Regulations

Bureau Tightens Tournament Regulations, 'Pushout' Interpretation

Friday, August 24, 2018 - 18:30 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (August 24) -- United World Wrestling held a meeting of its bureau last month during the Junior European Championships in Rome. 

The bureau discussed several topics around the operation of United World Wrestling including participation in championships, late registrations, obligations of team leaders, obligations of inspectors and updated World Cup regulations. The members also passed a stricter enforcement of the ‘pushout’ rule to promote the use of technical actions on the edge of the competition surface. 

Below is a summary of what was discussed around each topic. 

•    Participation in championships: No title or medal can be given if less than five athletes are registered in a weight category. This new rule will be applied in the United World Wrestling Championships but not in the international tournaments.

•    Late registrations: Countries will not be allowed to register for United World Wrestling events late (after registration deadlines) in 2019. 

•    Obligations of team leaders:  The team leader (or his substitute) shall draw a number for his athlete to be used for pairing. If the team leader (or his substitute) can't attend the draw because of exceptional reason, he must inform the organizer. The organizer will have the responsibility to communicate it to the UWW results' team and the number of his wrestler will be drawn by the technical delegate or the responsible person of the draw. If the technical delegate does not get information from the organizer that your representative cannot attend the draw, he will not pick a number for your athlete. 

•    Obligations of inspectors: During the inspection visit, all the hotels and meals must be controlled by the inspectors. Based on their evaluation, they have the power to propose a reduction of the accommodation fee if the level of services is below the proposed price by the organizers.

•    Updated World Cup regulations: An athlete may opt for the next higher category than their body weight, except for the heavyweight category, for which contestants must weigh over 97kg for freestyle and Greco Roman, and over 72kg for women's wrestling. The intent is to allow a substitute in a lighter weight category to replace an injured athlete in the heavier weight category.

•    Rule changes: Two scoring adjustments were made for the push out and the ordered par terre position (Articles 39 and 45). If a wrestler pushes his/her opponent out of bounds with no meaningful action, no point will be awarded, and the attacking wrestler will not be penalized with a caution anymore. If the top wrestler commits a foul during the ordering of the par terre position, the bout will resume in the standing position without the top wrestler receiving a caution. These rules will be implemented on Sept. 1, 2018.
 

2026 U23 European Championships

Yakushenko Marches on With Another Gold

Sunday, March 15, 2026 - 19:31 By Vinay Siwach

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ZRENJANIN, Serbia (March 15) -- Since 2024, Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) has suffered only one loss -- to Darius KIEFER (GER) at the U20 European Championships in 2025.

Before the loss, Yakushenko had won two age-group European titles and one U20 world title. After that loss, which the Ukrainian has since avenged, he won the U20 and U23 world titles in 2025.

On Sunday, Yakushenko added his second U23 European title in Zrenjanin, Serbia after defeated former U23 world champion and Paris Olympian Abubakr KHASLAKHANAU (BLR), 3-1, who perhaps was his toughest opponent, yet.

In the final, he was awarded the first passivity point and the par terre position. He lifted Khaslakhanau and brought him towards the edge of the mat but the failed to land the Belarussian wrestler in danger. He was awarded a point for the stepout which gave him a 2-0 lead.

Khaslakhanau got his chance in the second period but he failed to score any points when Yakushenko was put in par terre. With a 2-1 lead, Yakushenko needed to defend his lead for just under two minutes.

While he had a couple of slip-ups during that time, Yakushenko did not give up any points. He was later warned for fleeing but he managed to remain in contact for remaining match. Belarus challenged for fleeing in the last 10 seconds but it was ruled out, adding one more point to Yakushenko's score.

World bronze medalist Daniel AGAEV (RUS) led an inspired performance from Russia as it won the Greco-Roman team title at the U23 European Championships. Russia won the Freestyle team title as well in Zrenjanin.

With 190 points, Russia was the best team. Armenia managed 113 points to finish second and Georgia finished third with 106 points.

Agaev need only 37 seconds to win his 67kg final against William REENBERG (DEN). He scored a takedown and transitioned into a gut-wrench, winning 8-0.

Russia's second gold medal came at 77kg Rabil ASKEROV (RUS) blanked Oliver PADA (FIN), 6-0, in the final. Wrestling in only his third international tournament, Askerov began the final with a stepout before getting the par terre position. He did not score any points from the position but led 2-0.

A arm-drag and takedown doubled the lead to 4-0 as the wrestlers broke for the break. In the second period, Askerov got another takedown to extend his lead to 6-0. The takedown also ended any hopes for Pada to get the par terre position as Askerov never seemed passive.

He would go on to defend the lead and win the gold medal at 77kg, his first major medal.

Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM) captured his first U23 European title after a series of suplex to beat Giorgi KOCHALIDZE (GEO), 9-0, in the 60kg final.

The former U20 champion was awarded the par terre in the first period which gave him a 1-0 lead. Kochalidze did well to defend the position but Aghajanyan moves his grip towards the chest and throws Kochalidze in opposite direct for two points.

He continues the same move with the grip closer to the neck. He is awarded four points for the second throw, giving him a7-0 lead. The third throw is also scored four points, confirming an 11-0 victory for Aghajanyan.

Georgia challenged the decision, hoping that the throws will be scored two points each, but upon review, the first throw is also scored four points instead of two originally. With the second throw also being a four-pointer, the final was over, 9-0, a technical superiority win for the 2025 U23 world bronze medalist.

Georgia suffered a second loss in the final at 82kg after Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO) dropped the final against Elmin ALIYEV (AZE), 3-2.

Aliyev was down 2-0 at the break after giving up a stepout and passivity point in the first period. However, he managed to score a stepout at the start of the second period which later proved to be a crucial moment in the final.

Down 2-1, Aliyev gets the par terre position which gives him a 2-2 criteria lead. He failed to score any points from par terre but the criteria of scoring the last points remains with him as he wins the final.

Georgia threw a late challenge, asking for fleeing from Aliyev. But there was no evident fleeing and Georgia loses the challenge, giving one more point to Aliyev, who wins 3-2.

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM) df. Giorgi KOCHALIDZE (GEO), 9-0

BRONZE: Yevhen POKOVBA (UKR) df. Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE), 3-1
BRONZE: Ilian AINAOUI (FRA) df. Brian SANTIAGO (DEN), 1-1

67kg
GOLD: Daniial AGAEV (RUS) df. William REENBERG (DEN), 8-0

BRONZE: Azat SARIYAR (TUR) df. Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL), 4-1
BRONZE: Farid KHALILOV (AZE) df. Petro ZHYTOVOZ (HUN), 6-3

72kg
GOLD: Rabil ASKEROV (RUS) df. Oliver PADA (FIN), 6-0

BRONZE  Faraim MUSTAFAYEV (AZE) df. Leonard IURASCU (ROU), 5-4 
BRONZE: Arionas KOLITSOPOULOS (GRE) df. Ashot KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 4-1

82kg
GOLD: Elmin ALIYEV (AZE) df. Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO), 3-2

BRONZE: Illia VALEUSKI (BLR) df. Szabolcs SZINAY (HUN), 10-1
BRONZE: Gamzat GADZHIEV (RUS) df. Alexander AEMAES (NOR), 9-0

97kg
GOLD: Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) df. Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (BLR), 3-1

BRONZE: Saipula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Robin USPENSKI (EST), 6-4
BRONZE: Darius KIEFER (GER) df. Luka GABISONIA (GEO), 9-3