The Buryatia team won thirteen medals at the All-Russian tournament in memory of Yuri Vlasko

Last weekend, the Ulan-Ude physical education and sports complex once again brought together sports fans. On October 27 and 28, the capital hosted the III All-Russian freestyle wrestling competition among juniors under 21 in memory of the international master of sports, two-time European champion and winner of the Russian Cup Yuri Vlasko.

Athletes from seven regions of Russia took part in the competition – Buryatia, Yakutia, Tyva, Krasnoyarsk and Trans-Baikal territories, Irkutsk and Kemerovo regions, as well as from neighboring Mongolia. Over two days, about 140 of the strongest wrestlers competed on the mat, showing the audience worthy fights.

Competitions dedicated to the memory of Buryat wrestler Yuri Vlasko, who tragically died six years ago on Lake Baikal, were held in the republic for the third time. The first two tournaments took place in 2018 and 2019 and, after the Covid lull, resumed in 2023.

At the grand opening of the tournament, the Minister of Sports of Buryatia, Ivan Kozyrev, expressed his gratitude to the organizers and sponsors of the tournament, and wished bright and fair victories to all athletes, without exception.

– For many of us, freestyle wrestling is much more than a sport, because it has become one of the main activities in the lives of many of our fellow countrymen. Yuri Vlasko was a very prominent representative of this sport and, despite his short career in sports, managed to win serious awards. At All-Russian competitions he defended the honor of our republic, and in the international arena – the honor of the entire country.

For many young wrestlers, Yuri Vlasko is an example and each of them strives for his sporting results. By the age of 20, he managed to become an international master of sports, a two-time European champion, and a winner of the Russian Cup. The athlete’s mother, Tatyana Vlasko, who was also present at the tournament, thanked all the assembled participants.

– Memory is all we have left now. Thanks to all the athletes who are taking part in this competition today, especially those who came from far away. My son once walked on this carpet, so I am pleased to be in this room today.

The number of athletes from our republic was many times greater than the number of participants from other regions – the local team consisted of 64 wrestlers. Perhaps, as in many competitions, the struggle was not easy, competitive, but the Buryat team coped and showed good results. Excellent preparation and the “native” walls of FSK helped our athletes to be among the leaders and in the medal standings. As a result, our team has four gold, three silver and six bronze medals.

One of the most memorable fights was the duel between the Buryat athlete Tamir Yeshinimaev and Anton Suchkov from the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Both spectators and judges recognized the fight as the best, awarding the wrestlers a special prize of 25 thousand rubles. The score really did not end in our athlete’s favor, because the Krasnoyarsk resident beat Yeshinimaev by two points.

Buryat freestyle wrestler, competing for Russian national teams since 2001, international master of sports of Russia Zhamso Lkhamazhapov shared his impressions of the last tournament.

– A very strong team came from the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The fight with the winner of the Russian championship Anton Suchkov was recognized as the most interesting, beautiful and intense. But in general, our guys also competed well, especially in the larger weight categories. Chingis Balzhimaev surprised me with his beautiful throws. Also pleased with victories were Arasalan Balzhinimaev in the 92 kg weight category and Kirill Erkhituev in the 97 kg weight category.

Tsyren Dugarzhapov in the 70 kg weight category, according to Lkhamazhapov, literally “snatched” his victory from the athlete from Krasnoyarsk Yura Airapetyan, winning decisive winning points in the last seconds and proving that one must always fight until the very end. This is not the first competition for Tsyren, as he previously took part in the All-Russian tournaments in Khabarovsk and Blagoveshchensk, and also became a prize-winner of the Far Eastern Federal District, the championship and the championship of Buryatia.

“It wasn’t easy, because my opponent turned out to be a pretty strong wrestler,” gold medalist Tsyren Dugarzhapov shares his impression of the fight. – I was a little tired in the fight with him, so you can say I won on character. Now there is another significant event ahead – this is the championship of the republic.

Another of our winners in the 92 kg weight category, Arsalan Balzhinimaev, is confident that this will not be his last gold medal.

“I’ve been wrestling for about six years now. In the final I fought with an athlete from Tuva. I prepared thoroughly for the tournament, so the final fight went exactly as I had planned. I think I managed to please my parents, coach, and, of course, prove something to myself with my victory. To this day, I follow the example of Yuri Vlasko, trying, like him, to be disciplined and hardworking in sports.

The best representatives of the freestyle wrestling tournament received not only medals, but also cash prizes. For example, Kirill Erkhituev from Buryatia received a special cash prize in the amount of 50 thousand rubles and the title “Champion in the weight category up to 97 kg” from the family of Yuri Vlasko. Tsyren Dugarzhapov was recognized as the “best wrestler of the tournament”, for which he received a bonus of 45 thousand rubles.

According to established tradition, a drawing was held among the spectators and fans present in the FSK stands. One of the fans became the proud owner of a smart watch.

The general partner of the All-Russian freestyle wrestling tournament was JSC Transbaikal Mining Enterprise (ZGRP).