Turkey created history by winning its first-ever continental women’s wrestling team title in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
After a gold, two silver and three bronze medals, Turkey finished with 143 points, 23 more than Hungary which finished second with 120 points. Poland managed to climb to third with 118 points.
The lone gold medal for Turkey was won by Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR) as she defeated Tamara DOLLAK (HUN, 8-6, surviving and attempted pin for the last 30 seconds.
In a Nelson system draw since there were only five wrestlers in the weight class, Kamaloglu won all her bouts and finished ahead of Patrycja GIL (POL) who finished with three wins and the silver medals. Dollak won the bronze medal.
Kamaloglu began with a takedown and gut wrench to lead 4-0 but Dollak cut it to 4-2 with a takedown. But as the two continued to scramble, the Turkey wrestler always managed to come out on top and at one point led 8-2.
But Dollak was in a position to pin her opponent. However, Kamaloglu’s arch kept her from putting the shoulders down and she survived the attempt.
“I am feeling good,” Seref EROGLU, Turkey Wrestling Federation President, said. “Turkey is a wrestling country and it’s important for us.”
The team will now be eyeing a similar result at the senior European Championships, scheduled to be held in Budapest, Hungary later this month.
Eroglu, who won a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics in 66kg Greco-Roman and is a world champion, said that they will win at least two gold medals in Budapest, Hungary.
“Two gold medals at the senior European Championships,” he said. “It will start. We have a dream that we would like to get more than one gold in Paris Olympics. We have to work a lot on that. It’s not easy but we can manage this.”
In other finals, Poland won two gold Friday Ewelina CIUNEK (POL) and Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) denied two Romania wrestlers in the finals.
In a 26-point battle against Amina CAPEZAN (ROU) at 65kg, Ciunek ended up winning 14-12. The multiple-time European medalist was down 12-12 with 10 seconds remaining but was penalized for fleeing. A lost challenge gave Ciunek one more point.
The final began with Ciunek getting two a counter and then an exposure from crotch lift and lead 5-2 at the break. But Capezan stunned her with two headlock throws for four points each.
Ciunek did score two points with counter-attacks and took an 11-10 lead. A double-leg from Capezan gave her two points and it was at this point that she once again tried to throw Ciunek for four points but ended up giving one to Ciunek. But she still led 12-12 on criteria.
But the referees called for a fleeing caution and gave a point straightway without warning as it occurred in the final 10 seconds.
Ciunek, born in the wrestling rick town Namyslow and training for 12 years, said that she could have controlled the final better but was happy to win it.
“It was a little hard in the final,” Ciunek said. “But I think to win is the most important thing I did it. I thought she [Capezan] will try to score a stepout but she used good throws.”
RESULTS
WW Finals
53kg
GOLD: Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) df Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER), 10-0
BRONZE: Nazife TAIR (BUL) df Rahime ARI (TUR), 4-1
BRONZE: Gultakin SHIRINOVA (AZE) df Beatrice FERENT (ROU), 11-1
57kg
ROUND 5: Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR) df Tamara DOLLAK (HUN), 8-6
ROUND 5: Patrycja GIL (POL) df Sezen BELBEROVA (BUL), 8-0
Final Standing:
GOLD: Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR)
SILVER: Patrycja GIL (POL)
BRONZE: Tamara DOLLAK (HUN)
62kg
GOLD: Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) df Anna FABIAN (SRB), 6-2
BRONZE: Ameline DOUARRE (FRA) df Paulina DANISZ (POL), 2-1
BRONZE: Luisa SCHEEL (GER) df Nikolett SZABO (HUN), 5-3
65kg
GOLD: Ewelina CIUNEK (POL) df Amina CAPEZAN (ROU), 14-12
BRONZE: Yagmur CAKMAK (TUR) df Elma ZEIDLERE (LAT), 3-1
BRONZE: Viktoria VESSO (EST) df Nerea PAMPIN BLANCO (ESP), 11-0
72kg
GOLD: Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) df Maria NITU (ROU), 10-0
BRONZE: Zsuzsanna MOLNAR (SVK) df Kendra DACHER (FRA), via fall
BRONZE: Tuende ELEKES (HUN) df Merve PUL (TUR), 4-1
FS Semifinals
57kg
GOLD: Giorgi GEGELASHVILI (GEO) vs Horst LEHR (GER)
SF 1: Giorgi GEGELASHVILI (GEO) df Yusuf DEMIR (TUR), 10-0
SF 2: Horst LEHR (GER) df Ivaylo TISOV (BUL), 12-1
65kg
GOLD: Hrachya MARGARYAN (ARM) vs Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE)
SF 1: Hrachya MARGARYAN (ARM) df Ayub MUSAEV (BEL), 4-2
SF 2: Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) df Marwane YEZZA (FRA), 6-2
70kg
GOLD: Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO) vs Narek HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
SF 1: Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO) df Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA), 9-7
SF 2: Narek HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) df Ivan STOYANOV (BUL), 6-3
79kg
GOLD: Evsem SHVELIDZE (GEO) vs Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)
SF 1: Evsem SHVELIDZE (GEO) df Oktay HASAN (BUL), 3-1
SF 2: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) df Mushegh MKRTCHYAN (ARM), 10-7
97kg
GOLD: Johannes MAYER (GER) vs Islam ILYASOV (AZE)
SF 1: Johannes MAYER (GER) df Radu LEFTER (MDA), 5-3
SF 2: Islam ILYASOV (AZE) df Richard VEGH (HUN), 6-1
