#BeachWrestling

Beach Wrestling World Series sees 30 percent rise in participation

Monday, October 16, 2023 - 23:59 By United World Wrestling Press

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(Left to right): Rui MARTA (POR), Mohamed MAHMOUD ALY (EGY), Ed DUNCAN (USA), Pedro SILVA, Jean-Daniel REY, Marian BERBEC (ROU), Jian WANY (CHN), Erol KARACA (UKR), Papakonstantinou KONSTANTINOS (GRE).

SARIGERME, Turkiye (October 16) --- After four stops on three continents, the Beach Wrestling World Series came to an end in Sarigerme, Turkiye this weekend.

The World Series began in Buenos Aires (ARG) before travelling to Singapore (SGP), returning to Saint-Laurent-du-Var (FRA) and Constanta (ROU) and the final stop in Sarigerme.

The 2023 edition of the series saw both the number of participating countries and wrestlers grow exponentially. The number of participating nations doubled from last year with more than 50 nations participating from five continents. There was a growth of 30 percent in the number of wrestlers, both men and women, on the beach.

The Beach Wrestling Committee organized its yearly meeting on the sidelines of the final stop in Turkiye with committee President and United World Wrestling Bureau member Pedro SILVA headed the meet.

Silva presented the report to the committee members, underlining the continuous growth of Beach Wrestling. The report noted the participation of additional countries like Venezuela, Columbia, Argentina, Bangladesh, Singapore, Senegal, Australia, among others, highlighting that Beach Wrestling being on the right path.

“We are very happy with the progress, growth and development that we are witnessing worldwide regarding Beach Wrestling,” said Silva, Beach Wrestling Committee President. "This must leave us all proud of our achievements and also very confident about our future.”

The meeting reviewed the current rules and regulations of Beach Wrestling and Committee members agreed that a few minor adjustments need to be made.

From the next season of Beach Wrestling will see an activity period being added to avoid any subjective decision by the refereeing body in case of negative wrestling with a 0–0 score.

It was also noted that wrestlers should be paired better in a situation with three groups. Bleeding time in Beach Wrestling was also increased to four minutes.

The Beach Wrestling calendar for 2024 was also discussed in the meeting as UWW received many proposals. UWW will do its best to publish the 2024 calendar by the end of this year.

The Committee also spoke about the potential collaborations that can be finalized for next season (producers of rings, wrestlers’ apparel).

Members also brought up the topic of sustainability and climate change and it was unanimously approved that Beach Wrestling should spearhead these projects.

The World Series in 2023, especially the final stop, showed that the discipline has the dedication of people associated with it. With the support of each National Federation, the future is full of hope and bright.

Follow Beach Wrestling on Instagram: @uwwbeachwrestling or on Youtube: @BeachWrestlingWorldSeries.

#WrestleZagreb

Wrestling 2025 Season Preview

Monday, February 3, 2025 - 08:02 By Vinay Siwach

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​CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (February 3) -- As the memories of the 2024 Paris Olympics and the World Championships in Tirana linger in the minds of wrestling fans, the 2025 season is already here. And it brings new hopes and a few challenges.

With the spotlight turning toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, this season promises to be a crucial stepping stone in winning a medal in LA 2028.

DOWNLOAD THE 2025 SEASON PREVIEW HERE

The four Ranking Series events in 2025 and the continental championships will serve as vital platforms for athletes preparing for the World Championships in September.

Freestyle (Click here to read full Freestyle preview)

At the 2024 World Championships, Masanosuke ONO (JPN) and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) stood out. Sadulaev will return to 97kg to reclaim the gold medal he lost to Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) in 2023. The 97kg weight class is highly competitive, with Tazhudinov’s Olympic win further elevating the stakes.

Kyle SNYDER (USA), once a dominant force at 97kg, now faces a crucial year after missing the Paris Olympics podium. In the 86kg category, Iran's Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), who narrowly missed a second Olympic gold due to injury, will decide which weight class is best for him in 2025.

The season kicks off in Zagreb in February and moves to Tirana for the first two Ranking Series. The continental championships will follow and Iran’s dominance in Asia is likely to continue with top wrestlers like Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) and Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) expected to compete in the Asian Championships in Amman.

The European Championships will be key to gauging team strengths, with Azerbaijan looking to build on a successful 2024. The form of neutral athletes will also be under the scanner in Slovakia. The Pan-American Championships in May will see the United States dominate.

The World Championships will feature fierce competition, with new faces emerging in the U.S. and Iran, and Japan announcing themselves in style at the Olympics. Add to the mix the neutral athletes and we have a blockbuster.

Japan will be challenged at the World Championships by Iran, U.S., AINs and dark horses like Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Mongolia.

Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI)Iran won two gold medals at the Paris Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Greco-Roman (Click here to reach full Greco-Roman preview)

Can Iran be topped as the best Greco-Roman country? This will be the big question of 2025 as Iran, which had an outstanding Olympics and age-group World Championships, tries to bring more talented wrestlers in its line-up.

Iran excels in the heavier weight classes, with champions like Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) at 82kg, Alireza MOHAMMADI (IRI) at 87kg, Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) at 97kg, and Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) at 130kg. It will try new faces in the lower weight classes with Olympic champion Saied ESMAEILI (IRI) staying at 67kg.

Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN)Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN), blue, and Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) have dominated the 60kg weight class in recent past. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Japan and Kyrgyzstan had successful Olympics. However, the latter is still searching for a gold medal. The rivalry between Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) and and Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) is likely to continue in 2025 along with Nao KUSAKA (JPN) and Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) at 77kg.

Europe will have more competition with Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Armenia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Georgia, Hungary and the neutral athletes in contention. The 77kg and 87kg weight class will be the most contested and it will be interesting to see who will be the new stars of 97kg and 130kg.

Greco-Roman is unpredictable at the World Championships. There is not one weight class that his a favorite. However, one can expect Azerbaijan, Iran, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cuba, Armenia, Hungary and a few AINs to be on the podium.

JapanJapan won eight gold medals at the Paris Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Women's Wrestling (Click here to read full Women's Wrestling preview)

Japan remains the dominant force in women’s wrestling, securing four of the six gold medals at the Paris Olympics, including their first-ever win at 76kg.

The United States, which claimed the remaining two golds, stands as Japan’s primary challenger. Amit ELOR (USA) and Kennedy BLADES (USA) will lead the U.S. charge in the build-up to the 2028 LA Games, with both nations having strong domestic qualifying systems.

China has had success at the Olympics and World Championships but struggles to challenge Japan at the senior level. In Asia, China faces increasing competition from India and Kyrgyzstan.

IndiaIndia has shown rapid rise in Women's Wrestling. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

India's growing success in age-group wrestling shows promise, but its performance at the senior level, especially at the World Championships, remains inconsistent. Wrestlers like ANTIM (IND), ANSHU (IND), NISHA (IND), and REETIKA (IND) have potential but must maintain consistency.

Kyrgyzstan, with two Olympic medalists in Paris, is aiming for gold next cycle. Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) still has more to give, while Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) and Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) will lead the new generation.

European countries struggled in Paris, winning only four medals out 24, failing to secure medals in 50kg, 53kg, and 76kg.

One team that is gives hope is Ukraine, led by with Paris medalist Iryna KOLIDENKO (UKR), and boosted by return of Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) and rise of Iryna BONDAR (UKR).

Despite emerging challenges, Japan continues to be the team to beat in women’s wrestling.