Ivan Yarygin

Russia and USA Release Preliminary Yarygin Rosters

By Eric Olanowski

The Russian Wrestling Federation and USA Wreslting have released their preliminary Freestyle line-ups for the 2018 Ivan Yargin, which begins on January 26 in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. 

Russia's star-studded line-up features a trio of Olympic medalists in Abdulrashid SADULAEV (gold), Aniuar GEDUEV (silver) and Bilyal MAKHOV (bronze). World medalists competing for the Russian Federation include world champion Magomed KURBANALIEV (70kg), world silver medalists Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (61kg) and Khetag TSABOLOV (74kg), and world bronze medalists Akhmed CHAKAEV (65kg), Alan GOGAEV (65kg) and Vladislav VALIEV (86kg). 

USA's squad will feature Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion, Kyle Snyder. Other notable wrestles that will compete for the red,white and blue will be 2016 world champion, Logan STIEBER (65kg), 2016 Olympian Frank MOLINARO (70kg) and world bronze medalist Nick GWIAZDOWSKI (125kg). 

Russia's Ivan Yarygin Line-up
57kg: Zaur UGUEV and Azamat TUSKAEV 
61kg: Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV, Aleksander BOGOMOEV and Ismail MUSUKAEV
65kg: Alan GOGAEV, Ilias BEKBULATOV and Akhmed CHAKAEV
70kg: Israil KASUMOV and Magomed KURBANALIEV
74kg: Khetag TSABOLOV and Magomedkhabib KADIMAGOMEDOV
79kg: Aniuar GEDUEV, Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV and Alan ZASEEV
86kg: Vladislav VALIEV, Daueren KURUGLIEV and Artur NAIFONOV
92kg: Abdulrashid SADULAEV, Anzor URISHEV and Yuri BELONOVSKY
97kg: Vladislav BAITSAEV, Shamil MUSAEV and Rasul MAGOMEDOV
125kg: Bilyal MAKHOV, Anzor KHIZRIEV and Alan KHUGAEV

USA's Ivan Yarygin Line-up
57kg: Frank PERRELLI                                          
61kg: Tony RAMOS and Cory CLARK                
65kg: Logan STIEBER, Jayson NESS and Josh KINDIG                                                  
70kg: Frank MOLINARO
74kg: Joe TAVOSO                                                   
79kg: Kyle DAKE and Alex DIERINGER                                           
86kg: David TAYLOR and Travis STEFANIK
92kg: Jacob WARNER and  Nick HEFLIN                                                  
97kg: Kyle SNYDER and Nathan BURAK
125kg: Nick GWIAZDOWSKI, Zach REY and Bobby TELFORD

#BeachWrestling, #BeachWrestlingWorldSeries

With Dakar 2026 Approaching, UWW Ramps Up Beach Wrestling in Africa

By Vinay Siwach

CASABLANCA, Morocco (July 25) -- With Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games less than 500 days away, United World Wrestling is committed to reinforcing wrestling's presence on the African continent.

As a result, for the first time an African city will host the Beach Wrestling World Series. Casablanca, Morocco will see the third leg of the Beach Wrestling World Series from September 6-7, 2025, at the picturesque Ain Diab beach.

There is more in store for Africa. The final of the Beach Wrestling World Series will be held in Alexandria, Egypt on October 18 and 19, 2025.

UWW is calling for participants. REGISTER HERE!

Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)

The World Series participants will be provided with top-class facilities including five-star hotel boarding, food in hotels and transportation to the competition venue. The conditions will therefore be exceptional for a Beach Wrestling event.

Prior to the World Series, the African Championships in U15, U17 and U20 age-groups will also be held in the same venue on September 4 and 5. All wrestlers who are 18 years or older from the African Championships can take part in the World Series as well.

This is not the first time UWW has stepped up its commitment to Beach Wrestling. Along with UWW Africa, UWW provided technical assistance to African wrestlers last year and has now decided to continue that for the U15 and U17 groups.

UWW reminds all countries that the participation in these tournaments is important as the same wrestlers can be considered with priority for the Youth Olympic Games while allotting the decided quotas for Dakar 2026.

UWW's vision is to develop the younger groups who will be part of the Youth Olympics in Dakar. And it was a step in that direction to start U15 competitions in Beach Wrestling from 2025.

Irina RINGACI (MDA)World champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) competes in Beach Wrestling in Porec, Croatia. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

One of the outcomes of its continued efforts was the participation numbers in the U17 Pan-Am Beach Wrestling Championships in Rio de Janeiro and the U17 Asian Beach Wrestling Championships in Vietnam this year.

The local organizing committee in Rio had to add one more ring to accommodate the participants during the event. At the Asian Championships, India, China, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam and other nations participated with full teams.

Similarly, the wrestlers are encouraged to participate in the U17 and U20 World Beach Wrestling Championships in Katerini-Pieria, Greece on September 25 and 26.

Check out beachwrestling.org for all Beach Wrestling News!

UWW's decisions underscore its deep commitment to uplifting and expanding the sport of wrestling across Africa, particularly with the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar on the horizon.

For any queries, wrestlers, NFs or organizers can contact -- sports@uww.org.