"VAN" (Sports Desk) :: After 581 days off the mat, Maria STADNIK (AZE) began from where she left in Nursultan. If the World Championships in 2019 were a display of her strength, she put on a show of her speed on Wednesday to reach the final of the European Championships in Warsaw.
Stadnik looked as good as ever and showed why she remains the top wrestler in the continent as she set up the 2019 European Championships gold medal rematch against Miglena SELISHKA (BUL).
Russia sent four of their wrestlers in the finals as women's wrestling began at the spectator-less Hala Widowiskowo-Sportowa COS Torwar stadium in Warsaw on Wednesday.
Stadnik began her day against world bronze medalist Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS) and while it looked like a tough bout on paper, the world champion did not think so. She got a point for Poleshchuk and later a takedown to lead 3-0. A double for four points gave her a 7-0 lead before she finished with a counter to win 11-0.
The two semifinals at 50kg went back-and-forth before the winners prevailed. The first semifinal proved to be more challenging for Stadnik as Oksana LIVACH (UKR) kept coming at her until the end. After securing four points early in the first period, Livach got Stadnik in a headlock and threw her for a four. A stepout got Stadnik her lead back.
In the second period, Stadnik scored a point for stepout to lead 6-4 but Livach made a desperate attempt at the end. Stadnik was quick to counter for a takedown and a gut wrench to win 10-4 and reach the final.
Selishka needed a last second takedown and a challenge to beat Emilia BUDEANU (MDA) 3-3 and reach her second consecutive Euro final. Trailing 1-3, she scored via a go behind with Budeanu's knee touching the mat for a split second. The referees did not score the scramble but a challenge from Bulgaria's corner saved the day for Selishka 3-3 on criteria.
She will be aiming to defend her title on Thursday which she won in Stadnik's absence last year in Rome.
But another defending champion was not so lucky with criteria. Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) suffered a shock 4-4 loss in the 59kg semifinal against Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RUS). NICHTA was the favourite to win the gold medal in Warsaw and was well on course until the Russian roadblock.
The Tokyo Olympian was leading 3-2 when Chumikova launched a double on her. Despite a cartwheeling effort from Nichita, Chumikova was awarded four points while two were given to Nichita.
A challenge from Nichita saw the score being reversed to 4-4 with Chumikova holding criteria as she had four points via two takedowns. With :46 remaining on the clock, Chumikova managed to hold off Nichita and reach her first European final.
The Russian will be up agaisnt the silver medalist from last year Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL). In the semifinal, Dudova completed a 2-1 win over Yuliya PISARENKA (BLR) with all three points coming for passivity.
Nichita had earlier ended the hopes of Grace BULLEN (NOR) becoming a European champion for the second time with a 7-0 win. Dominating the quarterfinal, Nichita gave no chance to Bullen to score. With Nichita's loss later in the day, Bullen won't be able to compete in the repechage as well.
Warsaw saw more young talent reaching the finals as Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) and Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) set up the summit clash at 68kg. The France wrestler could not have asked for a better day as she won her two bouts via fall and technical superiority, respectively.
Thursday's final will be a rematch from the European Olympic Qualifier event in Budapest last month. For the record, Velieva had forfeited the final in Budapest citing injury but the defending champion at Euros will in all likelihood try to keep her gold with her.
At 76kg, two-time Olympic medalist Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS) defeated Aline FOCKEN (GER) and Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR) in consecutive bouts to reach the final of 76kg. She will take on World Championships bronze medalist Epp MAEE (EST) on Thursday.
At 55kg, Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS) made it to the final at 55kg where she will wrestle local wrestler Roksana ZASINA (POL).
Salkazanov ends dream run with gold
Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) capped off his dream run in Warsaw with a gold medal at 74kg. Wrestling only at his second European Championships, Salkazanov entered the final after coming out from the lower side of the brack which had two world champions and a silver medalist.
Salkazanov had scored three come-from-behind victories coming into the final on Wednesday but it was a one-sided affair agaisnt Miroslav KIROV (BUL) as he won 10-0 to capture the gold medal.
On Tuesday, the Slovak defeated Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) 6-2 before erasing a five-point deficiet in the quarterfinal against Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) to win 6-5. He then defeated the Individual World Cup champion Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS) with an identical score in the semifinal.
Surprisingly, Salkazanov is yet to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo as he finished 13th in Budapest last month. The last chance qualifier in Sofia, Bulgaria can see him fulfill his dream.
The two bronze medals at 74kg went to Mitchell FINESILVER (ISR) and Chamizo.FINESILVER cruised to a 4-0 victory over Valentin BORZIN (MDA) to capture the bronze medal, Israel’s first freestyle European medal in the last 30 years. The last wrestler from Israel to medal at the European Championships was Maxim GELLER (ISR), who finished in second place at the 1991 European Championships in Stuttgart, Germany.
In a rematch of the Individual World Cup final in Belgrade, Serbia last year, Chamizo avenged his loss with a 5-1 win over Zhamalov. Putting up a defensive masterclass, Chamizo did not let the Russian score from any position despite being in trouble a couple of times.
He scored his points via a two pushouts, a double leg and penalty to Zhamalov for stopping the action, citing shoulder injury. He was visibly in trouble with his shoulder but continued to wrestle despite his coach asking him to stop.
While Salkazanov captured his first title, veteran wrestler at 125kg Taha Akgul won his eighth European title in the last 11 years. In a final that saw Sergei KOZYREV (RUS) being cautioned out, Akgul looked a fitter, better version of himself at the surgery which kept him out for close to two years.
"I am really happy to comeback after the injury and beat the top four wrestlers to win the gold. It's very positive and motivating," Akgul, the Rio gold medalist, said after the final. "I will decide with my coaches where we will compete again. We are just months away from the Olymics and there is no time."
Coming into the Championships, Akgul's biggest rival was Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), the 2019 world champion, and they met in the first round. Akgul's sharpness and speed were too much for Petriashvili as he lost 1-5. Akgul then easily made it past Kamil Tomasz KOSCIOLEK (POL) and Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (BLR).
Petriashvili returned to win the bronze medal after he defeated Khramianku (BLR) in a closely contested bronze medal bout. The Georgian won 12-9. The second bronze went to Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR) as he defeated Daniel LIGETI (HUN) 5-0.
Russia captured three gold medals on the final day for freestyle. Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS) was the first champion of the day as he rolled over Andrii DZHELEP (UKR) for a 12-2 win at 61kg.
The two bronze medals at this weight were won by Eduard GRIGOREV (POL) as he defeated Georgi VANGELOV (BUL). The second medal was captured by world champion Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) after a thriller against Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE) which he won 9-7.
Russia's two other gold medals came via Artur NAIFONOV (RUS) and Magomed Guseynovitch KURBANOV (RUS) at 86kg and 92kg respectively.
The six gold medals in Warsaw helped Russia win the team title while Ukraine finished second and Azaerbaijan with the third place.
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