NOVI SAD, Serbia (May 2) – Mariya STADNIK (AZE) won her seventh continental crown and Monika MICHALIK (POL) marked her 37th birthday with her first triumph in eight years at the European Senior Wrestling Championships.

Stadnik rolled to a her fourth technical fall of the day over former European junior champ Ilona SEMKIV (UKR) at Spens Sport Hall for her seventh European title at 48kg and her fourth in a row.

Michalik, meanwhile, held on for a 3-2 victory over former world silver medalist Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) in the women’s 63kg final for her first win since 2009 and fourth overall in the European championships.

In the men’s events, Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE), who won his first European title in 2013 for Georgia, bagged the 57kg crown for his second crown, while Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) won his first crown at 86kg while assigning Aleksander GOSTIEV (AZE) the silver medal for the second year in a row.

Women’s Wrestling, 48kg & 63kg

Stadnik struck quickly for a double-leg takedown in the 48kg final and a pair of gut wrenches against Semkiv on her way to her fourth technical fall to complete the day with a combine scored of 44-1 against her four opponents.

In the bronze medal bouts, 2016 European silver medalist Alina VUC (ROU) dropped Anna LUKASIAK (POL) to her back late for a 5-2 win and one bronze medal. Frederika PETERSSON (SWE) cranked Milana DADASHEVA to her back midway through the first period and pressed for the fall at 2:10 for the other.

Michalik blocked a takedown attempt and spun behind in the second period and held on for a 3-2 victory to celebrate her 37th birthday with a hard-fought win.

In the bronze medal bouts, 2014 world champion Yulia TKACH (UKR) overcame a seven-point deficit by pinning Rio Olympian Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS) at 5:03.  Sara DA COL (ITA) scored off a single-leg in the final 15 seconds for a 3-2 win over Laura SKUJINA (LAT).

Freestyle 57kg & 86kg

Edisherashvili broke open a one-point match in the second period with a go-behind takedown and a pair of gut wrenches to snare a 9-0 win over Andrei DUKOV (ROU), a bronze medal winner one year ago in Riga.

In the bronze medal matches, European U23 champion Suleyman ATLI (TUR) opened with a five-point takedown and cruised to 10-0 technical fall over Levan METREVELI (ESP). Yarygin Grand Prix winner Zaur UGUEV (RUS) grabbed Russia’s first medal of the evening with a 9-1 win over Zoheir EL OUARRAQE (FRA).

In the evening’s finale, Kurugliev scored early and late for a 6-0 victory over Gostiev in the 86kg final as Russia held onto the middleweight title for a fourth year in a row – after Abdulrashid SADULAEV (2014, 2015) and Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (2016).

In the bronze medal matches, 2013 world bronze medal winner Istvan VEREB (HUN) scored a bodylock takedown for a 2-2 win on criteria over 2016 bronze medal winner Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO). Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL) was penalized for pulling on the singlet of Selim YASAR (TUR), giving the Rio 2016 silver medalist a 4-3 victory.

Results of Tuesday’s medal bouts and semifinals:

Freestyle

57kg (16 entries)
Gold – Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE) df. Andrei DUKOV (ROU), 9-0
Bronze – Zaur UGUEV (RUS) df. Zoheir EL OUARRAQE (FRA), 9-1
Bronze – Suleyman ATLI (TUR) df. Levan METREVELI (ESP) by TF, 11-1, 6:00

Semifinal – Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE) df. Zaur UGUEV (RUS), 5-1 
Semifinal – Andrei DUKOV (ROU) df. Suleyman ATLI (TUR), 7-6

86kg (18 entries)
Gold – Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) df. Aleksander GOSTIEV (AZE), 6-0 
Bronze – Selim YASAR (TUR) df. Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL), 4-3 
Bronze – Istvan VEREB (HUN) df. Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO), 2-2

Semifinal – Aleksander GOSTIEV (AZE) df. Selim YASAR (TUR), 3-2
Semifinal – Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) df. Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO), 4-2

Women’s Wrestling

48kg (15 entries)
Gold – Mariya STADNIK (AZE) df. Ilona SEMKIV (UKR) by TF, 10-0, 1:55 
Bronze – Federika PETERSSON (SWE) df. Milana DADASHEVA (RUS) by Fall, 2:10 (2-2)  
Bronze – Alina VUC (ROU) df. Anna LUKASIAK (POL), 5-2

Semifinal – Ilona SEMKIV (UKR) df. Milana DADASHEVA (RUS) by TF, 14-4, 5:13 
Semifinal – Mariya STADNIK (AZE) df. Alina VUC (ROU) by TF, 10-0, 0:45

63kg (13 entries)
Gold – Monika MICHALIK (POL) df. Taybe YUSEIN (BUL), 3-2
Bronze – Sara DA COL (ITA) df. Laura SKUJINA (LAT), 3-2
Bronze – Yulia TKACH (UKR) df. Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS) by Fall, 5:03 (6-7)
 
Semifinal – Monika MICHALIK (POL) df. Laura SKUJINA (LAT), 7-2
Semifinal – Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) df. Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS), 16-14