Dárius Vitek (left) and Róbert Fritsch with their medals
At the European Wrestling Championships in Tirana, the Hungarian team celebrated a double success on Tuesday. While Róbert Fritsch won the bronze medal in a nail-biting match, heavyweight Dárius Vitek secured the silver medal after a tough battle against a legend of the sport.
In the 77 kg weight class (Greco-Roman), Róbert Fritsch capped off his performance in Albania with a medal. The road to that point was an emotional roller coaster. After confidently defeating local favorite Kevin Kupi on Monday and turning a 5-0 deficit into a 6-5 victory against world-class Azerbaijani wrestler Sanan Suleymanov in the quarterfinals, disillusionment followed in the semifinals. There, he lost to Georgian Ramaz Zoidze in less than a minute.
In the bronze medal match the following day, he faced Croatian Antonio Kamenjasevic. The Hungarian wrestler remained highly focused and forced his opponent into a passive stance with constant forward pressure.
The resulting 1-0 lead and his solid defense in the second round—even when he found himself on the ground—were ultimately enough for a narrow but well-deserved victory.
Róbert Fritsch (in blue) and Croatian Antonio Kamenjasevic in the battle for the bronze medal in the men’s Greco-Roman 77 kg weight class at the European Wrestling Championships in Tirana. Photo: MTI/Illyés Tibor
After the final whistle, there was no holding back. He did not give Kamenjasevic a chance, and at the end of the six minutes, he ran joyfully over to national team coach Viktor Lőrincz to celebrate.
I am terribly tired. I can barely stand,”
Fritsch admitted after the match. “Yesterday I messed it up myself, but today I executed exactly what I wanted. This is an important milestone on the road to the Olympics,” he added.
In the final match of the evening, the heavyweight final (up to 130 kg), Dárius Vitek faced what was likely the biggest challenge of his career.
His opponent was none other than five-time world champion Riza Kayaalp of Türkiye.
The wrestler, who had returned from a doping ban, was seeking his 13th European title in Tirana to overtake the legendary Alexander Karelin on the all-time list.
Vitek, who had fought his way to the final on Monday with victories over opponents from Georgia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan, started boldly. But the Turk’s experience proved decisive. A controversial passivity call by the referees sent the Hungarian wrestler to the mat in the first round. Kayaalp mercilessly capitalized on this opportunity, executing his feared roll three times and taking a 7-0 lead.
Despite a tireless fighting spirit in the second round, Vitek was unable to close the gap,
and ultimately lost 7–1. Thus, the 26-year-old Hungarian, after two European Championship bronze medals (2022, 2023) and a World Championship silver (2023), has now won a European Championship silver.
Dárius Vitek (in red) and Türkiye’s Riza Kayaalp in the final of the European Wrestling Championships in Tirana in the men’s Greco-Roman 130 kg weight class. Photo: MTI/Illyés Tibor
“Right now I am disappointed. It does not feel like I have won silver yet,” Vitek explained after the final. “My ground defense is my biggest weakness. Making up seven points against someone like Kayaalp is almost impossible. I know what I need to work on,” said the wrestler.
Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Illyés Tibor
