The warm-up hall at Municipal Pavillion in Pontevedra is an emotional setting. At the end of the Grappling World Championships by United World Wrestling, grapplers from around the world are bidding goodbyes to their friends, rivals and coaches.
It’s a room full of athletes that are skilled in various forms of combat sports coming together to grapple on the mat and be the world champion. A few are mixed martial arts fights, some are skilled at various forms of grappling and a few are equally good at both.
Among them is Kateryna SHAKALOVA (UKR) who is being congratulated by almost everyone around. She also gets some requests for selfies.
Shakalova won the gold medals in 71kg at both Grappling and Grappling Gi, a version in which athletes wrestle wearing a loose uniform used in almost all combat sports with a belt around the waist.
It was not the first time that Shakalova won two gold medals in the same tournament. She achieved the same feat in 2017 in Baku at the same tournament. Shakalova was extremely pleased that she was able to repeat after a gap of five years.
In the 71kg final, she got a 6-3 win over Giulia RODIO (ITA) with two setpouts before Radio pulled the guard to be penalized two more points. In the second period, Shakalova scored a takedown but also gave up two points for stalling while being on top. But with her experience, she secured the win.
RESULTS
Women’s Grappling Gi
53kg
GOLD: Rui HIRABAYASHI (JPN) df. Kanae IKEDA (JPN), 3-0
BRONZE: Martyna IWAT (POL) df. Botakoz YELDOSKYZY (KAZ), 4-2
BRONZE: Naiomi MATTHEWS (ESP) df. Tetiana ASTAKHOVA (UKR), 7-2
58kg
GOLD: Alexa TOTH (HUN) df. Breanna STIKKELMAN (USA), 11-2
BRONZE: Adrianna WOJARSKA (POL) df. Minerva MONTERO (ESP), via submission
BRONZE: Lina GROSSET (FRA) df. Samantha JEAN FRANCOIS (FRA), 5-3
64kg
GOLD: Joanna ZABULEWICZ (POL) df. Antonia KANEW (GER), 6-5
BRONZE: Fariza KULYNTAY (KAZ) df. Anna CASTELLS (ESP), 5-1
BRONZE: Viktoriia SYNIAVINA (UKR) df. Aigul SAMAT (KAZ), 5-0
71kg
GOLD: Kateryna SHAKALOVA (UKR) df. Giulia RODIO (ITA), 6-3
BRONZE: MERYXELL GONZALEZ (ESP) df. Aizhan ABDYKADYR (KAZ), via submission (2-2)
BRONZE: Emily GUENZLER (GER) df. Christina HANSEN (USA), via submission (0-6)
90kg
GOLD: Tara WHITE (USA) df. Assel KABDYGALYMOVA (KAZ), 10-1
BRONZE: Magdalena ZASZCZUDLOWICZ (POL) df. Aikorkem IKHSANOVA (KAZ), via walkover
BRONZE: Darina GOLDIN (GER) df. Teara LEWIS (USA), via walkover
Women’s Grappling
53kg
GOLD: Kanae IKEDA (JPN) df. Rui HIRABAYASHI (JPN), 3-1
BRONZE: Carlota PRENDES (ESP) df. Alicja STYPULKOWSKA (POL), 4-3
BRONZE: Naiomi MATTHEWS (ESP) df. Martyna IWAT (POL), 2-0
58kg
Alexa TOTH (HUN) df. Melissa BENEDINI (ITA), 13-0
BRONZE: Laila OHLHOFF (GER) df. Jazmin ARJONA (ESP), via submission (7-3)
BRONZE: Aizhan ISMAGULOVA (KAZ) df. Adrianna WOJARSKA (POL), 4-1
64kg
GOLD: Anna CASTELLS (ESP) df. Antonia KANEW (GER), via submission (2-2)
BRONZE: Florika LUCHYCH (UKR) df. Kristi RUSSELL (USA), via walkover
BRONZE: Sandra PNIAK (POL) df. Olena HERMAN (UKR), 5-3
71kg
GOLD: Kateryna SHAKALOVA (UKR) df. Alycia QUENEE (FRA), 11-5
BRONZE: Christina HANSEN (USA) df. Aizhan ABDYKADYR (KAZ), via submission (12-0)
BRONZE: Giulia RODIO (ITA) df. Giada CHIOSO (ITA), via submission
90kg
GOLD: Darina GOLDIN (GER) df. Olena SUSHKO (UKR), via submission (2-2)
BRONZE: Magdalena ZASZCZUDLOWICZ (POL) df. Aikorkem IKHSANOVA (KAZ), via submission (6-0)
BRONZE: Tara WHITE (USA) df. Teara LEWIS (USA), via walkover
Source and image: www.uww.org
