#WrestleBelgrade

#WrestleBelgrade U23 World Championship Entries

By Eric Olanowski

BELGRADE, Serbia (October 21) --- After a 760-day layoff due to the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 620 wrestlers from 58 different nations will converge in Belgrade, Serbia, for the ’21 U23 World Championships.

Greco-Roman action kicks off the competition on Monday, November 1. The Russian Wrestling Federation’s ’21 senior world medalists Sergei KUTUZOV and Artur SARGSIAN headline the style’s 232 entries. Kutuzov went 4-1 in Oslo while outscoring his first four opponents 34-5 before falling to Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) in the 72kg finals. Sargsian finished with a 97kg bronze medal and suffered his lone defeat to eventual champion Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI). 

Women’s wrestling action starts on the third day of the competition, November 3. Tokyo Olympians Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ), Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) and Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) are the biggest stars entered in women’s wrestling’s 148 wrestler field. Medet Kyzy is fresh off a ’21 senior world bronze-medal finish. She’ll compete at 76kg. The other Tokyo Olympians, Nichita and Larroque, will compete at 59kg and 65kg, respectively.

Freestyle’s 239 wrestlers close out the competition beginning on Friday, November 5. As the entries sit, ’21 world medalists Ernazar AKMATALIEV, Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) and Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) are all expected to make the trip to Belgrade.

Akmataliev reached the finals in Oslo but dropped his final match against Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) and fell one match short of becoming the first Kyrgyz FS wrestler to win a world title. Harutyunyan and Akakarov each dropped one bout but fought back and finished with bronze medals.

The ’21 U23 World Championships begin on November 1 and can be followed live on www.uww.org. 

57kg
Manvel KHNDZRTSYAN (ARM)
Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE)
Dzmitry SHAMELA (BLR)
Logan James SLOAN (CAN)
Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS)
Ramaz TURMANIDZE (GEO)
Niklas STECHELE (GER)
Saurabh Madhukar IGAVE (IND)
Ali Abolfazl GHOLI ZADEGAN KOLOUKHI (IRI)
Simone Vincenzo PIRODDU (ITA)
Rakhat KALZHAN (KAZ)
Bekbolot MYRZANAZAR UULU (KGZ)
Meshal Adullah A ALJAYZANI (KSA)
Petru CRACIUN (MDA)
Ganbayar NAMSRAI (MGL)
Besir ALILI (MKD)
Ali M M ABURUMAILA (PLE)
Ramazan ABDURAKHIMOV (RWF)
Nils LEUTERT (SUI)
Muhamad IKROMOV (TJK)
Hafiz Can HASDEMIR (TUR)
Vladlen OPANASENKO (UKR)
Patrick Ryan GLORY (USA)
Arslan RAKHIMOV (UZB)

61kg
Endrio AVDYLI (ALB)
Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
Intigam VALIZADA (AZE)
Jason Guy LUNEAU (CAN)
Arman Norik ELOYAN (FRA)
Muhammad MOKAEV (GBR)
Teimuraz VANISHVILI (GEO)
Nico MEGERLE (GER)
Gamzatgadzsi HALIDOV (HUN)
Suraj Rajkumar KOKATE (IND)
Majid Almas DASTAN (IRI)
Daniel PUCINO (ITA)
Assyl AITAKYN (KAZ)
Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ)
Faisal Khalid E ALDOSSARY (KSA)
Soufiane KABIL (MAR)
Leomid COLESNIC (MDA)
Narankhuu NARMANDAKH (MGL)
Artur Sergeevitch CHEBODAEV (RWF)
Mohamed GIBBATEH (SLE)
Nino LEUTERT (SUI)
Ahmet DUMAN (TUR)
Kamil KERYMOV (UKR)
Christopher CANNON (USA)
Sardor RUZIMOV (UZB)

65kg
Hrachya MARGARYAN (ARM)
Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE)
Stilyan Yanchev ILIEV (BUL)
Jacob Tizoc ALEXANDER TORRES (CAN)
David KOPRIVA (CZE)
Marwane Ahmed YEZZA (FRA)
Ross Taylor CONNELLY (GBR)
Iveriko JULAKIDZE (GEO)
Leon GERSTENBERGER (GER)
Georgios PILIDIS (GRE)
Marcell BUDAI KOVACS (HUN)
Parvinder PARVINDER (IND)
Seyedhassan Seyedhossein EBADIMERMETI (IRI)
Colin John REALBUTO (ITA)
Adil OSPANOV (KAZ)
Gilbert Mbevoni KABOCHE (KEN)
Aibek TOKTOGUL UULU (KGZ)
Ahmed Fawzi M BARAHMAH (KSA)
Abdelwahad BADRI (MAR)
Pavel GRAUR (MDA)
Tugsjargal ERDENEBAT (MGL)
Sebastian C RIVERA (PUR)
Stefan Ionut COMAN (ROU)
Ibragim ABDURAKHMANOV (RWF)
Sulaiman KARGBO (SLE)
Cavit ACAR (TUR)
Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR)
Domonick Petro DEMAS (USA)
Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB)

70kg
Elmaz KRYEZIU (ALB)
Abdelkader IKKAL (ALG)
Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM)
Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE)
Daniil AMELYANCHYK (BLR)
Trystan Hideki KATO (CAN)
Sergio Peter GODOY VITE (ECU)
Bacar NDUM (GBS)
Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO)
Shamil USTAEV (GER)
Christos CHRISTOFORIDIS (GRE)
Botond GULYAS (HUN)
Naveen NAVEEN (IND)
Aliakbar Aliasghar FAZLIKHALILI (IRI)
Raul ZARBALIEV (ISR)
Sanzhar DOSZHANOV (KAZ)
Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ)
Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA)
Temuujin MENDBILEG (MGL)
Norbert MOLNOS (ROU)
Rezuan KAZHAROV (RWF)
Viktor Stiven VOINOVIC (SRB)
Tobias PORTMANN (SUI)
Daniel CHOMANIC (SVK)
Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK)
Cuneyt BUDAK (TUR)
Denys BOROHAN (UKR)
Jacori Tyrese TEEMER (USA)
Begijon KULDASHEV (UZB)

74kg
Hrayr ALIKHANYAN (ARM)
Simon MARCHL (AUT)
Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE)
Davud ALIZALAU (BLR)
Nikolay Iliev DIMITROV (BUL)
Devan Jarred LARKIN (CAN)
Caetano ANTONIO SA (GBS)
Temuri BERUASHVILI (GEO)
Tino RETTINGER (GER)
Parveen MALIK (IND)
Mohmmadsadegh Biglar FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI)
Naftali Hertz HOROWITZ (ISR)
Jacopo MASOTTI (ITA)
Akezhan ABDIKHAMIT (KAZ)
Mathayo Matonya MAHABILA (KEN)
Rabii REGANI (MAR)
Vasile DIACON (MDA)
Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL)
Serhan SHAKIROV (MKD)
Szymon WOJTKOWSKI (POL)
Jonathan PARRILLA RAMOS (PUR)
Krisztian BIRO (ROU)
Chermen VALIEV (RWF)
Sheku KASSEGBAMA (SLE)
ANDRIJA IVANOVIC (SRB)
Isa DEMIR (TUR)
Vadym KURYLENKO (UKR)
Peyton Gaylord ROBB (USA)
Asomiddin HASANOV (UZB)

79kg
Arman AVAGYAN (ARM)
Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE)
Yahor AKULICH (BLR)
Oktay Ruzhdi HASAN (BUL)
Erik REINBOK (EST)
Goga MAMIAURI (GEO)
Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)
Botond LUKACS (HUN)
Vicky VICKY (IND)
Ali Bakhtiar SAVADKOUHI (IRI)
Bibarys NURYLLAULY (KAZ)
Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA)
Batzul DAMJIN (MGL)
Hammam J H ABUSNAINA (PLE)
Magomed MAGOMAEV (RWF)
Foday KARGBO (SLE)
Tanguy DARBELLAY (SUI)
Ramazan SARI (TUR)
Valentyn BABII (UKR)
Michael Anthony LABRIOLA (USA)
Otabek SALOMOV (UZB)

86kg
Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG)
Mher MARKOSYAN (ARM)
Benjamin GREIL (AUT)
Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)
Ilya KHAMTSOU (BLR)
Dzhemal Rushen ALI (BUL)
Hunter Jeffery LEE (CAN)
Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA)
Demur MEGENEISHVILI (GEO)
Lars SCHAEFLE (GER)
Sandeep Singh MANN (IND)
Sajjad Saberali GHOLAMI (IRI)
Uri KALASHNIKOV (ISR)
Salvatore DIANA (ITA)
Islyambek ILYASSOV (KAZ)
Nurtilek KARYPBAEV (KGZ)
Ivars SAMUSONOKS (LAT)
Kornelijus STULGINSKAS (LTU)
Ivan ICHIZLI (MDA)
Layth A H ABUSHRAIM (PLE)
Cezary Marek SADOWSKI (POL)
Amanula RASULOV (RWF)
Emre CIFTCI (TUR)
Mukhammed ALIIEV (UKR)
Myles Porter WILSON (USA)
Bobur ISLOMOV (UZB)

92kg
Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE)
Arkadzi PAHASIAN (BLR)
Kolyo Dimitrov DIMITROV (BUL)
Julien CHOQUETTE (CAN)
Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO)
Johannes MAYER (GER)
Singh GURADESHWAR (IND)
Amirhossein Biglar FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI)
Davide COSSU (ITA)
Bekzat URKIMBAY (KAZ)
Gheorghe ERHAN (MDA)
Orgilokh DAGVADORJ (MGL)
Stole EFTIMOV (MKD)
Azamat ZAKUEV (RWF)
Viliam OROSS (SVK)
Erhan YAYLACI (TUR)
Denys SAHALIUK (UKR)
Santino Michael BONACCORSI (USA)
Rustam SHODIEV (UZB)

97kg 
Islam ILYASOV (AZE)
Vasil PAULIUCHENKA (BLR)
Tsvetan Danielov EVTIMOV (BUL)
Richard Phillip Junior DESCHATELETS (CAN)
Zuriko URTASHVILI (GEO)
Milan Andras KORCSOG (HUN)
Sahil SAHIL (IND)
Ali Reza Abbasali ABDOLLAHI (IRI)
Yunus GAFUROV (KAZ)
Radu LEFTER (MDA)
Altangerel CHINBAT (MGL)
Michal Jan BIELAWSKI (POL)
Shamil Imam GADZHIALIEV (RWF)
Sven Janovitj ENGSTROEM (SWE)
Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR)
Danylo STASIUK (UKR)
Jonathan Leonard AIELLO (USA)

125kg 
Paris KAREPI (ALB)
Martin SIMONYAN (ARM)
Yaraslau SLAVIKOUSKI (BLR)
Georgi Lyubomirov IVANOV (BUL)
Aly Medhat Abde BARGHOUT (CAN)
Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO)
Azamat KHOSONOV (GRE)
Mohit MOHIT (IND)
Ali Mohammadebrahim AKBARPOURKHORDOUNI (IRI)
Lior ALTSHULER (ISR)
Aaron Anthony JOHNSON (JAM)
Bakdaulet OSSERBAY (KAZ)
Samhan JABRAILOV (MDA)
Redjep HAJDARI (MKD)
Blas Alejandro ORTIZ ALAYON (PUR)
Alen KHUBULOV (RWF)
Anil Berkan KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)
Yurii IDZINSKYI (UKR)
Anthony Lawrence CASSIOPPI (USA)
Namoz ABDURASHIDOV (UZB)

Artur SARGSIAN (RWF), fresh off his senior world bronze-medal finish, will compete at 97kg in Belgrade. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

Greco-Roman 

55kg 
Bajram SINA (ALB)
Ashot MKHITARYAN (ARM)
Nihad GULUZADE (AZE)
Denis Krasimirov DEMIROV (BUL)
Ramaz SILAGAVA (GEO)
Steven ECKER (GER)
Arshad ARSHAD (IND)
Poya Soulat DAD MARZ (IRI)
Alpamys DASTANBEK (KAZ)
Akyikat KULZHIGIT UULU (KGZ)
Artiom DELEANU (MDA)
Snorre Harsem LUND (NOR)
Grzegorz Krzysztof HILDEBRAND (POL)
Denis Florin MIHAI (ROU)
Mavlud RIZMANOV (RWF)
Sebastian KOLOMPAR (SRB)
Adem Burak UZUN (TUR)
Taras KRUPSKYI (UKR)
Taylor Craig LA MONT (USA)
Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB)
 

60kg
Tigran MINASYAN (ARM)
Hleb MAKARANKA (BLR)
Miroslav Mariov EMILOV (BUL)
Jeremy Renzo PERALTA GONZALEZ (ECU)
Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI (GEO)
Vikas VIKAS (IND)
Mehdi Seifollah MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI)
Tommaso BOSI (ITA)
Nursultan BAZARBAYEV (KAZ)
Nurmukhammet ABDULLAEV (KGZ)
Meshal Adullah A ALJAYZANI (KSA)
Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA)
Olivier Tomasz SKRZYPCZAK (POL)
Razvan ARNAUT (ROU)
Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (RWF)
David NOVIC (SRB)
Dimitar Ivaylov SANDOV (SUI)
Jui Chi HUANG (TPE)
Kerem KAMAL (TUR)
Ihor KUROCHKIN (UKR)
Dylan Steven GREGERSON (USA)
Mukhammadkodir YUSUPOV (UZB)

63kg
Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM)
Hasan MAMMADLI (AZE)
Antonio Jordan RUIZ MORA (ECU)
Leri ABULADZE (GEO)
Andrej GINC (GER)
Krisztian KECSKEMETI (HUN)
Neeraj NEERAJ (IND)
Ali Reza Ayat Ollah NEJATI (IRI)
Assaukhat MUKHAMADIYEV (KAZ)
Faisal Khalid E ALDOSSARY (KSA)
Corneliu RUSU (MDA)
Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL)
Georgii TIBILOV (RWF)
Zolt ZONAI (SRB)
Ahmet UYAR (TUR)
Oleksandr HRUSHYN (UKR)
David Arthur STEPANIAN (USA)
Kamol KUZIEV (UZB)

67kg
Abdelmalek MERABET (ALG)
Sahak HOVHANNISYAN (ARM)
Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)
Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR)
Ivo Krasimirov ILIEV (BUL)
Julian Stiven HORTA ACEVEDO (COL)
Elmer Joakim MATTILA (FIN)
Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO)
Nils BUSCHNER (GER)
Ashu ASHU (IND)
Mohammad Javad Saadat REZAEI (IRI)
Ignazio SANFILIPPO (ITA)
Mukhamedali MAMURBEK (KAZ)
Marlen ASIKEEV (KGZ)
Ahmed Fawzi M BARAHMAH (KSA)
Adomas GRIGALIUNAS (LTU)
Diego Alberto MARTINEZ DE LEIJA (MEX)
Jacob TANGEN (NOR)
Vasile Alexandru DOSOFTEI (ROU)
Miakhdi Abubakarovitch IAKHIAEV (RWF)
Ugljesa GAJIC (SRB)
Kadir KAMAL (TUR)
Oleksii MASYK (UKR)
Alston Jon NUTTER (USA)
Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB)

72kg
Kevin KUPI (ALB)
Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM)
Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE)
Pavel PUKLAVEC (CRO)
Luka MALOBABIC (CRO)
Denis MERTL (CZE)
Marcos SANCHEZ SILVA MEJIAS (ESP)
Joni Pekka KOMPPA (FIN)
Otar ABULADZE (GEO)
Idris Hanpasaevic IBAEV (GER)
Krisztian Istvan VANCZA (HUN)
Vikas VIKAS (IND)
Amir Ali ABDI (IRI)
Azat SADYKOV (KAZ)
Iigilik SATYMKUL UULU (KGZ)
Mihai PETIC (MDA)
Sergei KUTUZOV (RWF)
Sheku KASSEGBAMA (SLE)
Aron PINTER (SRB)
Oliver OLAH (SVK)
Erik Arthur PERSSON (SWE)
Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR)
Andrii KULYK (UKR)
Benjamin Davis PEAK (USA)
Jamol JUMABAEV (UZB)

77kg
Ardit NDOJ (ALB)
Samvel GRIGORYAN (ARM)
Shirkhan GULIYEV (AZE)
Mikita KAZAKOU (BLR)
Zlatomir Dinkov EMILOV (BUL)
Brandon CALLE PEREZ (COL)
Jakub BIELESZ (CZE)
Edvin KIN (EST)
Akseli Elias YLI HANNUKSELA (FIN)
Nikoloz TCHIKAIDZE (GEO)
Tamas LEVAI (HUN)
Sajan SAJAN (IND)
Amin Yavar KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI)
Luigi RINALDI (ITA)
Rassul ZHUNIS (KAZ)
Akylbek TALANTBEKOV (KGZ)
Alexandrin GUTU (MDA)
Per Anders KURE (NOR)
Patryk Adam BEDNARZ (POL)
Sergei STEPANOV (RWF)
Foday KARGBO (SLE)
Aleksa ILIC (SRB)
Per Albin OLOFSSON (SWE)
Daler REZA ZADE (TJK)
Lamjed MAAFI (TUN)
Erkan ERGEN (TUR)
Dmytro VASETSKYI (UKR)
Britton Wayne HOLMES (USA)
Dilshod OMONGELDIYEV (UZB)

82kg
Gagik HAKOBYAN (ARM)
Yauheni YUROU (BLR)
Jose Esteban MOSQUERA MURILLO (COL)
Karlo KODRIC (CRO)
Sebastian PETRAC (CRO)
Ranet KALJOLA (EST)
Otto Eemeli KETONEN (FIN)
Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO)
Ilias PAGKALIDIS (GRE)
Moric KISMONI (HUN)
Rohit DAHIYA (IND)
Mohammad Aziz NAGHOUSI (IRI)
Dias KALEN (KAZ)
Beksultan NAZARBAEV (KGZ)
Arminas LYGNUGARIS (LTU)
Mustapha AFIRAOU (MAR)
Exauce MUKUBU (NOR)
Shamil Letkaevitch OZHAEV (RWF)
Branko KOVACEVIC (SRB)
Ramon Rainer BETSCHART (SUI)
Mats Ola Lukas AHLGREN (SWE)
Samet YALDIRAN (TUR)
Dmytro GARDUBEI (UKR)
Thomas George BRACKETT (USA)
Mukhammadkodir RASULOV (UZB)

87kg
Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM)
Mahammad AHMADIYEV (AZE)
Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR)
Svetoslav Nikolaev NIKOLOV (BUL)
Filip SMETKO (CRO)
Matej MANDIC (CRO)
Andreas VAELIS (EST)
Markus Tapani SIHTOLA (FIN)
Temuri TCHKUASELIDZE (GEO)
David LOSONCZI (HUN)
Kumar SUNIL (IND)
Naser Ghasem ALIZADEH (IRI)
Simone FIDELBO (ITA)
Maksat SAILAU (KAZ)
Azat SALIDINOV (KGZ)
Abdelali EL FALLAKI (MAR)
Gabriel LUPASCO (MDA)
Ruben Elias BEEN (NOR)
Szymon SZYMONOWICZ (POL)
Aleksandr Andreevitch KOMAROV (RWF)
Mario VUKOVIC (SRB)
Muhittin SARICICEK (TUR)
Vitalii ANDRIIOVYCH (UKR)
Spencer WOODS (USA)

97kg​​
Albert YEGHIKYAN (ARM)
Markus RAGGINGER (AUT)
Uladzislau PUSTASHYLAU (BLR)
Mariyan Iliyanov MARINOV (BUL)
Ondrej DADAK (CZE)
Richard KARELSON (EST)
Arvi Martin SAVOLAINEN (FIN)
Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO)
Patrick NEUMAIER (GER)
Michail IOSIFIDIS (GRE)
Alex Gergo SZOKE (HUN)
Deepanshu DEEPANSHU (IND)
Morteza Rasoul ALGHOSI (IRI)
Luca SVAICARI (ITA)
Daulet DOSSYBAYEV (KAZ)
Daniiar SHERIMBEKOV (KGZ)
Arnoldas BARANOVAS (LTU)
Marcus WORREN (NOR)
Gerard Cyprian KURNICZAK (POL)
Artur SARGSIAN (RWF)
Aleksandar SIMOVIC (SRB)
Damian VON EUW (SUI)
Beytullah KAYISDAG (TUR)
Oleksandr YEVDOKIMOV (UKR)
Nicholas Allen BOYKIN (USA)

130kg
David OVASAPYAN (ARM)
Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE)
Diego Jesus ALMENDRAS RODRIGUEZ (CHI)
Giorgi TSOPURASHVILI (GEO)
Franz RICHTER (GER)
Nikolaos NTOUNIAS (GRE)
Dariusz Attila VITEK (HUN)
Aryan PANWAR (IND)
Amin Mohammadzaman MIRZAZADEH (IRI)
Anton SAVENKO (KAZ)
Nikola MILATOVIC (NOR)
Lenard Istvan BEREI (ROU)
Mikhail LAPTEV (RWF)
Vladan ZIVKOVIC (SRB)
Delian Hossein ALISHAHI (SUI)
Amine GUENNICHI (TUN)
Fatih BOZKURT (TUR)
Sviatoslav KALASHNIKOV (UKR)
Brandon Hunter METZ (USA)

Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ), the '21 world bronze medalist, will compete at 76kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Women's Wrestling

50kg

Shahana NAZAROVA (AZE)
Anastasiya YANOTAVA (BLR)
Samantha Francesca ROMANO (CAN)
Lucia Yamileth YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU)
Lisa ERSEL (GER)
Shivani PAWAR (IND)
Kamila APEKOVA (KAZ)
Maria LEORDA (MDA)
Munkhgerel MUNKHBAT (MGL)
Stefania Claudia PRICEPUTU (ROU)
Mariia TIUMEREKOVA (RWF)
Yung Hsun LIN (TPE)
Sarra HAMDI (TUN)
Aynur ERGE (TUR)
Tetiana PROFATILOVA (UKR)
Emily King SHILSON (USA)

53kg 
Gultakin SHIRINOVA (AZE)
Hanna VARABYEVA (BLR)
Taylor Kennedy MCPHERSON (CAN)
Szimonetta Timea SZEKER (HUN)
Ankush ANKUSH (IND)
Carmen DI DIO (ITA)
Ellada MAKHYADDINOVA (KAZ)
Emma Nekesa WANGILA (KEN)
Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA)
Khulan BATKHUYAG (MGL)
Ekaterina VERBINA (RWF)
Meng Hsuan HSIEH (TPE)
Zeynep YETGIL (TUR)
Mariia VYNNYK (UKR)
Ronna Marie HEATON (USA)

55kg
Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE)
Viktoryia VOLK (BLR)
Virginie KAZE GASCON (CAN)
Anju ANJU (IND)
Ainur ASHIMOVA (KAZ)
Enkhzul BATBAATAR (MGL)
Alicja CZYZOWICZ (POL)
Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU)
Aleksandra SKIRENKO (RWF)
Zainab BARRIE (SLE)
Eda TEKIN (TUR)
Khrystyna Zoryana DEMKO (UKR)
Alexandra Wray HEDRICK (USA)

57kg
Hanna VAHER (BLR)
Hannah Fay TAYLOR (CAN)
Erika BOGNAR (HUN)
Nitika NITIKA (IND)
Aurora RUSSO (ITA)
Altyn SHAGAYEVA (KAZ)
Nazira MARSBEK KYZY (KGZ)
Maral BATTSOOJ (MGL)
Esther Omolayo KOLAWOLE (NGR)
Othelie Annette HOEIE (NOR)
Patrycja GIL (POL)
Viktoriia VAULINA (RWF)
Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR)
Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR)
Cheyenne Brooke SISENSTEIN (USA)

59kg
Krystsina SAZYKINA (BLR)
INVILLE (CAN)
Anne Beatrice NUERNBERGER (GER)
Anna Hella SZEL (HUN)
Pushpa PUSHPA (IND)
Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ)
Lolita OBOLEVICA (LAT)
Atika EL ASLA (MAR)
Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)
Anhelina LYSAK (POL)
Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (RWF)
Ebru DAGBASI (TUR)
Antonyna KULAHINA (UKR)
Michaela Hope BECK (USA)

62kg
Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE)
Tatsiana PAULAVA (BLR)
Raya Zhanetova KYOSEVA (BUL)
Ana Paula GODINEZ GONZALEZ (CAN)
Ameline DOUARRE (FRA)
Radhika RADHIKA (IND)
Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA)
Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ)
Zineb HASSOUNE (MAR)
Anastasiia PAROKHINA (RWF)
Anna FABIAN (SRB)
Hsin Ping PAI (TPE)
Yagmur CAKMAK (TUR)
Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR)
Emma Patricia BRUNTIL (USA)

65kg
Albina DRAZHI (ALB)
Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE)
Alina MAKSIMAVA (BLR)
Izabel Mariyanova HRISTOVA (BUL)
Miki Elizabeth ROWBOTTOM (CAN)
Koumba Selene Fanta LARROQUE (FRA)
Eyleen SEWINA (GER)
Nisha NISHA (IND)
Elena ESPOSITO (ITA)
Aina TEMIRTASSOVA (KAZ)
Winrose ALIVISA (KEN)
Elma ZEIDLERE (LAT)
Kamila Czeslawa KULWICKA (POL)
Dinara KUDAEVA SALIKHOVA (RWF)
Linnea Antonia SVENSSON (SWE)
Khadija JLASSI (TUN)
Asli DEMIR (TUR)
Kateryna ZELENYKH (UKR)
Ashlynn Justine ORTEGA (USA)

68kg
Natallia BELSKAYA (BLR)
Kendra Augustine Jocelyne DACHER (FRA)
Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER)
Viktoria FELHO (HUN)
Monika MONIKA (IND)
Albina KAIRGELDINOVA (KAZ)
Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL)
Vusala PARFIANOVICH (RWF)
Tindra Linnea SJOEBERG (SWE)
Nesrin BAS (TUR)
Oksana CHUDYK (UKR)
Alyvia Nicole FISKE (USA)

72kg
Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (BLR)
Alexia Rose SHERLAND (CAN)
Lilly SCHNEIDER (GER)
Divya KAKRAN (IND)
Eleni PJOLLAJ (ITA)
Alexandra ZAITSEVA (KAZ)
Kornelija ZAICEVAITE (LTU)
Maria larisa NITU (ROU)
Marina SUROVTSEVA (RWF)
Zsuzsanna MOLNAR (SVK)
Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN)
Merve PUL (TUR)
Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR)
Kayla Marie MARANO (USA)

76kg​​​​​
Kseniya DZIBUK (BLR)
Tatiana RENTERIA RENTERIA (COL)
Genesis Rosangela REASCO VALDEZ (ECU)
Bernadett NAGY (HUN)
Bipasha BIPASHA (IND)
Enrica RINALDI (ITA)
Dilnaz MULKINOVA (KAZ)
Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)
Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU)
Diana Elena VLASCEANU (ROU)
Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RWF)
Andela PRIJOVIC (SRB)
Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR)
Alina RUDNYTSKA LEVYTSKA (UKR)
Kylie Renee WELKER (USA)

#WrestleAmman

U20 stars gear up for Japan test in Women's Wrestling

By Vinay Siwach

AMMAN, Jordan (August 10) -- Among the 663 wrestlers competing at the U20 World Championships in Amman next week, 187 are women. But wrestling fans around the world will be looking up to 10 women wrestlers who are expected to not only win a medal, but gold.

Japan will be entering the U20 World Championships as the defending team champion, a title it has won 10 times out of 11. The only time Japan did not win was when it skipped the 2021 edition of the tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year, Japan won eight gold and two bronze medals and two of the eight gold medalists, Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) and Ayano MORO (JPN) are returning to defend their titles.

China, among the best in Women's Wrestling, will be returning to the U20 Worlds after four years as it missed the 2021 and 2022 editions citing travel restrictions during the pandemic.

The only other country to win the women's team title ever in 2021, the United States is sending a strong squad led by senior world champion Amit ELOR (USA) who is also a two-time defending champion.

India, a team that has shown constant progress, will look to improve on its performance from Sofia where it won one gold, three silver and two bronze medals.

Women's wrestling will begin August 16 and all action will be live on uww.org and the UWW App.

Audrey JIMENEZ (USA)Audrey JIMENEZ (USA) is a returning silver medalist at 50kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

50kg
The lightest weight class will see returning silver medalist Audrey JIMENEZ (USA) lead the challenge for the U.S. Jimenez has participated in two senior-level international tours this year and won a medal in both. She would like to make amends after losing in the final to Umi ITO (JPN) last year.

Taking Ito's place is Miruko SAKANE (JPN), an 18-year-old on her first international trip. In the selection trials in Japan, she won four bouts.

Among the continental champions, 17-year-old Yu ZHANG (CHN) won the U17 and U20 Asian Championships and will be looking to make her mark at the world level along with Viktoriia SLOBODENIUK (UKR) who won the U20 European Championships.

For India, Priyanshi PRAJAPAT (IND) will hope to win back-to-back medals after finishing with a bronze medal last year. But challenges include Sviatlana KATENKA (AIN) who won a silver medal at the U17 World Championships last week and also the U17 European champion, 2021 U17 Worlds bronze medalist Elvina KARIMZADA (AZE) and fellow U20 Asian bronze medalist Laura GANIKYZY (KAZ).

53kg
Perhaps one of the few weight classes in which a Japanese may not be the favorite on paper. Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR), an internationally unbeaten wrestler in seven competitions and a two-time champion at the U20 European, U17 World, U17 European and U15 European Championships makes her the top contender for gold.

At last year's U17 World Championships, she defeated Sakura ONISHI (JPN) who won the gold last year without surrendering a point. Yefremova also won the U20 European gold without giving up a point in four bouts.

But winning the gold in Amman will not be easy. Nagisa HARADA (JPN) was dominant in Japan's selection trials with three technical superiority wins. Harada is also a 2019 U17 world champ and won a silver medal at the 2023 Klippan Lady's Open, losing European champion Jonna MALMGREN (SWE).

ANTIM (IND)ANTIM (IND) won the gold medal at the 2022 U20 World Championships. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

And also in the fray is defending champion ANTIM (IND), the first women's U20 world champion from the country. A silver medalist at the senior Asian Championships this year, Antim will aim to defend her title from Sofia.

The U.S. will be banking on returning bronze medalist and 2021 U17 world champ Katie GOMEZ (USA). She suffered a fall in the quarterfinals last year to Altyn SHAGAYEVA (KAZ) who is also returning for another run for the gold medal. At the U20 Asian Championships, Shagayeva finished with a bronze medal after a close 5-4 loss to the eventual champ Liuxuan CHEN (CHN). The Chinese wrestler will be in Amman to try and win a world title.

Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA), who won a silver medal at the 2022 U23 World Championships, would like to win a medal in Amman after missing it last year as she suffered a loss in the quarterfinal.

A darkhorse will at 53kg will be Polina LUKINA (AIN) who won the 2021 U20 Worlds silver medal and also has a silver medal from the Istanbul Ranking Series in 2022. U20 European silver medalist Gultakin SHIRINOVA (AZE) and Emine CAKMAK (TUR), a former U20 Worlds bronze medalist, would like to make their mark as well.

Moe KIYOOKA (JPN)Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) is a U20 and U23 world champion at 55kg. (Photo: UWW /Kostandin Andonov) 

55kg
Defending champion Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) will be the hot favorite to repeat. She won four of her bouts via technical superiorities last year and added a U23 world gold in November. In February this year, the former U17 world champion won the Zagreg Open Ranking Series and finished second to Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) in Japan's selection trials for the senior World Championships.

Hoping to upset Kiyooka will be returning silver Albina RILLIA (UKR) after she suffered a 10-0 loss in the final to Kiyooka. Rillia, however, will have to be careful as U20 European champ and returning bronze medalist Tuba DEMIR (TUR) is waiting to avenge her quarterfinals loss from Sofia.

Demir will be tested by another returning bronze medalist Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN), who lost to Demir via fall at the U20 European Championships. Georgiana LIRCA (ROU), who will be in Amman, lost to Demir in the final.

Representing India will be JYOTI (IND) who won a silver medal at the U20 Asian Championships but forfeited her final. She is also joined by U20 Asian bronze medalist Zeinep BAYANOVA (KAZ) who wrestled at 57kg last year and finished fifth.

Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR)Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR), the U20 European champion, will be one of the favorites at 57kg. (Photo: UWW / Kostandin Andonov)

57kg
Since 57kg has been included in the U20 Worlds program, Japan has won all gold medals barring one. In 2021, when Japan skipped the tournament, Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ) won the gold medal in a historic final against Aurora RUSSO (ITA). Amman may present an opportunity for a non-Japanese wrestler to win the gold.

Ichika ARAI (JPN) will be on her first international trip after winning the Junior Queen's Cup in Japan. To keep the gold at home which Ruka NATAMI (JPN) won last year, Arai will have to go through some tough wrestlers including U20 Asian and European champions.

REENA (IND) won the gold in Amman last month and she will fancy her chances to go all the way at 57kg. European champ Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR) has the caliber to win the title along with Gerda TEREK (HUN) who finished second to her in the continent. Terek also has silver from the 2022 U17 Worlds.

Joining them in a bid to win gold is U17 Asian champion Jin ZHANG (CHN), two-time U20 African champion Louji YASSIN (EGY), U20 Pan-Am silver medalist Bertha ROJAS (MEX), U20 European bronze Sevval CAYIR (TUR), former U17 world silver medalist Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA), who lost to Kiyooka in 2019 and Ulmeken ESENBAEVA (UZB) who won bronze at U20 Asia and is a 2022 U17 world bronze medalist.

Aurora RUSSO (ITA)Can Aurora RUSSO (ITA) become Italy's first world champion in Women's Wrestling. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

59kg
All four continental champions are entered at 59kg along with a former U20 world champ. In 2021, Alesia HETMANAVA (AIN) had a dream run and won the 55kg gold at the U20 World Championships as a 17-year-old. She will be back to win another U20 title, this time 59kg. 

Trying to stop her are U20 Pan-Am champ Camila AMARILLA (ARG), U20 African champ Farah HUSSEIN (EGY), U20 Asia champ NITIKA (IND) and U20 European champ Russo who won silver at 57kg in the same World Championships.

Japan will be sending 18-year-old Kanami YAMANOUCHI (JPN) who won the U15 Asia gold in 2019. In the selection trials, she won three bouts to clinch the spot. Madina AMAN (KAZ) is a returning bronze medalist and will look to improve. She won her bronze after beating Aleksandra WITOS (POL) who also returns.

Klippan Lady's Open and U20 European silver medalist Annatina LIPPUNER (SUI) will be a wrestler to keep an eye on after her run at the continent tour in which won three bouts before losing the final to Russo.

Both U20 Euro bronze medalists Sevim AKBAS (TUR) and Yuliia PAKHNIUK (UKR) are entered along with U20 Asia silver medalist Sarbinaz JIENBAEVA (UZB).

SAVITA (IND)Suzu SASAKI (JPN) will look to avenge her U17 World Championships loss against SAVITA (IND). (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

62kg
Suzu SASAKI (JPN) had to mount a comeback after trailing 6-0 in the final of the Junior Queen's Cup to seal her spot for the U20 World Championships. While winning the gold medal is her top priority, she also wants to avenge her 2022 U17 World Championships loss to eventual champion SAVITA (IND).

Savita, who won defended her U17 Worlds gold at 61kg last week in Istanbul, will be looking to add to her U20 Asia title but has to deal with Sasaki, who won the Klippan Lady's Open earlier this year, along with a host of other stars who will try to win the gold.

The biggest names include returning bronze and U20 and U23 European champion Iryna BONDAR (UKR) who lost to Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) last year. She later went on to win a silver at the U23 World Championships as well, once again losing to Ozaki in the final.

But Bondar will be one of the top prospects to win the gold even as Savita and Sasaki renew their rivalry. The other returning bronze medalist Adaugo NWACHUKWU (USA) too will try to find a way to the final.

Two-time U20 Pan-Am champion Melanie JIMENEZ (MEX), silver to her Mayara RAMOS (BRA), U20 European silver medalist Iris THIEBAUX (FRA) and U23 Worlds bronze medalist Astrid MONTERO (VEN) can cause upsets.

Eniko ELEKES (HUN)Eniko ELEKES (HUN) will be looking for her first U20 world title. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

65kg
Eniko ELEKES (HUN) suffered a first-round loss last year in Sofia but could have been a one-off. She was the 2021 U17 world champ and is now a U20 European champion going into the U20 Worlds in Amman. A medal looks like a big possibility for Elekes at 65kg.

Alicja NOWOSAD (POL) was second to Elekes in Europe and will be in Amman with a medal and revenge on her mind. She will be joined by U20 Euro bronze medalists Nikoleta BARMPA (GRE) (68kg) and Maria PANTIRU (ROU).

Returning bronze medalist and senior African champ Khadija JLASSI (TUN) will look to become the first Tunisian wrestler to reach the final at the age-group World Championships.

Duygu GEN (TUR), who won the U17 Europeans, will turn up in Amman, 10 days after winning a silver medal at the U17 Worlds in Istanbul. A medal in Amman will be a huge success for the youngster.

U20 Asian silver medalist ANTIM (IND) and U20 Pan-Am silver medalist Gleymaris BERIA (VEN) are also entered.

68kg
She was not able to do it last year at 65kg but Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR) will look to win the title this year at 68kg. A three-time U20 European champ Skobelska, who won a bronze at the U23 Worlds as well, will be one of the favorites at 68kg. Returning bronze medalist Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER) who lost to Skobelska in the final, will try to reverse the result on the world stage.

All three U20 Asian medalists in silver medalist Gulnura TASHTANBEKOVA (KGZ) and two bronze medalists Zhibekzhan SABYRZHANOVA (KAZ) and ARJU (IND), who finished fifth last year in Sofia, will be in Amman.

The U.S. is sending Isabella MIR (USA) who won the Spain Grand Prix this year and will be a trouble for other wrestlers. She is the daughter of Frank MIR.

Amit ELOR (USA)Amit ELOR (USA) is the U20, U23 and senior world champion. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

72kg
We'll take Amit ELOR (USA)!

Ayano MORO (JPN)Ayano MORO (JPN), blue, and PRIYA (IND) finished first and second respectively at the last U20 World Championships. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

76kg
Amman will see the return of the phenomenal Kennedy BLADES (USA) who won the U20 world title in 2021 at 72kg. This year, she has already won the Alexandria Ranking Series at the senior level and finished second in the U.S. world team trials.

She will be joined by three returning medalists including champion Ayano MORO (JPN), silver medalist  Priya MALIK (IND) and bronze medalist Veronika NYIKOS (HUN).

Moro will defend her title after she dominated the Japan selection trials, winning both bouts 10-0. She will be tested by two-time U17 world champ Malik who lost 3-1 in the final last year. Malik won the U20 Asian gold in Amman in July.

U20 European champ Nyikos will hope to reach the final which she missed last year after a close loss to Malik in the semifinals, her second to the Indian.

Laura KUEHN (GER), however, will look to avenge her U20 Euro final loss to Nyikos while Yuqi LIU (CHN) hopes to do the same against Malik who won against the Chinese wrestler twice at the U20 Asia.

Myah PHILLIPS (CAN) is the U20 Pan-Am silver medalist while Daniela TKACHUK (POL) will have her last opportunity to win a medal after finishing fifth at the last two U20 Worlds.