2026 U17 World Championships

Athimni Wins Historic Medal for Tunisia, Now Chases World Title

Thursday, July 30, 2026 - 15:05 By Vinay Siwach

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BAKU, Azerbaijan (July 30) -- Tasmin ATHIMNI (TUN) has the chance to become Tunisia's first-ever world champion in wrestling. She has already created history by reaching the 40kg final at the U17 World Championships in Baku on Thursday.

Before Athimni, no other U17 wrestler from Tunisia had won a medal at the tournament. Moreover, she is only the second ever world finalist for the country, nine years after Tunisian legend Marwa AMRI (TUN) did it at the 2017 Paris World Championships at the senior level.

Tunisia Wrestling Tasmin ATHIMNI (TUN)Tasmin ATHIMNI (TUN): 40kg wrestler from Tunisia. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

In the 40kg semifinal, Athimni managed to compose a 6-3 win over Sirin ASKARA (TUR), but her dream run began in Baku began with a 5-0 win over Azzaya BATTULGA (MGL), before she pinned home favorite Gulkhanim SHIRINOVA (AZE) in the quarterfinals.

Standing between her and the historic gold medal is Natsumi SASAKI (JPN) who managed a close 4-2 win against Sophia VALDEZ (USA). Sasaki fell 2-2 behind on criteria but scored a stepout to take a 3-2 lead before adding another for the win.

Three falls in three bouts and Taina FERNANDEZ (USA) made it to her third U17 World Championships final. She is hoping to become the first non-Japanese wrester to three U17 world titles. Her first two came at 61kg but Fernandez is now at 69kg.

She picked up a 33-second fall against Maja WEJCHAN (POL) in the semifinal and will now face U17 European champion Kiymet TEZCAN (TUR) who posted a controlled 5-1 win over Milana ULANOVA (KGZ) in the other 69kg semifinal.

Two other wrestlers from the United States made it to the finals on Thursday, giving the country a strong position in the team title race. Marlee SOLOMON (USA) and Landri VON GONTEN (USA) will wrestle for the gold medal on Friday at 53kg and 61kg respectively.

Solomon secured a fall over Alejandra SERRANO (COL) in the semifinal while Von Gonten survived a battle against Aruzhan BAKYTNUR (KAZ) and win 7-6, thanks to a slight exposure when Bakytnur was trying a leg-lace in the final 20 seconds. Von Gonten will now face U17 European champion Ozdenur OZMEZ (TUR) in the 61kg final after the Turkiye wrestler blanked Graciela ENINGO (ESP), 6-0.

AKSHARA (IND) will try to stop Solomon in the 53kg final after she picked up a quick fall over Rion OGAWA (JPN) in the other semifinal.

At 46kg, Sandhya VISHNOI (IND) and Kokona MAKINO (JPN) will face each other for the gold medal after both picked up dominant wins in the semifinals. Vishnoi defeated Inzhu BAKKOZHA (KAZ) via fall while Makino secured a 10-0 technical superiority win over Vivien SZENTPAL (HUN).

RESULTS

40kg
SF 1: Natsumi SASAKI (JPN) df. Sophia VALDEZ (USA), 4-2
SF 2: Tasmin ATHIMNI (TUN) df. Sirin ASKARA (TUR), 6-3

46kg
SF 1: Sandhya VISHNOI (IND) df. Inzhu BAKKOZHA (KAZ), via fall
SF 2: Kokona MAKINO (JPN) df. Vivien SZENTPAL (HUN), 10-0

53kg
SF 1: AKSHARA (IND) df. Rion OGAWA (JPN), via fall
SF 2: Marlee SOLOMON (USA) df. Alejandra SERRANO (COL), via fall

61kg
SF 1: Landri VON GONTEN (USA) df. Aruzhan BAKYTNUR (KAZ), 7-6
SF 2: Ozdenur OZMEZ (TUR) df. Graciela ENINGO (ESP), 6-0

69kg
SF 1: Taina FERNANDEZ (USA) df. Maja WEJCHAN (POL), via fall
SF 2: Kiymet TEZCAN (TUR) df. Milana ULANOVA (KGZ), 5-1

#WrestleTirana

Kadzimahamedau, Sadulaev Return to European Finals

Friday, April 24, 2026 - 16:53 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (April 24) -- Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), David BAEV (UWW), and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) were among the wrestlers who reached the final of the European Championships 2026 in Tirana on Friday.

Kadzimahamedau set up a rematch of the final from 2024 against Akhmed USMANOV (UWW) who defeated Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA), 3-0, in a rematch of last year's European final.

After last year's European quest at 86kg, Kadzimahamedau returned to 79kg and continued his crafty wrestling, beating Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE), 5-1, in the semifinals. He used two different takedowns and an activity period point for his scores.

But it was the quarterfinals in which Kadzimahamedau showed his class, Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO), 11-10. He lead 5-0 when Gaphrindashvili scored a double-leg four-pointer to make it 5-4, changed to 7-5 for Kadzimahamedau after a challenge. After a scramble and stepout, the scores read 10-9 for Gaphrindashvili with 11 seconds left but Kadzimahamedau snuck out a takedown with 3 seconds left to win.

At 97kg, five-time European champion Sadulaev returned to the final after six years after a clinical display throughout the day. In the finals, he got the better of Akhmed MAGAMAEV (BUL), 12-2, using his gut-wrench to score points.

Sadulaev used a outside single-leg attack to score his first takedown and then turned Magamaev to get a four-point lead. But as he was trying to turn Magamaev again, the Bulgarian blocked him for two points but Sadulaev managed to sneak out of any control. He then managed a takedown and two turns for a 10-2 lead before an easy go-behind finished the bout.

Former world silver medalist Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) will challenge Sadulaev in the final after he defeated Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO), 12-1, using the leg-lace for five turns.

Defending champion Baev had no trouble in defeated Oleksii BORUTA (UKR), 9-2, and returning to the final. But a rising star awaits him next in the 70kg final as U23 European champion Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA) defeated Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), 11-0, in the other semifinals.

Gaidarli, who won silver at the U20 World Championships last year, did not give any chance to Muszukajev and turned the match into a one-sided affair.

Dudaev Returns to Final

Home-favorite and Olympic bronze medalist Islam DUDAEV (ALB) returned to the final of European Championships at 65kg after a 4-0 victory over Islam GUSEINOV (UWW). Dudaev scored a stepout to start the bout before getting a activity point in the first period and lead 2-0. He doubled the lead to 4-0 in the final minute with a takedown which he defended.

Dudaev will take on Bashir MAGOMEDOV (UWW) for the gold medal after Magomedov handed former European champion Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) a heartbreaking, 3-3, criteria loss in the semifinals.

Tevanyan scored a takedown and also a point for stepout but in a later scramble, Tevanyan got countered on a leg attack and gave up a takedown on the edge for two points to Magomedov. Armenia challenged, asking for two points for Tevanyan during the scramble.

However, Tevanyan never got complete control over Magomedov and the lost challenge added to the latter's score to give him criteria. Tevanyan waited to launch the attack and when he did during the final moments of the bout, he could not gets a stepout or takedown despite all the action taking place in the zone.

At 57kg, Musa MEKHTIKHANOV (UWW) and Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE) will battle it out for the gold medal on Saturday. Mekhtikhanov defeated Manvel KHNDZRTSYAN (ARM), 5-0, in the semifinals after two counter takedowns and point for passivity.

Bazarganov was more active in his semifinal against Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO) and worked on his lace to beat the Georgian 11-1.

RESULTS

57kg
SF 1: Musa MEKHTIKHANOV (UWW) df. Manvel KHNDZRTSYAN (ARM), 5-0
SF 2: Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE) df. Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO), 11-1

65kg
SF 1: Islam DUDAEV (ALB) df. Islam GUSEINOV (UWW), 4-0
SF 2: Bashir MAGOMEDOV (UWW) df. Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), 3-3

70kg
SF 1: David BAEV (UWW) df. Oleksii BORUTA (UKR), 9-2
SF 2: Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA) df. Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), 11-0

79kg
SF 1: Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW) df. Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE), 5-1
SF 2: Akhmed USMANOV (UWW) df. Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA), 3-0

97kg
SF 1: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) df. Akhmed MAGAMAEV (BUL), 12-2
SF 2: Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) df. Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO), 12-1