#Tokyo2020

Nenad Lalovic: A Message to the Wrestling Community

Friday, March 6, 2020 - 17:35 By United World Wrestling Press

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Dear Wrestling Community,

 

With the recent outbreak of COVID-19 the worldwide wrestling community has been asked to accommodate a number of adjustments to their competition schedules, including changes to the dates and locations of important Olympic Qualification events.

 

While the developments remain out of control; our staff, bureau members, national federations, and continental leadership are working to find reasonable solutions. Our top priority is to protect the health of our athletes while also ensuring that qualification events for Tokyo 2020 are being planned in a way that respects their training regimens. It is of the utmost importance that the qualifying for Tokyo2020 takes place on the field of play. Wrestling is proud to boast the world’s toughest athletes and there is no question that these recent developments will only strengthen our community’s resolve.

 

Bureau Members, Executive Board members, staff and I are in continuous communication with our partners at the International Olympic Committee and we are dedicated to creating solutions that preserves our qualification system and keeps the public’s health in consideration. We are completely aligned with the IOC heading to Tokyo with confidence.

 

For up-to-date information about our response to the global outbreak of COVID-19 and its impact on our events, please be sure to consult our website homepage and our various social media channels listed below. The IOC has also opened up its athlete portal Athlete365 for updating information about Tokyo 2020 and the impact of global travel restrictions.

 

I want to thank our millions of athletes, fans, and coaches worldwide for their patience and understanding during these past few months. Together we will get past these complicated times and once again enjoy the world’s Oldest and Greatest sport in the leadup to Tokyo 2020.

 

Nenad Lalovic

President, United World Wrestling

Executive Board Member, International Olympic Committee

 

 

Athlete365: https://www.olympic.org/athlete365/

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UWW Breakout Wrestlers of 2025: Hidlay, Farokhi, Onishi

Monday, December 15, 2025 - 12:24 By Eric Olanowski

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 14) -- The 2025 Breakout Wrestlers of the Year were not the ones anyone circled heading into the season. They weren’t the favorites, or the ones analysts picked to walk away from the season as world medalists.

They were the outsiders, largely unproven and underestimated. But that all changed in a single season when they smashed expectations, catapulting themselves into world-wide stardom with world-title runs that nobody saw coming.

Freestyle Breakout Performer of the Year: Trent HIDLAY (USA)

Before 2025, Hidlay had never climbed to the top of a podium at an international event. His  2025 season even began with more doubt than promise, dropping his second match of the year to rising Azeri phenom Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) at the Zagreb Open. But that loss lit a fuse. From that moment on, the 26-year-old didn’t just improve -- he transformed.

Hidlay unleashed a stunning 13-match win streak and collected gold medals at the Pan-American Championships, the Budapest Ranking Series and the World Championships. Along the way, he knocked off giants -- Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE), Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), and Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), just to name a few.

Then came the finale: a world finals comeback for the ages. Down and all but finished, Hidlay stormed back to defeat Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW). In one year, Hidlay didn’t just win -- he arrived.

Greco-Roman Breakout Performer of the Year: Gholemreza FAROKHI (IRI)

When opportunity knocked, Farokhi wasn’t just there to answer it, he was there to kick the door off its hinges. The 23-year-old stepped into Iran’s senior lineup for the first time in his career and tore through anyone in front of him -- whether it was at 82kg or 87kg.

Farokhi bulldozed his way to gold medals at the two World Championships he participated in. He racked up a perfect 17-0 record, including 11 technical superiority wins and six decisions, sweeping gold at the World Championships, U23 World Championships, the Islamic Solidarity Games, and the Zagreb Open Ranking Series.

Women’s Wrestling Breakout Performer of the Year: Sakura ONISHI (JPN)

At 19 years old, Onishi entered the senior circuit with massive goals but had zero experience and zero fear. In mere months, she became a problem no one had an answer for.

Onishi tore through the season with a flawless 15-0 record, capturing titles at the Senior and U20 World Championships, the Asian Championships, and the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series. Her dominance wasn’t subtle -- it was exactly what you’d expect from a Japanese women’s wrestler -- 11 tech falls, three pins, and a decision, outscoring opponents 158-17.