#Anti-Doping

UWW strengthens its anti-doping education program

By Eric Olanowski

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (June 19) --- United World Wrestling (UWW) has placed a strong emphasis on upholding the integrity of competitions and promoting Clean Wrestling. In collaboration with the International Testing Agency (ITA), UWW has launched a series of five webinars focused on anti-doping.

The series commences July 6, with one-hour webinars being held every week during July. The topics cover all essentials aspects of anti-doping for athletes and athletes support personnel, from the doping control processes to medication and supplements, or the principles and values of clean sport. 

UWW asks that all that all athletes in the 2023 Senior World Championships be able to demonstrate basic knowledge on anti-doping, by either attending all five webinars and obtaining their final certificate, or by showing a training certificate obtained from another recognized organization (National Anti-doping Organizations or WADA’s Adel education platform). 

“Our fight for clean sport is a permanent commitment, and education is an essential component of this fight,” said Mr Lalovic. “I already thank all wrestlers who take their responsibilities in this regard.”

The links to the webinars can be found here. Simultaneous translation from English to Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish. 

The course is open to athlete and athletes support personnel from all ages, in all styles and disciplines (Olympic styles, Associated Styles).

#WrestleBelgrade

Unheralded Tazhudinov stuns Olympic champs Snyder, Sadulaev

By Vinay Siwach

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 18) -- The 97kg hegemony has been broken. Unheralded Akhmed TAZHIDUNOV (BRN) stunned two Olympic champions in Kyle SNYDER (USA) and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) in back-to-back matches to confirm a first World Championships final since 2014 which will not feature one of the two.

The 19-year-old Asian champion was a shocker no one saw coming as he made it to the final and also confirmed a Paris Olympic quota for Bahrain. He will take on Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) for the gold medal.

Magomedov avenged his European Championships final loss to Givi MATCHRASHVILI (GEO) to make it his first World Championships final. He also earned a Paris Olympic quota for Azerbaijan.

In the other Olympic weight class in action in Belgrade, Olympic and world champions fell like nine pins as Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) and Sebastian RIVERA (PUR) made it to the gold medal finals and earning Paris Olympic spots for Hungary and Puerto Rico respectively.

Muszukajev took out Tokyo Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN), Shamil MAMEDOV (AIN) and world champion Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) in three absolute stunners to get to the final.

Rivera, a fifth-placer last year, got a buzzer-beating lace to beat European champion Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) 10-9 in the other semifinal.

In the two women's wrestling weight classes that were in action, Yuliia TKACH (UKR) returned to the World Championships final after nine years, reaching the gold medal about at 59kg. She will take on Qi ZHANG (CHN) who beat Jennifer PAGE (USA). Zhang's win over Page means that Sae NANJO (JPN) will return empty-handed.

At 55kg, two-time world champion Haruna OKUNO (JPN) also returned to the final. Her last gold came in 2018. She will take on 2019 world champion Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA), who is also returning to the final for the first time in four years.

Winchester won 10-0 against Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER) in the semifinal while Okuno won over Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) 6-0.