European Games

Beleniuk, Aleksanyan, Hryshchanka Claim Golds on Final Day of European Games

Sunday, June 30, 2019 - 14:55 By United World Wrestling Press

Share this article

MINSK, Belarus (June 30) - Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM), one of the world's most decorated Greco-Roman wrestlers, can now add European Games gold medalist to a resume that includes an Olympic gold, three world titles and four European titles.

The 27-year-old Armenian shut out local favorite Aliaksandr HRABOVIK (BLR) 5-0 in the gold-medal match at 97kg in Greco-Roman on the final day of the European Games at the Minsk Sports Palace.

Aleksanyan scored a passivity point in the first period and led 1-0 at the break. He pulled away in the second period, going up 3-0 before executing a gut wrench with a little over a minute remaining in the match.

World No.1 Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) claimed the gold medal at 87kg, improving on his silver-medal performance at the previous European Games in 2015. Beleniuk, a 2015 world champion and 2016 Olympic silver medalist, defeated multiple-time U23 world medalist Islam ABBASOV (AZE) 3-1 in the gold-medal match. It was a rematch of this year's European Championships gold-medal match at 87kg, which Beleniuk won 5-1. 

On Sunday, the 28-year-old Ukrainian scored first off a passivity and then used a gut wrench to go up 3-0 in the first period. Abbasov, ranked No.5 in the world, would add a point off a passivity in the second period, but Beleniuk would hang on to win by two. He celebrated with a victory dance on the mat. 

Kiryl HRYSHCHANKA (BLR) sent the home crowd into a frenzy by winning a gold medal at 130kg in the final wrestling match of the European Games. He topped multiple-time European medalist Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) 5-1 in the finals. The Belarusian heavyweight went down 1-0 before turning the tables. With Kajaia looking for a turn in par terre, Hryshchanka reversed the action and put the Georgian in trouble, nearly securing a fall and gaining two points in the process. He then used an exposure to go up 4-1. He would add a passivity point in the final period to win by four. 

World No.4 Viktor LORINCZ (HUN), a two-time world bronze medalist, earned a bronze medal at 87kg by defeating Ivan HUKLEK (CRO) 7-1. The other bronze medal at 87kg was won by Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL), who picked up a 7-1 victory over Radzik KULIYEU (BLR). Kulynycz trailed at the break before scoring seven unanswered points in the second period. 

Felix BALDAUF (NOR), a 2017 European champion, took home a bronze medal at 97kg with a 6-1 win over Olympic bronze medalist Cenk ILDEM (TUR). Two-time U23 world champion Aleksandr GOLOVIN (RUS) rebounded from a semifinal loss to Aleksanyan to beat Revazi NADAREISHVILI (GEO) 5-1 for a bronze medal at 97kg.

A pair of 2016 Olympic bronze medalists won bronze medals at 130kg, Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) and Sabah SHARIATI (AZE). Semenov, a returning world champion, dominated Mykola KUCHMII (UKR) 10-1. Shariati edged Oskar MARVIK (NOR) 3-2, scoring the go-ahead takedown with just under two minutes remaining.  It's Shariati's second European Games medal as he won a silver medal in 2015. 

RESULTS

Greco-Roman

87kg
GOLD - Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) df. Islam ABBASOV (AZE), 3-1
BRONZE - Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) df. Ivan HUKLEK (CRO), 7-1
BRONZE - Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL) df. Radzik KULIYEU (BLR), 7-1

97kg
GOLD - Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) df. Aliaksandr HRABOVIK (BLR), 5-0
BRONZE - Felix BALDAUF (NOR) df. Cenk ILDEM (TUR), 6-1
BRONZE - Aleksandr GOLOVIN (RUS) df. Revazi NADAREISHVILI (GEO), 5-1

130kg
GOLD - Kiryl HRYSHCHANKA (BLR) df. Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO), 5-1
BRONZE - Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) df. Mykola KUCHMII (UKR), 10-1
BRONZE - Sabah SHARIATI (AZE) df. Oskar MARVIK (NOR), 3-2

#wrestlemanama

Bahrain to host 2026 World Championships

Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - 12:02 By United World Wrestling Press

Share this article

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 16) -- For the first time in history, the World Championships are headed to Bahrain.

The 2026 World Championships will be held in Manama, Bahrain from September 5 to 13, United World Wrestling announced on Tuesday, during the ongoing World Championships in Zagreb.

No Arab country has ever hosted a World Championships but Bahrain will etch its name in history with the 2026 edition.

Secretary General of the Bahrain Olympic Committee Faris AL-KOOHEJI attended the press conference at the Arena Zagreb for the historic announcement. UWW President Nenad LALOVIC and Al-Kooheji announced the host together and signed the agreement.

"Bahrain has a superstar in wrestling," UWW President Lalovic said. "They probably want to use this opportunity to promote the sport through this superstar [Akhmed] TAZHUDINOV (BRN). But he's not the only one.

"They also want to develop the local Bahrain born athletes to compete because they have the role model of the top achievement in wrestling. This is something that we considered and that is why we made this decision.

Bahrain won its first-ever gold medal in Olympics in Paris when Tahzudinov ran-through the 97kg weight class and captured the gold medal. A year before that, he won the world title in the same weight class.

Tazhudinov is also an Asian champion, Asian Games champion and winner of other Ranking Series events.

Lalovic on the fact that wrestling wants to change the host continent of the World Championships more regularly.

 "We also want to change the continent regularly," he said. "A state that can organize the Asian [Youth] Games like they will do now in October, they will not face any problem with the championships, especially that we give all the assistance possible for the execution"

Manama, Bahrain will host the Asian Youth Games in which wrestling will be held from October 28 to 30.

Expressing its gratitude to UWW and readiness to host the mega event, Al-Kooheji said that the tournament will help Bahrain take wrestling to the grassroot levels in the country.

"For us, wrestling is a long term project," Al-Kooheji said. "Wrestling is a growing sport. It's a strategic sport for us. We got a gold medal in Paris, and we're looking to getting more medals. That gold medal started to inspire a lot of people, locally, to pursue wrestling, which is why part of the discussions with United World Wrestling is to even help us add wrestling in schools."

The Bahrain Olympic Committee expects that the World Championships will have a positive impact in growing the sport in the country.

"Strong economic impact [from the event]," he said. "We're going to get lots of travel spectators from Iran, the United States, and other countries as well. It's going to encourage the local community. They will understand more wrestling."