#Grappling

Dominant Ukraine sweeps U17 World Grappling Championships

Thursday, November 6, 2025 - 11:27 By Vinay Siwach

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LOUTRAKI, Greece (November 4) -- There was little competition for Ukraine at the age-group Grappling World Championships in Loutraki, Greece as it swept the U17 team titles in Grappling Gi and Grappling No-Gi in both the men's and women's categories.

In men's, Ukraine were way ahead as it finished with 140 points while Kazakhstan was second with 94 points in Grappling Gi. It scored 132 points in Grappling No-Gi while second placed Armenia managed only 78 points to finish at the second position.

In women's, Ukraine edged past Poland with 97 points to 95 points to finish top of the table in Grappling Gi. It was a similar story in Grappling No-Gi as Ukraine finished first with 103 points while Poland was second with 100 points.

Grappling Gi competition saw Roman SHOSTAK (UKR) beat Nursat BAIKASSOV (KAZ), 6-4, in the 50kg final to kick start the gold rush. Soon after, Zakhar DREMLIUHA (UKR) won 8-3 against Jakub BARDEN (POL) in the 54kg final to earn the second gold for Ukraine. At 63kg, Andrii PERZHAN (UKR) blanked Rafik ALEKSANYAN (ARM), 4-0, to win Ukraine's third gold medal.

At 69kg, Artem SHALAEV (UWW) won via submission against Illes VICTOR (HUN) in the final to win the gold medal while Aigun OMAROV (UWW) denied Ukraine a fourth gold when he defeated Artem DOTSIUK (UKR), 8-2, in the 76kg final.

Kazakhstan won a gold medal through Mansur ZHANTEMIROV (KAZ) who hung on for a close 2-2 victory over Izan RODRIGUEZ ROSA (ESP) in the 69kg final.

Ukraine had another silver medalist in Yaroslav FEDYNA (UKR) who was submitted by Mateusz KUCA (POL) in the 85kg final. Hungary won a gold medal at 110kg as Levente SZABO (HUN) won via submission against Gasan KHASAEV (UWW).

In No-Gi competition, Shostak and Dremliuha doubled up as champions, beating Baikassov and Dawid BALTRUKANIS (POL) respectively in the 50kg and 54kg finals. The third gold medal for Ukraine came through a different grappler, Andrii SHTUNDER (UKR), who defeated Aleksei SKOREV (UWW) via submission after a 6-0 lead in the 76kg final.

Kuca also struck double gold after he defeated Hurhen MKRTCHIAN (UKR), 6-4, in a thrilling 85kg final. He remained the only gold medalist for Poland in both competitions.

Szabo failed to win two golds but the 110kg gold still went to Hungary as Balazs KIS (HUN) managed to win all his bouts in the Nelson bracket to claim the top spot in the rankings and the gold medals. Szabo finished with a silver medal.

At 58kg, Kurbanali MAKHMUDOV (UWW) denied Rafik ALEKSANYAN (ARM), 5-3, in the final as the Armenian collected his second silver. Ramil ZHIROV (UWW) managed to submit Leved GRANER (HUN) in the 63kg final to win the gold medal while Gusein KHASAEV (UWW) stepped up to win a gold medal after silver as he defeated Amir KHABICHEV (UWW), 2-2, in the 69kg final.

Aleksandra PETUKHOVA (UWW)Aleksandra PETUKHOVA (UWW) won double golds at 60kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Double champs

In an unprecedented finish in women's competition, all the gold medalists in Grappling Gi also finished as champions in No-Gi. The former had seven weight categories in action while No-Gi had eight.

Ukraine did not win any golds but still managed to emerge as the best team, thanks to two silvers, three bronze and one four place finish.

In Grappling-Gi, Vasilisa SHUTOVA (UWW) defeated Karolina HYRIA (UKR), 10-0, in the 46kg final while Mariia SHMELEVA (UWW) emerged as champion at 49kg after winning all bouts in Nelson bracket.

Shantel AMBRIZ (USA) dominated her way to the 52kg gold medal after winning the Nelson bracket, which occurs when a weight class has three to six participants.

At 56kg, Oliwia GREWLING (POL) submitted Agnes KOSZTA (HUN) with ease to win gold while Aleksandra PETUKHOVA (UWW) submitted Petra SZALAY (HUN) in the 60kg final to win gold.

The gold medal at 65kg went to Anastasiia SHAROVA (UWW) who managed to submit Karolina HRYNIUK (UKR) after building a 6-2 lead. Mercedes GARCIA RODRIGUEZ (ESP) captured the gold medal in the heaviest weight class, 90kg, after winning the Nelson bracket.

In No-Gi, Shutova, Shmeleva, Ambriz, Grewling, Petukhova, Sharova, and Garcia Rodriguez, repeated. Barring these, the 43kg weight class also saw participation and Ailina GALIEVA (UWW) submitted Kateryna SERBOVA (UKR) to win gold.

RESULTS

U17 Men's Grappling Gi

50kg
GOLD: Roman SHOSTAK (UKR) df. Nursat BAIKASSOV (KAZ), 6-4

BRONZE: Ronan PALLARES (FRA) df. Ayoub SI ALI (FRA), 9-3
BRONZE: Rustam KIM (KAZ) df. Georgios TERSENIDIS (GRE), via submission

54kg
GOLD: Zakhar DREMLIUHA (UKR) df. Jakub BARDEN (POL), 8-3

BRONZE: Darrington DE LA CRUZ (ESP) df. Jivan ARAKELYAN (ARM), via submission (15-2)
BRONZE: Julen TRUJILLO HERNANDEZ (ESP) df. Yerkanat NARIMAN (KAZ), via submission (5-6)

58kg
GOLD: Artem SHALAEV (UWW) df. Illes VICTOR (HUN), via submission (6-0)

BRONZE: Vanik SARGSYAN (ARM) df. Artem KULYK (UKR), 9-2
BRONZE: Aleksandr NOVOSELTSEV (UWW) df. Daniel CABRERA PORTELA (ESP), via submission (2-1)

63kg
GOLD: Andrii PERZHAN (UKR) df. Rafik ALEKSANYAN (ARM), 4-0

BRONZE: Leved GRANER (HUN) df. Dimitrios THOMOS (GRE), via submission (1-2)
BRONZE: Danylo TERESHCHENKO (UKR) df. Kalman SAJCZ (HUN), 9-3

69kg
GOLD: Mansur ZHANTEMIROV (KAZ) df. Izan RODRIGUEZ ROSA (ESP), 2-2

BRONZE: Leonard HRUSA (GER) df. Zisis SVANAS (GRE), via submission (6-3)
BRONZE: Gor SAHAKYAN (ARM) df. Baron NELSON (USA), 5-5 (overtime)

76kg
GOLD: Aigun OMAROV (UWW) df. Artem DOTSIUK (UKR), 8-2

BRONZE: Andrii SHTUNDER (UKR) df. Heorhi HLAZKO (UWW), 5-1
BRONZE: Roman NAZAROV (UWW) df. Ivan KUCHYNSKI (UWW), 15-5

85kg
GOLD: Mateusz KUCA (POL) df. Yaroslav FEDYNA (UKR), via submission

BRONZE: Shynggyskhan ABDIROV (KAZ) df. Hurhen MKRTCHIAN (UKR), via disqualification

110kg
GOLD: Levente SZABO (HUN) df. Gasan KHASAEV (UWW), via submission (3-2)

BRONZE: Maksym ILIN (UKR) df. Alexios ALEXOPOULOS (GRE), via submission (3-0)
BRONZE: Artem BIKMURZIN (UWW) df. Amirlan ABAKHANOV (KAZ), 10-2

U17 Women's Grappling Gi

46kg
GOLD: Vasilisa SHUTOVA (UWW) df. Karolina HYRIA (UKR), 10-0

49kg
GOLD: Mariia SHMELEVA (UWW)
SILVER: Sylwia WELC (POL)
BRONZE: Daria HORDIIENKO (UKR)

52kg
GOLD: Shantel AMBRIZ (USA)
SILVER: Daria KHAMETOVA (UWW)
BRONZE: Helena ALEKSANDROWICZ (POL)

56kg
GOLD: Oliwia GREWLING (POL) df. Agnes KOSZTA (HUN), via submission (0-2)

BRONZE: Vladyslava SMILIANSKA (UKR) df. Eirini PAPADOPOULOU (GRE), via submission (13-0)
BRONZE: Sonia RUBIO HERGUIJUELA (ESP) df. Yana PAVLIUK (UKR), (2-2)

60kg
GOLD: Aleksandra PETUKHOVA (UWW) df. Petra SZALAY (HUN), via submission (9-2)

BRONZE: Susana GONZALEZ GONZALEZ (ESP) df. Anastassiya KRASNOLUTSKAYA (KAZ), via submission (7-2)
BRONZE: Mariia SUSKA (UKR) df. Texenery TEJERA GARCIA (ESP), 8-4

65kg
GOLD: Anastasiia SHAROVA (UWW) df. Karolina HRYNIUK (UKR), via submission (6-2)

BRONZE: Anais MORANTA ALBRECH (ESP) df. Zhasmin KAIRAT (KAZ), via submission (6-0)
BRONZE: Malgorzata SALAMON (POL) df. Efthymia PANAGIOTOPOULOU (GRE), 6-3

90kg
GOLD: Mercedes GARCIA RODRIGUEZ (ESP)
SILVER: Karolina KARALUS (POL)
BRONZE: Elena ZAIMIDOU (GRE)

U17 Men's Grappling No-Gi

50kg
GOLD: Roman SHOSTAK (UKR) df. Nursat BAIKASSOV (KAZ), 8-4

BRONZE: Yerkanat NARIMAN (KAZ) df. Ilkin GULIEV (UWW), 7-6
BRONZE: Jivan ARAKELYAN (ARM) df. Oinatz IRUSTA GARCIA (ESP), 8-1

54kg
GOLD: Zakhar DREMLIUHA (UKR) df. Dawid BALTRUKANIS (POL), via submission (14-1)

BRONZE: Jakub BARDEN (POL) df. Julen TRUJILLO HERNANDEZ (ESP), via submission (9-0)
BRONZE: Amir SHURDUMOV (UWW) df. Athanasios TAGKALAKIS TSAKOPOULOS (GRE), 15-0

58kg
GOLD: Kurbanali MAKHMUDOV (UWW) df. Rafik ALEKSANYAN (ARM), 5-3

BRONZE: Lohan DURANDET (FRA) df. Artem KULYK (UKR), via submission (11-0)
BRONZE: Daniel CABRERA PORTELA (ESP) df. Adam KARAMANOLIS (GRE), via submission

63kg
GOLD: Ramil ZHIROV (UWW) df. Leved GRANER (HUN), via submission (2-2)

BRONZE: Shermat ZHAMALBEK (KAZ) df. Yanis ANGELOSANTO (FRA), 4-4
BRONZE: Danylo TERESHCHENKO (UKR) df. Edgar SIMONYAN (ARM), via submission (3-0)

69kg
GOLD: Gusein KHASAEV (UWW) df. Amir KHABICHEV (UWW), 2-2

BRONZE: Gor SAHAKYAN (ARM) df. Antoni BLACH (POL), 2-1
BRONZE: Mansur ZHANTEMIROV (KAZ) df. Leonard HRUSA (GER), via submission (5-2)

76kg
GOLD: Andrii SHTUNDER (UKR) df. Aleksei SKOREV (UWW), via submission (6-0)

BRONZE: Heorhi HLAZKO (UWW) df. Ivan KUCHYNSKI (UWW), via submission (10-1)
BRONZE: Donat HOLLOSY (HUN) df. Aldiyar KARIMOV (KAZ), via submission (2-1)

85kg
GOLD: Mateusz KUCA (POL) df. Hurhen MKRTCHIAN (UKR), 6-4

BRONZE: Yaroslav FEDYNA (UKR) df. Shynggyskhan ABDIROV (KAZ), 3-2

110kg
GOLD: Balazs KIS (HUN)
SILVER: Levente SZABO (HUN)
BRONZE: Gasan KHASAEV (UWW)

U17 Women's Grappling No-Gi

43kg
GOLD: Ailina GALIEVA (UWW) df. Kateryna SERBOVA (UKR), via submission

46kg
GOLD: Vasilisa SHUTOVA (UWW) df. Karolina HYRIA (UKR), 15-0

49kg
GOLD: Mariia SHMELEVA (UWW)
SILVER: Sylwia WELC (POL)
BRONZE: Tomiris ZAGIDULLINA (KAZ)

52kg
GOLD: Shantel AMBRIZ (USA) df. Daria KHAMETOVA (UWW), 2-1

BRONZE:  Helena ALEKSANDROWICZ (POL) df. Amina ZHEKSHENBEKOVA (KGZ), 9-2

56kg
GOLD: Oliwia GREWLING (POL) df. Vladyslava SMILIANSKA (UKR), via submission (0-2)

BRONZE: Yana PAVLIUK (UKR) df. Vivien SZABO (HUN), 6-2
BRONZE: Safiya UALIAKHMETOVA (KAZ) df. Eleni TOLIA (GRE), 12-8

60kg
GOLD: Aleksandra PETUKHOVA (UWW) df. Petra SZALAY (HUN), via submission (9-3)

BRONZE: Susana GONZALEZ GONZALEZ (ESP) df. Laila DAVIS (GER), via submission (9-1)
BRONZE: Texenery TEJERA GARCIA (ESP) df. Daria HLADUN (UKR), 5-3

65kg
GOLD: Anastasiia SHAROVA (UWW) df. Malgorzata SALAMON (POL), via submission (0-2)

BRONZE: Anais MORANTA ALBRECH (ESP) df. Sohane EDDAMI (FRA), via submission (14-0)
BRONZE: Efthymia PANAGIOTOPOULOU (GRE) df. Gulzhaina SULTANOVA (KAZ), via submission (9-0)

90kg
GOLD: Mercedes GARCIA RODRIGUEZ (ESP)
SILVER: Karolina KARALUS (POL)
BRONZE: Tetiana TKACHYK (UKR)

#WrestleNoviSad

U23 World Championships 2025 Greco-Roman Day 2 Highlights

Tuesday, October 21, 2025 - 08:11 By Vinay Siwach

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 21) -- The U23 World Championships continue on second day in Novi Sad, Serbia. Greco-Roman will continue in 55kg, 67kg, 72kg and 97kg.

WATCH CENTER | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 1 RESULTS

15:10: Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) with a reversal when Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) got a turn which gives the Georgian a 5-4 lead and gives him the win and a place in the 67kg semifinals.

15:00: Alibek AMIROV (UWW), U23 European champion, is into the semifinals at 55kg at the U23 Worlds after a 9-0 victory over Vikramjit MORE (IND). Two defensive fouls from More in that match.

14:45: Armin SHAMSIPOUR (IRI) has no mercy on Nurbolot BERDIKULOV (KGZ) as he rolls to a 13-3 technical superiority win at 55kg. Shamsipour, a 2024 U17 world champ, used his incredible gut-wrench to score his points.

14:30: Darius KIEFER (GEO) cannot survive the Maksim AVERIN (UWW) test! Kiefer, who has looked off color today, did well in the first period to be down only 1-0 but gives up two points in the second period to Averin who wins 3-1 to advance to the semifinals at 97kg

14:25: Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) with a 5-3 victory over Ruslan NURULLAYEV (AZE) at 72kg. He scores two front headlock turns from par terre while Nurullayev only scored a turn. 

14:00: Big match on Mat B as U20 world champion Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) takes on returning silver medalist Abubakr KHASLAKHANAU (UWW). The first points are scored by Khaslakhanau with a go-behind takedown for a 2-0 lead. Just before the break, Yakushenko with a cartwheel takedown to lead 2-2 on criteria. Khaslakhanau takes takes the lead back as Yakushenko called passive in the second period but he fails to score any points from par terre. Yakushenko has two minutes to make a comeback. He complains of a shoulder pain. Yakushenko with a stepout as the bout restarts and he takes a 3-3 criteria lead. He keeps his criteria lead and wins the bout 3-3 on criteria to advance to the semifinals.

13:55: Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) scores a 7-1 victory at 67kg against Azat SARIYAR (TUR). Mohsen Nezhad is a two-time world U20 champion and making his U23 debut.

13:30: Andrea SETTI (ITA) with a four-pointer late in the match against Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) but the Georgian remains unfazed by the move and wins his 67kg bout 6-5.

13:20: World U20 champion Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) with a dominant win over Luka GABISONIA (GEO) at 97kg. He goes for a big four before getting a stepout to lead 5-0. A stepout and takedown to finish the bout 8-0 in the first period.

13:15: Returning silver medalist at 97kg Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (UWW) with a technical superiority win over world U20 silver medalist Mohammad SEYDI (IRI) as he wins 9-1. Three stepouts in that bout for him. He will face world U20 champion Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) next.

12:55: Darius KIEFER (GER) with a comeback in his 97kg bout against Tomislav BRKAN (CRO). Kiefier was down 3-2 but gets a par terre and turn to lead 5-3 before beating Brkan 7-4 and advance to the quarterfinals at 97kg.

12:30: Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI), a two-time world U20 champion, gets a good warm-up with an8-0 win over Ardit ZENELI (ALB) in just a minute and 14 seconds at 67kg.

12:05: Mate VEGH (HUN) scored four points on Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) but the Iranian was just too too good for him. Mohammadi with 10 points in the match to beat Vegh 10-4 and advance at 72kg.

11:50: Hleb MAKARANKA (UWW) brings down world bronze medalist Daniial AGAEV (UWW) at 67kg. He gets four points from par terre while giving none as Makaranka wins 5-1 to advance at 67kg.

11:35: Vikramjit MORE (IND) gives India a win at 55kg as he beats Denis MIHAI (ROU). Mihai was up 1-0 but More pressures him towards the zone when Mihai tries a arm-throw but More blocks it for a takedown. He turns him for another two points to lead 4-1. Romania challenge for a slip throw but it is not and the challenge is lost. Mihai gets a point in the second period for par terre but More sails through 5-3.

11:20: Richard KARELSON (EST), senior European silver medalist, has no trouble in beating Javokhir SHODIYAROV (UZB) at 97kg. He scores the takedown 44 seconds in the second period to win 9-0.

11:05: U20 World silver medalist Hadi SEYDI (IRI) off to a good start as he scores a 10-0 win over Dorian TREJO OLGUIN (MEX) at 97kg. His next bout is against returning silver medalist Abubakr KHASLAKHANAU (UWW).

10:55: Darius KIEFER (GER), a U20 world silver and bronze medalist, off to a slow start as he beats Juan DIAZ BLANCO (VEN) 5-3 at 97kg. He scored a counter after Diaz's takedown and led 5-2. However, Kiefer defended his par terre for the win. 

10:30: Former Asian champion Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) opens his U23 Worlds campaign with a 6-0 win over Oleh KHALILOV (UKR) at 72kg.