2026 U17 World Championships

Athimni Wins Historic Medal for Tunisia, Now Chases World Title

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

Share this article

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

2026 U17 World Championships

Ukraine, U.S. Take Early Lead in Women's Wrestling at U17 Worlds

Wednesday, July 29, 2026 - 14:03 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

BAKU, Azerbaijan (July 29) -- Ukraine and the United States took early lead in Women's Wrestling at the U17 World Championships after two finalists each. The two countries will clash for the gold medal at 73kg while the U.S. had another finalist at 57kg and Ukraine at 43kg.

The head-to-head clash will come at 73kg after Solomiia PETRIV (UKR) and Kaili MANUEL (USA) made it to the final.

In the semifinals, Petriv once again got the better of Bianka BARANY (HUN) as she had defeated the Hungarian in the U17 European Championships final as well. Opening the bout with a headlock throw for two points, Petriv led 4-1 at the break, thanks to a slide-by to takedown.

Petriv went on to score two more takedown in the second period to complete an 8-1 win over Barany and has already upgraded her bronze from last year.

To win the gold medal on Thursday, Petriv will need to go past Manuel who held on to a 7-5 win against U17 Asian champion GARIMA (IND) in the other semifinal. Manuel was lifting Garima and dropping her outside the zone to score her stepouts.

She began with on and then Garima was put on the activity clock. Garima went for the leg attack but Manuel pancaked her and scored two point. A point for activity and turn made her lead 6-0. Garima gave up another stepout to add another point to Manuel's score.

There was still some fight left in Garima as she cut the lead to 7-3 but wasted time while trying to finish a leg-attack. With 10 seconds left, she got another takedown but failed to turn Manuel which would have given her a criteria win.

The second finalist for the U.S. was returning silver medalist Epenesa ELISON (USA) who is a win away from winning her first U17 world title and will take on Nikita SEHRAWAT (IND) on Thursday.

In contrasting semifinals at 57kg, Elison secured a 30-second fall over Gurleen DHILLON (CAN) while Sehrawat had to work har for her 6-2 win over Mariia POLTORAK (UKR).

Sehrawat lead 1-0 after an activity clock point and was put on the clock in the second period. During that 30-second period, she scored exposure and Poltorak also got exposure points. Sehrawat ended up on top as a reversal and led 4-2. She used her strength to keep Poltorak down in the final 30 seconds and managed a takedown as well.

Ukraine's second finalist was Olena KOLUBAI (UKR) who stormed to the 49kg gold-medal bout with a 10-0 technical superiority win over Ayanat MEINAMBAY (KAZ). After scoring a takedown, Kolubai used a gut-wrench for four turns.

She will now face Saika UCHIDA (JPN) who used a leg attack to bring Kamna BABAL (IND) to her back and then held her for a first-period fall. Uchida will has the chance to win the gold medal, a feat that will take her closer to her senior Asian champion Sowaka, who won the U17 world title twice -- 2022 and 2023.

At 43kg, Finja STRAUCH (GER) will look to become Germany's first-ever U17 world champion in 12 years after reaching the final. She picked up a fall over Daria MASLENNIKOVA (RUS) in the semifinal after building an 8-0 lead.

She will now take on Mukhlisa MASHARIPOVA (UZB), just the third Uzbekistan wrestler to reach U17 world final. She needed a counter cradle to win her semifinal against Maya NAICKER (CAN), 6-2.

The 65kg final will be between Aisha ABDIMALIK (KAZ) and Ariunzul BOLDBAATAR (MGL) as the two won the semifinals overpowering their European opponents.

Boldbaatar, the U17 Asian bronze medalist, was rather crafty with her attacks. She cartwheeled once and then used a headlock throw as well. More than takedown, it was exposure points that helped her beat Palina BRAHINETS (BLR), 7-1.

Abdimalik kept it simple, scoring counter takedowns against Vasiliki KARAVANOU (GRE) and building her lead before sealing the semifinal, 8-1.

RESULTS

43kg
SF 1: Finja STRAUCH (GER) df. Daria MASLENNIKOVA (RUS), via fall
SF 2: Mukhlisa MASHARIPOVA (UZB) df. Maya NAICKER (CAN), 6-2

49kg
SF 1: Olena KOLUBAI (UKR) df. Ayanat MEINAMBAY (KAZ), 10-0
SF 2: Saika UCHIDA (JPN) df. Kamna BABAL (IND), via fall

57kg
SF 1: Nikita SEHRAWAT (IND) df. Mariia POLTORAK (UKR), 6-2
SF 2: Epenesa ELISON (USA) df. Gurleen DHILLON (CAN), via fall

65kg
SF 1: Ariunzul BOLDBAATAR (MGL) df. Palina BRAHINETS (BLR), 7-1
SF 2: Aisha ABDIMALIK (KAZ) df. Vasiliki KARAVANOU (GRE), 8-1

73kg
SF 1: Kaili MANUEL (USA) df. GARIMA (IND), 7-5 
SF 2: Solomiia PETRIV (UKR) df. Bianka BARANY (HUN), 8-1