#Kiev2018

Lalovic Visits Kiev for Inspection of Euro Cadet C’Ships

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (March 12) – United World Wrestling president Nenad LALOVIC and UWW-Europe president Tzeno TZENOV traveled to Kiev last week to inspect the hosting conditions for the 2018 European Cadet Championships  to be held in April.

"It is very important for Ukraine as this championship is qualification on Youth Olympic Games which will be held in Argentina in October of this year,” said Lalovic, a member of the IOC executive board. “I know that they will do an exceptional job of hosting.”

"We have an experience of holding serious European sports competitions. Last year we have organized the European Boxing Championship in Kharkiv and the European championship on a diving in Kyiv,” said Igor RAYNIN, Head of Presidential Administration. “This year we will organize two finals of the Champions League of UEFA. And, certainly, the European Cadet Wrestling Championship - we are capable to organize at the high international level.”

Raynin also noted that the all-European sporting event much attention from the President of Ukraine, the Ministry of Youth and Sport, the Kiev city administration and the Ukrainian Wrestling Association.

Raynin said the preparation for competitions of such level the conditions guaranteeing safety and respect for each athlete in full accordance with the international rules and the current legislation of Ukraine will be created.

The parties have reached the agreement that national federations of the countries which plan to be presented in the European Wrestling Championship have to submit the application for participation of the athletes in due time.

The Minister of youth and sport of Ukraine Igor ZHADNOV and the first vice-president of Ukrainian Wrestling Association Alexandr DOROVSKOY also participated in the meeting.

Lalovic and Tzenov had also meetings with Vice-Prime Minister of Ukraine Vyacheslav KYRYLENKO where they discussed all outstanding questions connected with organization of future European Cadet Wrestling Championship in Kyiv.

"Last year Ukraine has held a number of sports competitions of the international level - the World Ice Hockey Championship in the IA division, the European Boxing Championship, the European diving championship,” said Kyrelenko. “And we will do everything possible that this Championship have taken place at the high level.”

#UWWAwards

UWW Comebacks of the Year 2025: Uguev, Maroulis, Amoyan

By Eric Olanowski

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 18) -- United World Wrestling’s 2025 Comeback Wrestlers of the Year are three wrestlers who refused to let their careers be defined by defeat and setbacks.

Freestyle Comeback Wrestler: Zaur UGUEV (UWW)

There was a time not too long ago where Uguev career trajectory was pointing him in the direction of becoming the greatest lightweight of this generation, but he hit a slump in 2023 and 2024, finishing fifth at the World Championships.

This year, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist returned to top form. He went from an afterthought to one of the sport's most dominant wrestlers -- reclaiming world gold for a third time in his career and first time since the 2019 World Championships with a 11-2 win over Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) in the 61kg finals.

"This is a very joyful event in my life -- I am once again on the top of the podium," Uguev said. "I am very happy and grateful to my team, my coach, my sparring partners, our national team -- thanks to everyone who played a part in my victory."

Women’s Wrestling Comeback Wrestler: Helen MAROULIS (USA)

For most, 2021 seems like yesterday. But for Maroulis, it’s been a grueling four years of waiting and working to reclaim her spot a top the world ranks. Despite having to completely change her style of wrestling due to lack of conditioning that stemmed from an allergic reaction to antibiotics before the World Championships, Maroulis found a way to bolster her resume with a fourth world title -- adding to her career wins 2015, 2018, and 2021, not to mention her three Olympic medals.

She did so with three quick pins in Zagreb before inside tripping Il-Sim SON (PRK) in dramatic fashion, stealing the world title as the clock expired.

After the match, the 11-time world and Olympic medalist said, "I had to really, really dig deep for that and, I don't know, before the last exchange started, I just had to dig deep and find it. It was just some scramble flurry and just that it came out my way. I'm grateful."

Greco-Roman Comeback Wrestler: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)

Like Maroulis’ four-year battle to get back to the top, Amoyan found himself fighting an uphill battle to regain world gold since his last title-winning run in Oslo in 2021. But after moving up from 72kg to 77kg, he struggled. He fell one match short of his goal at the World Championships in 2022 and 2023, and again at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games where he settled for a bronze medal.

But 2025 was different as the 26-year-old put on arguably the greatest Greco-Roman performance of the Zagreb World Championships, capping off his run to a second world title with an unexpected 9-1 thumping of reigning Olympic gold medalist Nao KUSAKA (JPN).

"I became a world champion back in 2021 [at 72kg], but I really wanted to become world champion at 77kg. For two years, I struggled with injuries, and nothing was going as it should. Thankfully, at this World Championships I was prepared -- mentally, physically, and functionally -- and by God's grace I managed to triumph and become a two-time world champion."