WOMEN'S HOLIDAY

At the European Wrestling Championships in Riga the Azerbaijani team won eight medals. However, this continental victory also showed major problems in the team's training. The men's teams for free-style and Greco-Roman wrestling were overshadowed by the members of the "weaker" sex. Of the eight medals won at the European Championship, two were gold, and both were won by women. 

Overall the Azerbaijani women's team showed what they could do in Riga. The team's captain, Mariya Stadnik, once again proved that she is unequalled in the under 48-kilogramme category. On the way to the final she easily beat Ukrainian Oleksandra Kogut, Russian Valentina Islamova, and Bulgarian Elitsa Yankova. In the final Stadnik used four moves against Romanian Emilia Vuc and took the European Championship gold. It was Stadnik's fifth title of European champion, preceded by wins in 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2014. 

"On the women's holiday of March 8 I gave myself the gift of this gold medal. I'm very glad that the Azerbaijani national anthem played once again. Now my only wish is for the Olympics. I want to get the gold in Rio," said Stadnik.

This start was supported by her teammate Natalya Sinishina (58 kilogrammes), although her path to victory was much more difficult. In her first match she beat Belarusian wrestler Veronika Ivanova by a score of 4:2. Sinishina then easily knocked Anna Vasilenko (Ukraine) and Elin Johanna Nilsson (Sweden) out of competition, and in the final match beat Norwegian Grace Jacob Bullen with a score of 3:1 and won the first European Championship gold medal of her career. 

Yuliya Ratkevich, who participates in the 60-kilogramme weight category of the European and World Championships, began her fight with the quarterfinal, where she beat Dzhanan Manolova. In the half-finals, however, she was not able to overcome Ukrainian wrestler Oksana Herhel. In the battle for third place the Azerbaijani athlete won a clear victory over Norway's Charlotte Skauen, taking the bronze medal.

The free-style wrestlers were unable to live up to the hopes placed on them. Olympic champion Sarif Sarifov was unable to go on to the mat due to a last-minute injury, which upset the plans of his coaches. Other athletes also gave disappointing showings. Alexander Gostiyev of the 86-kilogramme category was stronger than his competitors, but in the main match was beaten by Russian Shamil Kudiamagomedov and had to settle for the silver.

Two-time world champion Haci Aliyev (61 kilogrammes) beat Lithuania's Sarunas Jurycs and Bulgaria's Vladimir Dubov with identical scores of 11:0, but in the half-final lost to Georgian Vladimer Khinchegashvili. In the match for third place he proved to be much stronger than Armenia's Volodi Frangulyan (7:0), and took the bronze medal.

Two-time European champion Cabrayil Hasanov (74 kilogramme) on the way to the final beat Yakob Makharashvili (Georgia), Giya Chykh-ladze (Ukraine), and Miroslav Kirov (Bulgaria). In the battle for the gold, though, he lost 1:2 to Turkish athlete Soner Dermitas and was stuck with the silver. 

An even worse impression was made by the Greco-Roman wrestlers. Their scores included only two bronze medals, won by Kamran Mammadov (66 kilogrammes) and Hasan Aliyev. And while this is Mammadov's third bronze at the European Championship and he, in theory, gave a result to match, then for World and European Champion Hasan Aliyev a bronze medal was by no means the expected or desired outcome. 

"This is the first time I've participated in an international tournament in the under 71-kilogramme category, which is new for me. That's why I didn't have detailed information on my competitors. Overall, the entire team is disappointed - we didn't even have finalists. I myself am disappointed in my performance and, maybe, will return to the under 66-kilogramme category. The decision will be made by my coaches. But at least I qualified," said Aliyev. 

Meanwhile, paradoxically, the Greco-Roman wrestling team, with only two bronze medals, took third place in the team scores, while the women's team with two gold medals and a bronze took only fourth place, and the free-style wrestling team with two silvers and one bronze came in fifth. 

The Azerbaijani women's team's performance can only be a good thing. Their team knew no equals. The team's leader, Mariya Stadnik, once again went through the tournament splendidly. Unfortunately, one cannot say the same about the free-style and Greco-Roman wrestling teams. Not only was Togrul Asgarov absent, but then Sarif Sarifov suffered an injury. The wrestlers made many mistakes that need to be worked on before the Olympics. 

Ex-European champion Hasan Aliyev's bronze medal can be explained by his transfer to the under 71-kilogramme category. However, it still needs to said that in that category Rasul Cunayev has greater chances to go to Rio de Janeiro. Something needs to be done about Elvin Mursaliyev, Rafiq Hasanov, and Islam Abbasov, who performed unsatisfactorily in Riga. 

The athletes have three more international tournaments before the Olympics. After these three tournaments, a new team-list will be announced for the Olympic wrestling teams and training will be conducted according to a special plan.