#WrestleBelgrade

UWW completes World C'ship vetting process for Russia and Belarus

By United World Wrestling Press

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 1) — Following a rigorous vetting process by United World Wrestling, and in preparation for the Senior World Championships, 235 individuals from Russia and Belarus underwent thorough background and social media checks. This encompassed wrestlers across all styles and categories, as well as their accompanying support personnel. Out of the 235 names, 26 individuals were deemed ineligible due to either active support of the ongoing war or confirmed membership in military or national security agencies.

The decisions regarding eligibility were made by a panel, relying on comprehensive vetting reports provided by an independent and private intelligence service provider.

All athletes from Russia or Belarus will compete as Individual Neutral Athletes, without any flags or references to their respective countries. Additionally, the national anthems of Russia and Belarus will not be played in the event of medals being awarded to these athletes.

The 2023 World Championships kick off September 16-24, in Belgrade, Serbia. Fans can follow all the action live on UWW+, or on the "The Home of Wrestling," UWW's app.

#WrestleBelgrade

WATCH: 10 freestyle finals from World Championships

By Vinay Siwach

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 29) -- The World Championships in Belgrade concluded with freestyle action. The USA lived up to the expectation of winning the team title, outscoring Iran to claim the trophy. Japan finished third with two gold medals. The USA won four gold, Iran won two while Albania and Turkey shared one each.

Watch all the 10 freestyle gold medal bouts from the World Championships.

GOLD: 57kg - Thomas GILMAN (USA) vs. Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB)

 

GOLD: 61kg - Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) vs. Reza ATRI (IRI)

 

GOLD: 86kg - Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) vs. David TAYLOR (USA)

 

GOLD: 92kg - Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) vs. Jden COX (USA)