#WrestleTokyo

Lopez, Kayaalp Set for #WrestleTokyo Semifinal Collision Course

Saturday, July 31, 2021 - 05:32 By United World Wrestling Press

Share this article

TOKYO, Japan (July 31) --- A blockbuster day awaits wrestling fans on the opening day at the Tokyo Olympics as three-time defending champion Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) is set for a collision with Rio Olympics silver medalist Riza KAYAALP (TUR).

The two were drawn on the upper side of the bracket at 130kg weight class and are on path to meet in the semifinal at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba on Sunday.

The first set of draws was completed in Tokyo for two weight classes, 60kg and 130kg, in Greco Roman and one in women's wrestling – 76kg.

Lopez will take on Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU) in the first round while Kayaalp will be up against Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU).

Fourth seed Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) will have to overcome Lopez in the quarterfinal if he wants to reach the semifinal.

At 60kg, home favorite and world champion Kenchiro FUMITA (JPN) has drawn Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG) and fourth seed Ali Reza NEJATI (IRI) is up against Armen MELIKYAN (ARM) in the first round.

The other side can see two young stars U23 world champion Kerem KAMAL (TUR) and Individual World Cup champion Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KAZ) meet in the quarterfinals. The winner can possibly wrestle second seed and former world champion Sergey EMELIN (ROC) in the semifinal.

Wrestlers at 76kg in women's wrestling also received their draws and five-time world champion Adeline GRAY (USA) will be wrestling Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN) in her first bout while defending champion Erica WIEBE (CAN) will wrestle European champion Epp MAEE (EST) in her first round.

Former world champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR) can wrestle Gray in the second round. The semifinal can see former Olympic champion Natalia VOROBEVA (ROC) wrestle one of them. But she has to go through Samar HAMZA (EGY), Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) and Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ).

In another top first-round bout, Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER) will take on Rio Olympic fifth-placer and former world silver medalist Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR).

World silver medalist and local hope Hiroe MINAGAWA (JPN) begins her campaign against veteran wrestler Burmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL). Ochirbat is wrestling in her third Olympics and was one of the wrestlers from Athens Olympics as well.

#BeachWrestling

Youth Olympic quotas in focus as Katerini hosts U17, U20 BW Worlds

Wednesday, September 24, 2025 - 08:47 By United World Wrestling Press

Share this article

KATERINI, Greece (September 23) -- Thirty countries, close to 300 wrestlers, a global glory and a Youth Olympic dream.

Over two days this week, on September 25 and 26, the world’s best age-group beach wrestlers descend upon the scenic Katerini Beach, where the sun sets behind the imposing Mount Olympus. In this postcard-perfect surroundings, they will hope to write their scripts at the U17 and U20 World Championships.

The tournament will be live on the YouTube channel of United World Wrestling's Beach Wrestling channel.

The championships will be taken into consideration for quotas for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games qualifier, adding another layer of significance to the U17 event.

United World Wrestling has received a request for quotas from more than 100 National Olympic Committees with a total of 300 male and 269 female wrestlers. Currently, there are 48 quotas per gender. In this context, the World Championships in Katerini will add excitement to the race for the Youth Olympic Games, scheduled to be held in Dakar.

The U17 and U20 World Championships will be held across eight weight classes each in men’s and women’s categories. Last year, Ukraine and the United States reigned supreme in the men’s and women’s events, respectively, of the U17 World Championships. This year, too, they will be among the favorites to lift the team titles.

Once again, this year, Ukraine has entered a jumbo team with eight wrestlers in the U17 men’s competition. Only hosts Greece (12), Georgia (11), and Moldova (9) have a contingent bigger than theirs. On the women’s side, the USA has fielded the largest delegation among the 24 teams, with 9 wrestlers. In Beach Wrestling, a country can register a maximum of 3 athletes per weight category.

It won’t be so straightforward for both teams to retain their titles, with challengers emerging from other nations, particularly hosts Greece, who would hope to put on a good show in front of their home crowd. Romania, Moldova, Georgia and Iran will remain strong contenders despite Ukraine's legacy in the competition, especially the women's.

Earlier this month, the U15, U17 and U20 African Beach Wrestling Championships were held in Casablanca, where Algeria bagged the U17 men’s and women’s titles. The serene Ain Diab beach in the Moroccan capital hosted the age-group tournaments before the Beach Wrestling World Series, marking the first time the event was held in an African city.

Soon after the U17 and U20 Beach World Championships, the Katerini Beach will host the World Series on September 27 and 28. The penultimate stop of the event is set to be the biggest of the 2025 season so far in terms of participation. There have been a record number of entries, underlining the sport’s continued global growth.

The World Series will return to Africa in October for its final instalment of this season, when the tournament will be held in Alexandria, Egypt, on October 18 and 19.