Tokyo 2020

Trio of Olympic Licenses Reassigned After Anti-Doping Rules Violations

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (February 19) – United World Wrestling this week confirmed that three wrestlers from the 2019 Senior Wrestling World Championships in Nur-Sultan have had their results disqualified following Anti-Doping Rules Violations.

Following Doping Controls and the results management conducted by the International Testing Agency (“ITA”) on behalf of United World Wrestling, the Anti-doping Rules Violations for the presence of prohibited substances have been established against Freestyle wrestlers Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA, 74), Badkha KHUTABA (SYR, 125), and Khasanboy RAKHIMOV (UZB, 125), resulting in the automatic disqualification of the results, and as a consequence in their nation's Olympic licenses reassigned. Disciplinary proceedings, handled independently the ITA, are still pending to determine the sanctions on the athletes.

The new Olympic licenses have been awarded to the nations of the next highest-ranked wrestlers at 74kg (Poland) and 125kg (Iran, Kosovo). The national federations of France (74kg), Uzbekistan (125kg), and Syria (125kg) will be allowed to enter competitors at their respective Olympic qualifiers in March.

74kg – Kamil RYBICKI (POL)

1. RUS
2. ITA
3. USA
3. KAZ
5. JPN
6. POL

125kg – Egzon SHALA (KOS) + Yadollah MOHEBI (IRI)

1. GEO
2. TUR
3. UKR
3. CHN
5. KOS
6. IRI

The United World Wrestling website has updated brackets and results from the 2019 Senior Wrestling World Championships as well as the new allocations for Olympic licenses in each weight category. 

#WrestleBelgrade

Taylor, Yazdani headline opening Press Conference for 2023 World Championships

By Eric Olanowski

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 12) --- World and Olympic champions David TAYLOR (USA) and Hasan YAZDANI (IRI) will headline United World Wrestling's opening press conference for the 2023 #WrestleBelgrade World Championships, on September 15 (16:30 local time) at the Stark Arena's Press Center.

The Press Conference will also feature United World Wrestling President Nenad LALOVIC, Serbian Wrestling Federation President Zeljko TRAJKOVIC, and Serbia's first-ever Freestyle world medalist Stevan MICIC (SRB).

For those who can not be in attendance for the presser on Friday, the Press Conference will be streamed live on United World Wrestling's Instagram.

*Media members attending the 2023 World Championships are required to pick up their credentials at the opening Press Conference.

2023 World Championships Media Guide 

Opening Press Conference details:
- Location: Start Arena Press Center
- Date: September 15
- Time: 16:30