Award Season

2017 Women's Freestyle Matches of the Year

By Eric Olanowski

The best women’s wrestling matches of the year included two match-ups that pegged previous age-level and senior world champions against each other. The third match featured an ending with quite the proposal.

53kg World Championships GOLD: Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) v. Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN)
Vanesa Kaldzinskaya showed no sign of panicking in the 53kg world finals, even while trailing 6-0. The 2012 world champion used a step out late in the first period to narrow Mukaida’s lead to five points. Her resilience was apparent throughout the match and eventually paid off with 10 seconds remaining as Kaldzinskaya’s four-point move gave her the 8-6 win.

75kg World Championships GOLD: Yasemin ADAR (TUR) v. Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR)
After picking up the first takedown, five-time world team member Yasemin Adar trailed on criteria heading into the second period. With under a minute to go, Adar used a late takedown to take the 4-4 lead on criteria. Adar tacked on one more point and won 5-4.

After Adar’s gold medal celebration, her boyfriend came on the mat, dropped to one knee and proposed to Yasemin.

63kg World Championships GOLD: Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) v. Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR)
In a battle of junior world champions, Orkhon Purevdorj needed three takedowns to defeat Yuliia Tkach Ostapchuk. Purevdorj picked up an early takedown in the first and led 2-1 after three minutes of action. Tkach Ostapchuk answered in the second period with a takedown of her own, but it was Purevdorj’s two second-period takedowns that gave her the 6-3 victory.

#WrestleTirana

European Wrestling Championships 2026: Full Schedule, Where to Watch Live Streaming

By United World Wrestling Press

TIRANA, Albania (April 17) -- European Championships 2026: How and where to watch Europe's biggest wrestling event live streaming.

European Championships will kick of April 20 with Greco-Roman in Tirana, Albania and run until April 26. A total of 30 gold medals will be on the line across Freestyle, Women's Wrestling and Greco-Roman events.

Where to Watch the European Wrestling Championships 2026 Live

Live streaming of the European Wrestling Championships 2026 will be on UWW’s official website and the official UWW App. Subscribe to UWW+ to watch it live.

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European Wrestling Championships 2026 Schedule

The European Championships will be wrestled over seven day from April 20 to April 26 with Greco-Roman kicking off the event, followed by Women's Wrestling and then Freestyle.

Full Schedule:

Day 1 - April 20, Monday

Greco-Roman Qualification Rounds: 55kg, 63kg, 77kg, 87kg, 130kg - 10:30 hours
Greco-Roman Semifinals: 55kg, 63kg, 77kg, 87kg, 130kg - 18:00 hours

Day 2 - April 21, Tuesday

Greco-Roman Repechage: 55kg, 63kg, 77kg, 87kg, 130kg - 10:30 hours
Greco-Roman Qualification Rounds: 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg, 97kg - 10:30 hours
Greco-Roman Semifinals: 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg, 97kg - 16:45 hours
Greco-Roman Finals: 55kg, 63kg, 77kg, 87kg, 130kg - 18:00 hours

Day 3 - April 22, Wednesday

Greco-Roman Repechages: 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg, 97kg - 10:30 hours
Women's Wrestling Qualification Rounds: 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg, 76kg - 10:30 hours
Women's Wrestling Semifinals: 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg, 76kg - 16:45 hours
Greco-Roman Finals: 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg, 97kg - 18:00 hours

Day 4 - April 23, Thursday

Women's Wrestling Repechage: 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg, 76kg - 10:30 hours
Women's Wrestling Qualification Rounds: 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 65kg, 72kg - 10:30 hours
Women's Wrestling Semifinals: 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 65kg, 72kg - 16:45 hours
Women's Wrestling Finals: 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg, 76kg - 18:00 hours

Day 5 - April 24, Friday

Women's Wrestling Repechage: 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 65kg, 72kg - 10:30 hours
Freestyle Qualification Rounds: 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg, 97kg - 10:30 hours
Freestyle Semifinals: 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg, 97kg - 16:45 hours
Women's Wrestling Finals: 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 65kg, 72kg - 18:00 hours

Day 6 - April 25, Saturday

Freestyle Repechage: 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg, 97kg - 10:30 hours
Freestyle Qualification Rounds: 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg, 125kg - 10:30 hours
Freestyle Semifinals: 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg, 125kg - 16:45 hours
Freestyle Finals: 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg, 97kg - 18:00 hours

Day 7 - April 26, Sunday

Freestyle Repechage: 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg, 125kg - 15:00 hours onwards
Freestyle Finals: 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg, 125kg - 17:00 hours onwards

European Wrestling Championships 2026 Wrestlers and Results

Click here for the full list of wrestlers competing at the European Championships 2026 in Tirana.

European Wrestling Championships Previews

Greco-Roman | Women's Wrestling | Freestyle | Download Wrestling Photos

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