Otoguro set to start on tender foot down last path to Paris

Tuesday, December 19, 2023 - 09:01 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (December 18) -- The last time the wrestling world saw Tokyo Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO, he was leaving Belgrade with no medal from the World Championships and, more importantly, without a qualifying spot for Japan at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

This week, Otoguro will start on the lone path to Paris remaining for him, hoping the foot injury that plagued him throughout the year has recovered enough to prevail at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships, to be held December 21-24 in Tokyo.

Otoguro, the Tokyo gold medalist at freestyle 65kg, will need to win his second straight title and fourth overall to earn a ticket to the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament in Bishkek in April, and, if unsuccessful there, the World Olympic qualifier in May in Istanbul.

"He has had less time to recover from the injury at the World Championships than he did leading up to it," said national freestyle coach Shozo MAEDA, who also works privately with Otoguro. "But the current state of his foot is much better than at the World Championships."

The other weight class in the spotlight will be women's 68kg, where a power-packed lineup will look to nudge Ami ISHII out of the Olympic spot that she secured for Japan by winning the fifth-place playoff in Belgrade.

Japan clinched 10 berths in Paris in Belgrade -- two each in the two men's styles and all six in women's wrestling -- but the entries in the nine others have been decided as those wrestlers won medals in Belgrade to fulfill the Japan federation criteria that allows them to automatically fill the spot themselves.

The nine with tickets to Paris are: Rei HIGUCHI (57kg) and Daichi TAKATANI (74kg) in freestyle; Kenichiro FUMITA (60kg) and Nao KUSAKA (77kg) in Greco; and Yui SUSAKI (50kg), Akari FUJINAMI (53kg), Tsugumi SAKURAI (57kg), Sakura MOTOKI (62kg) and Yuka KAGAMI (76kg) in women's wrestling.

None are entered in the Emperor's Cup, but each will have the first option of deciding whether to compete at the Asian Championships, to be held the week before the Asian Olympic qualifier in Bishkek.

Otoguro suffered the right foot injury at a national team camp in early January, which caused him to pull out of this year's Asian Championships and hampered him at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships in June, which he still won to make the team to Belgrade.

The plan was to win a medal there and secure his place in Paris, but the injury worsened as he was dealt a second-round loss by fall by eventual champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), whom Otoguro had beaten at the Tokyo Olympics. Otoguro defaulted in the repechage, giving up his chance for a medal or a Paris berth.

Maeda said that Otoguro started full-fledged practice in November and all has been going well so far. "Of course, I can't say he's 100 percent, but he's close to it," he said. "He's got in his mind what the limits of his movement are, and he's adjusted his wrestling style a little. By covering for that, I don't think the foot is going to be a problem."

With a Paris ticket on the line, there is no shortage of wrestlers ready to take on the top-seeded Otoguro, some going up or down as many as two weight classes. There are 27 entries at 65kg, meaning Otoguro's foot will have to hold up for four matches.

Maeda said he's psychologically ready for the challenge.

"At the World Championships, he had the injury and he felt he did not train enough," Maeda said. "This time, he created a good training environment. Although he's not the type who usually leaves his base, he went back to his alma mater Yamanashi Gakuin University and other places so he could have strong practice partners and do more sparring. Because of that, his mental state is good."

Leading the attempt to upend Otoguro will be Ryoma ANRAKU, the 2022 world U23 bronze medalist who won a bronze at the Asian Championships in Otoguro's absence. Anraku lost to Otoguro in the final at both last year's Emperor's Cup and this year's Meiji Cup, and will be determined to finally turn the tables.

Kaiki YAMAGUCHI, the Asian Games bronze medalist, will be looking to regain the Emperor's Cup title that he won back-to-back in 2020-2021 -- also in Otoguro's absence. He lost a close 3-2 decision to Otoguro at the Meiji Cup, although the Olympic champ was definitely not at his best.

Among the more intriguing entries are Toshihiro HASEGAWA and Yuto MIWA, who would be 17 kilograms apart if they were wrestling in their usual weight classes.

Hasegawa, this year's Asian Games gold winner at 57kg, has experience at a heavier weight as a 2021 world bronze medalist at 61kg, but this will be his first-ever tournament at 65kg. Miwa will be coming from the other direction -- he was the runner-up to Takatani at 74kg at the Meiji Cup, and then won a playoff to make the Japanese team to Belgrade at 79kg. The 25-year-old last wrestled under 70kg as a high schooler in 2015.

Also worth watching is 18-year-old Rin SAKAMOTO, who became just the second high schooler in history to win a Meiji Cup freestyle title when he triumphed at 61kg.

68kg features who's who of top wrestlers

As the lone women's spot in Paris still up for grabs, the 68kg division may not have the quantity of entries as freestyle 65kg, but it certainly does not lack the quality. In fact, it may just be the greatest aggregation of talent in one weight class in tournament history.

Of the 12 entries, half have won a senior world gold or silver medal over the past three years. Three others are past national champions. Another won a world U20 gold medal this year.

Can Ishii claim the ticket to Paris that she brought back to Japan? A title will make it hers; a loss and the 2022 world silver medalist will then face the eventual champion in a playoff at a date to be determined.

The main rivals looking to get through the door to Paris that Ishii reopened will be Miwa MORIKAWA, Nonoka OZAKI and Yukako KAWAI, with Masako FURUICHI and Rin MIYAJI regarded as outside threats.

Morikawa, the 2022 world 65kg champion who lost to Ishii at last year's Emperor's Cup, beat her in the semifinals en route to gold at the Meiji Cup to set up a playoff between the two for the world team spot. Ishii pulled off a close 2-1 victory to earn the trip to Belgrade.

Morikawa had a front-row seat to Ishii's failure that suddenly rekindled her Olympic dream as she competed at 72kg in Belgrade, where she took home a bronze medal.

Also in Belgrade was Ozaki, who had lost out at 62kg to Motoki, but like Morikawa, made the team in a non-Olympic weight. She moved up to 65kg and took the gold. She has the skill and desire, but it will be interesting to see how she handles the additional weight at 68kg.

While past performance does not ensure future success, Ozaki may get a boost in confidence knowing that she is 3-0 in career meetings with Ishii, her most recent win coming in 2020, and 2-0 against Kawai.

Kawai will also be punching above her weight, as she won the gold medal at 62kg at the Tokyo Olympics. She also failed to displace Motoki in the race to Belgrade and then gave 68kg a shot, but came up short when she lost in the Meiji Cup final to Morikawa.

Furuichi, the oldest in the group at 27, is also a member of the world "grand slam" club, having added the senior 72kg title in 2021. She also has a pair of world bronzes from 2019 and 2022.

Miyaji drew global attention at the 2021 World Championships in Oslo, where she stunned Olympic champion Tamyra MENSAH STOCK (USA) in the 68kg semifinals before suffering a serious knee injury in the final and having to settle for the silver. The collegian has struggled to regain her form after a long rehab, but cannot be counted out.

While there are no other Olympic places at stake, two other women's weight classes are worth noting.

Kawai's older sister Risako KINJO, while denied a chance at a third Olympic gold, will be defending her 59kg title as she continues her wrestling career while being the mother of a toddler.

At 50kg, a potential final between 2021 world champion Remina YOSHIMOTO and current world U23 champion Umi ITO could be regarded as a de facto world silver-medal match. Since 2020, neither has lost to anyone, either in Japan or abroad, other than the unbeatable Susaki. They have met each other four times in that span, with Yoshimoto, two years older at 23, winning all four.

Takatani chases legends, 4th Olympics

In other men's weight classes, veteran Sohsuke TAKATANI will be looking to tie a pair of legends for most career national titles -- and keep alive his bid to appear at a fourth Olympics -- when he takes the mat at freestyle 86kg.

The 34-year-old Takatani, the older brother of the Paris-bound Daichi at 74kg, has won 12 consecutive golds at the Emperor's Cup over four weight classes, the last three at 92kg. A victory would tie him with Saori YOSHIDA and Kaori ICHO for third on the all-time list for overall titles. In terms of consecutive titles, a 13th in a row would break a tie for second with Kyoko HAMAGUCHI.

But going down a weight class in no way makes things easier. The biggest obstacle in Takatani's path to Paris is defending champion Hayato ISHIGURO, who beat him 3-0 in the final of the Meiji Cup in June. That earned Ishiguro, an Asian bronze medalist, a ticket to Belgrade, where he made the fourth round and placed 13th.

Winning an Olympic medal remains an obsession for Takatani, a world silver medalist in 2014 at 74kg. His highest finish at an Olympics was a seventh place at the 2016 Rio Games.

Among the others who could pose problems for those two is Tatsuya SHIRAI, who became Japan's heaviest male world champion on any level when he won the U23 gold at 86kg in 2022. Ironically, he broke the record set by Ishiguro, who captured the world U20 gold at 79kg in 2018.

Also worth watching are collegians Fumiya IGARASHI, who established his credentials this year by taking a silver medal at the World U20 Championships, and Yudai TAKAHASHI, who made the first of his two appearances at a senior World Championships as a high schooler in 2019 and has always seemed on the brink of a breakout performance.

There is an added incentive at 86kg. The odds of the winner earning one of the two Paris tickets available at the Asian Olympic qualifier are quite high, as three Asian nations, including Iran, secured berths in Belgrade.

Interestingly, Takatani is also entered at Greco 87kg. He qualified by winning the title at the National Non-Student Open in October in the first-ever foray into Greco of his career.

At freestyle 97kg, rising star Arash YOSHIDA and older brother Keiwan could take the term sibling rivalry to a new level as they could face each other in an attempt to dethrone defending champion Takashi ISHIGURO, Hayato's older brother.

The 19-year-old Arash, whose father is Iranian and runs the kids wrestling club where he got his start in the sport, turned heads when he won the gold medal at 92kg at the Asian Championships last April -- beating an Iranian in the first round in his first-ever international match -- then finished fifth at the worlds in Belgrade.

With Japan still not qualified at 86kg or 97kg for Paris, many wondered which way Yoshida would go. In the end, he decided to go up in weight, and prepared by winning the national collegiate title at 97kg last month.

Keiwan, five years his senior, was also a collegiate star, but never had the success on the global level that his younger brother has already enjoyed. He made the final of the Emperor's Cup once, losing in 2021 to Ishiguro, and qualified this year by winning the second-tier National Games tournament in September.

The most enticing Greco division on tap will be 67kg, which looks to come down to another clash between world team member Kyotaro SOGABE and Asian Games gold medalist Katsuaki ENDO, who are both part of the training group at Nippon Sports Science University.

Endo, 26, has a 5-3 lead in head-to-head meetings dating back to 2019, but the 22-year-old Sogabe has won two of the last three, including a playoff in June to make the squad to Belgrade. There, Sogabe won over fans by taking Olympic champion Mohammad Reza GERAEI (IRI) to the limit before suffering a heartbreaking 11-10 loss in the second round.

Sogabe heads into the tournament as the defending champion, while Endo will be looking to regain the crown he first captured in 2018 and won again in 2021.

The wild card in the weight class could be Taishi NARIKUNI, the maverick who won the world gold in freestyle 70kg in 2022 before deciding to try to repeat the feat in Greco. An injury forced him to withdraw from that year's Emperor's Cup, and his bid to make it to Belgrade ended when he lost badly to Endo in the semifinals at the Meiji Cup.

Also worth watching will be Kensuke SHIMIZU, a 2021 world bronze medalist at 63kg who has yet to find success at the Olympic weight.

The tournament is returning to Tokyo's Yoyogi No. 2 Gym, which was originally built for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and then closed for several years as the area was renovated for the 2021 Games. The Olympic weight classes will follow the same two-day format as at the World Championships, with action through the semifinals on the first day and the repechage round and finals on the second. Non-Olympic weight classes will start and finish on the same day.

Schedule

Thursday, December 21

Through semifinals: FS 74kg, FS 125kg; GR 87kg, GR 97kg, GR 130kg; WW 53kg, WW 62kg, WW 76kg

Through finals: FS 61kg; GR 55kg, GR 72kg; WW 72kg

Friday, December 22

Through semifinals: FS 57kg, FS 86kg; GR 60kg, GR 77kg

Through finals: FS 92kg; GR 63kg; WW 55kg, WW 65kg

Finals: FS 74kg, FS 125kg; GR 87kg, GR 97kg, GR 130kg, WW 53kg, WW 62kg, WW 76kg

Saturday, December 23

Through semifinals: FS 65kg, FS 97kg; GR 67kg; WW 50kg, WW 57kg, WW 68kg

Through finals: FS 70kg, FS 79kg

Finals: FS 57kg, FS 86kg; GR 60kg, GR 77kg

Sunday, December 24

Through finals: GR 82kg; WW 59kg

Finals: FS 65kg, FS 97kg; GR 67kg; WW 50kg, WW 57kg, WW 68kg

#WrestleAthens

U17 World Wrestling Championships 2025 Preview

Friday, July 25, 2025 - 16:28 By Vinay Siwach

ATHENS, Greece (July 23) -- Eight years after it last hosted the World U17 Championships, Greece gears up for another.

The 2025 World U17 Championships will be held in Athens from July 28 to August 3 at the Ano Liosia Olympic Hall, the historic venue where wrestling competition during the 2004 Olympics was held.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL PREVIEW HERE

While the wrestlers will be making new memories, one former wrestler will be reliving old memories. Four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO (JPN) will be revisiting Athens, this time as Japan’s team coach, 21 years after she won her first gold medal at the Games in 2004.

Japan is expected to reclaim the Women's Wrestling team title it lost to India in 2024. The United States, Ukraine and China are also sending strong teams.

In Freestyle, the U.S. will battle it out with Iran, the top two countries last year. Meanwhile, in Greco-Roman, Iran will face challenges from Asian counterparts and Azerbaijan.

The competition will begin with Greco-Roman on July 28 with five weight classes and will follow a two-day format. Women's Wrestling will begin July 30 and Freestyle on August 1. The repechage and medal bouts of each weight category will be held the next day.

The action from the World U17 Championships will be live on UWW+ on uww.org and the UWW App. Follow United World Wrestling on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube.

Samuel SANCHEZ (USA) is one of the returning world U17 champions in Athens. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Freestyle

The defending team champion the U.S. boasts a quality line-up including world champ Samuel SANCHEZ (USA) and four Pan-Am champions from 2025 -- Ariah MILLS (USA), Alexander TAYLOR (USA), Jayden JAMES (USA) and Arseni KIKINIOU (USA).

Iran, which missed the Asian U17 Championships, has wrestlers who have previous success at Asian level and in ISF Gymnasiade. It won only two gold medals last year, but it hopes Morteza HAJ (IRI), Amirali ALIZADEH (IRI), Arian MEHRALIZADEH (IRI) and Amirhossein NAGHDALIPOUR (IRI) will help it better that number this year.

Said PASHAYEV (AZE) is the European champion at 92kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Six out of the 10 European champions from 2025 are set to be in Athens with Azerbaijan entering three. Ravan HASANZADE (AZE) at 48kg, Ruslan ALIZADA (AZE) at 55kg and Said PASHAYEV (AZE) at 92kg will be the biggest hopes for Azerbaijan to win gold, a medal the country was denied last year.

The other European champs are Zorab ALOIEV (UKR) at 61kg, Artur KOSTIUK (UKR) at 80kg and Magomedrasul OMAROV (UWW) at 110kg.

Bekassyl ASSAMBEK (KAZ) won the 60kg gold at the Asian U17 Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan had a successful Asian U17 Championships in Vietnam after the no-show of Iran and Japan's subdued performance.

Kazakhstan won two gold medals in Vietnam and both wrestlers, Ibrahim YSKAKBEK (KAZ) at 55kg and Bekassyl ASSAMBEK (KAZ) at 60kg, will be in Athens and try to win a world gold, a medal the country has not won since 2022.

Kyrgyzstan also had two gold medalists, Arnur NURSAIDOV (KGZ) at 45kg and Dovudbek BAKHADIROV (KGZ) at 48kg, at Asian Championships. The onus will be on these to lead the team as it looks for a second straight top-three finish. Last year, it placed third, the highest for the country at the world level.

Uzbekistan won only one gold in Vietnam but every wrestler competed for a medal, helping it finish third. Japan and India, fourth and fifth in Vietnam, are likely to be the dark horses in Greece.

A few others who can surprise the field including returning silver medalist Frederick BACHMANN (PUR) at 60kg, returning champ Ulugbek RASHIDOV (UZB) at 51kg, Abdumalik JALOLDINOV (UZB) at 55kg, returning silver medalist Huseyn ISMAYILOV (AZE) at 65kg and Hasan HASANOV (AZE) at 60kg.

KAJAL (IND) was one of India's five world U17 champions in 2024. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Women's Wrestling

Japan will undoubtedly be favored to win the team title but in the last few years, Japan's supremacy has been challenged by both the United States and India.

India won the team title last year for the first time with an incredible performance, winning five gold medals while Japan only won one.

Can Japan bounce back? Certainly.

Yu KATAOKA (JPN) at 49kg and Rion OGAWA (JPN) at 53kg have dominated the continental level and have been unbeaten internationally. They will lead a team that also includes An NAKANISHI (JPN), Sayuki HIBARINO (JPN) and Hanano OYA (JPN).

Japan will have to step up when it comes to heavier weight classes if it wants to capture the trophy. The presence of Icho as coach should serve as motivation for the young wrestlers, who take on the world.

India will have six current and former continental champions in Athens. KAJAL (IND), world champ at 69kg, will be at 73kg this year but will still be the favorite to win the gold medal. She was dealt a shock loss at the Asian Championships by Wenjin QIU (CHN) in the final. Qiu will also be in Athens and a potential clash with Kajal is on the cards.

Asian champ RACHANA (IND), who has silver from 2023 Worlds, will be at 43kg hoping to win gold. Kasish GURJAR (IND) was the Asian champion in 2023, MONI (IND) is the Asian champ at 57kg while Ashvini VISHNOI (IND) is a two-time continental champion at 65kg. MANISHA (IND), who won gold in Vietnam, will lead India's charge at 69kg.

Former world u17 champion Morgan TURNER (USA) is one of the favorites to win at 49kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The U.S. is bringing a host of Pan-American champions but its biggest star will be 2023 world champ Morgan TURNER (USA), who also won the bronze medal in 2024. She will be at 49kg, a weight class in which she won the Pan-Am gold this year.

At 40kg, Maisie ELLIOTT (USA) is a Pan-Am champion and so is Emma BACON (USA) at 57kg, Taina FERNANDEZ (USA) at 61kg, Violette LASURE (USA) at 65kg, Cassandra GONZALES (USA) at 69kg and Ella Jo POALILLO (USA) at 73kg.

Jaclyn BOUZAKIS (USA), who also won Pan-Am gold at 46kg, is a returning bronze medalist and will be one of the favorites for the gold medal this year.

From Europe, nine 2025 continental champions are entered for Athens. European champion at 40kg Valia HARSAN (ROU) will test herself against Asian champion Shokhista SHONAZAROVA (UZB) along with other big names in the field including European silver medalist Polina TIMSINA (EST), European bronze medalist Finja STRAUCH (GER) and Daria MASLENNIKOVA (UWW), who is three-time European U15 champion.

Raniia RAKHMANOVA (UWW) was the champion at 43kg and will be the favorite for the gold medal as well.

At 46kg, Nazrin AHMADLI (AZE) is a returning bronze medalist from 40kg but will contend with Janka SILLEI (HUN) in the weight class. Sillei is unbeaten internationally and won the European gold in Skopje. Local wrestler and world silver from 43kg Maria GKIKA (GRE) will hope to win a medal for the hosts. Additionally, Gurjar, Hanano OYA (JPN), world silver from 40kg Kamila KUCHMA (UKR), Bouzakis and European silver Irina TSYDEEVA (UWW) will have their eyes on gold.

A battle between Kataoka and Turner is expected at 49kg which also has Asian silver medalist Saniya SOLTANGALI (KAZ) and returning bronze medalist and European champ Polina BOCHKAREVA (UWW).

SAARIKA (IND) won the Asian U20 Championships gold medal after a close win over Mihoko TAKEUCHI (JPN), a Klippan Lady Open champion and 2022 World U17 Championships silver medalist. But for success in Athens, Saarika will have to battle it out with European champion at 53kg Mariia ZHYTOVOZ (HUN), Japanese star Ogawa, two-time European silver Fatma YILMAZ (TUR) and Euro U15 champ Yuliia HOLHOVSKA (UKR), who is 15 years old and Elison.

Japan has unheralded Sayuki TANADA (JPN) at 57kg which also has Asian champion MONI (IND), Asian silver Madkhiya USMANOVA (KAZ), European silver Ivanna LUKIANENKO (UKR) and Bacon. This is the only weight class in which the European champion has not entered.

Miranda KAPANADZE (GEO) is Georgia's first-ever European champion in Women's Wrestling. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

At 61kg, history-maker for Georgia's Miranda KAPANADZE (GEO) has entered hoping to win a world medal for Georgia in Women's Wrestling. She was the first European champ for Georgia in Women's Wrestling. But she will face resistance from Asian champ Zhaidar MUKAT (KAZ), European silver Ozdenur OZMEZ (TUR) and European champ Zalina TOTROVA (UWW).

Germany's Feenja HERMANN (GER) finished seventh at 57kg last year but managed to win the European silver medal at 65kg this year. She will be hoping for a world medal as well. Ashvini VISHNOI (IND) is a two-time Asian champ at this weight class and Japan has Mitsuki OKAWA (JPN). Lasure and European champ Lilia ERMOKHINA (UWW) will also be presenting their challenges.

Another of Germany's big hope is Ayla SAHIN (GER) who won the gold medal at the Europeans at 69kg. She was 10th last year at the Worlds at 65kg. But Asian champ MANISHA (IND), Mao TERAOKA (JPN), Pan-Am silver Linda MARTINEZ (MEX), Pan-Am champ Gonzales and European silver medalist Zukhra KAZULAEVA (UWW) are also in the mix.

Apart from the Kajal-Qiu match-up at 73kg, European silver medalist Greta TVERSKYTE (LTU), European champion Eylem ENGIN (TUR), a returning medalist from 57kg, returning fifth-placer Khrystyna DEMCHUK (UKR) and Pan-Am champ Poalillo will make this category worth a watch.

Behruzbek VALIEV (UZB) is one of the three Asian U17 champions for Uzbekistan in Athens. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Greco-Roman

Last year, Uzbekistan was a standout in Greco-Roman at the U17 level, winning the Asian U17 team title and finishing second at the World Championships. It continued this success at the Asian level this year, with each wrestler winning a medal, including three golds.

Uzbekistan will once again be in the team race and threaten Iran, the defending champions.

All three of its Asian champs -- Behruzbek VALIEV (UZB) at 71kg, Abdulaziz KHOLMIRZAEV (UZB) at 80kg and Fakhrikamol KOMILJONOV (UZB) at 92kg -- will compete in Athens.

Iran will rely heavily on its heavyweights Amirsam MOHAMMADI (IRI) at 92kg and Yazdan Reza DELROUZ (IRI) at 110kg for gold medals.

Last year's 15th-placer Hossein KAZEMI (IRI) at 71kg will be a handful for his opponents and Amirreza TAHMASBPOUR (IRI) will be the favorite at 55kg. Amir HAJIVAND (IRI) at 48kg and Amirmohammad HAJI (IRI) at 51kg will compete in the gold-medal hunt as well.

Azerbaijan is another country that is bringing a strong squad to Athens. It has three European champions and three medalists from Skopje making the trip.

While the lighter and heavier weight classes have seen Asian wrestlers do well, the middle weight classes have been dominated by European wrestlers, especially at 65kg, 71kg and 80kg.

Since the weight classes were shuffled in 2018, only three Asian wrestlers have managed to win gold medals at 65kg, 71kg and 80kg. Reza SAKI (IRI) won at 71kg in 2022 and Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) claimed gold at 80kg in 2023. In 2024, Amir SAEIDI (IRI) broke the jinx at 65kg.

Erekle TAVBERIDZE (GEO) is the European 65kg champion. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

In Athens, at 65kg, European champ Erekle TAVBERIDZE (GEO) will lead the charge. Other key European wrestlers include silver medalist Janes NAZARYAN (ARM), bronze medalist Kyliane EDDOUH (FRA), home favorite Iason MARGARITIDIS (GRE) and many other strong competitors from the European Championships in Skopje.

Asian champion Dosbol SHAMIL (KAZ), who finished seventh at 60kg at the last World Championships, will look to break European dominance at this weight class. So will Pan Am champ Arseni KIKINIOU (USA), who is competing in Freestyle as well.

At 71kg, it can very well end up being a European champion vs Asian champion match to decide it all. Giorgi GOGELASHVILI (GEO) will look to add a world title to his European one while Behruzbek VALIEV (UZB), the Asian champion, will have a chance to upgrade his bronze medal from last year to gold.

Despite his 14th-place finish this year at the European Championships, Yusif AHMADLI (AZE) is a strong contender for gold. He finished seventh at the World Championships last year and has a silver medal in 2023 at 65kg. European silver medalist Ignat MEICO (MDA) and bronze medalist Matias ONNENLEHTO (FIN) are also entered.

European U17 champion Senik VARDANIAN (UWW) will look to add a world title to his name. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

As many as 12 European wrestlers from Skopje are entered at 80kg for Athens. Senik VARDANIAN (UWW) was the champion and will be the favorite to win gold in Athens. He is joined by silver medalist Benediktas BUBELEVICIUS (LTU) and bronze medalists Nijat YEYLAGALIYEV (AZE) and Ismail BEREKET (TUR).

Abdulaziz KHOLMIRZAEV (UZB), the Asian champ, and Pan-Am champion Isai FERNANDEZ (USA) have a big task ahead of them to capture the gold medal.

An interesting entry at 92kg is Said PASHAYEV (AZE), the European Freestyle champ, who will also compete in Greco-Roman. He finished 16th in Skopje. He may not be the favorite but has a chance to trouble the likes of European champion Vadim DRAGUSHAN (UWW) and Asian champion Fakhrikamol KOMILJONOV (UZB), who also is a returning bronze medalist.

Filling the line-up are Amirsam MOHAMMADI (IRI), Asian silver medalist Adilet TOISHY (KAZ), European silver medalist Tymur LARIN (UKR) and Kanstantsin KASYAN (UWW), who will be the dark horse at this weight class. The hosts Greece will bank on European bronze medalist Ioannis MOUTOUSIDIS (GRE) to win a medal at home.

Iran has been denied the 110kg gold since 2019 but it hopes that Yazdan Reza DELROUZ (IRI) will bring it back. Although, it won't be easy. The field includes European champion Rihad IBRAHIMLI (AZE) and silver medalist Denis LAZAROV (BUL). Asian champion HARDEEP (IND) may trouble the Iranian and so can Emrullah CAPKAN (TUR), who finished fifth last year.

European silver medalist Ali NAZAROV (AZE) will be the favorite at 60kg as he dominated the European field barring the final. His biggest challenge can come from Asian champ Damir AKAN (KAZ) in an otherwise weak weight class.

At 45kg, Abdurrahman HUSEYNLI (AZE) is the European champ and he has a good chance to win the world title as well. But the lowest weight class always has a surprise in store. Saba ABASHIDZE (GEO) will look to avenge his European final's loss to Huseynli while Ararat AVETISYAN (ARM), European bronze medalist, is also entered. But can Kuanyshbek ZHANGAZHOL (KAZ), the Asian champion, spoil their party?

Another Asian champion from Kazakhstan, Nurdaulet KUMARULY (KAZ), will be challenging the 48kg field that includes European champion Stanislav IVANOV (BUL), silver medalist Martin MANJIKYAN (ARM), and bronze medalist Gurban MAJNUNOV (AZE).

Marat ATSHEMYAN (ARM), left, and Aslanbek KOSTOEV (UWW) are likely to face each other at 51kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Armenia's gold at the World Championships can come from Marat ATSHEMYAN (ARM), who won the European Championships gold medal at 51kg and a world silver medal at 45kg last year. He will also have a chance to avenge his 2024 Worlds final's loss to Aslanbek KOSTOEV (UWW), who is also entered at 51kg.

The 55kg category is again dominated with European entries including champion Danil LOZHKIN (UWW) and silver medalist Giorgi CHACHUA (GEO). Asian Championships finalists are also entered with champion Alkham ABDIRASULOV (KGZ) and silver medalist Sadriddin TULKINBOEV (UZB).

Otoguro set to start on tender foot down last path to Paris

Comments

U17 World Wrestling Championships 2025 Preview