#WrestleSamokov

Russia Adds Four Golds, Walks Away with Cadet Euro FS Team Title

Wednesday, June 16, 2021 - 17:26 By Eric Olanowski

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SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (June 16) --- Russia reeled in four additional freestyle gold medals and walked away with the cadet European team title -- 75 points ahead of second-place Armenia. In total, Russia won six golds, two silvers, and a bronze medal and only missed medaling in one weight class.

Russia’s four Day Three gold-medal winners Akhmad GALAEV (45kg), Ramzan ISRAPILOV (51kg), Adam ARKHIEV (60kg) and Kantemir SUANOV (92kg). Alu DUKHAEV (RUS) also medaled on Wednesday. He dropped the 71kg finals to Aren ISRAYELYAN (ARM).

Galaev was the first Russian crowned champion on the third day of wrestling in Bulgaria. He picked up a fall over Hayko GASPARYAN (ARM) and won gold at 45kg.

Ramzan Israpilov’s hand was raised in the 51kg finals after Javid JAVADOV (AZE) injury defaulted out of the match. It was his second career continental title. He also won the ’19 U15 European title at 38kg.

Adam Arkhiev claimed a second European title with a one-point (4-3) win over Abdulrahman IBRAHIMOV (AZE) in the 60kg finals.

Kantemir Suanov closed out the day with Russia’s fourth gold. He beat Sali Yusrefov SALIEV (BUL), 3-1, in the 92kg finals.

Armenia (138 points), Georgia (122 points), Azerbaijan (107 points) and Ukraine (93 points) rounded out the top five in the team race.

Wrestling resumes tomorrow at 11:30 (local time) and can be followed on www.uww.org.

RESULTS

45kg
GOLD - Akhmad GALAEV (RUS) df. Hayko GASPARYAN (ARM), via fall
BRONZE - Oleksandr HRYHORYSHYN (UKR) df. Yunus Emre BATTAL (TUR), 6-0
BRONZE - Yusif ISPAROV (AZE) df. Lasha GOGADZE (GEO), 10-7

51kg
GOLD -Ramzan ISRAPILOV (RUS) df. Javid JAVADOV (AZE), via injury default
BRONZE - Tigran BUNIATYAN (ARM) df. Dmytro HUBANOV (UKR), 10-6
BRONZE - Seyfulla ITAEV (FRA) df. Kacper NOWAKOWSKI (POL), 10-0

60kg
GOLD -Adam ARKHIEV (RUS) df. Abdulrahman IBRAHIMOV (AZE), 4-3
BRONZE - Daniel Marian SANDU (ROU) df. Khizir DASIYEV (FRA), 11-0
BRONZE - Giorgi ABULASHVILI (GEO) df. Batuhan BOKE (TUR), 6-5

71kg
GOLD -Aren ISRAYELYAN (ARM) df. Alu DUKHAEV (RUS), 12-1
BRONZE - Cengizhan Ramazan DOGAN (TUR) df. Slavi Rumenov STAMENOV (BUL), 4-4
BRONZE - Giorgi NATOBIDZE (GEO) df. Vadym TSURKAN (UKR), via injury default

92kg
GOLD - Kantemir SUANOV (RUS) df. Sali Yusrefov SALIEV (BUL), 3-1}
BRONZE - Tamaz NIKOLEISHVILI (GEO) df. Roope Eerik Matias KATAJA (FIN), 10-0
BRONZE - Rifat Eren GIDAK (TUR) df. Yaroslav LISNIAK (UKR), 7-0

UWW Lifts Restrictions on Belarus, Russia Wrestlers

Friday, May 15, 2026 - 03:02 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (May 15) -- United World Wrestling will allow Belarusian and Russian wrestlers to compete without restrictions at upcoming UWW competitions with immediate effect.

Under the updated participation guidelines, wrestlers from Belarus and Russia will compete under their respective national flags at all age-group levels, including senior. Athlete and staff uniforms may now bear the country initials “RUS” and “BLR,” while the national anthems of both countries will be played during medal ceremonies at UWW events if their wrestlers win gold medals or a team wins a championship.

All other standard UWW competition protocols will remain in effect in accordance with international wrestling rules.

In January, UWW had approved the participation of all wrestlers from the two countries up to the U23 age-group level under their respective national flags following an IOC recommendation that youth athletes holding Belarusian or Russian passports should no longer face restrictions on participation in sports events, including team competitions.

UWW first issued a statement on the geopolitical situation surrounding Ukraine in March 2022 and aligned with measures recommended by the IOC. At the time, UWW decided that wrestlers and officials belonging to affiliated and associated federations in Belarus and Russia would not be invited or allowed to participate in international competitions on the UWW calendar.

In April 2023, UWW formed an independent panel to verify the eligibility of wrestlers from Belarus and Russia based on the IOC’s recommended conditions of participation. At the same time, UWW approved wrestlers in the U15 and U17 age categories to compete as neutral athletes in international competitions.

UWW issued another update to the eligibility criteria for Belarusian and Russian wrestlers in September 2024. In February 2025, UWW announced that all eligible wrestlers from Belarus and Russia would compete under the UWW flag, removing the “Individual Neutral Athletes” designation. However, UWW did not authorize the use of national anthems or references to the flags, symbols, or coats of arms of Belarus and Russia.