#WrestleBelgrade

2023 World Championships 61kg, 70kg, 86kg, 125kg semis set

Saturday, September 16, 2023 - 08:12 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

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BELGRADE, Serbia (September 16) -- The biggest wrestling event is here! The 2023 World Championships begins today in Belgrade. 90 Olympic quotas are on offer in 18 Olympic weight classes with 5 wrestlers, 4 medalists and one playoff winner, earning the quota.

The first day will see wrestlers from 61kg, 70kg, 86kg and 125kg with the last two being Olympic weight classes.

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15:27: Living legend Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) seems content to score his points in dribs and drabs. Against Olympic bronze medalist Myles AMINE (SMR), Yazdani had four stepouts, along with a slick double-leg takedown, in a 7-2 victory to make the 86kg semifinals. He also gave up a takedown for the second time on the day, which may or may not be of concern. The way his right shoulder is heavily taped could be more of a factor. We will see how he holds up against Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB), who used some nasty counter-wrestling in a 15-5 win over Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN).

15:23: David TAYLOR (USA) gives up his first points of the tournament against Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) but still manages a technical superiority 12-2 win over Sharipov to move into the semifinals at 86kg. He will face returning bronze medalist Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) who rolls Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) 10-0

15:13: Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) has set up a semifinal against Mason PARRIS (USA). Petriashvili works a 3-1 win over Robert BARAN (POL) while Parris survives a big move against Zhiwei DENG (CHN) to win 8-4

15:15: We have the first dream match-up of the tournament as Taha AKGUL (TUR) and Amir ZARE (IRI) will go at again in the semifinals at 125kg. Defending champion Akgul scored an activity point and two stepouts in a 3-0 win over Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR). Zare gave up a 4-point takedown to fall behind Daniel LIGETI (HUN) in their quarterfinal, but stormed back against the exhausted Hungarian for an 11-4 win. Last year, Akgul beat Zare 4-2 in the semifinals.

14:57: Asian champion Tairybek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) gives up a takedown early in the second period to fall behind against European bronze medalist Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR), but comes back with a takedown and a stepout for a 4-2 win and a spot in the 61kg semifinals.

14:56: Jahongirmirza TUROBOV (UZB) challenges for fleeing by Shota PHARTENADZE (GEO) in the last 10 seconds but no fleeing and he loses the challenge the match 5-3.

14:50: 2021 world champion Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (AIN) with a big four over V. BLIASETSKYI (UKR) and then gets the pin at 61kg. He moves into the semifinals. Top performance from Magomedov

14:42: World U23 champion Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) more than met the challenge of two-time world senior medalist Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ), he pummeled him. Yazdani twice scored four points off a driving double-leg tackle before finishing off an 11-0 technical fall with a stepout to advance to the 70kg semifinals. Next up is Ramazan RAMAZANOV (BUL).

14:41: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) will think about the last 10 seconds of his quarterfinal against Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM). Leading 3-2, he went into defensive and Andreasyan tried a big throw. Aoyagi tries to use that momentum to throw over but Andreasyan falls on top of the Japanese and gets two points. Japan challenges the call but the challenge is lost. A 5-3 win for Andreasyan

14:39: Returning silver medalist Zain RETHERFORD (USA) is into the semifinals with a 9-2 win over ABHIMANYOU (UWW). Retherford looks so much in control of his wrestling.

14:30: The quarterfinals' actions begin with 70kg on all four mats. Watch out Mat B with Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) wrestling Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI).

14:25: Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB) is looking like a force to be reckoned with at 86kg. After knocking off top-seed Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL), he rolled into the quarterfinals with an 11-0 rout of Osman GOCEN (TUR). 

14:13: Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) puts the pressure on Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL) but has to settle for four stepouts in their 86kg clash. But when the three-time champion finally gets the Mongolian onto the mat, it's lights out with a quick 11-0 technical fall and a place in the quarterfinals.

14:13: David TAYLOR (USA) with a 40-second win in the 1/8th finals. A cradle to gut-wrench for the technical superiority. Who will stop the Magicman?

14:10: Myles AMINE (SMR) with a hard-fought win over Zushen LIN (CHN) at 86kg. Just the workhorse he won, Amine looks solid here

14:02: Reigning champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) has his hands full with Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE), but forges a 2-0 victory to advance to the 125kg quarterfinals. Akgul received an activity point in the first period and had a stepout in the second, but was never in danger in a staid bout.

14:00: Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) will be thanking his stars as he survives a final second takedown attempt from Abdulla KURBANOV (AIN). Petriashvili wins 6-5 to make the quarterfinals at 125kg. He came back from 4-0 down to win this.    

13:50: Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) gets the gut-wrench and moves into the quarterfinals with a 10-0 win over Jonovan SMITH (PUR). Just before this match, the 2021 world champion Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (AIN) dominated Weiyu LI (CHN) to win at 61kg

13:28: Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) up against Intigam VALIZADA (AZE) on Mat A at 61kg. He runs to a 5-0 with a four-pointer and secures the pin over Valizada.

13:21: Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) fights out of a 0-4 hole and scores 10 points in the second period to advance at 70kg with a 12-6 win over Marc DIETSCHE (SUI). The bronze medalist from last year set up a mouth-watering clash with Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI), who defeated Magomed KHANIEV (AZE) 6-0 in a match that had a lot more action than the score indicates.

13:15: Amr HUSSEN (EGY) got the better of the U23 world champion Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO) using two four-pointers and win 14-4 at 70kg

13:03: How awesome is David TAYOR (USA)? The defending 86kg champion needs just 15 seconds to end his opening match against Sofiane PADIOU BELMIR (MAR). Taylor counters a tackle attempt by applying a cradle, rolling backwards and putting another overmatched opponent on their back for the fall.

13:01: Asian champion Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ), a bronze medalist here a year ago, has little trouble putting away Domantas PAULIUSCENKO (LTU) 9-0 at 86kg. In the round -of-16, he will face Arslan BAGAEV (AIN), a 12-2 winner over Ethan RAMOS (PUR) moments later on an adjacent mat.

12:47: Oceania champion and sometime beach wrestler Jayden LAWRENCE (AUS) will someday be able to tell his grandkids how he scored a takedown on the great Hassan YAZDANI (IRI). And how he lasted until the second period. But the inevitable result was a victory by fall after building an 8-2 lead for Yazdani as he aims for a fourth career world gold.

12:18: Former champion Amir ZARE (IRI), with the loud Irani contingent in the stands spurring him on, gets a takedown and a stepout in each period and easily handles Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (AIN) 7-2 at 125kg. 

12:22: In a battle of Asian giants, Zhiwei DENG (CHN) gets the decisive activity point with 40 seconds to knock out Lkhagvagerel MUKHTUR (MGL) 2-1 at 125kg. Deng was a world silver medalist in 2018, and Munkhtur finished second last year.

12:00: We apologize for the technical difficulties. The Arena and Streams are back up

Flo

11:20: Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (AIN), the 2021 world and European champion, gets his campaign at 61kg off to a flying start with a 10-0 trouncing of Nikolai OKHLOPKOV (ROU). 

10:40: Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI), one of the favorites in the non-Olympic 70kg, gets over his first hurdle with an 11-1 technical fall over Patryk OLEGCZYN (POL) in the qualification round.

10:30: We are kicking off with 70kg. Magomed KHANIEV (AZE) vs Sanzhar DOSZHANOV (KAZ) on Mat A, Patryk OLENCZYN (POL) vs Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) on Mat B, Marc DIETSCHE (SUI) vs Brian OLOO (KEN) on Mat C and Ramazan RAMAZANOV (BUL) vs. Perman HOMMADOV (TKM).

10:00: Welcome to the day one of the World Championships. Little cloudy outside we are ready for some wrestling action.

#WrestleTirana

Ukraine Wins Team Title after Record Gold Haul

Saturday, April 25, 2026 - 07:28 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (April 24) -- After three gold medals on Thursday, Ukraine added three more in Women's Wresting on Friday to win the team title at the European Championships in Tirana.

Two young stars in Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR) and Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR) and two-time Olympic medalist Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) were the three champions for Ukraine. The six gold medals is record in the country's history, improving on last year's performance of four golds.

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It also won a silver and a bronze medals to finish with 193 points, well ahead of second-placed Turkiye which had 122 points. Poland finished third with 114 points.

"This performance for Ukraine was historic because we’ve never had a result like this before," Koliadenko said. "We’ve broken our previous record. Our previous record was seven finals and four golds. The team gave it their all. I’m so happy for the whole team."

Magdalena GLODEK LISZEWSKA (POL) won gold for Poland at 57kg while Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) earned at silver at 76kg which helped the country to third place. With the gold medal, Glodek became the first wrestler from Poland to win gold at European Championships in six years and first in Women's Wrestling in nine years.

The one remaining gold, at 62kg, was won by Grace BULLEN (NOR) in dramatic fashion, coming back from 9-0 down to pin Amina TANDELOVA (UWW).

Yefremova, 19, got the session to a good start for Ukraine with a win over 34-year-old defending champion Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) in a tight 53kg final. Prevolaraki, who had won gold in 2025 on her 14th attempt, looked good to repeat when she got the first points on board in the final through Yefremova's passivity.

But in the second period, Yefremova used a fireman's carry to put Prevolaraki's back on the mat for two points. While she did not get the fall, Yefremova's 2-1 lead was enough for her to defend even as Prevolaraki made continuous attacks.

"Such intense emotions for me," Yefremova said. "I came here convinced I’d win a medal, but I didn’t think I’d make it to the final because I knew there were more experienced athletes here. But I still had a little bit of hope in myself that I could reach the final and win that gold. I didn’t think it would all turn out this way for me."

Yefremova, a former U17 world champion and U20 world silver medalist, was making waves in Women's Wrestling before being suspended for 18 months a positive dope test.

"I can’t say I’m particularly worried about the fact that the wrestlers are more experienced than me," she said. "I’m just used to forging ahead, regardless of the obstacles. I’ve got a goal, and I’m going for it. I don’t really have anything else on my mind."

Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR)Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) celebrates after winning the 65kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Koliadenko earned her fourth European title without giving up a single point throughout the tournament, a fact that left even her surprised. After two technical superiority wins in the quarterfinal and semifinal, Koliadenko faced world silver medalist Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) in the 65kg final. She controlled the final throughout and forged a 9-0 victory.

"I hadn’t planned on finishing with a clean slate -- not losing a single point throughout this European Championship. It went quite smoothly for me," Koliadenko said.

The 27-year-old first wrestled at the European Championships in 2020, winning a bronze medal. Her gold medals came in 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2026. In 2025, she finished with a bronze as well, taking her total medal count to six.

"I suppose experience does play a part, and over the years every competition becomes quite a challenge psychologically," she said. "Physically, you’re always prepared, but mentally it’s a bit tough. Especially given the rather uncomfortable situation in Ukraine at the moment and all of that affects our results."

Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR)Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR) scores exposure points on Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) in the 72kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 72kg, U20 and U23 world champion Sokolovska found a way to beat Choluj despite trailing for four points. Choluj was put on activity clock but she used a double-leg attack during the 30-second period to score a takedown which was scored two points.

As the match progressed Choluj found it difficult to answer the pressure from Sokolovska who managed a go-behind to score her first point before getting two more for exposure in the same scramble to lead 4-2 with 1:34 remaining.

Choluj challenged the call but it was a takedown and a clear cradle with no foul. The lost challenge added one more point to Sokolovska's score. Choluj managed a stepout with 28 seconds left but failed to score a takedown in the remaining time which could have given her the criteria victory.

Sokolovska, trained by her Greco-Roman wrestler father, won the gold at her debut European Championships to cap off a memorable tournament for Ukraine.

Apart the these three, Oksana LIVACH (UKR), Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) and Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) were the other three champions for Ukraine in Tirana.

Glodek Ends Poland's Wait

Poland's gold medal winner Glodek who denied Elvira SULEYMAN (TUR), who finished with a silver medal for a second time in a row.

After both wrestlers exchanged passivity points, Suleyman led 1-1 on criteria as her point was the latest. But Glodek used a strong snapdown to score a quick takedown and lead 3-1.

Suleyman tried her best to score a match-winning takedown including an arm throw but landed on her own back to give two more points to Glodek who ended a six-year wait for Poland to have a European champion in wrestling.

For Poland, Maogmedmurad GAZHIEV (POL) had won gold in Freestyle in 2020 while Monika MICHALIK (POL) won gold in Women's Wrestling in 2017.

 

Photo

RESULTS

53kg
GOLD: Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR) df. Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE), 2-1

BRONZE: Natalia MALYSHEVA (UWW) df. Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (UWW), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Annika WENDLE (GER) df. Roksana ZASINA (POL), via fall (2-3)

57kg
GOLD: Magdalena GLODEK LISZEWSKA (POL) df. Elvira SULEYMAN (TUR), 5-1

BRONZE: Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) df. Aryna DZEMCHANKA MARTYNAVA (UWW), via fall
BRONZE: Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) df. Evelina HULTHEN (SWE), via fall

62kg
GOLD: Grace BULLEN (NOR) df. Amina TANDELOVA (UWW), via fall (5-9)

BRONZE: Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) df. Johanna LINDBORG (SWE), 3-1
BRONZE: Naemi LEISTNER (GER) df. Ruzanna MAMMADOVA (AZE), 5-1

65kg
GOLD: Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) df. Alina KASABIEVA (UWW), 9-0

BRONZE: Natalia KUBATY (POL) df. Iris THIEBAUX (FRA), 11-6
BRONZE: Beyza AKKUS (TUR) df. Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE), 4-2

72kg
GOLD: Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR) df. Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL), 5-3

BRONZE: Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (UWW) df. Zsuzsanna MOLNAR (SVK), 3-0
BRONZE: Buse TOSUN (TUR) df. Karolina POK (HUN), 9-6