The European Sambo Championships concluded in Limassol ©FIAS

Ukraine clinched three gold medals on the final day of the European Sambo Championships in Limassol, with the remaining men’s, women’s and combat titles decided.

Khrystyna Bondar gave Ukraine a perfect start to the second day of senior finals by winning the women’s 54-kilogram title.

Bondar overcame Belarus’ Alena Kupava in the gold medal bout, with Russia’s Elizaveta Syshchikova and Bulgaria’s Iva Ivanova winning bronze.

The men’s 98kg competition saw Yaroslav Davydchuk earn victory with the Ukrainian athlete overcoming Latvia’s Viktors Resko in the final.

The weight division provided a rare event without a Russian podium finisher, as France’s Anthony Segard and Georgia’s Davit Loriashvili secured bronze medals.

The men’s 88kg combat event saw Petro Davydenko follow Bondar and Davydchuk’s success.

He secured a third Ukrainian gold of the day with victory over Yauheni Aleksiyevich of Belarus in the final.

The Netherlands’ Remco van den Brink and Spain’s Joan Arastey Hodelin secured bronze.

Russia were able to enjoy a successful final day, with the sport’s dominant nation adding a further four titles to their haul.

Ay-Kherel Khertek beat Moldova’s Serghei Silov in the men’s 58kg combat sambo gold medal bout, with France’s Maximilien Vallot and Armenia’s Armen Mnatsakanyan completing the podium.

Russia’s Soslan Dzhanzev was crowned men’s over 98kg combat champion after winning a head-to-head contest with Ukraine’s Razmik Tonoyan.

The two athletes were the only competitors in the weight category.


The final two Russian golds came in the non-combat events, with Askerbii Gerbekov winning the men’s 79kg title by beating Bulgaria’s Ivan Harkov.

Georgia’s Levan Nakhutsrishvili and Armenia’s Artur Hakobyan won bronze medals following semi-final defeats.

Russia’s Aiko Ri earned the women’s 65kg gold medal by overcoming Israel’s Alice Schlesinger, a former judoka and two-time sambo world champion.

Ukraine’s Yuliia Hrebenozhko and Belarus’ Daniela Zhdan completed the podium places.

The final women’s title of the European Championships was earned by Bulgaria’s Mariya Oryashkova, after she overcame Ukraine’s Halyna Kovalska in the 80kg final.

Belarus’ Karyna Shut and Anna Balashova won bronze.

Pavel Hladkikh of Belarus won the men’s 64kg title by beating Russia’s Alexander Chebotar, with Ukraine’s Dmytro Yevdoshenko and Bulgaria’s Radoslav Markov taking bronze.

Israel’s Tariel Abasov was the winner of the men’s 71kg combat event.

Abasov beat Armenia’s Mher Merjanyan in the final, with Spain’s Antoni Marti Segara and Russia’s Nail Budakov rounding off the medal positions.