ZRENJANIN, Serbia (April 17) – Turkish wrestlers grabbed three berths at Rio 2016 on Sunday with semifinal victories on the final day of the European Olympic Games qualifying tournament.
Newly crowned European champion Yasmin ADAR (TUR) and Buse TOSUN (TUR) each posted a pair of one-sided wins in the women’s events to qualify as the country’s second and third female wrestlers at an Olympic Games.
Ibragim BOLUKBASI (TUR), who finished eighth at the 2015 world championships, also nailed down two wins at 97kg to snare Turkey’s third ticket of the day. Bolukbasi scored eight unanswered points against Egzon SHALA (ALB) in the semifinals to secure the berth with a 12-4 win.
Adar opened at 75kg with a technical fall against European Games bronze medalist Maider UNDA (ESP), then rallied for a 7-2 win over London 2012 Olympian Cynthia VESCAN (FRA) to book her trip to Rio de Janeiro.
Tosun, winner of last month’s European under-23 crown, wrapped up both Vanessa WILSON (HUN) and former world bronze medalist Laura SKUJINA (LAT) by 13-0 scores for her ticket to Rio 2016.
Tosun and Adar join Elif Jale YESILIRMAK (TUR), who was Turkey’s first-ever female wrestler at the Olympic Games when she qualified for London 2012. Yesilirmak is also headed to Rio 2016 after winning a bronze medal in Las Vegas last September.
In Sunday evening’s finals, Tosun will face fellow qualifier Agnieszka WIESZCZEK-KORDUS (POL), who is headed to her second Olympic Games after winning a bronze medal at Beijing 2008.
Adar takes on Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) in the 75kg final -- a rematch of their quarterfinal match-up at the European championships in Riga which the eventual champion won by fall.
Meanwhile, in the 125kg final in freestyle, 2013 world runner-up Alen ZASEEV (UKR) takes on Yusup JALILAV (BLR), who grabbed a second qualification for the Belarus freestyle team and third overall in the tournament.
In Greco-Roman, London 2012 silver medalist Heiki NABI (EST) scored a late takedown against Iosif CHUGOSHVILI (BLR) in the 130kg semifinals to earn a place in his second Olympic Games.
In the final, the two-time world champion will face Eduard POPP (GER), who earned Germany its second qualification of the competition.
At 97kg, Ardo ARUSAAR (EST) kicked off his run to Rio with a 3-2 win over 2013 world bronze medalist Shalva GADABADZE (AZE), then held off fellow London 2012 Olympian Timofej DZEYNICHENKO (BLR), 1-1, on last point criteria in the semifinals.
Arusaar, who will be making his second trip to an Olympic Games, faces off in the final with Adam VARGA (HUN), who won a bronze medal at the prestigious Hungarian Grand Prix in February.
Freestyle
97kg (14 entries)
Semifinal – Radoslaw BARAN (POL) df. Nikolae CEBAN (MDA), 5-2
Semifinal – Ibragim BOLUKBASI (TUR) df. Egzon SHALA (ALB), 12-4
Gold – Radoslaw BARAN (POL) v Ibragim BOLUKBASI (TUR)
Bronze – Magomedgadzhi NUROV (MKD) v Nikolae CEBAN (MDA)
Bronze – Jozef JALOVIAR (SVK) v Egzon SHALA (ALB)
125kg (10 entries)
Semifinal – Yusup JALILAV (BLR) df. Lyuben ILIEV (BUL), 3-0
Semifinal – Alen ZASEEV (UKR) df. Daniel LIGETI (HUN), 6-3
Gold – Yusup JALILAV (BLR) v Alen ZASEEV (UKR)
Bronze – Ioannis ARZOUMANIDIS (GRE) v Lyuben ILIEV (BUL)
Bronze – Soslan GAGLOEV (SVK) v Daniel LIGETI (HUN)
Greco-Roman
98kg (15 entries)
Semifinal – Adam VARGA (HUN) df. Peter OEHLER (GER), 3-0
Semifinal – Ardo ARUSAAR (EST) df. Timofej DZEYNICHENKO (BLR), 1-1
Gold – Adam VARGA (HUN) v Ardo ARUSAAR (EST)
Bronze – David VALA (CZE) v Peter OEHLER (GER)
Bronze – Shalva GADABADZE (AZE) v Timofej DZEYNICHENKO (BLR)
130kg (14 entries)
Semifinal – Eduard POPP (GER) df. Sandro DIKHAMINJIA (GEO), 2-0
Semifinal – Heiki NABI (EST) df. Iosif CHUGOSHVILI (BLR), 3-1
Gold – Eduard POPP (GER) v Heiki NABI (EST)
Bronze – Tamas SOOS (SVK) v Sandro DIKHAMINJIA (GEO)
Bronze – Nemanja PAVLOVIC (SRB) v Iosif CHUGOSHVILI (BLR)
Women’s Wrestling
69kg (11 entries)
Semifinal – Buse TOSUN (TUR) df. Laura SKUJINA (LAT) by TF, 13-0, 3:21
Semifinal – Agnieszka WIESZCZEK-KORDUS (POL) df. Alina MAKHYNIA (UKR), 4-2
Gold – Buse TOSUN (TUR) v Agnieszka WEISZCZEK (POL)
Bronze – Vanessa WILSON (HUN) v Laura SKUJINA (LAT)
Bronze – Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) v Aline MAKHYNIA (UKR)
75kg (10 entries)
Semifinal – Yasmin ADAR (TUR) df. Cynthia VESCAN (FRA), 7-2
Semifinal – Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) df. Maria SELMAIER (GER), 10-6
Gold – Yasmin ADAR (TUR) v Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR)
Bronze – Maider UNDA (ESP) v Cynthia VESCAN (FRA)
Bronze – Fanny GRADIN (SWE) v Maria SELMAIER (GER)
