2026 U17 World Championships

Tovar Ends Colombia's 43-Year Wait for U17 World Gold

Tuesday, August 4, 2026 - 09:00 By Vinay Siwach

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BAKU, Azerbaijan (August 1) -- "When you fall down, you got to keep going, come back up, can’t just let it bring you down."

Jovanni TOVAR (COL) said after falling short winning a medal at the 2025 U17 World Championships in Athens. He finished fifth.

WATCH: Jovanni Tovar Ends Colombia's 43-Year Wait for Gold

With lesson from Athens and a year of work behind him, Tovar came back to the U17 Worlds in 2026 and won a historic gold medal for Colombia, the country's first in 43 years. Luis PALOMINO (COL) had won the 62kg gold at the 1983 edition of the tournament.

Tovar lost in the quarterfinals and then in the bronze medal bout in 2025. But a year later, he dominated his way to gold, outscoring his opponents 37-1 in five bouts including a fall and two technical superiority wins.

Wrestling Jovanni TOVAR (COL)Jovanni TOVAR (COL) celebrates after winning the 55kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

In the final, Tovar faced Jakhongir TULKUNOV (UZB), who had finished eighth at the 2025 U17 World Championships. Tovar set up the first takedown using a long shot deep on Tulkulnov's leg during the Uzbekistan wrestler's activity clock.

Tulkunov, who had very open stance leaving a wide gap to attack his legs, kept trying to get his collar ties but Tovar never allowed him. Tovar hit an attack on the legs and converted it into a takedown before using an arm-bar to pin the Uzbekistan wrestler. However, time ran out for the break and Tovar led 7-0.

Tovar would see an opening 30 seconds into the second period and hit a double-leg attack and rolled through for a four-pointer which gave the technical superiority win with 1:18 left in the match.

Tovar's Results in U17 Wrestling World Championships 2026

Final: df. Jakhongir TULKUNOV (UZB), 11-0
Semifinal: df. Chase KARENBAUER (USA), 10-0
Quarterfinal: df. Prathmesh PATIL (IND), 2-1
Pre-Quarterfinals: Khusel Erdene PUREVBAATAR (MGL), via fall (8-0)
Qualification: Yusuf KOCAK (TUR), 6-0

2026 U17 World Championships

Athimni Wins Historic Medal for Tunisia, Now Chases World Title

Thursday, July 30, 2026 - 15:05 By Vinay Siwach

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BAKU, Azerbaijan (July 30) -- Tasmin ATHIMNI (TUN) has the chance to become Tunisia's first-ever world champion in wrestling. She has already created history by reaching the 40kg final at the U17 World Championships in Baku on Thursday.

Before Athimni, no other U17 wrestler from Tunisia had won a medal at the tournament. Moreover, she is only the second ever world finalist for the country, nine years after Tunisian legend Marwa AMRI (TUN) did it at the 2017 Paris World Championships at the senior level.

Tunisia Wrestling Tasmin ATHIMNI (TUN)Tasmin ATHIMNI (TUN): 40kg wrestler from Tunisia. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

In the 40kg semifinal, Athimni managed to compose a 6-3 win over Sirin ASKARA (TUR), but her dream run began in Baku began with a 5-0 win over Azzaya BATTULGA (MGL), before she pinned home favorite Gulkhanim SHIRINOVA (AZE) in the quarterfinals.

Standing between her and the historic gold medal is Natsumi SASAKI (JPN) who managed a close 4-2 win against Sophia VALDEZ (USA). Sasaki fell 2-2 behind on criteria but scored a stepout to take a 3-2 lead before adding another for the win.

Three falls in three bouts and Taina FERNANDEZ (USA) made it to her third U17 World Championships final. She is hoping to become the first non-Japanese wrester to three U17 world titles. Her first two came at 61kg but Fernandez is now at 69kg.

She picked up a 33-second fall against Maja WEJCHAN (POL) in the semifinal and will now face U17 European champion Kiymet TEZCAN (TUR) who posted a controlled 5-1 win over Milana ULANOVA (KGZ) in the other 69kg semifinal.

Two other wrestlers from the United States made it to the finals on Thursday, giving the country a strong position in the team title race. Marlee SOLOMON (USA) and Landri VON GONTEN (USA) will wrestle for the gold medal on Friday at 53kg and 61kg respectively.

Solomon secured a fall over Alejandra SERRANO (COL) in the semifinal while Von Gonten survived a battle against Aruzhan BAKYTNUR (KAZ) and win 7-6, thanks to a slight exposure when Bakytnur was trying a leg-lace in the final 20 seconds. Von Gonten will now face U17 European champion Ozdenur OZMEZ (TUR) in the 61kg final after the Turkiye wrestler blanked Graciela ENINGO (ESP), 6-0.

AKSHARA (IND) will try to stop Solomon in the 53kg final after she picked up a quick fall over Rion OGAWA (JPN) in the other semifinal.

At 46kg, Sandhya VISHNOI (IND) and Kokona MAKINO (JPN) will face each other for the gold medal after both picked up dominant wins in the semifinals. Vishnoi defeated Inzhu BAKKOZHA (KAZ) via fall while Makino secured a 10-0 technical superiority win over Vivien SZENTPAL (HUN).

RESULTS

40kg
SF 1: Natsumi SASAKI (JPN) df. Sophia VALDEZ (USA), 4-2
SF 2: Tasmin ATHIMNI (TUN) df. Sirin ASKARA (TUR), 6-3

46kg
SF 1: Sandhya VISHNOI (IND) df. Inzhu BAKKOZHA (KAZ), via fall
SF 2: Kokona MAKINO (JPN) df. Vivien SZENTPAL (HUN), 10-0

53kg
SF 1: AKSHARA (IND) df. Rion OGAWA (JPN), via fall
SF 2: Marlee SOLOMON (USA) df. Alejandra SERRANO (COL), via fall

61kg
SF 1: Landri VON GONTEN (USA) df. Aruzhan BAKYTNUR (KAZ), 7-6
SF 2: Ozdenur OZMEZ (TUR) df. Graciela ENINGO (ESP), 6-0

69kg
SF 1: Taina FERNANDEZ (USA) df. Maja WEJCHAN (POL), via fall
SF 2: Kiymet TEZCAN (TUR) df. Milana ULANOVA (KGZ), 5-1