#WrestlePontevedra

Susaki Slam: Japan star first to win all world and Olympic titles

Friday, October 21, 2022 - 00:25 By Vinay Siwach

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PONTEVEDRA, Spain (October 20) -- Yui SUSAKI (JPN) and history will always have Paris.

But before that, the Japanese wonder decided she would get herself all the world titles wrestling could offer.

She entered the U23 World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain, a month after winning her third senior world title. And wrestling for just four minutes and 47 seconds in four bouts, Susaki completed wrestling 'Grand Slam' – winning all world titles and the Olympics, the first wrestler to achieve the feat.

“I wanted to take the U23 title and become the first to achieve the 'grand slam',” Susaki said. “I'm so happy I was able to achieve it.”

Having won the U17 world titles from 2014 to 2016, Susaki won her first senior and U20 titles in 2017 and the Olympics in 2021. Well aware that this year is the last chance for her to compete at the U23 level, Olympic champion Susaki entered the competition with no concerns and came out with another record to her name.

“I always knew about [the Grand Slam]. There were two of my predecessors who won four [age-group] titles,” Susaki said referring to Haruna OKUNO (JPN) and Masako FURUICHI (JPN) “but no one in the wrestling world had added the fifth title of the Olympics [which Susaki won in 2021]. I wanted to make history, so I was definitely going to enter this year. I knew this would be the first and last time [at U23].”

Yui SUSAKI (JPN)Yui SUSAKI (JPN) pins Ankush PANGHAL (IND) in the 50kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

In the 50kg final, Susaki wrestled Ankush PANGHAL (IND) and went for the double-leg. Panghal put up a fight for a brief time and even tried getting exposure to score points on Susaki, something which has not happened for three years.

Susaki improvised quickly and locked Panghal's leg in Figure 4 and secured the fall in a minute and 52 seconds to create history.

“I wanted to create history, a new thing in history, and it's a feat that I could accomplish,” she said. “I wanted to leave my name in wrestling history.”

Wrestling will remember her as one of the most dominant wrestlers of all time if not the most. For some, she is strong while for others she is technically sound. A lot of fellow wrestlers credit Susaki for her mat awareness.

Like the leg lace she launches or the armbar she uses to pin her opponent. She will combine that with the front chest wrap to get the big points. Susaki doesn't wait for her opponent's mistake. She punishes them at the first opportunity she gets.

“Regardless of where the opponent is from, I mainly want to do my wrestling and before the match, I keep in mind to give everything I have,” she said after winning the gold Thursday.

That's only on the mat. Off it, she never lets the smile off her face, greeting her teammates, fans and even fellow wrestlers with the same energy. Nothing bothers her or so she makes it seem.

But there is a photo of her from the World Championships in Belgrade as she is walking out for the gold medal bout, Susaki is happily waving at her teammates in the stands while her opponent waited on the mat with a stern look.

Susaki finished the bout in a minute and 24 seconds with a pin.

Yui SUSAKI (JPN)Yui SUSAKI (JPN) won her first U23 world title. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

But it was not always like that. She used to be a little more human early in her career, feeling the nerves before a big bout of showing emotions after a tense win. She even made mistakes on the mat. Till 2018, Susaki was guilty of going into the defensive late in the second period or getting countered on her double-leg attacks.

It all changed after that famous 2-2 win at the 2018 Klippan Lady Open over four-time Olympic medalist Mariya STADNIK (AZE). Susaki has never celebrated as she did after winning that unimportant, yet the most iconic, bout of her career.

Susaki, then 17 years old, entered that tournament as the world champion. But the epitome of 50kg wrestling was Stadnik who did not take part in the 2017 World Championships. Susaki needed to beat her to be undisputed.

Stadnik led 2-1 with 50 seconds left. Susaki launched an attack using a front headlock with just 13 seconds left on the clock. Stadnik defended a takedown but Susaki pushed her out to lead 2-2 on criteria. She won and breached a new territory. She was the new star.

That loss broke Stadnik. She never scored a single point on Susaki in their future meetings.

Apart from Stadnik, SUN Yanan (CHN) is another wrestler who troubled Susaki. In their first meeting at the 2017 Asian Championships, Sun stunned her with a front headlock, and then at the 2017 World Cup, she almost won before Susaki held on for a 4-2 victory.

The 2019 bout at the World Cup was even closer. Susaki won 3-2 but it was the last time she allowed any of her opponents to trouble her. She humbled Sun 11-0 inside two minutes in the Olympic final in Tokyo to claim the gold, a medal which landed in Susaki's lap after drama and help from rivals, namely Sun and Stadnik.

After beating 2016 Rio Olympic champion Eri TOSAKA (JPN), Susaki was the favorite to be at the Tokyo Olympics. But Yuki IRIE (JPN) had other ideas.

Since high school, Susaki has only lost thrice -- all three losses to Irie. One of those losses came in the playoff for the 2019 World Championships which was the first qualification step for the Tokyo Olympics. Susaki's hopes were dashed as all Irie needed was to win a medal at 50kg in Nursultan, Kazakhstan. Given the domination of Japan at 50kg, it was a no-brainer that Irie will win one.

But as fate would have it, Irie suffered a 13-12 loss to Sun in the quarterfinals before Stadnik defeated Sun in the semifinals, thus eliminating Irie. That was Susaki's lifeline. She qualified for the Olympics at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Almaty, Kazakhstan and the rest is history.

She made her debut at the U17 World Championships in 2014, and since then Susaki has a 72-0 international record with only 10 of those bouts going the full six minutes. Overall, out of the total 406 minutes [72 bouts], Susaki has spent approximately 190 minutes on the mat, less than half of the full time.

Her first six-minute bout came at the prestigious Ivan Yarigiun Grand Prix in 2017 which was her senior international debut. Former European champion Valeria CHEPSARAKOVA (RWF) managed to keep her at bay but failed to stop her from winning 6-0.

The then 16-year-old Susaki had already won three U17 world gold medals and was yet to concede a point in 17 bouts. She would extend that record to 21 bouts before Anna LUKASIAK (POL) scored four points on her at the Klippan Lady Open in 2017.

But in her 72 bouts, Susaki has scored 663 points [including 10 falls] and given up only 27 points. The last time it happened was at the World Cup in Narita, Japan when Sun had a takedown that ended a 125-0 run for Susaki.

As of Friday, Susaki is on a 158-0 run with a chance to extend it further next year.

While for most wrestlers the season is all but over, for most Japanese wrestlers, December brings the Emperor's Cup. This year's tournament will serve as the first qualification for the 2023 World Championships which offers quotas for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

And the story of Susaki and her struggles to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics are well documented, she does not want to repeat the same for Paris.

“To me, the Paris Olympics is a special tournament,” she said. “I want to see what the scenery looks like when you win a second Olympic gold. I want to know what is the spectacular view. I am looking forward to that. And when I became a senior world champion for the first time, it was in Paris. I feel I have a destiny with the Paris Olympics.”

Tatiana RENTERIA (COL)Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) became Colombia's first ever U23 world champion (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Colombia wins first U23 gold

More history was created in Pontevedra as Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) became Colombia's first-ever U23 world champion after she defeated Dymond GUILFORD (USA), 2-1, in the 76kg final.

Renteria, a returning silver medalist, had lost the final last year to Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) but took home the gold this year with a win that got the local crowd excited.

In the first period, she was called passive and Guilford led 1-0 at the break. Guilford got going in the second period and brought down Tenteria for a takedown. However, the Colombian managed to keep her knees from touching the match to avoid giving up any points.

And when Guilford was pressuring more, Renteria jumped over and forced Guilford on her back, giving her two points and a 2-1 lead which she maintained till the end.

“Last year I won silver so I had to step up here and take home the gold,” Renteria said. “It was a tough final.”

At 68kg, Nesrin BAS (TUR) defeated Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN), 8-0, in the final to claim Turkey's third U23 world title in women's wrestling.

While Matsuyuki began on a good note, it was Bas who controlled the bout for most of the time and ultimately broke Matsuyuki with her high pace.

Apart from Susaki, Japan captured two more gold medals as U20 world champion Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) defeated Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA), 13-0, in the 55kg final while Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN), wrestling at her first World Championships, held off Magdalena GLODEK (POL), 3-2, to win the gold at 59kg.

Nonoka OZAKI (JPN)Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) defeated returning champion Ana GODINEZ (CAN) in the 62kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Japan has already sealed the team title but will have senior world champions Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) and Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) wrestling for gold at 62kg and 68kg respectively.
Former senior and U23 world champion Haruna OKUNO (JPN) will be going for her third U23 world title Friday as she made it to the 53kg final against defending champion Lucia YEPEZ (ECU).

At 57kg, Sae NANJO (JPN) will look to add to her previous U23 world title as she takes on Patrycja GIL (POL) in the gold medal bout.

The only final Friday which does not feature a Japanese is at 72kg as senior world champion Amit ELOR (USA) reached the gold medal bout against U23 European champion Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL).

Elor will join the select club of wrestlers with world titles at U17, U20, U23 and senior levels if she wins Friday.

Ozaki will also join the club by winning the 62kg gold while Okuno was the first wrestler to win world titles at four different levels.

Freestyle wrestling will begin in five weight classes – 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg and 97kg.

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RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Yui SUSAKI (JPN) df. ANKUSH (IND), via fall

BRONZE: Nada MOHAMED (EGY) df. Lisa ERSEL (GER), 4-2
BRONZE: Sarra HAMDI (TUN) df. Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA), 8-5

55kg
GOLD: Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) df. Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA), 13-0

BRONZE: Alisha HOWK (USA) df. Ahinsa FERNANDO (SRI), 13-5
BRONZE: Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR) df. Virginie KAZE (CAN), 8-4

59kg
GOLD: Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) df. Magdalena GLODEK (POL), 3-2

BRONZE: Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) df. Lexie BASHAM (USA), 10-0
BRONZE: Mansi AHLAWAT (IND) df. Ramina MAMEDOVA (LAT), via injury default

68kg
GOLD: Nesrin BAS (TUR) df. Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN), 8-0

BRONZE: Irina RINGACI (MDA) df. Sienna RAMIREZ (USA), via fall
BRONZE: Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR) df Noemi SZABADOS (HUN), 6-2

76kg
GOLD: Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) df. Dymond GUILFORD (USA), 2-1

BRONZE: Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) df. Mehtap GULTEKIN (TUR), via fall
BRONZE: Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN) df. Inkara ZHANATAYEVA (KAZ), 7-0

Semifinals

53kg
GOLD: Haruna OKUNO (JPN) vs. Lucia YEPEZ (ECU)

SF 1: Haruna OKUNO (JPN) df. Felicity TAYLOR (USA), 9-1
SF 2: Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) df. Zeynep YETGIL (TUR), 10-0

57kg
GOLD: Sae NANJO (JPN) vs. Patrycja GIL (POL)

SF 1: Sae NANJO (JPN) df. Siwar BOUSETA (TUN), via fall
SF 2: Patrycja GIL (POL) df. Laura ALMAGANBETOVA (KAZ), via fall

62kg
GOLD: Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) vs. Iryna BONDAR (UKR)

SF 1: Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) df. Ana GODINEZ (CAN), 10-0
SF 2: Iryna BONDAR (UKR) df. Astrid MONTERO (VEN), 10-0

65kg
GOLD: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) vs. Nigar MIRZAZADA (AZE)

SF 1: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Kateryna ZELENYKH (UKR), 6-2 
SF 2: Nigar MIRZAZADA (AZE) df. Elena ESPOSITO (ITA), 3-2

72kg
GOLD: Amit ELOR (USA) vs. Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL)

SF 1: Amit ELOR (USA) df. Maria NITU (ROU), via fall 
SF 2: Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) df. Sumire NIIKURA (JPN), 3-1

#WrestleBratislava

European Championships 2025 Preview

Wednesday, April 2, 2025 - 13:20 By Vinay Siwach

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BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (April 2) -- The European Championships 2025 will be held in Bratislava, Slovakia from April 7 to 13. It will be live on UWW+ on uww.org and the UWW app.

Follow United World Wrestling on Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube and TikTok.

Download the European Championships 2025 Preview here

(Text version)

The 2025 European Championships will be held in Bratislava from April 7 to 13 and has 24 returning champions. However, the six missing champions have made way for some historic battles.

The 125kg mainstays -- both Taha AKGUL (TUR) and Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) -- are not competing, Haji ALIYEV (AZE) at 65kg has retired and so has Mariya STADNIK (AZE) in Women's Wrestling. There will be no Riza KAYAALP (TUR) in Greco-Roman as well.

And it won't only be about the wrestlers not in Slovakia. Olympic and world champion Zaurbek SIDAKOV (UWW) is searching for his first European medal and will participate in the tournament after nine years. Former world champion David BAEV (UWW) will make his European Championships debut this year. Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) returns after missing it in 2024 after a bizarre situation in Romania.

Among the 24, who all will be able to defend their titles this year? Here's the breakdown of the three style and key storylines of the upcoming European Championships

Taha AKGUL (TUR)

Freestyle

For the first time in 13 years, the 125kg European champion will not be named Taha AKGUL (TUR) or Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO). The two have won every gold on offer in the continental tournament since 2012. But Akgul has retired and Petriashvili has not returned to action since winning the 2024 Paris Olympics gold.

Georgia is sending Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO) and Turkiye is going with Hakan BUYUKCINGIL (TUR). While they have age-group credentials, the two can find it challenging at the European Championships.

Paris bronze medalist Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) will be the favorite for the gold medal along with Zelimkhan KHIZRIEV (UWW) who won silver medal at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series. U23 European champion Georgi IVANOV (BUL) will once again make a run to end up on the podium at the senior level, a feat he has not achieved yet. Vlagyiszlav BAJCAJEV (HUN), the former mainstay at 97kg, is at 125kg.

Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW)Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) will be eyeing his sixth European title. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

While Akgul and Petriashvili, both Olympic champions are not in Bratislava, four others are. Three former Olympic champions -- Zavur UGUEV (UWW), Zaurbek SIDAKOV (UWW) and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) -- are heading to Bratislava as UWW athletes while the fourth -- Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL) -- will be in action for the first time since winning the gold medal at 86kg at the Paris Olympics.

Sadulaev, who will compete at the European Championships after five years, is going for this sixth title. While the gold medal looks very straightforward, the weight itself has a few big names. Apart from Sadualev, who won the world title at 92kg, Paris silver medalist Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO), Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE), Radu LEFTER (MDA) and Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) are also entered.

Zaurbek SIDAKOV (UWW)Zaurbek SIDAKOV (UWW) is competing at the European Championships for the second time. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Sidakov may not have it as simple. Sidakov, who last wrestled at the 2023 World Championships and won gold, will face tough battles from Paris bronze medalist Chermen VALIEV (ALB) and Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK), who has won four straight European gold medals.

Valiev won the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series gold medal recently over Salkazanov but Sidakov will be a bigger challenge. He has managed to run Sidakov close, last losing to him 3-2 at the Russian National Championships in 2023.

For Uguev, the non-Olympic World Championships was a horror as he finished without a medal, losing first to Japanese sensation Masanosuke ONO (JPN) and then to Vitali ARUJAU (USA) in the bronze-medal bout.

And the European Championships will be nothing short of another challenging tournament. He will have Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB) who defeated him at the 2023 World Championships, three-time European champion Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) and youngsters in Nuraddin NOVRUZOV (AZE) and Andrii DZHELEP (UKR).

Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL)Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL) will be competing for the first time since winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Ramazanov, who finished eighth last year, will enter 86kg as the Olympic champion. But gold will be of little weight as he faces a tough field. European U23 champion Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE), European U23 silver Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA), former Olympic silver medalist Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW) and his former rival Artur NAIFONOV (UWW) are all in.

Naifonov, Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist, has a perfect record at the Euros, winning the title three times. But he last competed here in 2021 and his battle with Ramazanov will the one of the biggest in Bratislava.

At 65kg, returning champion and Olympic bronze medalist Islam DUDAEV (ALB) has a big task ahead of him especially after missing a medal at the Muhamet Malo. U23 world champion Ibragim IBRAGIMOV (UWW), who also finished without a medal in Muhamet Malo, can set a fierce final.

But Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) will remember his medalless run last year and hope to reclaim his gold medal, one he won in 2023.

David BAEV (UWW)David BAEV (UWW) will be returning to international wrestling for the first time since 2019. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Back in 2019, David BAEV (UWW) enthralled everyone with his 70kg gold medal run at the World Championships. However, he never wrestled internationally again. Now, Baev is going for European gold at 70kg and there is little doubt that he will claim it.

Still, Baev will be up against Armenia's returning champion at 70kg Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM) who had an incredible run in 2024, beating world champion  Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) and Akaki KEMERTELIDZE (GEO) in semifinal and final, respectively. Muszukajev will be back at 70kg in hopes of winning his second European title.

Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE)Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) is moving up to 92kg for the European Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

The 92kg weight class can throw some surprises as Olympic bronze medalist Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) is wrestling up in that weight class. He is joined by world silver medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) and 2023 world silver medalist Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE). Also in the mix are Boris MAKOEV (SVK) and former European champion Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR).

Nachyhn MONGUSH (UWW) at 57kg and defending 79kg champion Akhmed USMANOV (UWW) should have easy paths to gold.

Buse TOSUN (TUR)Buse TOSUN (TUR) is the defending champion at 68kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Women's Wrestling

Can Turkiye improve on its three gold medals from 2024?

It will be the big question as the nation sends a strong team to Bratislava in Women's Wrestling. 

Led by Olympic bronze medalist and world champion Bose TOSUN (TUR), Türkiye also has two returning champions in Yasemin ADAR (TUR) and Nesrin BAS (TUR). The three will be the favorites to repeat in their respective weight classes -- 68kg, 76kg and 72kg.

Tosun, who won bronze at the Paris Olympics, can face Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) in what will be a rematch of the semifinals from last year which Tosun won 10-9. Kendra DACHER (FRA) and Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU) can also finish on the podium.

Former world champion Adar already has five European gold medals and looks poised for sixth. She has Martina KUENZ (AUT), Laura KUEHN (GER), Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) and Valeriia TRIFONOVA (UWW) as some of her opponents.

Bas, who own her third European U23 gold in March, will be the favorite again at 72kg. She has returning silver medalist Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU), former world champion Alla BELINSKA (UKR) and Viktoryia RADZKOVA (UWW) as her challengers among others.

Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR)Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) is leading the Ukraine team and will compete at 65kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Ukraine can certainly challenge the likes of Turkiye. The nation is bringing a strong line-up led by Olympic silver medalist Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) and young star Irina BONDAR (UKR).

Koliadenko, moving up a weight class to 65kg, is in a three-way battle for the title. The silver medalist at 62kg from Paris and the defending champion will have her fellow Paris medalist, Grace BULLEN (NOR). Former world champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) is also going for the title at 65kg.

However, Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU), returning silver medalist and who defeated Ringaci last year, will be the darkhorse in this weight class.

Iryna BONDAR (UKR)Iryna BONDAR (UKR) is the favorite to win the 62kg gold. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Bondar will be eyeing her first senior European title after exploits at the age-group level, the most recent being European U23 title. She will have to face the strength of a few senior wrestlers including former world champion Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL), who won the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series. Luisa NIEMESCH (GER), Sara LINDBORG (SWE), Veranika IVANOVA (UWW) and Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) are also listed.

Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) has not reached her top level since the return after a career-threatening injury in 2023. But she won the bronze medal at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series and will be a favorite to win the gold at 55kg in Bratislava.

In the list of wrestlers who can challenge her are Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW), Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA), Tuba DEMIR (TUR). Veterans Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA) and Roksana ZASINA (POL) are also going for another European medal.

The 50kg weight class, reserved for Mariya STADNIK (AZE), will have a new European champion. Any other time when there was a different champion in this weight class, it was because she was not participating that year.

Returning silver medalist Evin DEMIRHAN YAVUZ (TUR) will be hoping to upgrade her medal this year but she will face a tough time from Paris Olympian Oksana LIVACH (UKR) and Zagreb Open champion Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (UWW).

Watch out for Svenja JUNGO (SUI), the history-making Swiss wrestler, who will be at her second European Championships.

A rivalry to watch out for is at 57kg as Tokyo silver medalist and defending champion Iryna KURACHKINA (UWW) and Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW) return for another round. Azerbaijan's first-ever world U23 champion Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) and returning bronze Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) will look to earn a medal as well.

Defending champion at 59kg Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) and her final's opponent Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR) are heading to Bratislava with Filipovych hoping to avenge the 3-3 loss from last year. Paris Olympian Aurora RUSSO (ITA) and two former world U20 champion Alesia HETMANAVA (UWW) and Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (UWW) are listed as well.

At 53kg, can four-time Olympian Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) win the elusive European gold medal?

She has eight European medals -- four silvers and four bronzes -- and will look to win the gold medal in Bratislava. Trying to stop her from making history include European champion Andreea ANA (ROU), U23 European champion Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE), returning bronze medalist Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) and Natalia MALYSHEVA (UWW).

Greco-Roman

The only Paris Olympic champion from Europe, Semen NOVIKOV (BUL), will be eying his second European gold, now at 87kg, and the first since 2020. He also has a bronze medal from the 2023 edition. Novikov will need to shake off his loss against Saied ESMAEILI (IRI) at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series.

Defending 87kg champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) had a stunning run to the gold medal in 2024 but has not shown the same signs since in different competitions. He finished eighth at the Olympics and fifth at the season-opening Zagreb Open. David LOSONCZI (HUN) and Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW) have continued to be big threats and will be strong contenders for the gold medal.

Young stars in Vladimeri KARCHAIDZE (FRA), Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO), Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) and Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) will look to challenge the seniors in this weight class.

One of the biggest names in Greco-Roman, Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM), already has seven European gold medals and is going for his eighth. Aleksanyan, a four-time Olympic medalist, including gold in Rio, is leading the Armenian team.

However, Aleksanyan will have to fight for it. Former European champion Kiril MILOV (BUL), world bronze medalist Artur OMAROV (CZE), former world champion Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW) and world bronze medalist Artur SARGSIAN (UWW), who recently won the Zagreb Open Ranking Series, are vying for the title as well.

Aleksanyan has wins over most of them including Milov, who is the returning bronze medalist. Omarov, who pulled out of Paris Olympics due to an injury, will return after a year off. Sargasian, at 27, will be making his senior European Championships debut and can be biggest challenger to Aleksanyan. Maskevich is moving up from 87kg to 97kg and will be at his first European Championships at this weight class.

Among other big names, Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN), Alex SZOKE (HUN), Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED) and Felix BALDAUF (NOR) are listed. European U23 silver medalist Richard KARELSON (EST) will be hoping for a medal at the senior level and match his father, also named Richard KARELSON, with a senior medal.

Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) will look to defend his 77kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Defending 77kg champion Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) is returning since winning bronze at the Paris Olympics. He will be the favorite to win gold but Sergei STEPANOV (UWW), who won the Zagreb Open 2025 gold on his return since 2021, can take every one by surprise. Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) did not have a good start to the year, finishing fifth at the Zagreb Open 2025. But he will be keen on winning a medal at the European Championships and get his form on track. Former world silver medalist Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) is in medal-contention as well.

Moldova's mainstay at 77kg, Alexandrin GUTU (MDA), has made way for Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) at this weight class for European Championships. Solovei won the U23 European title recently at 82kg.

Azerbaijan has all three of its 2024 world champions heading to Bratislava along with other strong wrestlers to complete the line-up.

At 60kg, world champion Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) will have his task cut out with Victor CIOBANU (MDA), Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) and Sadyk LALAEV (UWW) chasing the gold medal.

Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) will be favorite to win gold at 55kg despite his absence last edition, in which Artiom DELEANU (MDA) stunned a strong field to win gold. Multiple time world medalist Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW) will be eyeing the gold medal that he last won in 2021.

Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE), world champion at 72kg, will have a tougher path. Among the top contenders in this weight class is two-time Olympic silver medalist Parviz NASIBOV (UKR), moving up from 67kg, world champions Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) and Ali ARSALAN (SRB).

Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) opened his season at the Zagreb Open. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 67kg, Paris bronze and defending champion Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) is going for his third straight gold medal. He injured his ear in Zagreb in January but will be fully fit for the European Championships. Silver medalist against Jafarov, Ruslan BICHURIN (UWW) is returning as well with a hope to avenge his 8-5 final loss to Jafarov.

Azerbaijan's defending 63kg champion Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) will eyeing a second straight gold medal but Kerem KAMAL (TUR), who won the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series gold at 60kg, is back with a new-found motivation after missing the Paris Olympics.

U23 world champion Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), European U23 silver Hleb MAKARANKA (UWW) and Dinislam BAMMATOV (UWW) will be making Mammadov or Kamal's path to gold even more stiffer.

Veteran Sergei SEMENOV (UWW), who denied Riza KAYAALP (TUR) a historic 12th European title by pinning him in the 130kg final last year, has now emerged the favorite for the gold this year.

There are, however, young stars in Hamza BAKIR (TUR) and Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR), both of whom have proved themselves at the age-group levels. But can they challenge the seniors?

The weight class also has Beka KANDELAKI (AZE), London Olympic medalist 39-year-old Heiki NABI (EST) and Tokyo silver medalist Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) among others.