2026 U17 World Championships

Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine Lead the Way into U17 World Championships Finals

Monday, July 27, 2026 - 19:24 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

BAKU, Azerbaijan (July 27) -- Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine were the best performing countries on day one of the U17 World Championships that kicked off with Greco-Roman in Baku, Azerbaijan on Monday.

In the five weight classes that were in action on Monday, the three nations put a two finalists each while Hungary, hosts Azerbaijan, Iran, and the United States had one each.

U17 World Championships 2026

Ali ALMAS (KAZ) was the first wrestler to enter the final when he defeated Ararat AVETISYAN (ARM), 4-1, in the 48kg semifinals. Avetisyan, who finished 13th last year, was hoping to enter his first final at the world level but Almas gave no chance to the Armenian and secured the victory by scoring a turn from par terre.

Almas will now face Soltan IUSUPOV (RUS), who ended the hopes of Omar SALMANOV (AZE) of making the final in front of the home crowd with a 3-1 victory in the semifinal. Iusupov managed to lift Salmanov from par terre in the second period and scored a correct throw on the edge to complete the victory.

Diyar AMANALI (KAZ)Diyar AMANALI (KAZ), blue, reached the 55kg final at the U17 World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Kazakhstan's second finalist came at 55kg after Diyar AMANALI (KAZ) handed Danimir YORDANOV (BUL) a solid 8-1 defeat in the semifinal. Amanali changed the bout in the second period when he scored a takedown and two turns using a trap-arm gut.

Keve KOVACS (HUN) will try to stop Amanali in the final on Tuesday after he defeated Tsimafei SEMIANENKA (BLR), 2-1, in the other 55kg semifinal.

In a one-sided 65kg semifinal, Shamil LABAZANOV (RUS) took only 29 seconds to defeat Vazgen MNATSAKANYAN (ARM), 8-0. He scored a takedown to get the first two points before using the front headlock throw for four points to lead 6-0. He continued the action with another headlock roll and ended the bout with a technical superiority.

Ibrahim NASIBOV (UKR)Ibrahim NASIBOV (UKR), blue, defeated Orkhan HABIBLI (AZE), 4-3, in the 65kg semifinal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Taking on Labazanov for the gold medal at 65kg will be Ibrahim NASIBOV (UKR) who ended the hope of yet another home wrestler, Orkhan HABIBLI (AZE), with a close 4-3 win in the semifinals. Habibli took a 3-1 lead after scoring from par terre but when Nasibov got the position in the second period, he lifted Habibli and transitioned into a gut-wrench to lead 3-3 on last-point criteria. Habibli challenged at the end of the bout but it was lost, adding one more point to Nasibov's score.

 

Iran had a rather humbling first day with just one final. But the one finalist, Alireza REZAEI (IRI), took out the best at 80kg to reach the final. Rezaei denied defending world champion Abdulaziz KHOLMIRZAEV (UZB) a repeat after a 5-1 victory in the semifinals.

Kholmirzaev got the par terre first but did not score and then gave up a throw when Rezaei got par terre in the second period. Down 3-1, Kholmirzaev tried some desperate attacks and was close to scoring a takedown in the final 20 seconds but Rezaei defended his cartwheeling attempt and scored exposure points late in the match to win.

Rezaei will now face Isfahan HASANOV (AZE), who made sure Azerbaijan had at least one finalist at home on the opening day. Hasanov used a correct throw from par terre to get two points on Benediktas BUBELEVICIUS (LTU) and lead 3-0 before the Lithuanian scored a stepout in the same sequence to cut it to 3-1.

Bubelevicius, who got par terre in the second period, could not change the 3-2 score and as the match neared the end, he challenged for finger blocking from Hasanov which was denied, adding one more point to the Azerbaijan wrestler's score.

Bruno PALLONE (USA)Bruno PALLONE (USA) counters Andrej SIMIC (SRB) for four points during the 110kg semifinals. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

A U.S. vs Ukraine final is set at 110kg after two contrasting semifinals. Bruno PALLONE (USA) took on Andrej SIMIC (SRB) in the semifinal and scored a counter four-point throw to lead 6-2. Simic and Pallone went back-and-forth in second period but the latter always had control of the lead. He used a half-nelson to secure the fall while leading 12-5.

Tymofii PRYKHODKO (UKR) denied U17 European champion Fedor SUKHAREV (RUS) a chance to win a world title after winning 1-1 in the other semifinal, thanks to the first-point criteria when the match ends 1-1 and both points are scored for passivity.

Photo

RESULTS

48kg
SF 1: Soltan IUSUPOV (RUS) df. Omar SALMANOV (AZE), 3-1
SF 2: Ali ALMAS (KAZ) df. Ararat AVETISYAN (ARM), 4-1

55kg
SF 1: Diyar AMANALI (KAZ) df. Danimir YORDANOV (BUL), 8-1
SF 2: Keve KOVACS (HUN) df. Tsimafei SEMIANENKA (BLR), 2-1

65kg
SF 1: Shamil LABAZANOV (RUS) df. Vazgen MNATSAKANYAN (ARM), 8-0
SF 2: Ibrahim NASIBOV (UKR) df. Orkhan HABIBLI (AZE), 4-3

80kg
SF 1: Alireza REZAEI (IRI) df. Abdulaziz KHOLMIRZAEV (UZB), 5-1
SF 2: Isfahan HASANOV (AZE) df. Benediktas BUBELEVICIUS (LTU), 4-2

110kg
SF 1: Bruno PALLONE (USA) df. Andrej SIMIC (SRB), via fall (12-5)
SF 2: Tymofii PRYKHODKO (UKR) df. Fedor SUKHAREV (RUS), 1-1

#WrestleTirana

Ukraine Wins Team Title after Record Gold Haul

Saturday, April 25, 2026 - 07:28 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

TIRANA, Albania (April 24) -- After three gold medals on Thursday, Ukraine added three more in Women's Wresting on Friday to win the team title at the European Championships in Tirana.

Two young stars in Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR) and Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR) and two-time Olympic medalist Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) were the three champions for Ukraine. The six gold medals is record in the country's history, improving on last year's performance of four golds.

UWW Plus

It also won a silver and a bronze medals to finish with 193 points, well ahead of second-placed Turkiye which had 122 points. Poland finished third with 114 points.

"This performance for Ukraine was historic because we’ve never had a result like this before," Koliadenko said. "We’ve broken our previous record. Our previous record was seven finals and four golds. The team gave it their all. I’m so happy for the whole team."

Magdalena GLODEK LISZEWSKA (POL) won gold for Poland at 57kg while Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) earned at silver at 76kg which helped the country to third place. With the gold medal, Glodek became the first wrestler from Poland to win gold at European Championships in six years and first in Women's Wrestling in nine years.

The one remaining gold, at 62kg, was won by Grace BULLEN (NOR) in dramatic fashion, coming back from 9-0 down to pin Amina TANDELOVA (UWW).

Yefremova, 19, got the session to a good start for Ukraine with a win over 34-year-old defending champion Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) in a tight 53kg final. Prevolaraki, who had won gold in 2025 on her 14th attempt, looked good to repeat when she got the first points on board in the final through Yefremova's passivity.

But in the second period, Yefremova used a fireman's carry to put Prevolaraki's back on the mat for two points. While she did not get the fall, Yefremova's 2-1 lead was enough for her to defend even as Prevolaraki made continuous attacks.

"Such intense emotions for me," Yefremova said. "I came here convinced I’d win a medal, but I didn’t think I’d make it to the final because I knew there were more experienced athletes here. But I still had a little bit of hope in myself that I could reach the final and win that gold. I didn’t think it would all turn out this way for me."

Yefremova, a former U17 world champion and U20 world silver medalist, was making waves in Women's Wrestling before being suspended for 18 months a positive dope test.

"I can’t say I’m particularly worried about the fact that the wrestlers are more experienced than me," she said. "I’m just used to forging ahead, regardless of the obstacles. I’ve got a goal, and I’m going for it. I don’t really have anything else on my mind."

Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR)Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) celebrates after winning the 65kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Koliadenko earned her fourth European title without giving up a single point throughout the tournament, a fact that left even her surprised. After two technical superiority wins in the quarterfinal and semifinal, Koliadenko faced world silver medalist Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) in the 65kg final. She controlled the final throughout and forged a 9-0 victory.

"I hadn’t planned on finishing with a clean slate -- not losing a single point throughout this European Championship. It went quite smoothly for me," Koliadenko said.

The 27-year-old first wrestled at the European Championships in 2020, winning a bronze medal. Her gold medals came in 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2026. In 2025, she finished with a bronze as well, taking her total medal count to six.

"I suppose experience does play a part, and over the years every competition becomes quite a challenge psychologically," she said. "Physically, you’re always prepared, but mentally it’s a bit tough. Especially given the rather uncomfortable situation in Ukraine at the moment and all of that affects our results."

Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR)Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR) scores exposure points on Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) in the 72kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 72kg, U20 and U23 world champion Sokolovska found a way to beat Choluj despite trailing for four points. Choluj was put on activity clock but she used a double-leg attack during the 30-second period to score a takedown which was scored two points.

As the match progressed Choluj found it difficult to answer the pressure from Sokolovska who managed a go-behind to score her first point before getting two more for exposure in the same scramble to lead 4-2 with 1:34 remaining.

Choluj challenged the call but it was a takedown and a clear cradle with no foul. The lost challenge added one more point to Sokolovska's score. Choluj managed a stepout with 28 seconds left but failed to score a takedown in the remaining time which could have given her the criteria victory.

Sokolovska, trained by her Greco-Roman wrestler father, won the gold at her debut European Championships to cap off a memorable tournament for Ukraine.

Apart the these three, Oksana LIVACH (UKR), Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) and Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) were the other three champions for Ukraine in Tirana.

Glodek Ends Poland's Wait

Poland's gold medal winner Glodek who denied Elvira SULEYMAN (TUR), who finished with a silver medal for a second time in a row.

After both wrestlers exchanged passivity points, Suleyman led 1-1 on criteria as her point was the latest. But Glodek used a strong snapdown to score a quick takedown and lead 3-1.

Suleyman tried her best to score a match-winning takedown including an arm throw but landed on her own back to give two more points to Glodek who ended a six-year wait for Poland to have a European champion in wrestling.

For Poland, Maogmedmurad GAZHIEV (POL) had won gold in Freestyle in 2020 while Monika MICHALIK (POL) won gold in Women's Wrestling in 2017.

 

Photo

RESULTS

53kg
GOLD: Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR) df. Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE), 2-1

BRONZE: Natalia MALYSHEVA (UWW) df. Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (UWW), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Annika WENDLE (GER) df. Roksana ZASINA (POL), via fall (2-3)

57kg
GOLD: Magdalena GLODEK LISZEWSKA (POL) df. Elvira SULEYMAN (TUR), 5-1

BRONZE: Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) df. Aryna DZEMCHANKA MARTYNAVA (UWW), via fall
BRONZE: Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) df. Evelina HULTHEN (SWE), via fall

62kg
GOLD: Grace BULLEN (NOR) df. Amina TANDELOVA (UWW), via fall (5-9)

BRONZE: Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) df. Johanna LINDBORG (SWE), 3-1
BRONZE: Naemi LEISTNER (GER) df. Ruzanna MAMMADOVA (AZE), 5-1

65kg
GOLD: Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) df. Alina KASABIEVA (UWW), 9-0

BRONZE: Natalia KUBATY (POL) df. Iris THIEBAUX (FRA), 11-6
BRONZE: Beyza AKKUS (TUR) df. Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE), 4-2

72kg
GOLD: Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR) df. Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL), 5-3

BRONZE: Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (UWW) df. Zsuzsanna MOLNAR (SVK), 3-0
BRONZE: Buse TOSUN (TUR) df. Karolina POK (HUN), 9-6