Beach Wrestling World Series returns with 4-Stop Strong Season in All-New Locations in '21

Wednesday, June 2, 2021 - 13:45 By Katrin Strobl

After a successful launch in 2019, the World Series is back for a spectacular 2021 season with the best beach wrestlers taking to the sand between July and September.

22 months since the coronation of the 2019 kings and queens of the beach in Croatia, the Beach Wrestling World Series returns to appealing locations across Europe with more athletes and more nationalities than ever before. During the four events both women and men will take part in United World Wrestling’s fastest growing discipline and will define who is the best on the beach. Kicking off on the French Riviera in July, the reigning champions across all four weight categories will try and defend their titles until the Finale at Romania’s Black Sea in late September.

High flying action, frequent throws and a lot of athleticism will be on display throughout the season - the Beach Wrestling World Series and its recurring stars from four different weight categories will continue to earn the applause from spectators and gain international interest as the sport returns to the rings on the beach.

Four well-levelled weight categories, women and men on top of their sport and a cash prize - voted by fans for the ‘big move award’ are only some of the attractive aspects of this emerging discipline. With a three-rule and a three minute per fight format, the beach version of one of the world’s oldest sports appeals to a broader, younger and lifestyle-focused audience.

In 2021 the Beach Wrestling World Series begins in Saint Laurent du Var, which neighbours the city of Nice, on the French Riviera in mid-July. Landsberg Beach is the venue for the first clash of the beach wrestling elite after a forced 22-months hiatus.

Shifting focus during the summer from Olympic styles, the beach will be calling loud in September with three events in a row. On back-to-back weekends, the World Series will take an Italian turn and the first stop will be Rome, Italy and only a week later will head to the Aegean Sea in Katerini, Greece. While in both places the sport of wrestling can be traced back to ancient times, the modern approach of beach wrestling will be on display for the fans in the first two weeks of September.

For the season finale, traditionally held as the World Championships, the athletes will travel to the oldest continuously inhabited city in Romania, Constanta, on September 25 and 26. On the coast of the Black Sea, Mamaia Beach will serve as the crowning location of the 2021 Beach Wrestling World Champions.

The current title holders hail from Ukraine, Brazil, Greece, Georgia and Azerbaijan and carry the experience of Olympic Games and medals on their shoulders – who is ready to grapple for glory and achieve accolades in the wrestling’s freshest field, the Beach Wrestling World Series?

Beach Wrestling World Series 2021

16-17 July - Saint Laurent du Var (FRA) | Landsberg Beach
03-04 September - Rome (ITA) | Lido di Ostia
10-11 September - Katerini (GRE) | Paralia
25-26 September - Constanta (ROU) | Mamaia Beach

UWW Beach Wrestling

UWW, then known as FILA, codified the form of beach wrestling in 2004. Beach wrestling is standing wrestling done by wrestlers, male or female, inside a sand-filled circle measuring 7 meters (23 ft) in diameter. The style originally mirrored the rules used before the use of wrestling mats, and beach wrestling has been regarded as the oldest version of international competitive wrestling. The international rules have been modified in 2015 by UWW, with the current rules allowing wrestlers to score points via takedowns, pushing their opponent out of bounds, or bringing the opponent down to their back.  The Beach Wrestling World Series was introduced in 2019 with the Beach Wrestling World Champions crowned during the final of a 4-legged competitive season across beach locations around the world.

Weight classes
Men: 70 kg, 80 kg, 90 kg, and +90kg
Women: 50 kg, 60 kg, 70 kg, and +70kg

Find out all about the Beach Wrestling World Series at www.beachwrestling.org
Follow us on social media
IG @uwwbeachwrestling
FB @ Beachwrestlingworldseries
YT @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU82VJze6xdYhhp3uEFA_tw/featured - watch the competitions live

#WrestleZagreb

Kayaalp Returns with Gold at Zagreb Open; Gomi stuns Ganiev

Monday, February 9, 2026 - 01:45 By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (February 8) -- Wearing gold medals is nothing new for Riza KAYAALP (TUR), an Olympic, world and 12-time European champion with a career spanning more than 15 years.

But wearing the Zagreb Open gold on Sunday felt different for Kayaalp.

Returning to the mat after a hiatus of 18 months, Kayaalp wrestled at the Ranking Series event and claimed the 130kg gold medal. The 36-year-old looked sharp in Zagreb, repeatedly using the trademark gut-wrench to win his bouts. He showed no signs of fading in any bout and remained in complete control throughout.

Kayaalp opened with a 9-0 technical superiority win over Aden ATTAO (USA) and followed with another 9-0 victory against Rati TALIKISHVILI (GEO). In the semifinals, he was content with winning 4-0 against Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ), getting both passivity advantages.

Facing Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA) in the final, Kayaalp scored three turns from par terre to lead 7-0. Schultz was given par terre advantage in the second period but failed to score as Kayaalp secured a 7-1 victory.

"It has been a day full of pride and joy for me to return to this beautiful mat," Kayaalp said. "I returned to the place that has been a part of my life, and to wear the gold medal here again."

At the 2023 European Championships at the same Arena Zagreb, Kayaalp had won his record-tying 12th gold medal. Later that year, he qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics with a silver medal at the World Championships.

However, his career stalled in 2024 when he received a competition ban. Following a lengthy appeal process, Kayaalp cleared his name and returned to the sport, with the Zagreb Open being his first tournament.

"It was a stressful time. Things I never wanted happened to me," he said. "There is nothing worse in life than not being able to explain yourself. But we still have something to live for."

Kayaalp had planned to retire after the Paris Games. After missing the event, however, he returned with renewed motivation to win medals at the Olympics, World Championships and the European Championships.

"There is great fire, ambition and renewal within me," he said. "That old boredom in my mind is gone. I got angry, very angry. But now I hope to have good goals."

Riza KAYAALP (TUR) receives the gold medal from Taha AKGUL (TUR). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Taha AKGUL (TUR), a long-time teammate of Kayaalp but in Freestyle and now the President of the Turkish Wrestling Federation, called Kayaalp the magician.

"He came here with around twenty percent preparation," Akgul said about Kayaalp. "We have the European Championship ahead and we will prepare well. Hopefully, he will break Karelin's record by becoming European champion for the thirteenth time."

Kayaalp and Aleksandr KARELIN are tied at 12 European gold medals, and the former nearly broke the record in 2024. However, he got pinned by Sergey SEMENOV (UWW) in the final.

"He is the brother, the captain, the magician of the team," Akgul said. "We set out on this journey as two brothers. It was the same when I was an athlete. We won our gold medals together. Now, we want to represent Turkish wrestling in the same way."

Turkiye won the second gold medal of the day through Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR) who denied Mihail BRADU (MDA), 5-0, in the final.

As soon as the second period began, Bradu tried hitting an arm-throw on Saricicek but the Turkiye wrestler countered and flung Bradu and got four points.

That was the only action in the second period as Saricicek claimed the gold medal. Saricicek survived a tough semifinal against Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) but managed to scrap past 4-3.

Alex SZOKE (HUN) tries to score against Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) in the 97kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Alex SZOKE (HUN) took a step closer to making the Hungarian team at 97kg for the European Championships after winning gold medal at the same weight here in Zagreb.

Facing former U20 world champion Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) in the final, Szoke managed to get both par terre position and also a turn to lead 4-0, which was also the winning score for him.

Hajiali HOSSEINVAND (IRI) emerged as the latest entry in Iran for a weight class. Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) had long been Iran's go-to at 55kg but then emerged Payam AHMADI (IRI) who won gold at U20 World Championships and silver at the senior level.

Now, Hosseinvand defeated Dad Marz in the semifinal in Zagreb and later went on to win the gold medal, defeating Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB), 2-0, in the final.

Hosseinvand got both par terre advantages in the match. While he did not score any points in the final, he defended his positions and did not give any either to claim the gold medal.

At 72kg, former U20 world champion Moustafa ALAMELDIN (EGY) controlled his final against Nika BROLADZE (GEO) and won the gold medal, posting a 4-1 victory.

Alameldin was put in par terre in the first period which gave Broladze a point. As he was unable to score any points, Broladze led only 1-0 at the break.

Broladze gave up a point via stepout at the start of the second period which gave Alameldin a 1-1 criteria lead. Alameldin then got the par terre advantage, making the score 2-1.

In the final 30 seconds, Broladze tried some desperate moves but Alameldin bodylocked him and brought him down for two points which sealed the win for him.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Hajiali HOSSEINVAND (IRI) df. Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB), 2-0

BRONZE: Omer RECEP (TUR) df. Arsen ZHUMA (KAZ), 8-0
BRONZE: Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) df. LALIT (IND), 5-3

60kg
GOLD: Koto GOMI (JPN) df. Alisher GANIEV (UZB), 10-0

BRONZE: Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ) df. Yu SHIOTANI (JPN), 1-1
BRONZE: Yerbol KAMALIYEV (KAZ) df. Sajjad ABBASPOUR (IRI), via fall

72kg
GOLD: Moustafa ALAMELDIN (EGY) df. Nika BROLADZE (GEO), 4-1

BRONZE: Almatbek AMANBEK (KAZ) df. Abror ATABAEV (UZB), 3-3
BRONZE: Shakhzod KUCHKOROV (UZB) df. Alejandro SANCHO (USA), 11-0

82kg
GOLD: Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR) df. Mihail BRADU (MDA), 5-0

BRONZE: Reza MOKHTARI (IRI) df. Beka MELELASHVILI (USA), 10-1
BRONZE: Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) df. Jesse PORTER (USA), 7-2

97kg
GOLD: Alex SZOKE (HUN) df. Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ), 4-0

BRONZE: Hadi SEYDI AVENDI (IRI) df. Iussuf MATSIYEV (KAZ), 1-1
BRONZE: Giorgi MELIA (GEO) df. Mihail KAJAIA (SRB), 2-1

130kg
GOLD: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA), 7-1

BRONZE: Darius VITEK (HUN) df. Artur SARKISJAN (CZE), 1-1
BRONZE: Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ) df. Rati TALIKISHVILI (GEO), 6-1

Beach Wrestling World Series returns with 4-Stop Strong Season in All-New Locations in '21

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Kayaalp Returns with Gold at Zagreb Open; Gomi stuns Ganiev