NOVI SAD, Serbia (May 3) – Defending champion Anzor BOLTUKAEV (RUS) struggled gamely on one leg but fell short in the 97kg final as Russia had to settle for two of a possible four gold medals on offer Wednesday evening at the European Senior Wrestling Championships.
Boltukaev, who steamrollered the field at heavyweight to win the title one year ago, had difficulty executing meaningful attacks against Dan Kolov tourney winner Riza YILDIRIM (TUR), who fashioned a 4-2 win in the evening finale at Spens Sport Hall for his first senior continental crown.
Meanwhile, Lyubov OVCHAROVA (RUS) rolled over last year’s champion at 63kg Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT), 8-5, for the women’s 60kg gold medal and Ilyas BEKBULATOV (RUS) stormed to a 10-0 technical fall over Borislav NOVACHKOV (BUL) in the freestyle 65kg final.
In the evening’s first gold medal bout, 2012 world champion Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) scored an early go-behind takedown and held on for a 2-1 win over Natalya MALYSHEVA (RUS), last year’s European under-23 titlist.
Freestyle, 65kg & 90kg
Bekbulatov, who won a pair of bronze medals in previous trips to the championships, started quickly against Novachkov in the 65kg final and wrapped up the technical fall at 2:13 with a cross-ankle lock and turn for his first European championship gold medal.
In the bronze medal matches, David HABAT (SLO) fashioned a 10-3 win over Gor OGANESYAN (UKR) to win Slovenia’s first medal at the senior European championships since it achieved independence from Yugoslavia in June 1991.
Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) rolled to a 9-4 win over Gitinomagomed GADZHIEV (AZE) to improve from fifth place last year to a bronze medal.
In the bronze medals at 97kg, Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) capped his technical fall at 4:59 with a pair of cross-ankle turns against Magomedgadzhi NUROV (MKD) and Aleksandr HUSHTYN (BLR) forged a 7-0 win over 2010 world champion Michail GANEV (BUL).
Women’s Wrestling, 53kg & 60kg
At 53kg, Kaladzinskaya kept her streak of visits to the medals podium in 2017 alive at four with a go-behind takedown midway through the first period that stood for a 2-1 win over Malysheva. Kaladzinskaya won the Dan Kolov tourney in April after bronze and silver medals in Paris and Klippan, Sweden.
In the bronze medal matches, Nina HEMMER (GER) rolled up a quick technical fall against hometown favorite Ana RANDELOVIC (SRB) and Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) cranked U23 bronze medalist Iulia LEORDA (MDA) over for the fall with a tight headlock.
At 60kg, U23 champion Ovcharova scored off a leg attack and added a bodylock takedown for an early 6-2 lead over Grigorjeva and then held off the returning 63kg champion for an 8-5 victory.
In the bronze medal matches, Tetiana OMELCHENKO (AZE) dropped Anzhelina LYSAK (UKR) to her back in the final minute for an 8-3 victory and two-time European champion Johanna MATTSSON (SWE) turned away reigning junior European champ Kriszta INCZE (ROU), 3-1.
Results Wednesday in the gold and bronze medal finals and semifinals
Freestyle
65kg (19 entries)
Gold – Ilyas BEKBULATOV (RUS) df. Borislav NOVACHKOV (BUL) by TF, 10-0, 2:13
Bronze – David HABAT (SLO) df. Gor OGANESYAN (UKR), 11-3
Bronze – Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) df. Gitinomagomed GADZHIEV (AZE), 9-4
Semifinal – Borislav NOVACHKOV (BUL) df. Gor OGANESYAN (UKR), 8-0
Semifinal – Ilyas BEKBULATOV (RUS) df. Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) by TF, 10-0, 5:06
97kg (21 entries)
Gold – Riza YILDIRIM (TUR) df. Anzor BOLTUKAEV (RUS), 4-2
Bronze – Aleksandr HUSHTYN (BLR) df. Michail GANEV (BUL), 7-0
Bronze – Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) df. Magomedgadzhi NUROV (MKD) by TF, 10-0, 4:59
Semifinal – Anzor BOLTUKAEV (RUS) df. Michail GANEV (BUL) by TF, 11-0, 3:17
Semifinal – Riza YILDIRIM (TUR) df. Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO), 8-2
Women’s Wrestling
53kg (12 entries)
Gold – Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) df. Natalia MALYSHEVA (RUS), 2-1
Bronze – Nina HEMMER (GER) df. Ana RANDELOVIC (SRB) by TF, 11-0, 1:30
Bronze – Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) df. Iulia LEORDA (MDA) by Fall, 0:52 (2-0)
Semifinal – Natalia MALYSHEVA (RUS) df. Nina HEMMER (GER), 5-4
Semifinal – Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) df. Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE), 2-1
60kg (11 entries)
Gold – Lyubov OVCHAROVA (RUS) df. Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT), 12-5
Bronze – Johanna MATTSSON (SWE) df. Kriszta INCZE (ROU), 3-1
Bronze – Tetiana OMELCHENKO (AZE) df. Anzhelina LYSAK (UKR), 8-3
Semifinal – Lyubov OVCHAROVA (RUS) df. Johanna MATTSSON (SWE) by Fall, 2:40 (4-0)
Semifinal – Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT) df. Tetiana OMELCHENKO (AZE) by TF, 11-1, 5:39
