2026 U17 World Championships

Ukraine, U.S. Take Early Lead in Women's Wrestling at U17 Worlds

Wednesday, July 29, 2026 - 14:03 By Vinay Siwach

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BAKU, Azerbaijan (July 29) -- Ukraine and the United States took early lead in Women's Wrestling at the U17 World Championships after two finalists each. The two countries will clash for the gold medal at 73kg while the U.S. had another finalist at 57kg and Ukraine at 43kg.

The head-to-head clash will come at 73kg after Solomiia PETRIV (UKR) and Kaili MANUEL (USA) made it to the final.

In the semifinals, Petriv once again got the better of Bianka BARANY (HUN) as she had defeated the Hungarian in the U17 European Championships final as well. Opening the bout with a headlock throw for two points, Petriv led 4-1 at the break, thanks to a slide-by to takedown.

Petriv went on to score two more takedown in the second period to complete an 8-1 win over Barany and has already upgraded her bronze from last year.

To win the gold medal on Thursday, Petriv will need to go past Manuel who held on to a 7-5 win against U17 Asian champion GARIMA (IND) in the other semifinal. Manuel was lifting Garima and dropping her outside the zone to score her stepouts.

She began with on and then Garima was put on the activity clock. Garima went for the leg attack but Manuel pancaked her and scored two point. A point for activity and turn made her lead 6-0. Garima gave up another stepout to add another point to Manuel's score.

There was still some fight left in Garima as she cut the lead to 7-3 but wasted time while trying to finish a leg-attack. With 10 seconds left, she got another takedown but failed to turn Manuel which would have given her a criteria win.

The second finalist for the U.S. was returning silver medalist Epenesa ELISON (USA) who is a win away from winning her first U17 world title and will take on Nikita SEHRAWAT (IND) on Thursday.

In contrasting semifinals at 57kg, Elison secured a 30-second fall over Gurleen DHILLON (CAN) while Sehrawat had to work har for her 6-2 win over Mariia POLTORAK (UKR).

Sehrawat lead 1-0 after an activity clock point and was put on the clock in the second period. During that 30-second period, she scored exposure and Poltorak also got exposure points. Sehrawat ended up on top as a reversal and led 4-2. She used her strength to keep Poltorak down in the final 30 seconds and managed a takedown as well.

Ukraine's second finalist was Olena KOLUBAI (UKR) who stormed to the 49kg gold-medal bout with a 10-0 technical superiority win over Ayanat MEINAMBAY (KAZ). After scoring a takedown, Kolubai used a gut-wrench for four turns.

She will now face Saika UCHIDA (JPN) who used a leg attack to bring Kamna BABAL (IND) to her back and then held her for a first-period fall. Uchida will has the chance to win the gold medal, a feat that will take her closer to her senior Asian champion Sowaka, who won the U17 world title twice -- 2022 and 2023.

At 43kg, Finja STRAUCH (GER) will look to become Germany's first-ever U17 world champion in 12 years after reaching the final. She picked up a fall over Daria MASLENNIKOVA (RUS) in the semifinal after building an 8-0 lead.

She will now take on Mukhlisa MASHARIPOVA (UZB), just the third Uzbekistan wrestler to reach U17 world final. She needed a counter cradle to win her semifinal against Maya NAICKER (CAN), 6-2.

The 65kg final will be between Aisha ABDIMALIK (KAZ) and Ariunzul BOLDBAATAR (MGL) as the two won the semifinals overpowering their European opponents.

Boldbaatar, the U17 Asian bronze medalist, was rather crafty with her attacks. She cartwheeled once and then used a headlock throw as well. More than takedown, it was exposure points that helped her beat Palina BRAHINETS (BLR), 7-1.

Abdimalik kept it simple, scoring counter takedowns against Vasiliki KARAVANOU (GRE) and building her lead before sealing the semifinal, 8-1.

RESULTS

43kg
SF 1: Finja STRAUCH (GER) df. Daria MASLENNIKOVA (RUS), via fall
SF 2: Mukhlisa MASHARIPOVA (UZB) df. Maya NAICKER (CAN), 6-2

49kg
SF 1: Olena KOLUBAI (UKR) df. Ayanat MEINAMBAY (KAZ), 10-0
SF 2: Saika UCHIDA (JPN) df. Kamna BABAL (IND), via fall

57kg
SF 1: Nikita SEHRAWAT (IND) df. Mariia POLTORAK (UKR), 6-2
SF 2: Epenesa ELISON (USA) df. Gurleen DHILLON (CAN), via fall

65kg
SF 1: Ariunzul BOLDBAATAR (MGL) df. Palina BRAHINETS (BLR), 7-1
SF 2: Aisha ABDIMALIK (KAZ) df. Vasiliki KARAVANOU (GRE), 8-1

73kg
SF 1: Kaili MANUEL (USA) df. GARIMA (IND), 7-5 
SF 2: Solomiia PETRIV (UKR) df. Bianka BARANY (HUN), 8-1

#WrestleTirana

European Championships 2026 Day 3: Women's Wrestling Highlights

Wednesday, April 22, 2026 - 08:27 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (April 22) -- After two days of intense Greco-Roman action, the European Championships will shift to Women's Wrestling with five weight classes - 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg and 76kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | Women's Wrestling Preview

https://link.uww.org/UWWPlus

12:40: Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA), leading her 50kg quarterfinal, 9-3 with 45 seconds left in the match against Emilia GRIGORE VUC (ROU), suffers a 19-9 loss. Vuc scores a takedown to cut the lead to 9-5. She then trips Liuzzi for another takedown for two points and then turns her six times to finish the bout.

12:25: Oksana LIVACH (UKR), the defending champion at 50kg and wrestling first time in quarterfinals, uses a strong gut-wrench to beat Svenja JUNGO (SUI), 12-1, and advance to the semifinals.

12:05: Martina KUENZ (AUT), chasing her first European title, with a flurry of quick action and she finishes her quarterfinal against Elmira YASIN (TUR), 10-0. Big step towards winning the gold medal.

11:55: Defending champion at 76kg Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) does not let Valeriia TRIFONOVA (UWW) settle in their 76kg quarterfinal. She scores two takedowns to lead 4-0 before a flurry of stepouts. She finishes the match with a takedown on edge, 10-0.

11:45: Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW) gets her second win of the tournament as she uses a gut-wrenches to beat Noemi SZABADOS (HUN) 10-0 and advance to the semifinals at 68kg.

11:40: Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW), the defending champion at 55kg, goes down to U23 world silver medalist Tuba DEMIR (TUR) in the quarterfinals. Demir pushed the pace of the match and led 8-0. As Verbina was working on a takedown, Demir scored a counter exposure but Verbina quickly turned it around and made it 10-2 to avoid a technical superiority. Verbina challenged the first exposure but lost which made the score 11-2. A takedown and turn cut the lead to 11-6 but Demir managed another takedown at the end to win 13-6, downing the defending champion

11:30: Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) works up an 8-0 victory over Veronika KONSEVICH (MKD) at 55kg. Malanchuk used four different takedowns to score her points.

11:25: Martina KUENZ (AUT), the returning bronze medalist at 76kg, opens the second period with a big throw and then holds Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (UWW) on the mat to secure the fall.

11:15: Tindra SJOEBERG (SWE) secures a fall over Daniela BRASNAROVA (BUL) in just 27 seconds at 68kg.

11:05: U23 world silver medalist and returning bronze Valeriia TRIFONOVA (UWW) takes her time but she works on an 11-0 victory over Fanni NAGY NAD (SRB) and advance to the quarterfinals at 76kg.

10:55: First match at 68kg and defending champion Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW) faces Karolina DOMASZUK (POL). Shauchuk, who recently won the U23 European title as well, starts off with a 10-0 technical superiority win.