#WrestlePlovdiv

Live Blog: U23 European Championships Day 4

By Vinay Siwach

PLOVDIV, Bulgaria (March 10) -- The U23 European Championships enters day four with the final five weight classes of women's wrestling in action. A few of the junior stars will be eyeing glory at the U23 level and the front runners Thursday are the Hungary and Poland teams.

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE

1350: On Mat C, Lilly SCHNEIDER (GER) had no answer Tuende ELEKES (HUN) attacks. The Junior World Championships silver medalist Schneider falls 5-0 in the 72kg quarterfinals

1345: U23 World Championships silver medalist Kendra DACHER (FRA) remains calm despite trailing against Eleni PJOLLAJ (ITA). Down 5-4, she came out with a four-point throw and secured an 8-5 lead. She did give up two more points but that did not matter much.

1325: Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR) beats Patrycja GIL (POL) at 57kg. Gil had a 6-4 lead heading into the final minute but Kamaloglu scored via a head pinch and got the two for exposure to lead 6-6. Gil had six seconds to score a point to win but she fails.

1315: Viktoria VESSO (EST) on Mat C against Birgul SOLTANOVA  (AZE). Vesso was trailing 7-6 in the final 10 seconds but a fleeing caution against Soltanova gives her the win, 7-7 on criteria.

1300: Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) gets the fall over Ameline DOUARRE (FRA). Beautiful cradle to end the bout in the first period

1215: Patrycja GIL (POL) with a big four-pointer against Tamara DOLLAK (HUN) and she comes on top in the battle of two returning silver medalists. Dollak goes down 13-2

1200: Merve KARADENIZ (TUR) with a controlled win over Kelsey BARNES (GBR). The Great Britain wrestler to make it to the U23 Europeans.

1145: What a start we had. Tamara DOLLAK (HUN) and Sezen BELBEROVA (BUL) were involved in a battle. Dollak had a 7-4 lead with less than 40 seconds left but Belberova snuck out a single-leg attack to left and scored four points. But Dollak scored an ankle pick for a takedown to win 9-8

1130: We are beginning with only two mats. 72kg will have a Nelson system.

#UWWAwards

UWW's top ranked wrestlers in 30 weight classes

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 15) -- United World Wrestling has announced the top ranked wrestlers for 2025 in all 30 weight classes. The ranks of these wrestlers are defined by the ranking points achieved at the 2025 World Championships, Continental Championships and the four Ranking Series.

Here's the list of top wrestlers, according to UWW rankings, in all the weight classes:

Freestyle

The United States has three wrestlers who finished as the top ranked wrestlers in the weight classes. World champs Zahid VALENCIA (USA) at 86kg, Trent HIDLAY (USA) at 92kg and Kyle SNYDER (USA) at 97kg are ranked one.

Bahrain has two wrestlers finishing as ranked one -- Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN) at 79kg and Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) at 125kg.

World champion at 57kg Chongsong HAN (PRK) finished first and so did 61kg world champion Zavur UGUEV (UWW).

Iran, Japan and Slovakia also had one highest ranked wrestler as well with world champion Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) at 65kg and Yoshinosuke AOYAG (JPN) at 70kg. World bronze medalist Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) finished top at 79kg.

57kg - Chongsong HAN (PRK)
61kg - Zavur UGUEV (UWW)
65kg - Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI)
70kg - Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN)
74kg - Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK)
79kg - Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN)
86kg - Zahid VALENCIA (USA)
92kg - Trent HIDLAY (USA)
97kg - Kyle SNYDER (USA)
125kg - Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN)

Women's Wrestling

Best women's wrestling country, Japan, finished with three number one ranked wrestlers. Sakura ONISHI (JPN) at 59kg, Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) at 65kg and Ami ISHII (JPN) at 68kg, all world champs, are all ranked number one.

Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) is at the top at 57kg for Turkiye, ANTIM (IND) ranked topped at 53kg, Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) finished best at 55kg, Helen MAROULIS (USA) at 57kg and Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) at 62kg.

Ukraine's got on the list as well with world champion Alla BELINSKA (UKR) ranked number one at 72kg. World silver medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) finished as best wrestler at 76kg. 

50kg - Evin DEMIRHAN YAVUZ (TUR)
53kg - ANTIM (IND)
55kg - Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW)
57kg - Helen MAROULIS (USA)
59kg - Sakura ONISHI (JPN)
62kg - Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL)
65kg - Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN)
68kg - Ami ISHII (JPN)
72kg - Alla BELINSKA (UKR)
76kg - Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)

Greco-Roman

Uzbekistan emerged as the best country in Greco-Roman with three top ranked wrestlers. World champion Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) at 63kg, Alisher GANIEV (UZB) at 60kg and Abdullo ALIEV (UZB) at 72kg were best.

Georgia and Hungary got two wrestlers each at the top. World champion Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) earned himself the top rank at 55kg while Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) is at 82kg. For Hungary, Alex SZOKE (HUN) at 97kg and Darius VITEK (HUN) at 130kg earned the top rank.

Iran, Turkiye and Serbia earned one spots each at the top of the ranking. Olympic and world champion Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) became the top ranked wrestler at 67kg, Ahmed YILMAZ (TUR) at 72kg and world champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) at 87kg.

55kg - Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO)
60kg - Alisher GANIEV (UZB)
63kg - Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB)
67kg - Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI)
72kg - Abdullo ALIEV (UZB)
77kg - Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR)
82kg - Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO)
87kg - Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB)
97kg - Alex SZOKE (HUN)
130kg - Darius VITEK (HUN)

Each of the top ranked wrestlers in their respective weight classes will receive Swiss Francs (CHF) 5,000.