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LIVE BLOG: U17 World Championships, Day One

Monday, July 31, 2023 - 07:36 By Eric Olanowski

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ISTANBUL, Turkiye (July 31) --- The opening day of wrestling at the 2023 U17 World Championships kicks off with Greco-Roman action at 48kg, 55kg, 65kg, 80kg and 110kg. We'll wrestle through the semifinals today before crowning our first champions on Tuesday night.

Today, we'll have 29 continental medalists wrestling, including ten gold medalists from the 2023 Asian, European, African or Pan-American Championships.

Here's a list of the reigning continental champs in action on Monday:
48kg - Murat KHATIT (AIN)
48kg - Karim ELEMARY (EGY)
55kg - Ahmed SHABAN (EGY) 
55kg - Mohammadreza GHOLAMI (IRI)
65kg - Petros ASHKARYAN (ARM)
65kg- Mohamed ABDELREHIM (EGY)
80kg - Seef ABDALAZIZ (EGY)
110kg - Mohamed AHMED (EGY)
110kg - Saba CHILASHVILI (GEO)
110kg - Amirhossein Morad ABDEVALI (IRI)

Monday's semifinal matchups:
48kg
Shakhzod RUZIOKHUNOV (UZB) vs. Edgar PETROSYAN (ARM) 
Payam Farzad AHMADI BALOOTAKI (IRI) vs. Murat KHATIT (AIN) 

55kg
Halil CINAR (TUR) vs. Suraj SURAJ (IND) 
Jordyn Paul RANEY (USA) vs. Mohammadreza Gholamreza GHOLAMI (IRI) 

65kg
Giorgi TCHIKAIDZE (GEO) vs. Zaur BESLEKOEV (AIN) 
Yusif AHMADLI (AZE) vs. Islombek KARIMJONOV (UZB) 

80kg
Uladzislau DUBROUSKI (AIN) vs. Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) 
Eleftherios PAPPAS (GRE) vs. Mikhail SHKARIN (AIN) 

110kg
Amirhossein Morad ABDEVALI (IRI) vs. Cemal Yusuf BAKIR (TUR) 
Eldar EMIROV (AIN) vs. Ronak RONAK (IND) 

13:49: That'll do it for the morning session. We'll see you back at 18:00 for tonight's semifinals.

14:35: Interesting note: Amirhossein Morad ABDEVALI (IRI), who just punched his ticket to tonight's semifinals, is the younger brother of world champion and Rio Olympic bronze medalist Saeiv ABDEVALI (IRI).

13:55: We're rolling right into the quarterfinals. This will be the last round before we take our break. Tonight's semifinals will start at 18:00 (local time).

13:22: The Iranian big man  Amirhossein Morad ABDEVALI (IRI) extends his record to 5-0 this season with his 8-0 win over  Tsimafei LAZAR (AIN). He'll take on the winner of  Andreas Samuel KERN (SVK) and Ryosei KATAMATSU (JPN) for a spot in the 110kg quarterfinals.

12:48: After a slow start, Gholami got his motor running in the second period. He trailed 1-0 after the first but stopped an unneeded throw attempt from Takahashi to pick up his first two points of the match. While in par terre, the reigning Asian champion threw his Japanese foe for four and extended his lead to five points. He listened to his corner, who were yelling "Get to your two-on-one" and finish the match, which is exactly what he did.

Gholami will likely take on Yuri KARAPETYAN (ARM) next as the Armenian is up 10-6 on Mario Andrei MARIUT (NOR) with less than a minute to go.

12:40: Tchikaidze just trailed 4-1 with less than a minute left but put six points on the board late in the second frame, avenging his U17 European finals loss to Ashkaryan. He awaits the winner of Jure RAJKOVIC (CRO) and Constantin LUNGU (ROU). 

12:36: Reigning U17 world runner-up and defending U17 Asian champion Mohammadreza GHOLAMI (IRI) is set to take on Shu TAKAHASHI (JPN) next on Mat A. 

12:21: The rematch from the 65kg U17 European finals between Ashkaryan and Tchikaidze is next on Mat A. In their last meeting, the Armenian wrestler won, 5-3.

12:11: Despite only scoring one additional point after the opening four-point flurry, Matevosyan punched his ticket to the second round with a 5-0 over win Abdalaziz. He'll wrestle Mikhail SHKARIN (AIN) for a spot in the 80kg quarterfinals.

11:51: Erik TER MATEVOSYAN (ARM) just took an early 4-0 lead on U17 African champion Seef ABDALAZIZ (EGY) over on Mat A.

11:26: Jordyn RANEY (USA) just took out U17 African champion Ahmed SHABAN (EGY), 8-0. The American led 4-0 after the first, then stopped an Egyptian throw attempt before ending the match with a gut wrench. Raney will wrestle Shu Wei CHUNG (TPE) next.

11:13: U17 European Petros ASHKARYAN (ARM) stays undefeated on the season, picking up an early 8-0 win over Turkiye's Ibrahim Hayri AYDEMIR (TUR). He'll wrestle the winner of Giorgi TCHIKAIDZE (GEO) and Ihar ANOSHKA (AIN). If Tchikaidze wins that match, it'll set up a rematch from this year's U17 European finals between Ashkaryan and Tchikaidze.

11:00: The first whistle has been blown, which means that World Championship season is officially underway.

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UWW and RUDIS: Historic partnership to unite and elevate wrestling worldwide

Wednesday, January 15, 2025 - 10:39 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (January 15) -- United World Wrestling (UWW) and RUDIS (rudis.com), a premier U.S.-based wrestling apparel brand renowned for its high-quality gear and deep connections to the wrestling community, have announced a groundbreaking eight-year partnership, set to begin in 2025. The collaboration marks a pivotal moment for the global wrestling community, uniting two forces with a shared vision of celebrating the sport’s rich legacy while shaping its future.

The partnership exemplifies the mutual commitment of UWW, the global governing body of wrestling, and RUDIS to honor the sport and serve its athletes, fans, and communities worldwide.

Central to their collaboration is the concept of “Unified Strength,” symbolizing their united effort to elevate wrestling to new heights on a global scale.

United World Wrestling President Nenad LALOVIC hailed this historic partnership as a significant step forward for the sport.

“UWW has taken unimaginable steps to promote wrestling since 2014, and this is another one of those,” Lalovic said. “Uniting with RUDIS aligns with our mission to promote and develop wrestling worldwide.”

usaKyle SNYDER's (USA) signature Rudis during the World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Founded in Ohio in 2013, RUDIS has rapidly grown into the leading brand in wrestling apparel, renowned for its innovation, athlete-focused designs, and dedication to the wrestling community.

“This partnership is a profound honor and fills us with deep gratitude for the opportunity to serve the sport that has given so much to us all,” said Jesse Leng, co-founder and CEO of RUDIS. “With humility, deep love, and appreciation for everyone connected to and through wrestling, we embrace this duty to support the sport worldwide, uplift its athletes, and contribute to the enduring legacy of this incredible community.”

UWW has always focused on its wrestlers and the partnership with RUDIS will empower wrestlers across the globe. This partnership is a testament to their shared commitment to ensuring the sport’s enduring legacy.

RUDIS Partner and Global Wrestling Advocate Nancy Schultz emphasized the broader significance of the collaboration.

“Wrestling connects us to something far greater than ourselves,” said Schultz. “This partnership allows us to continue uplifting the sport and honoring its global impact and legacy.”

Gordon Templeman, Director of Commercial Operations and Communications, shed more light on the partnership and its goal.

“Through this partnership, we aim to inspire and engage the global wrestling community, elevating the sport to new heights.”

usaKyle SNYDER (USA) has wrestled un the Rudis umbrella for nearly his entire career, collecting nine combined world and Olympic medals. (Photo: United World Wrestling) 

Olympic gold medalist Kyle SNYDER reflected on the significance of this partnership for the future of wrestling. He praised the partnership as a reflection of the wrestling community’s humility and dedication.

“Wrestling is the greatest sport in the world," Snyder said. "This is a great day for wrestling. I believe RUDIS and UWW will tremendously grow the sport.”

Paris 2024 champion Hildebrandt shared her enthusiasm for the collaboration and the impact it will have on women's wrestling.

“I’m so excited for this partnership and how it will elevate wrestling, aid tremendously in the growth of women’s wrestling, and truly open new doors within the sport,” she said.

For media inquiries, contact: Gordon Templeman (gordon.templeman@uww.org), Director, Commercial Operations & Communications or Eric Olanowski (eric.olanowski@uww.org), Head of Communications)