U23 World C'ships

Semenov Avenges 2015 Loss, Kawana and Emelin Deliver Fireworks

By Taylor Miller

BYDGOSZCZ, Poland - Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) won his fifth World championship on Wednesday night at the U23 World Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Semenov knocked off three-time Junior World champion and two-time Cadet World champion Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO) in the 130 kg finals. Pataridze led 3-3 on criteria at the break but was hit with caution and two, giving Semenov the advantage and eventually the win.

The two have history as Pataridze kept Semenov from winning three Junior World titles, defeating him in the 2015 Junior World finals.

At 59 kg, Masuto KAWANA (JPN) defeated Sergey EMELIN (RUS) in a high-flying match that featured four lead changes and 29 points scored.

24 of those points came in the second period, which was full of gut wrenches, head locks, throws and challenges. A late second-period feet-to-back move from Masuto gave him the advantage that he was able to hold onto in the final seconds despite a hard-fighting Russian.

Kawana won the bout, 15-14.

2016 Olympic bronze medalist and 2014 Junior World champion Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) pulled out a 2-0 win over 2017 Russian Championships bronze winner Alen MIRZOIAN (RUS) in the 66 kg gold-medal match. The bout consisted of two passivity points, which were in favor of the Georgian.

At 80 kg, Burhan AKBUDAK (Turkey) knocked off 2015 World silver medalist Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) with a 2-1 win. Akbudak, a 2015 Junior World silver medalist, was awarded two second-period passivity points en route to his first World title.

Greco-Roman final results
59 kg
Gold - Masuto KAWANA (JPN) dec. Sergey EMELIN (RUS), 15-14
Bronze - Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) tech. fall Avgustin Boyanov SPASOV (BUL), 8-0
Bronze - Sakit GULIYEV (AZE) tech. fall Przemyslaw PIATEK (POL), 8-0

66 kg
Gold - Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) vs. Alen MIRZOIAN (RUS), 2-0
Bronze - Amin Yavar KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) dec. Abylaikhan AMZEYEV (KAZ), 5-1
Bronze - Gaoquan ZHANG (CHN) dec. Roman PACURKOWSKI (POL), 2-1

80 kg
Gold - Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) dec. Lasha GOBADZE (GEO), 2-1
Bronze - Rosian Ognyanov DERMANSKI (BUL) dec. Stanislau SHAFARENKA (BLR), 3-2
Bronze - Andrii ANTONIUK (UKR) dec. Alex Michel BJURBERG KESSIDIS (SWE), 6-1

130 kg
Gold - Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) dec. Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO), 5-3
Bronze - Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU) dec. Amin Mohammadzaman MIRZAZADEH (IRI), 3-1
Bronze - Jello KRAHMER (GER) dec. Arata SONODA (JPN), 3-1

 

#WrestleCoralville

How to Watch 2026 Pan-American Championships Live

By United World Wrestling Press

CORALVILLE, IOWA, United States (May 6) -- The 2026 Pan-American Championships will be held at the Xtream Arena, Coralville, Iowa from May 7 to 10.

Greco-Roman will kick off the competition with eight weight classes in action on Thursday and Friday will host the remaining two Greco and six Women's Wrestling weight classes. Four Women's Wrestling and three Freestyle weight classes will be on the mat on Saturday before Sunday sees remaining seven Freestyle weight categories.

UWW Plus

Full 2026 Pan-American Wrestling Championships Schedule

Day 1, May 7 (Thursday):

Greco-Roman Qualification Rounds (10:00 hours onwards): 55kg, 60kg, 63kg, 67kg, 77kg, 82kg, 87kg, 130kg
Greco-Roman Semifinals & Repechage (13:00 hours onwards): 55kg, 60kg, 63kg, 67kg, 77kg, 82kg, 87kg, 130kg
Greco-Roman Finals (17:00 hours onwards): 55kg, 60kg, 63kg, 67kg, 77kg, 82kg, 87kg, 130kg

Day 2, May 8 (Friday)

Greco-Roman and Women's Wrestling Qualification rounds (10:00 hours onwards): GR 72kg, 97kg & WW 50kg, 55kg, 57kg, 62kg, 68kg, 72kg
Greco-Roman and Women's Wrestling Semifinals & Repechage (13:00 hours onwards): GR 72kg, 97kg & WW 50kg, 55kg, 57kg, 62kg, 68kg, 72kg
Greco-Roman and Women's Wrestling Finals (17:00 hours onwards): GR 72kg, 97kg & WW 50kg, 55kg, 57kg, 62kg, 68kg, 72kg

Day 3, May 9 (Saturday)

Women's Wrestling and Freestyle Qualification Rounds (10:00 hours onwards): WW 53kg, 59kg, 65kg, 76kg & FS 61kg, 74kg, 86kg
Women's Wrestling and Freestyle Semifinals & Repechage (13:00 hours onwards): WW 53kg, 59kg, 65kg, 76kg & FS 61kg, 74kg, 86kg
Women's Wrestling and Freestyle Finals (17:00 hours onwards): WW 53kg, 59kg, 65kg, 76kg & FS 61kg, 74kg, 86kg

Day 4, May 10 (Sunday)

Freestyle Qualification Rounds (10:00 hours onwards): 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg, 92kg, 97kg, 125kg
Freestyle Semifinals & Repechage (13:00 hours onwards): 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg, 92kg, 97kg, 125kg
Freestyle Finals (17:00 hours onwards): 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg, 92kg, 97kg, 125kg

PAN-AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 2026 PREVIEW

All wrestling action will be live on UWW+ and you can subscribe to it. Click here to subscribe to UWW+. However, in the United States and Canada, the competition will be live on FloWrestling.

Download the UWW+ app from App Store | Play Store.

The brackets for Freestyle, Greco-Roman and Women's Wrestling will be released by UWW on May 6, 16:00 hours local time.

UWW Preview for the Pan-Am Wrestling Championships: DOWNLOAD PREVIEWREAD HERE | WRESTLING PHOTOS 

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