European Wrestling Championship

[Yazdani]

Can follow results here. Only female right now.
http://www.fila-wrestling.com/sofia07/index.php

[akzent]

Try also http://sofia2007.org

[quick_single]

Zamira Rahmanova.

A Muslim woman on Russia's team?

[sgallan]

Belaglosov has them wrestling well it would appear.

[gutfirst]

is the russian at 55 kg greco, who is in the finals, related to their freestyle heavy? or is kuramagawhatever a common name?

[quick_single]

I don't believe it is that common of a name but it may be so chances are they are not related.

It seems the Greco team has a lot more "real Russians" (Slavs) than the Freestyle team, which has almost none.

Anyone know why that is?

[akzent]

Zaur Kuramagomedov is of Dagestan but not related to Kuramagomed Kuramagomedov. The first day of the championships, he and the Azeri Rovshan Bayramov were the best not onli at 55 kg, but at the tournament as a whole (also 66, 84, 120). Both had great performance in all their matches, especially the final when wrestling each other.

I have been told that Zaur K. is of Dagestan. This was not true. Sorry. He is the of Kabardino-Balkaria, a small republic to the west of Ossetia.
In the eastern part of North Caucasus (Dagestan, Chechnya, Ossetia) the freestyle is popular. In the western part of North-Caucasus (Babardino-Balkaria, Karachaevo-Cherkessia, Adygea) the have both styles. Greco isn't a new trend there. They have an Olympic champ - Murad Kardanov (beat Lindland in the 2000 Olympic final). He and Zaur are from the same republic - Kabardino-Balkaria. In the current Russian team there is another one wrestler from that area - Vjacheslav Jaste. He is of Adygea, the western-most part of North Caucasus.

[Big]

I don't believe too many Dagestani and Chechen people wrestled for Russia before WWII. Back then there was mostly Greco internationally.

After WWII freestyle came on the scene and comrade Stalin ordered Russian coaches to develop freestyle. Dagestani and Chechnyan people became very intereted in this style and the habit of wrestlers from those regions being the best was born.

Stalin also praised HWTs in any style as the best show of Soviet strength. So, HWT in either FR or GR are most prestigious weights.

[Big]

You cannot even compare Daghestani and Chechen mentality with that of real Russians or Americans for that matter. For them wrestling is a career, a way to fame, a way of life.

If you read my translation of Gatsalov's interview, you will see he has 4 children and supports them only through wrestling. He was invited to do business, shows, and to politics. Obviously, those people are on another level and that is why they often win.