BUCHAREST (June 21) – George-Vlad MARIEA (ROU) got the hometown fans on their feet Tuesday with a dash to the semifinals -- narrowly missing a shot at the gold -- as the Junior European Wrestling Championships got under way in Bucharest.
Mariea, a former European cadet runner-up, stopped 2015 junior world silver medalist Akhmed KAYTSUKOV (RUS), 4-1, in the Greco-Roman quarterfinals at 74kg.
The sudden hometown hero, however, could not keep up with Artem MATIAS (UKR) in the semifinals, fading over the final 90 seconds to settle for a trip to the bronze medal matches.
“I’m totally exhausted,” Mariea said after the semifinals. “I had such a tough match against the Russian and then I had last year’s bronze medalist (from the European junior meet in Istanbul), so I was really tired in the semifinals.”
“Still, I’m pleased with my results,” the 19-year-old student smiled. “All I can do now is look to the bronze medal match this evening and do my best to win that.”
Mariea squares off with Roland SCHWARZ (GER) for one of the bronze medals at 74kg, while Matias meets world and European junior bronze medalist Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) for the gold medal.
Levai’s trip to the gold medal final ensures an end to his run of bronze medals in five consecutive age-group competitions dating back to the 2014 junior world championships in Zagreb.
Meanwhile, defending team champion Georgia picked up where it left off last year in Istanbul, advancing three of its four entries to the gold medal finals on the opening day of competition at Polyvalent Hall Bucharest.
A pair of bronze medal winners last year, Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) and Levani KAZJARADZE (GEO) advanced to the finals at 50kg and 60kg, respectively, where they will take on opponents from Azerbaijan.
Tsurtsumia, also a junior world silver medalist, will meet Azar NASIBLI (AZE) after defeating cadet world champion Giovanni FRENI (ITA), 6-3, in the semifinals at 50kg.
Kavjaradze also defeated a 2015 cadet world champion, Aleksander HRUSHYN (UKR) in the semifinals and will square off with 2013 cadet world champ Mikhail RAHMANOV (AZE).
Georgi MELIA (GEO), a fifth-place finisher at the junior European and world meets last year, won all four of his bouts in the morning session by fall or technical fall and squares off in the 96kg final against Ruslan BEKUZAROV (RUS).
Semifinal Results & Final Pairings
Greco-Roman
50kg (12 entries)
Gold – Azar NASIBLI (AZE) v Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO)
Bronze – Csaba HORVATH (HUN) v Artem BELAUSOV (BLR)
Bronze – Sergey SIMONYAN (ARM) v Giovanni FRENI (ITA)
Semifinal – Azar NASIBLI (AZE) df. Artem BELAUSOV (BLR) by TF, 8-0, 1:47
Semifinal – Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) df. Giovanni FRENI (ITA), 6-3
60kg (21 entries)
Gold – Mikhail RAHMANOV (AZE) v Levani KAVJARADZE (GEO)
Bronze – Etienne KINSINGER (GER) v Nestar NESTAROV (BUL)
Bronze – Gevorg KHUMARYAN (ARM) v Aleksander HRUSHYN (UKR)
Semifinal – Mikhail RAHMANOV (AZE) df. Nestar NESTAROV (BUL), 7-1
Semifinal – Levani KAVJARADZE (GEO) df. Aleksander HRUSHYN (UKR), 4-0
74kg (26 entries)
Gold – Artem MATIASH (UKR) v Zoltan LEVAI (HUN)
Bronze – Roland SCHWARZ (GER) v George-Vlad MARIEA (ROU)
Bronze – Arman BAGHDASARYAN (ARM) v Serkan AKKOYUN (TUR)
Semifinal – Artem MATIASH (UKR) df. George-Vlad MARIEA (ROU), 8-1
Semifinal – Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) df. Serkan AKKOYUN (TUR), 5-0
96kg (20 entries)
Gold – Ruslan BEKUZAROV (RUS) v Georgi MELIA (GEO)
Bronze – Kevin BAUMANN (EST) v Ibragim TIGCI (TUR)
Bronze – Vladlen KOZLIUK (UKR) v Erkan CELIK (GER)
Semifinal – Ruslan BEKUZAROV (RUS) df. Ibragim TIGCI (TUR), 6-3
Semifinal – Georgi MELIA (GEO) df. Erkan CELIK (GER) by TF, 9-0, 0:28
Georgi MELIA (GEO), cinquième au Championnats Junior et du monde l’année passée, a remporté ses quatre matchs de la matinée par tombé ou par supériorité technique, et il affronte Ruslan BEKUZAROV (RUS) en finale à 96 kg.
Résultats des demi-finales et programme des finales
Lutte gréco-romaine
50kg (12 inscriptions)
Or – Azar NASIBLI (AZE) v Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO)
Bronze – Csaba HORVATH (HUN) v Artem BELAUSOV (BLR)
Bronze – Sergey SIMONYAN (ARM) v Giovanni FRENI (ITA)
Demi-finale – Azar NASIBLI (AZE) df. Artem BELAUSOV (BLR) by TF, 8-0, 1:47
Demi-finale – Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) df. Giovanni FRENI (ITA), 6-3
60kg (21 inscriptions)
Or – Mikhail RAHMANOV (AZE) v Levani KAVJARADZE (GEO)
Bronze – Etienne KINSINGER (GER) v Nestar NESTAROV (BUL)
Bronze – Gevorg KHUMARYAN (ARM) v Aleksander HRUSHYN (UKR)
Demi-finale – Mikhail RAHMANOV (AZE) df. Nestar NESTAROV (BUL), 7-1
Demi-finale – Levani KAVJARADZE (GEO) df. Aleksander HRUSHYN (UKR), 4-0
74kg (26 inscriptions)
Or – Artem MATIASH (UKR) v Zoltan LEVAI (HUN)
Bronze – Roland SCHWARZ (GER) v George-Vlad MARIEA (ROU)
Bronze – Arman BAGHDASARYAN (ARM) v Serkan AKKOYUN (TUR)
Demi-finale – Artem MATIASH (UKR) df. George-Vlad MARIEA (ROU), 8-1
Demi-finale – Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) df. Serkan AKKOYUN (TUR), 5-0
96kg (20 inscriptions)
Or – Ruslan BEKUZAROV (RUS) v Georgi MELIA (GEO)
Bronze – Kevin BAUMANN (EST) v Ibragim TIGCI (TUR)
Bronze – Vladlen KOZLIUK (UKR) v Erkan CELIK (GER)
Demi-finale – Ruslan BEKUZAROV (RUS) df. Ibragim TIGCI (TUR), 6-3
Demi-finale – Georgi MELIA (GEO) df. Erkan CELIK (GER) by TF, 9-0, 0:28
