2026 U23 European Championships

Flying Islamgereev Wins U23 European Gold

Thursday, March 12, 2026 - 02:15 By Vinay Siwach

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ZRENJANIN, Serbia (March 10) -- Bozigit ISLAMGEREEV (RUS) has become an internet sensation in the last 24 hours.

At the U23 European Championships in Zrenjanin, Serbia, Islamgereev, scored a buzzer-beating 'flying squirrel' move over Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) at 86kg. The video, posted by United World Wrestling, has spread beyond the combat sports world and to masses.

While the move itself has been around for long, no wrestling video has attained the level of virality as Islamgereev's move has, At least not since Snoop DOGG and Kevin HART discussed Mohammadali GERAEI's (IRI) acrobatics on their channel after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

"Everyone was shocked," Islamgereev said. "My videos are everywhere now, I can’t even keep up with Instagram anymore, I’m all over the feed. Everyone congratulated me, absolutely everyone. People are surprised, shocked. Everyone is asking how this even happened."

During the 86kg quarterfinal, Islamgereev was trailing 8-3 with 15 seconds left in the match against Magamadov, the favorite to win gold in Zrenjanin. Islamgereev scored a stepout and caution point to cut the lead to 8-5 with 7 seconds left.

At this point, the Russian coaches had hands on their hands as winning from was impossible. Or so it seemed.

Islamgereev took a few steps forward towards Magamadov, who stayed low to avoid a double-leg attack which could have cost him two or four points. But the Russian jumped over Magamadov and locked him from behind while himself being upside down and slammed the French wrestler to score four points.

"Honestly, I have a lot of respect for my opponent," he said. "Rakhim is a very tough wrestler. At the beginning of the match things weren’t going my way, I made a lot of mistakes. There were literally only a few seconds left, probably around 10 seconds, when I pushed him out. Then there were about 7 seconds remaining.

"I couldn’t get to his legs at all. I thought to myself that since I couldn’t attack from below, I would try from above. So I jumped. It just happened that way, he kind of… I caught him really well, and he also turned a bit, and I managed to catch him in that moment and score four points. It was very unexpected, but very pleasant."

Bozigit ISLAMGEREEV (RUS)Bozigit ISLAMGEREEV (RUS) won the 86kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

The move meant that Islamgereev won 9-8. France challenged the call but there was little doubt that it was for four points and it was confirmed on review. The lost challenge added another point for Islamgereev who won 10-8.

"He was standing very low and I couldn’t make a leg attack," he explained. "So I decided to try from above. At the end, there were only a couple of seconds left, there was no time to think too much. In that moment you either take the risk or end up with nothing. I took the risk. That’s how it happened, I jumped.

"The main thing is first to fake an attack to the legs and trick him. As soon as he leans down, you need to jump upward so he can’t catch your legs. Then you have to be careful, you need to land on both feet so you can lift him and score four points."

As the crowd erupted, Islamgereev celebrated and pointed towards his coach Asker YUSUPOV, who in the stands and jumping around celebrating the victory.

"Yes, of course [I remember the reaction of the crowd], especially my coach," he said. "I looked at him and he was so happy, literally jumping. I think it was the first time in my life I saw him that joyful."

In the final on Wednesday, he defeated Ahmet YAGAN (TUR), 2-1, to become the U23 European champion.

The Dagestan native, who was born in the village Kostek, has been training in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug in central Russia. He also won a silver medal at the U20 World Championships last year.

"This is a lesson for me that you should never give up," he said. "You always have to believe, first in God and then in yourself. By doing that, you prove to yourself that, you can win and pull it off no matter how many seconds are left. Even with just a few seconds remaining, even when you need four points, you can still come back and do it."

Islamgereev was the fourth Russian to win the gold medal in Freestyle and Khabib DAVUDGADZHIEV (RUS) became the fifth after he defeated Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE), 4-1, in the 125kg final.

Russia won the team title with 199 points, while Azerbaijan was second with 170 points. Armenia finished third with 116 points.

Azerbaijan captured a gold on Wednesday through Ali TCOKAEV (AZE) at 92kg after he defeated Fatih ALTUNBAS (TUR), 11-0, in a controlled final.

Armenia also won a gold medal, at 61kg, with Levik MIKAYELYAN (ARM) beating Jeyhun ALLAHVERDIYEV (AZE), 2-1, in the final.

Mikayelyan was leading 1-1 on criteria after both wrestlers exchanged passivity points but he scored a stepout to take a 2-1 lead which Allahverdiyev failed to break.

Seyfulla ITAEV (FRA)Seyfulla ITAEV (FRA) celebrates after winning the gold medal at 74kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Itaev Downs Wagin

Zagreb Open Ranking Series bronze medalist Seyfulla ITAEV (FRA) defeated U20 European champion Manuel WAGIN (GER) to win the 74kg gold medal. He became only the third wrestler from France to win the gold at U23 Europeans in Freestyle.

Itaev was cautious to start but Wagin's lack of concentration allowed him to score a takedown which put Itaev on the board with two points. He scored a stepout to lead 3-0 at the break.

A scramble in the second period made it 5-3 and Wagin tried a desperate chest-wrap but Itaev brought him down in danger to score four points and all but seal the match. Wagin scored a front head roll for two points but lost the final, 9-5. Germany challenged in vain and the lost challenged added one more point to Itaev's score.

"I am very happy," Itaev said. "Step-by-step I am improving. Wagin is my friend and very intelligent wrestler but I managed to win. Hopefully, I can win a senior medal as well."

Photo

RESULTS

61kg
GOLD: Levik MIKAYELYAN (ARM) df. Jeyhun ALLAHVERDIYEV (AZE), 2-1

BRONZE: Andrii SHOKALIUK (UKR) df. Besir ALILI (MKD), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Tolga OZBEK (TUR) df. Vasile MARCU (MDA), 2-1

74kg
GOLD: Seyfulla ITAEV (FRA) df. Manuel WAGIN (GER), 10-5

BRONZE: Saba KOBAKHIDZE (GEO) df. Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE), 11-4
BRONZE: Magomed BAITUKAEV (RUS) df. Aliaksandr HULNIK (BLR), 11-2

86kg
GOLD: Bozigit ISLAMGEREEV (RUS) df. Ahmet YAGAN (TUR), 2-1

BRONZE: Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) df. Vasif KHUDIYEV (AZE), 10-0
BRONZE: Artur KOSTIUK (UKR) df. Marius RETCO (MDA), 4-3

92kg
GOLD: Ali TCOKAEV (AZE) df. Fatih ALTUNBAS (TUR), 11-0

BRONZE: Alexandru BORS (MDA) df. Krisztian ANGYAL (HUN), 11-0
BRONZE: Mustafagadzhi MALACHDIBIROV (RUS) df. Knyaz IBOYAN (ARM), 10-0

125kg
GOLD: Khabib DAVUDGADZHIEV (RUS) df. Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE), 4-1

BRONZE: Hakan BUYUKCINGIL (TUR) df. Aleksandre ABRAMISHVILI (GEO), 14-4
BRONZE: Khachatur KHACHATRYAN (ARM) df. Stsiapan MANDRYK (BLR), 10-0

#JapanWrestling

Two-time Olympic champ Risako Kinjo brings curtain down on stellar career

Sunday, October 12, 2025 - 23:14 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO, Japan (October 12) -- Risako KINJO (JPN), who won two Olympic gold medals under her maiden name of Kawai before capturing a fourth world title last year after giving birth, officially announced her retirement over the weekend.

"I felt that I had experienced everything that was good about being a wrestler," the 31-year-old Kinjo told the Japanese media Sunday on bringing down the curtain on one of wrestling's most sterling careers. "I felt fulfilled and happy with a life in which wrestling was my passion."

Kinjo also revealed that she is pregnant with her second child as she spoke to the media at the Japan Women's Open in Akitsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, where she was coaching younger sister Yukako TSUNEMURA (JPN), who was returning to the mat for the first time since becoming a mother herself.

Kinjo first announced her retirement on her Instagram account on Saturday night, stating that in the 24 years since she started wrestling at age 7, "I have had good experiences and bad, highs and lows. But to win four world championships and two consecutive Olympics was all due to the support and encouragement of many people. I thank them all."

Kinjo first struck Olympic gold at 63kg at Rio in 2016, then won out in a duel that captivated the wrestling world with fellow Rio and four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO (JPN) for the 57kg spot at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where she took home a second gold.

Of the clash of the titans with Icho, Kawai remarked, "I had no more difficult period than that. I'm glad I was able to experience it."

In the Tokyo semifinals, Kinjo had to face yet another Rio gold medalist in Helen MAROULIS (USA), who had moved up from 53kg. Kinjo came away with a 2-1 win, then defeated Iryna KURACHKINA (UWW) 5-0 for the gold.

With Yukako also winning the 62kg gold, it elevated the Kawai sisters to celebrity status in the host country. The two got their start in the sport at the kids' club run by their mother. Both of their parents were national-level wrestlers.

Soon after Tokyo, Risako married former wrestler Kiryu KINJO, and in May 2022, gave birth to a baby girl. Instead of settling down to a domestic life, motherhood lit a fresh flame to continue the sport.

"I had originally planned to win the Tokyo Olympics and then retire gracefully," Kinjo said. "I even told people around me that I would quit after the Tokyo Olympics. But when I got married and got pregnant, I felt that my body wasn't only my own, and I wanted to continue wrestling.

"While I was pregnant, I watched Yukako's matches and thought to myself, 'If it were me, I would do it like this,' so after my child was born, I decided to try it again."

Her bid to win a third straight Olympic gold in Paris, however, was derailed by the reigning world 57kg champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN), who went on to triumph in the French capital.

Rebuffing speculation that the loss would mark her swan song, she showed her passion for the sport by sticking around. With the incentive of wanting to have her daughter see her compete and make some history, she had no qualms about moving into the non-Olympic weight of 59kg.

She suffered a setback of sorts at the Asian Championships in April 2024, when she lost to Qi ZHANG (CHN) in the semifinals and had to settle for a bronze medal.

But she righted the ship at the Non-Olympic Weight World Championships in October that year in Tirana, Albania, where she cruised into the 59kg final and defeated Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) 4-2.

"No one from Japan had ever achieved becoming a 'world No. 1 as a mama', and it would be ideal if I could do it," Kinjo recalled thinking. "When I accomplished it at the World Championships last October, as soon as it was over I thought there is nothing else that I want."

That victory added to the three consecutive senior world golds that she won from 2017 to 2019. She also has a silver from 2015, and her laurels include a world cadet (U17) gold and two world junior (U20) titles, and she was a four-time Asian champion.

Kinjo was a star at Shigakkan University during its golden era as the elite powerhouse of women's wrestling in Japan, also producing such greats as Icho, Saori YOSHIDA (JPN), Eri TOSAKA (JPN), Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) and Sara DOSHO (JPN).

Looking ahead, she says her focus will be on raising her new baby while staying involved in the sport.

"Right now I am eight months pregnant, and first and foremost I will put my full efforts into proper childcare. And at the same time, I will be Yukako's coach and always maintain a link to wrestling," she said.

At the Japan Women's Open, a second-tier event that offers qualifying spots at the All-Japan Championships, Yukako showed she still has some rust to be knocked off. Entered at 59kg, she won her first two matches before falling to high schooler Miuna KIMURA (JPN) 4-1 in the semifinals.

The tournament also saw the return of Sakurai for her first competition since winning the gold in Paris. She needed three wins to take the 57kg title, defeating collegian Himeka HASEGAWA (JPN) 5-0 in the final.