View source for Iryna Merleni

{{Short description|Ukrainian wrestler (born 1982)}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name= Iryna Merleni
| image= Iryna Merleni, 2014.jpg
| imagesize=
| caption= Merleni in 2014
| native_name= Ірина Олексіївна <br> Мельник / Мерлені / Микульчин
| native_name_lang= uk
| fullname= Iryna Oleksiyivna <br> Melnyk / Merleni / Mykulchyn
| birth_date= {{birth date and age|1982|2|8|df=yes}}
| birth_place= [[Kamianets-Podilskyi]], [[Khmelnytskyi Oblast]], [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukrainian SSR]], [[Soviet Union]]
| height=
| club=
| coach=
| show-medals    =
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalSport | Women's [[freestyle wrestling]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{UKR}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
[[File:Olympic rings.svg|center|80px]]
{{MedalGold| [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens]] | [[Wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's freestyle 48 kg|48 kg]]}} 
{{MedalBronze| [[2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Beijing]] | [[Wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's freestyle 48 kg|48 kg]]}} 
{{MedalCompetition|[[FILA Wrestling World Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2000 World Wrestling Championships|2000 Sofia]]|46 kg}}
{{MedalGold|[[2001 World Wrestling Championships|2001 Sofia]]|46 kg}}
{{MedalGold|[[2003 World Wrestling Championships|2003 New York]]|48 kg}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2005 World Wrestling Championships|2005 Budapest]]|48 kg}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2007 World Wrestling Championships|2007 Baku]]|48 kg}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FILA Wrestling European Championships|European Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2004 European Wrestling Championships|2004 Haparanda]]|48 kg}}
{{MedalGold|[[2005 European Wrestling Championships|2005 Varna]]|51 kg}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2001 European Wrestling Championships|2001 Budapest]]|46 kg}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Summer Universiade]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[Wrestling at the 2005 Summer Universiade|2005 İzmir]]|51 kg}}
}}

'''Iryna Oleksiyivna Merleni''' ({{langx|uk|Ірина Олексіївна Мерлені}}), [[née]] '''Melnyk''' ({{lang|uk|Мельник}}), married name '''Mykulchyn''' ({{lang|uk|Микульчин}}) (born 8 February 1982) is a [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] [[sport wrestling|wrestler]], who competed in the &ndash; 48&nbsp;kg [[Wrestling weight classes|weight class]] at the [[Wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's freestyle 48 kg|2004 Summer Olympics]] and claimed the [[gold medal]]. She is
first female olympic champion in women`s wrestling.<ref>[https://www.olympics.com/en/news/mighty-merleni-grabs-a-place-in-the-history-books Mighty Merleni grabs a place in the history books]</ref> In the same event at the [[2008 Summer Olympics]], she won a bronze medal.<ref>{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/me/iryna-merleni-mykulchyn-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417235343/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/me/iryna-merleni-mykulchyn-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-17 |title=Iryna Merleni-Mykulchyn}}</ref> She is a three-time world champion, and has also won the European Championships once.

Merleni was born in [[Kamianets-Podilskyi]], [[Khmelnytskyi Oblast]]. In February 2006, she married Andriy Mykulchyn, with whom she has two sons – Artur and Adam. She was inducted into the [[Women's Wrestling Hall of Fame]] in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=165040|title=FIRST INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED FOR WOMEN'S WRESTLING HALL OF FAME &#124; PWInsider.com|website=www.pwinsider.com|accessdate=28 March 2023}}</ref>

Due to the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]] she fled to [[Haparanda]], [[Sweden]], where she now works at the local [[Systembolaget]]. In her spare time she acts as a wrestling coach for the club [[Haparanda SKT]].

== Championships and accomplishments ==
* '''[[Women's Wrestling Hall of Fame]]'''
** Class of 2023<ref>{{cite web|url=http://411mania.com/wrestling/first-ever-inductees-for-womens-wrestling-hall-of-fame-includes-madusa-luna-vachon-more/|title=First Ever Inductees For Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame Includes Madusa, Luna Vachon, More|work=411Mania|first=Joseph|last=Lee|date=November 14, 2022|access-date=August 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122234600/https://411mania.com/wrestling/first-ever-inductees-for-womens-wrestling-hall-of-fame-includes-madusa-luna-vachon-more/|archive-date=November 22, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref>

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* {{sports links|properties=-P1447}}

{{Olympic Champions freestyle wrestling flyweight women}}
{{Women's Wrestling Hall of Fame}}
{{World Champions freestyle wrestling women's flyweight}}
{{European Champions freestyle wrestling women's flyweight}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merleni, Iryna}}
[[Category:1982 births]]
[[Category:People from Kamianets-Podilskyi]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Ukrainian female sport wrestlers]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Ukraine]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Ukraine]]
[[Category:Olympic wrestlers for Ukraine]]
[[Category:Wrestlers at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Wrestlers at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Wrestlers at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in wrestling]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:World Wrestling Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Summer World University Games medalists in wrestling]]
[[Category:FISU World University Games gold medalists for Ukraine]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2005 Summer Universiade]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Khmelnytskyi Oblast]]
[[Category:21st-century Ukrainian sportswomen]]


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{{Ukraine-wrestling-bio-stub}}