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'21 Breakthrough Performances of the Year: Geraei, Zare and Focken

Tuesday, December 7, 2021 - 12:23 By Eric Olanowski

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 7) -- Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI), Amir ZARE (IRI) and Aline FOCKEN (GER) have been named United World Wrestling’s Breakthrough Performance of the Year award winners.

Geraei came into 2021 without having a world or Olympic medal on his resume. The 25-year-old, known as ‘The Iceman,’ defied all expectations and claimed Olympic gold in Tokyo and closed out his improbable ’21 campaign with a world-title run in Oslo.

Zare, at just 20-year-old, had a colossal year. He collected an Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo before upsetting three-time world champ Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) and Olympic gold medalist Taha AKGUL (TUR) en route to gaining heavyweight supremacy at the Oslo World Championships.

Aline Focken picked the perfect time to retire. After missing out on the ’12 London Olympic Games and a ninth-place outing in Rio, the 12-year-veteran ended her career with an upset victory over five-time world champion Adeline GRAY (USA) in the 76kg Olympic finals.

2026 U20 Asian Championships

U20 Asian Wrestling Championships: Watch Live Streaming, Brackets, Results

Tuesday, June 30, 2026 - 11:41 By United World Wrestling Press

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PATTAYA, Thailand (June 29) -- The U20 Asian Championships kicks off in Pattaya, Thailand from Wednesday with Greco-Roman, followed by Women's Wrestling and then Freestyle.

LIVE MATCH ORDER | WATCH GRECO-ROMAN LIVE

The U20 Asian Wrestling Championships will run from July 1 to 5 with 120 medals up for grabs. Iran, India, Japan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan remain the strongest countries in the mix.

Full schedule of the U20 Asian Championships 2026, click here.

The live streaming of the U20 Asian Wrestling Championships will be free on uww.org and the UWW App: Download UWW+ App on Apple's App Store | Google Play Store

 

Complete list of wrestlers participating, results, live streaming, brackets, team standing, and photos.

ENTRIES | BRACKETS | RESULTS | NEWS | TEAM RANKING | PHOTOS

Full schedule of the U20 Asian Championships:

Day 1 - July 1, Wednesday

Greco-Roman Qualification Rounds & Semifinals: 55kg, 63kg, 77kg, 87kg, 130kg - 10:30 hours onwards
Greco-Roman Repechage Rounds: 55kg, 63kg, 77kg, 87kg, 130kg - after semifinals
Greco-Roman Final Medal Bouts: 55kg, 63kg, 77kg, 87kg, 130kg - 18:00 hours

Day 2 - July 2, Thursday

Greco-Roman Qualification Rounds & Semifinals: 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg, 97kg - 10:30 hours onwards
Greco-Roman Repechage Rounds: 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg, 97kg - after semifinals
Greco-Roman Final Medal Bouts: 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg, 97kg - 18:00 hours

Day 3 - July 3, Friday

Women's Wrestling Qualification Rounds & Semifinals: All 10 weight classes - 10:30 hours onwards
Women's Wrestling Repechage Rounds: All 10 weight classes - after semifinals
Women's Wrestling Final Medal Bouts: All 10 weight classes - 18:00 hours

Day 4 - July 4, Saturday

Freestyle Qualification Rounds & Repechage: 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg, 97kg - 10:30 hours onwards
Freestyle Repechage Rounds: 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg, 97kg - after semifinals
Freestyle Final Medal Bouts: 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg, 97kg - 18:00 hours

Day 5 - July 5, Sunday

Freestyle Qualification Rounds & Semifinals: 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg, 125kg - 10:30 hours onwards
Freestyle Repechage Rounds: 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg, 125kg - after semifinals
Freestyle Final Medal Bouts: 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg, 125kg - 18:00 hours

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