#WrestleTallinn

Russia Puts Four into Saturday Night's Finals

By Eric Olanowski

TALLINN, Estonia (August 16) --- The Russian Federation won all four of their Greco-Roman semifinals matches on Friday night and inserted a quartet of wrestlers into the Day 6 finals. 

Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (RUS) was the first Russian wrestler who locked up his spot in Saturday night's finals. Allakhiarov was down 7-1 to returning cadet world finalist Tigran MINASYAN (ARM) but scored seven unanswered points to make the finals, where he’ll wrestle cadet world finalist Zaur ALIYEV (AZE). The Azeri shutout Ken MATSUI (JPN), who had hopes of wrestling in his first world title bout since winning gold at the 2017 Cadet World Championships in Athens, Greece.

Abu AMAEV (RUS) scored three takedowns and two opening period stepouts against Alston NUTTER (USA) to become Russia’s second Day 6 finalist. Amaev will square off with Georgia’s Leri ABULADZE in the finals at 63kg. The Georgian, who axed Shahin Eidi BADAGHI MOFRAD (IRI) in his semifinal’s bout, will be looking to win his second world title and first since claiming cadet gold in 2016. 

Damir RAKHIMOV (RUS) outscored Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) 4-0 in the second period and moved into the 77kg finals with a 4-3 victory. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Damir RAKHIMOV (RUS) halted Exauce MUKUBU’S quest of becoming Norway’s first junior world finalist since Morten HAGEBOE'S 1980 junior world finals appearance in Colorado Springs, United States. Rakhimov trailed 3-0 with 90 seconds left in the match when he collected an inactivity point and two exposure points from a gut wrench. After the gut wrench, the Norwegian wrestler escaped the grasp of the Russian wrestler and pleaded to his corner to throw the challenge cube. His corner obliged and threw the brick -- asking for grasping the singlet point. The call was reviewed and upheld. Rakhimov was awarded a failed challenge point, and ultimately won the match, 4-3.

Now, he'll wrestle Mohammad Aziz NAGHOUSI (IRI) in the 77kg finals. In his semifinals bout, the Iranian scored a stepout and tacked on a failed challenge point with five seconds left to sneak past Abdurrahman KALKAN (TUR), 4-2. 

The final Russian wrestler that’ll go for gold on Saturday night is Ilia ERMOLENKO (RUS). He manhandled Bedirhan TAN (TUR), 9-0 in the first period and will wrestle Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO) in tomorrow’s 87kg finals. The Georgian wrestler also picked up a shutout win in the semifinals, but his was a 7-0 win against Ihar YARASHEVICH (BLR). 

The lone weight not featuring a Russian wrestler is 130kg, where Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA) will go toe-to-toe with Aliakbar YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI). Schultz, the 130kg cadet world champion from two years ago, made it to the finals with a fall over China’s ZHANG Lu (CHN), while Youtsofiahmadchali pummeled reigning cadet world champion Muhammet BAKIR (TUR), 6-1 to reach the finals. 

The Saturday night finals begin at 18:00 (local time) and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS 
55kg
GOLD -  Zaur ALIYEV (AZE) vs. Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Zaur ALIYEV (AZE) df. Ken MATSUI (JPN), 4 - 0
SEMIFINAL - Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (RUS) df. Tigran MINASYAN (ARM), 8-7 

63kg
GOLD - Abu AMAEV (RUS) vs. Leri ABULADZE (GEO)
SEMIFINAL - Abu AMAEV (RUS) df. Alston Jon NUTTER (USA), 9-0
SEMIFINAL - Leri ABULADZE (GEO) df. Shahin BADAGHI MOFRAD (IRI), 6-3 

77kg
GOLD - Damir RAKHIMOV (RUS) vs. Mohammad Aziz NAGHOUSI (IRI)
SEMIFINAL - Damir RAKHIMOV (RUS) df. Exauce MUKUBU (NOR), 4-3 
SEMIFINAL - Mohammad Aziz NAGHOUSI (IRI) df. Abdurrahman KALKAN (TUR),6-3 

87kg
GOLD - Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO) vs. Ilia ERMOLENKO (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO) df. Ihar YARASHEVICH (BLR), 7-0 
SEMIFINAL - Ilia ERMOLENKO (RUS) df. Bedirhan TAN (TUR), 9-0

130kg
GOLD - Cohlton Michael SCHULTZ (USA) vs. Aliakbar YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI)
SEMIFINAL - Cohlton Michael SCHULTZ (USA) df. Lu ZHANG (CHN), via fall
SEMIFINAL - Aliakbar YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI) df. Muhammet BAKIR (TUR), 6-1 

#WrestleTirana

European Championships 2026 Day 4 Women's Wrestling Highlights

By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (April 23) -- The fourth day of the European Championships will see five Women's Wrestling weight classes -- 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 65kg, 72kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | SADULAEV's RETURN TO EUROPEANS

UWW Plus

12:30: Buse TOSUN (TUR) in a tangle against U23 European champion Viktoryia RADZKOVA (UWW) but she comes out on top and then pins her way to the 72kg quarterfinals.

12:20: Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) laces Iris Mathilde THIEBAUX (FRA) and finishes her 65kg quarterfinals 10-0 and in quick time.

12:15: Defending champion Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) begins with a technical superiority win over Annika WENDLE (GER). She won the gold medal at 53kg last year, on her 14th attempt at the European Championships.

12:05: Jonna MALMGREN (SWE), who lost the 2024 European final to Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (UWW), falls to her again, this time 12-5 at 53kg. Kaladzinskaya counter an attack from Malmgren to open the scoring and exposure points gave her a 4-0 lead. Sweden's lost challenge made it 5-0. Malmgren got on a couple of attacks but Kaladzinskaya hit a headlock throw for four which gave her a 9-3 lead. A lot of scramble in the bout but it was always Kaladzinskaya who finished them and Malmgren only got a clean takedown at the end, too little too late.

11:55: Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR) ends the fairytale of Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP) at 53kg with a fall. Yefremova now reaches the semifinals.

11:35: Magdalena GLODEK (POL) with a counter body throw against Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) and then keeps her on the mat for a fall. Vynnyk is left stunned.

11:25: Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP) stuns Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) at 53kg! The Spain wrestler, first from the country to ever reach a World Championships final, got on a single leg attack in the second period and then arched Yetgil on the mat. Yetgil fouled with hands in Soler's face but she couldn't avoid the fall.

11:22: Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR), returning to competition after two years, starts her senior debut with a 5-1 victory over Natalia MALYSHEVA (UWW) at 53kg.

11:15: Grace BULLEN (NOR), returning champion at 65kg but now down at 62kg, starts slow against Ameline DOUARRE (FRA) but manages to complete a technical superiority 10-0 victory.

11:10: Johanna LINDBORG (SWE), the returning silver medalist at 62kg, starts off with a clinical 10-0 win over Amina CAPEZAN (ROU). She hit a beautiful four-pointer to start the bout before scoring via three different takedowns.

10:55: High-scoring affair at 57kg between Aryna DZEMCHANKA MARTYNAVA (UWW) and Aleksandra SKIRENKO (UWW). Martynava opened with a huge double for four before Skirenko caught a leg attack to score two. In the second period, Martynava countered Skirenko, slamming her on the mat for two points to extend her lead to 6-2. Skirenko got two points after winning a challenge as she had blocked a headlock throw from Martynava. As the bout resumed in par terre, Martynava escaped and score counter exposure for two points before giving up a counter herself as well. Martynanva, leading 8-6, was driven by Skirenko towards the zone and she thought she had a stepout but Martynava circled back and both wrestled scored exposure points, giving Martynava a 10-8 lead. Skirenko challenged for fleeing at the end but lost it which added another point to Martynava who won 11-8

10:45: Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) blanks Iulia LEORDA (MDA), 7-0, in their opening bout at 57kg. Vynnyk blocks an arm throw from Leorda to score a takedown during Leorda's activity time to lead 3-0. She uses a lace turn to go up 5-0. The final takedown came in the last 10 seconds which gave her the win.

10:30: Five more Women's Wrestling weight classes in action at the European Championships on Thursday.