.

Defending champion Oksana LIVACH (UKR) and Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) made it to the finals at 50kg and 76kg, respectively hiwle Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) and Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) reached the final at 55kg and 59kg.

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) and set up a rematch of 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 a fall over U23 world silver medalist Tuba DEMIR (TUR). She led 1-1 on criteria at the break but she hit a double-leg attack and tried to hold Demir on the mat for fall but she survived.

Demir tried a leg-attack but Malanchuk countered it and held Demir on the mat and secured 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, all but lost 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 enter the 59kg final. After the trip, Vynnyk also scored exposure points.

She will now face Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) who held 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 got on a single-leg attack. However, the Poland wrestler defended well and gave up only a stepout. Lipatova challenged but lost it to give one more point tp Wrzesien.

Bas vs Shauchuk

Defending champion at 68kg Shauchuk defeated Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU), 4-3, scoring two second-period takedowns. Shauchuk had beaten the Romanian in the final last year. But for the gold this year, Shauchuk will take on 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 semifinals.

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