2026 U17 World Championships

Live Blog: U17 World Championships 2026 Women's Wrestling

Wednesday, July 29, 2026 - 06:54 By Vinay Siwach

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BAKU, Azerbaijan (July 29) -- The U17 World Wrestling Championships 2026 enters day three with five Women's Wrestling weight classes - 43kg, 49kg, 57kg, 65kg and 73kg.

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WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | WOMEN'S WRESTLING WATCH | DAY 2 RESULTS

14:27: U17 Asian champion GARIMA (IND) was a little surprised when Karina MUZALEVSKAIA  (RUS) managed a takedown on her but she manages to dominate her quarterfinals and win 9-2. She will face Kaili MANUEL (USA) for a spot in the final.

14:25: Bianka BARANY (HUN) gave no chance to Lyra LEDERER (GER) and wins the quarterfinal at 73kg. She sets up a rematch of U17 European Championships against Solomiia PETRIV (UKR) which the Ukrainian won.

14:11: Solomiia PETRIV (UKR), the returning bronze medalist from 69kg, is bullying her opponents. She beats Aisha WILLIAMS (PAN), 11-0, in the quarterfinals at 73kg. She attacks with lot of force which unsettles her opponents. Into the semis now 

14:08: Saika UCHIDA (JPN), trying to match her sister world bronze medalist Sowaka, is into the semifinals at 49kg after yet another 10-0 win. She beats Irina TSYDEEVA (RUS) in 3:19

Wrestling Epenesa ELISON (USA)Epenesa ELISON (USA) is chasing the world title at 57kg after finishing with a silver medal at 53kg last year. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

14:00: Epenesa ELISON (USA) uses the lace to beat Mia KOVAC (CRO), 10-0, in the 57kg quarterfinals and she moves into the semifinals, where she will face Gurleen DHILLON (CAN). The other semifinals will see Nikita SEHRAWAT (IND) and Mariia POLTORAK (UKR) clash

13:55: U17 European champion at 57kg Janka SILLEI (HUN) falls in the quarterfinals against Gurleen DHILLON (CAN). The match began with Dhillon hitting a four but Sillei worked her way to 4-4 but criteria remained with Dhillon for her bigger move. Dhillon once again took a clear 6-4 lead with a takedown. Sillei managed to pancake Dhillon for two points and tried pinning her. For 20 seconds she continued to work on it but Dhillon survived, making her a 6-6 criteria winner. 

13:40: Solomiia PETRIV (UKR), the U17 European champion, uses a mix of takedowns and stepouts to beat Kaillany MELO (BRA) and advances to the qaurterfinals at 73kg.  

13:30: Sera FURUICHI (JPN) thought she nailed a 1-1 win but Mukhlisa MASHARIPOVA (UZB) with a big throw to win 5-1 barely seconds before the match finished. Masharipova moves into the semifinals.

13:15: Bianka BARANY (HUN), the U17 European silver medalist, gets a fall over Chamangul MUKHAMMATSALIEVA (UZB) and moves into the quarterfinals at 73kg. 

13:08: U17 Asian champion GARIMA (IND) has no trouble seeing off Rodina SOLIMAN (EGY), 11-0, at 73kg and she moves into the quarterfinals.

12:55: Saika UCHIDA (JPN), sister of Asian champion Sowaka, finishes her opening bout at 49kg against Isabelle CHEN (CAN), 11-0. Uchida won the U17 Asian gold last year.

12:45: Janka SILLEI (HUN) clearly has a better gameplan against European style wrestlers. She beats Sofiia BELOVA (RUS), 9-5, in her second bout at 57kg and enter the quarterfinals

We had an internet interruption but everything seems to be back on track. The matches were stopped.

12:15: Epenesa ELISON (USA) was off to work straight off the whistle in her 57kg bout against Nadiia ZHOLTIKOVA (ESP). She scored five different takedowns and one turn to beat Zholtikova 12-2 in the first period

12:05: Sera FURUICHI (JPN) with a final-second front headlock exposure to beat DIKSHA (IND), 7-7, on last-point criteria at 43kg. Furuichi was the one dictating the match but Diksha scored two cradle exposure to lead 6-3 at one point before Furuichi made a comeback in the second period

11:27: U17 Asian champion GARIMA (IND) with her relentless forward wrestling and Diana TURGUNBEKOVA (KGZ) has no answers to it. Garima sweeps the 73kg bout 10-0 and advances to the 1/8 finals

11:15: Another battle at 57kg as Epenesa ELISON (USA), who won silver at 53kg last  year, was up against Rion SUZUKI (JPN) in opening bout. She races to a 4-0 lead before Suzuki cuts it to 4-2 with a takedown. That was all Suzuki would score in the bout as Elison managed two assertive takedowns to win 8-2 and advance

11:00: Returning silver medalist from 49kg, Janka SILLEI (HUN), who won U17 European gold, has a tough time against Arina KUANYSHOVA (KAZ) in the opening bout at 57kg. Kuanyshova takes a 2-2 criteria lead before scoring another takedown to double it. Sillei manages a reversal to make it 4-3 before hitting a leg attack to score the match-winning takedown and win 5-4. But her conditioning doesn't seem par here

10:30: Women's Wrestling day in Baku with five weight classes and keep an eye on 57kg and 73kg, among the best.

2026 U17 World Championships

U17 World Championships 2026 Preview

Thursday, July 23, 2026 - 06:57 By Vinay Siwach

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Wrestling

BAKU, Azerbaijan (July 22) -- Records are usually made at the U17 World Championships. In Baku, one has been broken before the opening bout.

The tournament will have 675 wrestlers, the most-ever for a U17 World Wrestling Championships -- 242 Greco-Roman, 242 in Freestyle and 191 in Women's Wrestling, breaking the record of the 2017 edition in which 186 women participated.

From July 27 to August 2, the U17 World Championships will be live on UWW+. Subscribe to UWW+ using the code BUNDLE20 and get 20 percent off for all age-group World Championships - U17, U20 and U23.

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The competition is also set to return to Baku after 14 years and as it always does, it will be dramatic.

For instance, last year, the United States and Iran were locked in a tight race for the Freestyle team title. The former edged Iran in a dramatic final-day comeback, and the rivalry is expected to continue in Baku. Russia, which was not allotted team points last year, will be back in the race and with a strong team.

Russia will have most of its U17 national champions including Aldar BADMAEV (RUS), the first-ever national gold medal from Kalmykia, at 45kg. Five wrestlers hail from Dagestan and the team also includes four U17 European champions from 2026.

The U.S. will be led by returning silver medalist Arseni KIKINIOU (USA) at 65kg. In 2025, Kikiniou became the first wrestler in history to win a medal in both Freestyle and Greco-Roman since it was restarted in 2011, and he will attempt to repeat in Baku as well, perhaps with a gold medal.

Iran has four U17 Asian champions in its squad but to challenge for the team title, it will need its wrestlers to step up and not tank like they did in Athens last year, when the country did not win a single gold medal.

Hosts Azerbaijan, which had an exceptional U17 European Championships with seven medals including three golds, will hope to repeat the performance at home and stand among the top teams.

Here's a breakdown of 10 Freestyle weight classes:

45kg: Since this weight class was introduced in 2018, the U.S. and Iran have won all the golds. The former has won five golds while two have gone to Iran, one being Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) in 2018.

This year will be no different as Iran bring U17 Asian champion Mahdi DAMERCHELI (IRI) and the U.S. is going with U17 Pan-Am champ Rylen WAX (USA). Badmaev from Russia will have his first taste of international wrestling. U17 European champion Marko KVASNIUK (UKR) is also in the entries.

48kg: The best chance for hosts Azerbaijan will be Huseyn RZAZADE (AZE), the U17 European champion. He will likely have a rematch with Volodymyr BOIKO (UKR) from the final in Samakov, Bulgaria.

Both finalists from U17 Asia are also in the fray with the champion Farrukh MAKHMUDOV (UZB) hoping to add a world title to his name. Iran has silver medalist Amirali RAGHEB (IRI). But expect a tough challenge from Kirill KONDRASHOV (RUS) who won the U15 Europeans in 2025.

51kg: Ibrahim HASANOV (AZE), the U17 European champion, has the home crowd behind him as he tries to add a world title to his name. But in his part will be U17 Asian champion Benyamin ASHOFTEH (IRI), silver medalist Masamune USHIMADO (JPN) and Pan-Am champion Evan RESTIVO (USA).

Russia is going with Islam KURAKHMAEV (RUS), a rising prospect from Dagestan.

55kg: Can Chase KARENBAUER (USA), who made the team after beating Keegan BASSETT (USA), match the likes of wrestlers from Asia and Europe? He will be up against Arman ELAHI (IRI) won gold at the U17 Asian Championships, silver medalist Kyosuke IKEDA (JPN) and bronze Temirlan MURAT (KAZ), getting a chance to wrestle various styles.

Mustafa BERSANUKAEV (RUS) will make his U17 debut after making the team by winning the national championships. European bronze medalist Temuri TUTARASHVILI (GEO) is also in the mix along with Jakhongir TULKUNOV (UZB) who gave Elahi the toughest match in Da Nang.

60kg: The only weight class in which the defending champion is returning - SITENDER (IND). He won the gold medal in Athens but had close matches with wrestlers from Iran and Japan. To defend his title, Sitender will have to go through U17 European champion Sergei KARMRIAN (RUS), silver Mykyta KUZMENKO (UKR) and even U17 Asian champion Bekzodbek IBROHIMOV (UZB).

Among one of the toughest weight categories, the 60kg also includes U17 Asian silver Mardan ORYNBASSAR (KAZ), bronze medalists from Europe and Asia. Joseph BURKE (USA) will also be a tough bet.

65kg: Arseni KIKINIOU (USA) created history in Athens by winning medals in both styles. Now, he would like to repeat with at least one gold medal. He finished with a silver medal in Athens in Freestyle. Unless a huge upset, it is unlikely that anyone will be able to stop the American.

Sam ARSHADGH (IRI) will throw a challenge from Iran but while Jovani SOLIS (PUR) is the U17 Pan-Am champion but Kikiniou did not participate in the tournament. Russia will be represented by Magomed IBRAGIMOV (RUS), who finished 10th last year.

71kg: In a very open weight class, U17 Asian champion Adilet RYSBAY (KAZ) and U17 European champion Nikolay ILIEV (BUL), both will fancy their chances to win gold. Iran has Reza SHAMSIPOUR (IRI) who will also be in the race to win along with Mokhmad BAISULTANOV (RUS).

Camryn HOWARD (USA) will be representing the challenge from the U.S.

80kg: Hosts Azerbaijan will hope that U17 European champion Nihad SULEYMANLI (AZE) can give it a home world gold and also improve on his 13th place finish from last year. The route, however, may be a tough one. Amirali FERASATI (IRI), the U17 Asian champion, dominated his way to gold in Da Nang and is expected to have good result in Baku.

The weight class also has returning bronze medalist from 71kg Ayubjon BOZORZODA (TJK) and Arshavir DARAKHSHANIFARA (FIN), who won U17 European bronze and will now try to give Finland its first Freestyle medal at the U17 Worlds.

The U.S. challenge comes from Jayden OFARRILL (USA), while U17 European bronze medalist Rati REVAZASHVILI (GEO) will be at his third U17 Worlds, hoping for his first medal and Kantemir ELMESOV (RUS) will also be in the mix.

92kg: U17 European champion Abdurazak SHABANOV (RUS) is a favorite to win gold in the weight class. However, Ali DADAEV (FRA), silver to him, will try to avenge the loss from Bulgaria.

Iran, among the best as the weights get heavier, will be represented by Reza ISAZADEH (IRI), with U17 European bronze Nuradin MUSTAFAEV (GEO), U17 Pan-Am champion Salah TSARNI (USA) and U17 Asia silver Amirbek FAZLITDINOV (UZB) also entered.

110kg: Returning bronze medalist Hakim TAGHIYEV (AZE) will try to improve his medal but will have to be wary of U17 European champion Murtaz BAGDAVADZE (GEO) and silver medalist Stefan STEFANOV (BUL), both lost the bronze-medal bouts in Athens.

Arush RANA (IND), U17 Asian champion, and silver medalist Amirhossein ESMALI (IRI) will also be top prospects. Magomed OMAROV (RUS) and Peter MOCCO (USA) can make the run as well.