#WrestleSofia

#WrestleSofia U20 World Championships entry list

By Vinay Siwach

SOFIA, Bulgaria (August 4) -- Two weeks after the U17 World Championships, the U20 Worlds will be thrown open in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Close to 600 wrestlers will be in the Bulgarian capital eyeing the 30 world titles on offer with Iran and the USA hoping to defend their freestyle and women's wrestling team titles respectively.

Iran is led by two defending U20 world champions in Erfan ELAHI (IRI) and Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI). Elahi won the title at 70kg and will now be jumping up to 74kg while Friozpour, who has made his name at the senior level as well, will be moving from 86kg to 92kg.

Azerbaijan has two returning silver medalists in Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) and Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) at 70kg and 74kg.

At 86kg, Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) will try to win the gold he missed last time as he returns in the same weight class as the U20 European champion.

In women's wrestling, Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) at 62kg and Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) are the biggest names in the field. A few former and current U17 world champions are also entered.

Greco-Roman has none of the finalists returning but five bronze medalists are trying to better their medals from the previous edition.

The U20 World Championships begins August 15 in Sofia with all the action live on uww.org.

Freestyle 

57kg
Harutyun HOVHANNISYAN (ARM)
Nuraddin NOVRUZOV (AZE)
Ivaylo TISOV (BUL)
Abdelrahman MAHMOUD (EGY)
Seyfulla ITAEV (FRA)
Harvey RIDINGS (GBR)
Luka GVINJILIA (GEO)
Andreas PAROTSIDIS (GRE)
Abhishek DHAKA (IND)
Ahmad MOHAMMADNEZHAD (IRI)
Simone PIRODDU (ITA)
Kento YUMIYA (JPN)
Merey BAZARBAYEV (KAZ)
Iukhan DOKTURBEK UULU (KGZ)
Dmitri CARASTOIANOV (MDA)
Munkh Od LKHAMBUZMAA (MGL)
Rafal SZEWC (POL)
Thomas FISCHER (SUI)
Tolga OZBEK (TUR)
Heorhii KAZANZHY (UKR)
Jore VOLK (USA)
Azizbek NAIMOV (UZB)

61kg
Hayk ABRAHAMYAN (ARM)
Jeyhun ALLAHVERDIYEV (AZE)
Ilyas ABDURASHIDOV (BEL)
Shehabeldin MOHAMED (EGY)
Akseli ERKKOLA (FIN)
Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA)
Daviti ABDALADZE (GEO)
Dimitrios OFLIDIS (GRE)
Mohit KUMAR (IND)
Armin HABIBZADEH (IRI)
Yuto NISHIUCHI (JPN)
Maiis ALIYEV (KAZ)
Aden SAKYBAEV (KGZ)
Fatlum BRAKA (KOS)
Diego RODRIGUEZ (MEX)
Daniel KULCZYNSKI (POL)
Mika LEHMKUEHL (RSA)
Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR)
Mykyta ABRAMOV (UKR)
Nicholas BOUZAKIS (USA)
Arslan RAKHIMOV (UZB)

65kg
Abderrahmane BENAISSA (ALG)
Artur SARDARYAN (ARM)
Muhamed BEKTEMIROV (AUT)
Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE)
Ayub MUSAEV (BEL)
Ismail POMAKOV (BUL)
Matias RAMIREZ (CHI)
Yehia HAFEZ (EGY)
Luka JANEZASHVILI (GEO)
Jonnathan PEREZ (GUA)
SUJEET (IND)
Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI)
Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN)
Olzhas OLZHAKANOV (KAZ)
Myrza ZHYRGALBEK UULU (KGZ)
Egzon XHONI (KOS)
Pavel GRAUR (MDA)
Erick BAUTISTA (MEX)
Doru DINCA (ROU)
Hamza ZOPALI (TUR)
Mykyta ZUBAL (UKR)
Robert CORNELLA (USA)
Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)

70kg
Saad BOUGUERRA (ALG)
Hayk PAPIKYAN (ARM)
Benedikt HUBER (AUT)
Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE)
Muhammad ABDURACHMANOV (BEL)
Ivan STOYANOV (BUL)
Stone LEWIS (CAN)
Said ELGAHSH (EGY)
Davit KUTCHUASHVILI (GEO)
Marcell NAGY (HUN)
Mulaym YADAV (IND)
Hossein MOHAMMAD (IRI)
Raul CASO (ITA)
Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN)
Rodion ANCHUGIN (KAZ)
Kanat KERIMBEKOV (KGZ)
Pavel ANDRUSCA (MDA)
Alexandru MATEA (ROU)
Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK)
Harun SOYLER (TUR)
Ivan SEMENOV (UKR)
Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA)
Begijon KULDASHEV (UZB)

74kg
Menua YARIBEKYAN (ARM)
Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE)
Petar PETKOV (BUL)
Amaan Ali GULACHA (CAN)
Luka CHKHITUNIDZE (GEO)
Balint NEMES (HUN)
Sagar JAGLAN (IND)
Erfan ELAHI (IRI)
Luca FINIZIO (ITA)
Ryunosuke KAMIYA (JPN)
Iliyas YERBOLATOV (KAZ)
Nurbolot ADYL UULU (KGZ)
Gheorghi CARA (MDA)
Batbayar BATSUKH (MGL)
Kamil BARLOWSKI (POL)
Krisztian BIRO (ROU)
Arno VAN ZIJL (RSA)
Umar MAVLAEV (SUI)
Muhammed OZMUS (TUR)
Tymur HUDYMA (UKR)
Alexander FACUNDO (USA)
Jafar CHULIBOYEV (UZB)

79kg
Mushegh MKRTCHYAN (ARM)
Soslan TIGIYEV (AZE)
Radomir STOYANOV (BUL)
Connor CHURCH (CAN)
Gabriel RAMOS (ESP)
Miko ELKALA (FIN)
Otari ADEISHVILI (GEO)
DEEPAK (IND)
Sobhan YARI (IRI)
Daisuke SHIMIZU (JPN)
Shamsat TAIR (KAZ)
Mukhammad ABDULLAEV (KGZ)
Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA)
Mateusz PEDZICKI (POL)
Gigi SUBTIRICA (ROU)
Johannes HATTINGH (RSA)
Kimi KAEPPELI (SUI)
Bekir OVEC (TUR)
Oleksandr MAMROSH (UKR)
Braydew THOMPSON (USA)

86kg
Gurgen SIMONYAN (ARM)
Sabuhi AMIRASLANOV (AZE)
Zhulien IVANOV (BUL)
Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA)
Daviti KOGUASHVILI (GEO)
Angelos KOUKLARIS (GRE)
Cesar ESTRADA (GUA)
Nandor HAJDUCH (HUN)
Jointy KUMAR (IND)
Aref RANJBARI (IRI)
Gabriele NICCOLINI (ITA)
Fumiya IGARASHI (JPN)
Muslim ZHAKSYLYK (KAZ)
Aslan MAMASADYKOV (KGZ)
Pureun KIM (KOR)
Lilian BALAN (MDA)
Batbilguun NAADAMBAT (MGL)
Ismail KUCUKSOLAK (TUR)
Nazar DOD (UKR)
Bennett BERGE (USA)

92kg
Sergey SARGSYAN (ARM)
Suray RUFAD (BUL)
Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA)
Andro MARGISHVILI (GEO)
Kiril KILDAU (GER)
Gkivi BLIATZE (GRE)
Krisztian ANGYAL (HUN)
AKASH (IND)
Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI)
Satoshi MIURA (JPN)
Nurdaulet BEKENOV (KAZ)
Kutman TEMIRBEKOV (KGZ)
Seohyun CHA (KOR)
Ion DEMIAN (MDA)
Juan RUIZ (MEX)
Yildiray PALA (TUR)
Denys SAHALIUK (UKR)
Jaxon SMITH (USA)
Ravshanbek JUMABOEV (UZB)

97kg
Harutyun KIRAKOSYAN (ARM)
Sali SALIEV (BUL)
Mohamed SALAHELDIN (EGY)
Luka KHUTCHUA (GEO)
NIRAJ (IND)
Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI)
Toyoki HAMADA (JPN)
Zelimkhan MUSSIKHANOV (KAZ)
Joobin PARK (KOR)
Vilius MIKALAUSKAS (LTU)
Georgian TRIPON (ROU)
Rifat GIDAK (TUR)
David MCHEDLIDZE (UKR)
Benjamin KUETER (USA)

125kg
Lyova GEVORGYAN (ARM)
Georgi IVANOV (BUL)
Roger LI (CAN)
Merab SULEIMANASHVILI (GEO)
Mahendra GAIKWAD (IND)
Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI)
Ryusei FUJITA (JPN)
Bekzat TAZHI (KAZ)
Adil MISIRCI (TUR)
Volodymyr KOCHANOV (UKR)
Nicholas FELDMAN (USA)
Namoz ABDURASHIDOV (UZB)

Nonoka OZAKI (JPN)Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) is a senior world bronze and Asian champion. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

Women’s Wrestling

50kg
Asmar JANKURTARAN (AZE)
Emine OSMAN (BUL)
Serena DI BENEDETTO (CAN)
Karolina MUELLEROVA (CZE)
Priyanshi PRAJAPAT (IND)
Umi ITO (JPN)
Laura GANIKYZY (KAZ)
Gabija DILYTE (LTU)
Imane BOUJNANE (MAR)
Munkhgerel MUNKHBAT (MGL)
Marija SPIRKOVSKA (MKD)
Natalia WALCZAK (POL)
Ana PIRVU (ROU)
Svenja JUNGO (SUI)
Ellen OESTMAN (SWE)
Yung LIN (TPE)
Sevval CAYIR (TUR)
Aida KERYMOVA (UKR)
Audrey JIMENEZ (USA)

53kg
Gultakin SHIRINOVA (AZE)
Nazife TAIR (BUL)
Shaimaa MOHAMED (EGY)
Chadia AYACHI (FRA)
Amory ANDRICH (GER)
Vivien MATYI (HUN)
ANTIM (IND)
Ayaka KIMURA (JPN)
Altyn SHAGAYEVA (KAZ)
Aruuke KADYRBEK KYZY (KGZ)
Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA)
Patricia IURASCU (ROU)
Emine CAKMAK (TUR)
Nataliia KLIVCHUTSKA (UKR)
Katie GOMEZ (USA)
Dilshoda MATNAZAROVA (UZB)

55kg
Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE)
Irena BINKOVA (BUL)
Robbie PINGAL (CAN)
Antonia ARRIAGADA (CHI)
Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN)
MANJU (IND)
Immacolata DANISE (ITA)
Moe KIYOOKA (JPN)
Ainur ASHIMOVA (KAZ)
Andrea BARRIENTOS (MEX)
Georgiana LIRCA (ROU)
Pei LIAO (TPE)
Tuba DEMIR (TUR)
Albina RILLIA (UKR)
Adriana MARIN (USA)
Sarbinaz JIENBAEVA (UZB)

57kg
Gabriela CROSS (CAN)
Anna MICHALCOVA (CZE)
Celeste SION (FRA)
Adrienn BERES (HUN)
SITO (IND)
Aurora RUSSO (ITA)
Ruka NATAMI (JPN)
Zeinep BAYANOVA (KAZ)
Sezim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)
Bertha CHAVEZ (MEX)
Othelie HOEIE (NOR)
Julia NOWICKA (POL)
Ana PUIU (ROU)
Melda DERNEKCI (TUR)
Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR)
Sofia MACALUSO (USA)

59kg
Fatme SHABAN (BUL)
Mia FRIESEN (CAN)
Viktoria BORSOS (HUN)
Bhagyashree FAND (IND)
Sakura MOTOKI (JPN)
Madina AMAN (KAZ)
Hedda KVAALE (NOR)
Aleksandra WITOS (POL)
Kara LE ROUX (RSA)
Ebru DAGBASI (TUR)
Yuliia LESKOVETS (UKR)
Savannah COSME (USA)

62kg
Mastoura SOUDANI (ALG)
Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE)
Mima TANEVA (BUL)
Angelina TODDINGTON (CAN)
Iva GERIC (CRO)
Iris THIEBAUX (FRA)
Luisa SCHEEL (GER)
Yasmine SOLIMAN (HUN)
Sonam MALIK (IND)
Bianca CONTRAFATTO (ITA)
Nonoka OZAKI (JPN)
Tynys DUBEK (KAZ)
Bermet NURIDIN KYZY (KGZ)
Viktoria OEVERBY (NOR)
Wiktoria STANETA (POL)
Yu LO (TPE)
Busra EFE (TUR)
Iryna BONDAR (UKR)
Adaugo NWACHUKWU (USA)
Rushana ABDIRASULOVA (UZB)

65kg
Valentina KOZHUHAROVA (BUL)
Eniko ELEKES (HUN)
PRIYANKA (IND)
Veronica BRASCHI (ITA)
Mahiro YOSHITAKE (JPN)
Korlan AMANOVA (KAZ)
Dilnaz SAZANOVA (KGZ)
Melanie VILLALBA (MEX)
Davaajargal ALTANSUKH (MGL)
Zofia POLOWCZYK (POL)
Nora SVENSSON (SWE)
Khadija JLASSI (TUN)
Derya KARADUMAN (TUR)
Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR)
Reese LARRAMENDY (USA)
Gulmira AITMURATOVA (UZB)

68kg
Nigar MIRZAZADA (AZE)
Daniela BRASNAROVA (BUL)
Nicoll OSORIO (COL)
Menatalla BADRAN (EGY)
Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER)
Nikoleta BARMPA (GER)
ARJU (IND)
Laura GODINO (ITA)
Ami ISHII (JPN)
Zhibekzhan SABYRZHANOVA (KAZ)
Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ)
Luciana BEDA (MDA)
Sandra MENCHACA (MEX)
Patrycja SLOMSKA (POL)
Caroline KVIST (SWE)
Nesrin BAS (TUR)
Yevheniia SIEDYKH (UKR)
Destiny RODRIGUEZ (USA)
Firuza ESENBAEVA (UZB)

72kg
Marziya SADIGOVA (AZE)
Vanesa GEORGIEVA (BUL)
Nyla BURGESS (CAN)
Jennifer ROESLER (GER)
Zsofia VIRAG (HUN)
REETIKA (IND)
Sumire NIIKURA (JPN)
Anastassiya PANASSOVICH (KAZ)
Ximena RODRIGUEZ (MEX)
Patrycja CUBER (POL)
Ping HUNG (TPE)
Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN)
Nazar BATIR (TUR)
Iryna ZABLOTSKA (UKR)
Amit ELOR (USA)

76kg
Ana SANTOS (BRA)
Vianne ROULEAU (CAN)
Laura KUEHN (GER)
Eleni CHRYSIKAKI (GER)
Veronika NYIKOS (HUN)
Priya MALIK (IND)
Ayano MORO (JPN)
Alina YERTOSTIK (KAZ)
Daniela TKACHUK (POL)
Elena MARGAS (ROU)
Melisa SARITAC (TUR)
Mariia ORLEVYCH (UKR)
Tristan KELLY (USA)

Emre MUTLU (TUR)Emre MUTLU (TUR) is a U23 European champion. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Greco-Roman

55kg
Karapet MANVELYAN (ARM)
Nihad GULUZADE (AZE)
Paolo MILKOV (BUL)
Abdalla SHAABAN (EGY)
luka JAVAKHADZE (GEO)
Ilias ZAIRAKIS (GRE)
Anup KUMAR (IND)
Seyedarash NEGAHDARI (IRI)
Taiga ONISHI (JPN)
Iskhar KURBAYEV (KAZ)
Nuristan SUIORKULOV (KGZ)
Vilius ADOMAVICIUS (LTU)
Marco ALVAREZ (MEX)
Denis MIHAI (ROU)
Emre MUTLU (TUR)
Mykola HAVRYCHKIN (UKR)
Jonathan GURULE (USA)
Alisher GANIEV (UZB)

60kg
Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM)
Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE)
Borislav KIRILOV (BUL)
Ronaldo RAMIREZ (COL)
Dimitri KHACHIDZE (GEO)
Georgios SCARPELLO (GER)
SUMIT (IND)
Saeid Morad ESMAEILI (IRI)
Melkamu FETENE (ISR)
Koto GOMI (JPN)
Bakytzhan KABDYL (KAZ)
Adilet ABYKEEV (KGZ)
Ismail ETTALIBI (MAR)
Olivier SKRZYPCZAK (POL)
Aleksandar BERAROV (SRB)
Firuz MIRZORAJABOV (TJK)
Yong SU (TPE)
Mert ILBARS (TUR)
Volodymyr VOITOVYCH (UKR)
Maxwell BLACK (USA)
Akmal KHAMROEV (UZB)

63kg
Fayssal BENFREDJ (ALG)
Arman VARDANYAN (ARM)
Ziya BABASHOV (AZE)
Ivan KOSTOV (BUL)
Matias RAMIREZ (CHI)
Domagoj CELICEK (CRO)
Romeo BERIDZE (GEO)
Ioannis PETKOS (GER)
David MANYIK (HUN)
UMESH (IND)
Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI)
Chiezo MARUYAMA (JPN)
Dinislam SAGITZHAN (KAZ)
Baiaman KARIMOV (KGZ)
Donatas RINDEIKIS (LTU)
Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL)
Azat SARIYAR (TUR)
Oleh KHALILOV (UKR)
Haiden DRURY (USA)

67kg
Kanan ABDULLAZADE (AZE)
Angelo DE OLIVEIRA (BRA)
Radoslav DIMITROV (BUL)
Nestor TRUYOL (CHI)
Luka IVANCIC (CRO)
Abdelrahman OMAR (EGY)
Nestori MANNILA (FIN)
Yanis NIFRI (FRA)
Nika BROLADZE (GEO)
Marco STOLL (GER)
Zsolt TAKACS (HUN)
Ankit GULIA (IND)
Seyed SOHRABI (IRI)
Shon NADORGIN (ISR)
Steve MOMILIA (ITA)
Ryohma TOYOTA (JPN)
Din KOSHKAR (KAZ)
Erlan MARS UULU (KGZ)
Adomas GRIGALIUNAS (LTU)
Alexei HAHLOVSCHI (MDA)
Kasper OEVERBY (NOR)
Mairbek SALIMOV (POL)
Iulian LUNGU (ROU)
Fritz REBER (SUI)
Onur YURTADA (TUR)
Marian HOLUBOVSKYI (UKR)
Robert PEREZ (USA)
Ilyosjon ABDINAZAROV (UZB)

72kg
Haithem ISSAAD (ALG)
Arman KHACHIKYAN (ARM)
Matthias HAUTHALER (AUT)
Gurban GURBANOV (AZE)
Dimitar STEFCHEV (BUL)
Niko KAMENJASEVIC (CRO)
Jakub SIMCIK (CZE)
Emad GHALY (EGY)
Junior ORTIZ (ESP)
Ekke LEITHAM (EST)
Temuri ORJONIKIDZE (GEO)
Aaron BELLSCHEIDT (GER)
Alexandros BATZAKIDIS (GER)
Attila TOESMAGI (HUN)
Deepak PUNIA (IND)
Amir ABDI (IRI)
Ariell SOSUNOV (ISR)
Eito NISHIDA (JPN)
Merey MAULITKANOV (KAZ)
Alibek BERDIEV (KGZ)
Minseo OH (KOR)
Rokas CEPAUSKAS (LTU)
Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA)
Elsi ORDONEZ (MEX)
Magomed EDAEV (NOR)
Igor BOTEZ (ROU)
Daniel DU TOIT (RSA)
David LOHER (SUI)
Georgios BARBANOS (SWE)
Sheroz OCHILOV (TJK)
Omer DOGAN (TUR)
Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR)
Richard FEDALEN (USA)

77kg
Henrik GEVORGYAN (ARM)
Khasay HASANLI (AZE)
Guilherme DE ARRUDA (BRA)
Martin DIMITROV (BUL)
Michal ZELENKA (CZE)
Omar OKIL (EGY)
Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO)
Deni NAKAEV (GER)
Andreas VASILAKOPOULOS (GRE)
Rajmund ZURAI (HUN)
SACHIN (IND)
Masoud GHAFI (IRI)
Isami HORIKITA (JPN)
Omar SATAYEV (KAZ)
Nurel DUISHONBEKOV (KGZ)
Alexandrin GUTU (MDA)
Diego TORRES (MEX)
Benjamin HANSEN (NOR)
Filip LOCH (POL)
Simon BORKENHAGEN (SWE)
Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR)
Ramazan PASHAIEV (UKR)
Payton JACOBSON (USA)
Samandar BOBONAZAROV (UZB)

82kg
Ruben GEVORGYAN (ARM)
Rauf ALIYEV (AZE)
Ivaylo IVANOV (BUL)
Marek VRBA (CZE)
Fares GHALY (EGY)
Olavi LAISARV (EST)
Jonni SARKKINEN (FIN)
Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Odysseas ROUNGERIS (GRE)
Rohit DAHIYA (IND)
Alireza MOHMADI (IRI)
Leon RIVALTA (ITA)
Renta YAMAGUCHI (JPN)
Azimkhon ABDALIYEV (KAZ)
Artykbek ALYMBEK UULU (KGZ)
Mihai GUTU (MDA)
Christian NUNEZ (MEX)
Vasile COJOC (ROU)
James HOLDER (RSA)
Milos PEROVIC (SRB)
Alexander JOHANSSON (SWE)
Shan LIN (TPE)
Alperen BERBER (TUR)
Ruslan ABDIIEV (UKR)
Adrian ARTSISHEUSKIY (USA)

87kg
Vigen NAZARYAN (ARM)
Lachin VALIYEV (AZE)
Ivan MANOV (BUL)
Tomislav BRKAN (CRO)
Ondrej HAVELKA (CZE)
Kareem ELDESOUKY (EGY)
Robin USPENSKI (EST)
Aapo VIITALA (FIN)
Beka MELELASHVILI (GEO)
Nikolaos IOSIFIDIS (GRE)
Surjeet SINGH (IND)
Abolfazl CHOUBANI (IRI)
Tomofumi IWAI (JPN)
Maksat SAILAU (KAZ)
Nartu ABDURAKHMANOV (KGZ)
Donghyun YUN (KOR)
Damian MATVEIKO (LTU)
Gabriel LUPASCO (MDA)
Patrik GORDAN (ROU)
Mario VUKOVIC (SRB)
Algot KAELLMAN (SWE)
Furkan TAS (TUR)
Mykyta ALIEKSIEIEV (UKR)
Kodiak STEPHENS (USA)
Azamatjon ABDUBANNOBOV (UZB)

97kg
Kaloyan IVANOV (BUL)
Marko MILANOVIC (CRO)
Richard KARELSON (EST)
Kote SITCHINAVA (GEO)
Connor SAMMET (GER)
Archontis XOURAS (GRE)
Narinder CHEEMA (IND)
Ali ABEDIDARZI (IRI) 
Riku NAKAHARA (JPN)
Iussuf MATSIYEV (KAZ)
Nurmanbet RAIMALY UULU (KGZ)
Joowan KIM (KOR)
Rostislav COVALI (MDA)
Mateusz IWANOWSKI (POL)
Ionut GOSA (ROU)
Luka KATIC (SRB)
Maans KLOSTERMANN (SWE)
Oktay DEMIR (TUR)
Vladyslav DRAHANCHUK (UKR)
Christian CARROLL (USA)
Islomjon RAKHMATOV (UZB)

130kg
Albert VARDANYAN (ARM)
Artur SARKISJAN (CZE)
Fekry EISSA (EGY)
Eerik PANK (EST)
Mate GOKADZE (GEO)
Rafail GKIRNIS (GRE)
Adolf BAZSO (HUN)
PARVESH (IND)
Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI)
Koei YAMADA (JPN)
Jokhar UZAROV (KAZ)
Junho PARK (KOR)
Dominik KRAWCZYK (POL)
Talip CIFTCI (TUR)
Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR)
Aden ATTAO (USA)
Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB)

#UnitedWorldWrestling

Cuba’s Trujillo Diaz honored with IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (November 24) — Wrestling coach Raul TRUJILLO DIAZ (CUB) received the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award on Monday during a ceremony at the Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The award was presented by IOC President Kirsty COVENTRY and Sergii BUBKA, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Entourage Commission.

Trujillo Díaz has been one of the key figures in the inexorable rise of Cuba as one of the leading nations in Greco-Roman, with more than 52 years of coaching experience. He coached the Cuban and Portuguese national teams across five editions of the Olympic Games.

Cuba

“I am very honoured to receive this extraordinary recognition, Trujillo Diaz said. “I would like to thank the IOC, all the athletes I have coached over the past 50 years, the other wrestling coaches and people who worked tirelessly behind the scenes in the sport to which I have dedicated my life. All were my motivation and example. I also want to take the opportunity to thank United World Wrestling (UWW). And a big thank-you to someone very special who has always been with me – my family – for their great support.”

One of the legends he has trained is five-time Olympic champion Mijain LOPEZ (CUB), who at Paris 2024 became the first athlete in any sport to win five consecutive Olympic gold medals in the same event. Others who have been trained by Trujillo Diaz are Rio 2016 champion Ismael BORRERO (CUB) and Luis ORTA (CUB), the 60kg champion at Tokyo 2020.

As well as introducing training innovations that have helped lead his nation to success, Trujillo Díaz has published numerous research papers and articles on wrestling science and pedagogy. He has also worked widely for UWW across Latin America as an educator, bringing the breadth of his knowledge and experience to new generations of athletes and coaches.

Alongwith Truillo Diaz, volleyball coach Lang PING also received the IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award.

"It's really special to be here with all of you and to celebrate our two coaches for their incredible commitment and their lifetime of work in serving their athletes to become the best athlete, but also the best humans that they can be," said IOC President Kirsty Coventry during the ceremony. "So many of us who compete in sport know and understand that the lessons that we learn in sport will guide us in our everyday life after and this is where the role of coaches is so important,” she added.