Ukraine Wrestling Team Secures 6 Medals at International Competition in Croatia
In the capital of Croatia, Zagreb, the international wrestling tournament known as Zagreb Open is currently underway. The Ukrainian wrestling team has already clinched six medals at the event, as reported by the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine.
The first medal at the international ranking tournament was claimed by freestyle wrestler Andriy Dzhelep, who secured the second spot on the podium in the 61 kg weight category. In his opening day of competition, the 23-year-old athlete defeated Daniel Popov from Israel (8:2) and Nuraddin Novruzov from Azerbaijan (10:8). However, he fell short in the final match against the two-time bronze medalist of the World Championship, Bekhbayar Erdenebat from Mongolia (2:9).
Wrestler Maria Vynnyk brought Ukraine its second medal, earning bronze in the 55 kg weight category. In the initial matches, she successfully defeated Gultakin Shirinova from Azerbaijan (14:3). Despite losing in the subsequent bout against the bronze medallist of the 2021 World Championship, Samantha Leigh Stewart from Canada (2:6), she emerged victorious in the bronze medal clash against Rosa Senttamashi (2:2 VPO1).
On January 13th, the Ukrainian team added three more medals, two of which are of the highest calibre. The national anthem of Ukraine played in honour of the victories of wrestlers Alina Filipovich (up to 59 kg) and Alla Belinska (up to 65 kg). Additionally, Tetiana Sova-Rizhko secured a bronze medal in the 68 kg weight category.
In the Croatian capital, Greco-Roman wrestler Parviz Nasibov also claimed victory in the 67 kg weight category, earning another gold medal for Ukraine.
In a separate event, The Gaze recently reported that Ukrainian figure skater Ivan Shmuratko showcased his free program at the 2024 European Championships in Kaunas, Lithuania, donning a shirt with a "bloody" motif. The 22-year-old skater took to the ice, narrating the story of a child hit by a missile and a father continuing to live with it.
For his performance, Ivan Shmuratko received a score of 140.70, securing the 12th position in the free program rankings. With a total score of 210.65 (combining the short and free programs), he finished in 14th place overall.
It's worth noting that Ivan Shmuratko is a four-time Ukrainian figure skating champion who participated in the 2022 Olympic Games, finishing 24th. At the 2022 European Figure Skating Championships, he achieved Ukraine's best result in men's singles skating in 20 years, securing the 12th position.