2026 U20 Asian Championships

China's Yang Turns Weight-Loss Plan into Historic U20 Asian Gold

Tuesday, July 7, 2026 - 10:04 By Vinay Siwach

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PATTAYA, Thailand (July 6) -- Even Yuanchong YANG (CHN) could not help but appreciate the irony.

Yang was introduced to wrestling because he was overweight. His parents simply wanted their youngest son to lose a few kilos. Instead, he created history for China, becoming the country's heaviest-ever Asian Freestyle champion.

China won only one Freestyle medal at the 2026 U20 Asian Wrestling Championships in Pattaya, Thailand but Yang made sure it was a historic one.

The 97kg wrestler claimed the gold medal to become China's first-ever U20 Asian champion in Freestyle and only the sixth Chinese to win an Asian Freestyle title at any level. He also surpassed Ying WANG (CHN), who won the 84kg title at the 2008 Senior Asian Championships, as the heaviest Chinese Freestyle wrestler to capture an Asian gold medal.

"I was extremely fat in elementary school, so my parents sent me to a sports school [later] to exercise and become thinner and healthier," Yang told United World Wrestling. "My parents thought wrestling would help me lose weight faster."

Yuanchong YANG (CHN)Yuanchong YANG (CHN) celebrates after winning the gold medal in 97kg at the U20 Asian Championships in Pattaya, Thailand. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

When he first stepped onto the mat as a 12-year-old, Yang never imagined he would one day represent China. Wrestling was simply a way to shed the extra kilos.

"Following my training, I was deeply touched by the passion of my team, the teamwork and the charm of wrestling," he said.

Yang's first major breakthrough came in 2023 when he captured the U17 National Championships title. Later that year, he represented China at the East Asian Youth Games but returned home without a medal.

"I saw my older teammates winning medals consistently, so I set myself the goal of winning my own gold medal," he said. "After five years of training, I finally won the U17 title in 2023."

Yang competed at both the 2025 U20 and U23 World Championships but came up short in both after losing close bouts. When he returned home to Jinan, Shandong Province, he shifted his focus to the 2026 season.

Last week in Pattaya, Yang produced a dominant 11-0 technical superiority win over LACKY (IND) in the semifinals before defeating Samir DURSUNOV (KAZ), 8-2, in the final to complete his historic run.

Yang relied on strong underhooks to force pushouts and controlled the par terre exchanges with an effective gut wrench, leaving little room for his opponents to recover.

Yuanchong YANG (CHN)Yuanchong YANG (CHN) at the podium with the 97kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

As he stood atop the podium, Yang was emotional but he soon realised that this is just the beginning.

"When I received the gold medal, I was really happy," he said. "But while I was walking down from the podium, I realised there are higher goals waiting for me. I can't be satisfied with this. My next target is to win a medal at the Senior Asian Championships."

#WrestleBudapest

Budapest Ranking Series Greco-Roman Highlights

Sunday, July 20, 2025 - 08:52 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 20) -- The Budapest Ranking Series final day will see Greco-Roman action in seven weight classes -- 55kg, 60kg, 63kg, 67kg, 77kg, 82kg, 97kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 3 RESULTS

16:30: The end of the semifinals in Budapest. Giorgi MELIA (GEO) makes it to the 97kg final after a 5-1 victory over Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE). He will take on  Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM) who sneaks through with a 5-4 win over Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN).

16:12: Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) gets the benefit of Beka MELELASHVILI (USA) defensive fouls and win 4-3 at 82kg semifinals. He will face Adlet TIULIUBAEV (UWW) for the gold who defeated Rafael IUNUSOV (UWW), 5-1.

16:00: Robert Attila FRITSCH (HUN) launches Sergei STEPANOV (UWW) for a huge four-pointer in the last minute and wins the 77kg semifinal 6-3 to set up a final against Sergei KUTUZOV (UWW) after he defeated Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) 8-6. Suleymanov was going well with a 6-0 lead but when Kutuzov got the par terre, he reverse lifted Suleymanov for a four and another for two points to lead 7-6. A lost challenge made it 8-6 for the win.

15:40: European bronze medalist Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO) rolls to a 8-0 technical superiority win over Daniial AGAEV (UWW) in the 67kg final. But there will be no all-Georgian final as Leri ABULADZE (GEO) drops his semifinal to Valentic PETIC (MDA) 5-3.

15:25: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) takes out European silver medalist Karen ASLANYAN (ARM) 5-3 to enter the final at 63kg. Surprising win for Eriomenco but he will face Sergey EMELIN (UWW) for the gold medal. Emelin had a injury walkover in the other semifinal.

15:05: Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) showing why he is the best in the world at 60kg as he beats Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) in a rematch of the European final. He defends most of Tibilov's attacks to win 3-2. He will face SUMIT (IND) in the 60kg final after the Indian pinned Galym KABDUNASSAROV (KAZ).

14:45: Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW) needs all the luck he can as he beats Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB), 5-5, on criteria in the 55kg semifinal. He will take on Marlan MUKASHEV (KAZ) for the gold medal after he defeated Alpamys DASTANBEK (KAZ), 8-0, in just a minute and 20 seconds.

Semifinals

14:15: Sergei KUTUZOV (UWW) scores turns from par terre and beats Asian champion Aram VARDANYAN (UZB) 9-0 to book a place in the semifinal against Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) at 77kg.

14:00: Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) keeps and simple and gets both par terre advantages in the against Mehroj BAKHRAMOV (UZB) and beats him 4-0 at 60kg. This avenges his loss to Bakhramov at the Zagreb Open earlier this year.

13:55: Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) takes out Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO) 5-5 in the 60kg quarterfinals via criteria. Tibilov will face Mammadli in the semifinal, a rematch of the European final which Mammadli won

13:40: SUMIT (IND) breaks Dahyun KIM (KOR) down with his pace and secures the fall after an early scare in the 60kg bout. He moves into the semifinals of the Ranking Series.

13:35: European champion Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW) comes strong in defense, blocking Anil MOR (IND) when the Indian was trying to turn Sefershaev from par terre. He also pushed him out for a point. Sefershaev win 4-1 at 55kg. 

13:25: Alex SZOKE (HUN) sends the local crowd into frenzy after beating Artur SARGASIAN (UWW) 6-6 on criteria at 97kg. Szoke had three two point techniques while Sargasian managed only two and the Hungarian kept the criteria.

13:15: European silver medalist Karen ASLANYAN (ARM) puts another clinical show and beats Ellis COLEMAN (USA) 6-1 at 63kg. He enters the semifinals.

12:45: World and European champion Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) takes a little injury timeout before par terre but gets to work and finishes the bout against Seunghak KIM (KOR), 9-0, at 60kg.

12:20: Two huge losses as Sadyk LALAEV (UWW) drops his match 9-3 to SUMIT (IND) and on Mat D, Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (UWW) loses 9-0 to Dahyun KIM (KOR) at 60kg. Both were looking to be on the team to Zagreb but what unexpected losses.

12:00: Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) manages to blank Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) in the opening round at 77kg. A takedown to open the scoring for Suleymanov before he scores a turn from par terre. Gutu challenges for the hand-below-waist but it's lost. A takedown in the second period and Suleymanov wins 8-0.

11:50: European champion Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW) gives no chance to Artium DELEANU (MDA) and wins an easy 7-1 opening round.

11:45: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) and Dinislam BAMMATOV (UWW) are involved in a battle but it's the Moldovan who comes out on top 5-5 on criteria.

11:35: European silver medalist Karen ASLANYAN (ARM) bosses his opening round bout at 63kg and beats Yerkebulan ARDAKOV (KAZ), 9-0 to advance. In the next match on Mat D, 

11:20: World U23 champion Alisher GANIEV (UZB), one of the most explosive wrestler in the world, wins his first bout at 63kg via disqualification of Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ). Ganiev was already leading 7-0 by then.

11:05: Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) opens with a 10-0 victory over Seungjun KIM (KOR) at 97kg. Savolainen has not enjoyed similar success like he did before the Paris Olympic cycle.  

10:55: Aram VARDANYAN (UZB) needs a challenge to overturn a defeated to victory against Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB). Vardanyan got a exposure at the end but was not scored. However, he won the challenge and Nakibov is devasted.

10:40: Former world champion Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) wins his first bout at 77kg with a 1-1 score against Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO) as he was the first to get the par terre points.

10:30: Welcome to the final day of the Budapest Ranking Series. It will be Greco-Roman action the whole day in seven weight classes