Turkey’s Yerlikaya wins gold medal at European Wrestling Championships
AP Worldstream; Apr 27, 2006
Defending champion Hamza Yerlikaya of Turkey won gold in the
96-kilogram Greco-Roman division at the European Wrestling
Championships on Thursday.
Russia’s Varteres Samourgashev rallied from a period down to defeat
Aleh Mikhalovich of Belarus in the 74-kilogram class. While the
60-kilogram title went to Karen Mnatsakanyan of Armenia, who
outclassed Georgia’s David Bedinadze.
Yerlikaya, a two-time Olympic champion, defeated Mykhail Nikolayev of
Ukraine 10-0 for his eighth title in 11 seasons, although the previous
six were at 85 kilograms. His only world title came last season.
“None of the matches today has been easy for him (Yerlikaya),” Turkey
coach Memet Acak said. “All the opponents were motivated to defeat
him, and it made this gold medal more precious.”
Samourgashev, the 2000 Olympic and two-time world champion, struggled
against Nikolayev in the first period, losing 7-0 with two warnings.
“One more (warning) and I would have been disqualified,” Samourgashev
said. “He (Mikhalovich) waited for that instead of trying to win
himself. By that time, I was in control. I did my trademark move and
earned three points.
Mnatsakanyan, the 1997 European junior champion, didn’t concede a
point in the final to win his first major title in 11 years.
Four more Greco-Roman finals on Friday will be followed by the men’s
freestyle events on the weekend.