ZRENJANIN, Serbia (April 16) – Athens 2004 gold medalist Aleksei MISHIN (RUS) battled for four wins at the European Olympic Games qualifying tournament on Saturday, giving Russia a sixth ticket for the Greco-Roman events in Rio de Janeiro.
The 37-year-old warhorse fashioned a 3-0 win over 2015 European under-23 champion Denis KUDLA (GER) in the 85kg semifinals to complete Russia’s squad of six for the classic style in Rio.
Earlier, Mishin turned away European Games bronze medalist Metehan BASAR (TUR), 3-0, in his opening bout and stopped 2014 world champion Melonin NOUMONVI (FRA), 2-0, in the quarterfinals.
In the 85kg final, Mishin is scheduled to square off with Nikolai BAYRAKOV (BUL), who finished in eighth place at last month’s European championships in Riga.
With the Russia men now holding a full slate of 12 tickets to the men’s events – freestyle and Greco-Roman – at Rio 2016, Anastasia BRATCHIKOVA (RUS) grabbed a third ticket for Russia in the women’s events with a pair of one-sided wins at 63kg.
Bratchikova is slated to meet Maria MAMASHUK (BLR) in the final after the European champion edged 2013 world champion Marianna SASTIN (HUN), 4-2, in the semifinals.
In addition to Mamashuk’s ticket to Rio, Belarus also received a second qualification from Amarhadshi MAGOMEDOV (BLR), who scored a late takedown on 2013 world champion Ibragim ALDATOV (UKR) in the 86kg freestyle semifinal and held on for a 3-3 win on criteria.
Magomedov takes on 2013 world bronze medalist Istvan VEREB (HUN) in the final at Zrenjanin’s municipal arena.
Bulgaria, which had two qualifiers on Friday, added two more qualifiers Saturday with Bayrakov and European bronze medalist Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL). Hristova reached the finals with a pair of wins at 58kg, including a 4-2 win over European silver medal winner Grace BULLEN (NOR).
In the women’s 58kg final, Hristova will meet Oksana HERHEL (UKR), European silver medalist and the world champion at the non-Olympic weight category of 60kg.
It was also deuces wild for the Georgian welterweights as European champion Zarubi DATUNASHVILI (GEO) and European bronze medalist Jakob MAKARASHVILI (GEO) advanced to the finals at 75kg in Greco-Roman and 74kg in freestyle.
Datunashvili will meet last month’s silver medal winner in Riga and local favorite Viktor NEMES (SRB) while Makarashivili squares off with the freestyle runner-up in Riga Yabrail HASANOV (AZE).
European freestyle champion at 74kg Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) was caught for a fall by Taimuraz FRIEV NASKIDEAVA (ESP) in the quarterfinals. Friev Naskideava then lost to Makarashvili, 12-8, in the semifinals.
Freestyle
74kg (17 entries)
Semifinal – Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE) df. Suren KHACHATRYAN (ARM) by TF, 10-0, 0:51
Semifinal – Jakob MAKARASHVILI (GEO) df. Taimuraz FRIEV NASKIDAEVA (ESP), 12-8
Gold – Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE) v Jakob MAKARASHVILI (GEO)
Bronze – Alexandru BURCA (MDA) v Suren KHACHATRYAN (ARM)
Bronze – Alexandros SAMANIDIS (GRE) v Taimuraz FRIEV NASKIDAEVA (ESP)
86kg (15 entries)
Semifinal – Amarhadshi MAGOMEDOV (BLR) df. Ibragim ALDATOV (UKR), 3-3
Semifinal – Istvan VEREB (HUN) df. Radoslaw MARCINKIEWICZ (POL), 8-3
Gold – Amarhadshi MAGOMEDOV (BLR) v Istvan VEREB (HUN)
Bronze – Armands ZVIRBULIS (LAT) v Ibragim ALDATOV (UKR)
Bronze – Rene MATEJOV (SVK) v Radoslaw MARCINKIEWICZ (POL)
Greco-Roman
75kg (20 entries)
Semifinal – Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (GEO) df. Karapet CHALYAN (ARM), 2-1
Semifinal – Viktor NEMES (SRB) df. Igor BESLEAGA (MDA), 3-0
Gold – Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (GEO) V Viktor NEMES (SRB)
Bronze – Emrah KUS (TUR) v Karapet CHALYAN (ARM)
Bronze – Bozo STARCEVIC (CRO) v Igor BESLEAGA (MDA)
85kg (20 entries)
Semifinal – Nikolay BAYRYAKOV (BUL) df. Artur OMAROV (CZE) by Fall, 4:14 (4-2)
Semifinal –Aleksei MISHIN (RUS) df. Denis KUDLA (GER), 3-0
Gold – Nikolay BAYRYAKOV (BUL) v Aleksei MISHIN (RUS)
Bronze – Attila TAMAS (ROU) v Artur OMAROV (CZE)
Bronze – Metehan BASAR (TUR) v Denis KUDLA (GER)
Women’s Wrestling
58kg (10 entries)
Semifinal – Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) df. Luisa NIEMESCH (GER) by Fall, 1:58 (4-0)
Semifinal – Oksana HERHEL (UKR) df. Mariana CHERDIVARA ESANU (MDA) by Fall, 1:54 (6-2)
Gold – Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) v Oksana HERHEL (UKR)
Bronze – Grace BULLEN (NOR) v Luisa NIEMESCH (GER)
Bronze – Emese BARKA (HUN) v Mariana CHERDIVARA ESANU (MDA)
63kg (8 entries)
Semifinal – Anastasia BRATCHIKOVA (RUS) df. Irina NETREBA (AZE), 7-2
Semifinal – Maria MAMASHUK (BLR) df. Marianna SASTIN (HUN), 4-2
Gold – Anastasia BRATCHIKOVA (RUS) v Maria MAMASHUK (BLR)
Bronze – Agoro PAPAVASILEIOU (GRE) v Irina NETREBA (AZE)
Bronze – Hafize SAHIN (TUR) v Marianna SASTIN (HUN)
