The women’s 50kg division saw Ana PIRVU (ROU) continue her good form that saw her pick up the gold in the last leg in Timisoara winning her opening two matchups. First the Romanian beat Claudia Soledad CABRERA (ARG), then Alevtyna LIASHENKO (UKR). Viktoriia SLOBODENIUK (UKR) who pushed Pirvu all the way in leg 3 also started her campaign well with two wins of her own as she defeated Justine Fanny VIGOUROUX (FRA) and Nicoleta Cristina BAJAN (ROU).  

The 60kg division saw Ukrainian trio Anastasiya KRAVCHENKO, Sofiia KUSHNIR and Sofiia BORDINSKYKH come through the day as the only competitors in the weight class not to lose a matchup. They all secured two wins from two with victories over Gabriela CUC (ROU) and Elena Simona IONESCU (ROU) for Kravchenko, wins over Francesca INDELICATO (ITA) and Lilou Louise Marie DUPINAY (FRA) for Kushnir and victories for Bordinskykh over Mihaela CIRIC (SLO) and Lydia KANELLOPOULOU (GRE). 

Ukraine’s Viktoriia HRYTSENKO has taken back-to-back golds in the last two legs of the 2024 Beach Wrestling World Series women’s 70kg division but this leg started off with a defeat. Her compatriot Oksana HERHEL landed one of the 20 3-point finishes with a minute fifty-five seconds on the clock to land her first of two wins, the second coming as she beat Dimitra ANDROUTSOU from Greece. Hrytsenko bounced back in her second matchup to give herself a good chance of making the elimination round, beating Kaylee Ann ANDERSON (USA) with a 3-point finish of her own after just 27 seconds. Olena NIKITINSKA (UKR) also finished with two wins from two as she wasted no time claiming both victories in a combined total of one minute two seconds. Firstly, taking only 35 seconds to beat Sara TRBULIN (SLO) and then 43 seconds to overcome France’s Laetitia Odile Vicky BLOT. 

Fresh from representing Romania in the Olympic Games in Paris, Catalina AXENTE showed her world class credentials by managing to disarm “The Bomm” as she took only 18 seconds to land a 0-4 win over defending World Champion (+70kg) Eliana BOMMARITO (USA). Axente would then go on and pick up a second win of the day over Daria KONSTANTYNOVA (UKR). Bommarito dusted herself down to pick up a win over local hero Stefania ZACHEILA. There were also two wins from two for Liudmyla PAVLOVETS TYCHYNA (UKR) as she defeated Aikaterini Eirini PITSIAVA (GRE) and Angelique GONZALEZ from France.

Reigning men’s 70kg Beach Wrestling World Champion Oleskii BORUTA (UKR) had his run of gold medals halted last time in Romania as Turkey’s Younus COSKUN took home the gold. Today the Ukrainian showed why he is so hard to beat as he claimed two wins from his opening two matchups winning over Justin BENJAMIN (USA) and Valentin SEIMETZ (GER). Coskun himself got off to a winning start as he beat Frenchman Quentin STICKER but he was downed by a 3-point finish 35 seconds into in his second match up from Ivan SEMENOV (UKR). Coskun did challenge the award of the 3 points but lost out and the award stood. It was Semenov’s second 3-point finish of the day having won his opening bout with Ilias Rafail KARNAVAS (GRE) in the same fashion. 

It was a repeat of the last leg final in the opening round of the men’s 80kg weight class as local hero CHRISTOFORIDIS Christos and Vasile DIACON (MDA) took to the sandy circle. This time it was Diacon’s hand that was raised in victory in a close 0-2 win. The Moldavan wrestler also picked up a second win of the day to make his place in the elimination phase look secured as he beat American Michael Anthony Eugene CLARK. Chirstoforidis got back to winning ways in his second-round matchup with a 3-point finisher that saw him run out 5-0 winner over teammate Georgios KAPOGLOU. Azerbaijan’s Ramiz HASANOV also picked up two wins as he got the better of Tyler LOETHEN (USA) and Alexandros SPILIOTIS (GRE) with both bouts coming to an end courtesy of 3-point finishes as the sand continued to fly. 

Traian CAPATINA (MDA) lost his opening 90kg division group stage matchup two months ago in Romania and went on to take home the gold. The Moldovan will be hoping that it’s the same this Saturday in September as he lost to Mahmut Seyfi OZKAYA (TUR) with Ozkaya taking the 3-2 win with only two seconds remaining. Just like in Timisoara though Capatina bounced back with a 3-0 win in his second bout of the day over Christos SAMARTSIDIS (GRE). Ozkaya would go on to make it two from two as he picked up a second win of the stage over Jamal MORRIS (USA). Reigning Beach Wrestling World Champion Ibrahim YUSUBOV from Azerbaijan also had a great day with two wins; the first over Kevin GREMM from Germany and the second over Ukrainian Demid KARACHENKO without losing a point. 

Reigning heavyweight World Champion Fatih Yasarli missed the opening couple of legs of the 2024 edition of the Beach Wrestling World Series returning in Romania to take silver and it looks like the wrestler from Turkey has his sights on regaining his golden touch in Greece. He won his opening ties with victories over Alessio Salvatore VANDI (ITA) and Quentin Michel Arthur MILLIERE (FRA). Gold medallist in Romania, Georgia’s Mamuka KORDZAIA suffered defeat in his opener losing out to Ukrainian Vazha DAIAURI before getting back to winning ways with a 3-0 win in his second-round match against Greece’s Rafail GKIRNIS. Oleksandr VERESIUK (UKR) had to take part in a knockout match to secure his place in the group stage where he defeated Achilleas CHRYSIDIS (GRE) before winning both group matches, firstly taking out Quentin Michel Arthur Milliere from France before victory over Italian Vandi. American Kyle FERRITER also ended the day unbeaten with victories over two fellow countrymen Gabriel RANGEL and Dominic Blake PORTER. 

A tremendous first day’s action with plenty of thrills and throws as the greatest show on sand returned to the Sandy Circles after a summer break. With the group stages finely poised Sunday morning’s session should whet the appetite even more for the elimination session in the afternoon.

If you can’t make it sand side watch the live stream over on the Beach Wrestling World Series Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@BeachWrestlingWorldSeries or check the results on www.beachwrestling.org to keep you up to date with the latest from the sandy circles as the Kings and Queens of Katerini are coronated.