#WrestleIstanbul

Stars to follow in Women's Wrestling at World Qualifier

By Vinay Siwach

ISTANBUL, Türkiye (May 6) -- Mariya STADNIK (AZE) has endured quite a few heartbreaks in her 16-year-long career. The most recent was her fall against Oksana LIVACH (UKR) in the final five seconds of the match. A win would have confirmed a fifth trip to the Olympics for her.

The four-time Olympic medalist will now be in Istanbul for the World OG Qualifier -- the last chance -- in a bid to earn a Paris 2024 quota. It will also put her one step closer to winning an unprecedented fifth Olympic medal, a feat no one has achieved in wrestling.

But Stadnik isn't the only one with so much to fight for in Istanbul.

Two-time European champion Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR) was also seconds away from earning a spot for Paris when Tokyo silver medalist Iryna KURACHKINA (AIN) scored a takedown to beat her. Hrushyna missed the Tokyo flight after suffering an injury two months before the Games.

Now, she will be in Istanbul along with Tokyo bronze medalist Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) who is not yet qualified at 57kg. Both will compete for the three spots available along with other top wrestlers like Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE), Giullia PENALBER (BRA), Aurora RUSSO (ITA), Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL), Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU), Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (AIN) and Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR).

In each Olympic weight class, the winner of the semifinals will earn a berth for the Paris Games for their respective countries. The third spot will be earned by the winner of the playoff between the two bronze medalists of the weight class.

This provides an extra opportunity to the wrestler who lost to the two best wrestlers of their respective weight classes. The repechage, bronze-medal bouts and the playoff will be held the next day.

China, which managed three quotas at the Asian OG Qualifier, will be hoping to claim all six spots for Paris as Jia LONG (CHN) and Feng ZHOU (CHN) compete in the 62kg and 68kg respectively.

Ziqi FENG (CHN), Qianyu PANG (CHN), Kexin HONG (CHN) and Juan WANG (CHN) clinched the 50kg, 53kg, 57kg and 76kg spots with the last three coming at the Asian OG Qualifier in Bishkek last month.

For Long, who was in Tokyo, the field at 62kg will be strong. Veranika IVANOVA (AIN), Lais NUNES (BRA), MANSI (IND), Mariana CHERDIVARA (MDA), Kriszta INCZE (ROU) and Nesrin BAS (TUR) are a few wrestlers who can trouble Long.

Bas is an interesting choice by Turkiye as she regularly competes in the 72kg weight class. She was a U23 world champion in the same. But with the 68kg qualification by world champion Buse TOSUN (TUR) and 76kg by European champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR), Bas decided to move down.

At 68kg, Feng will have to raise her game if she wants to represent China in Paris. The weight has 23 wrestlers including the likes of Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL), Linda MORAIS (CAN), Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE), NISHA (IND) and Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU).

Hristova would be doubly motivated to win a quota in Istanbul after she missed it in Baku. Leading 8-0 against Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR) in the quarterfinal, she got put on the mat by Skobelska and the Ukrainian secured a fall, leaving Hristova heartbroken.

A few European stars have not managed to earn a Paris spot at 53kg. Two-time Olympian Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) will be a strong contender to claim one of the three spots at 53kg.

Annika WENDLE (GER), Sztalvira ORSOS (HUN), Zeynep YETGIL (TUR), Mariia VYNNYK (UKR), Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) and Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) will be fighting it out for the quotas as well.

Karla GODINEZ (CAN), the favorite at the Pan-Am OG Qualifier, suffered a loss and failed to qualify Canada. But she will be in Istanbul to earn that spot and join her sister Ana who qualified at 62kg. Khulan BATKHUYAG (MGL) will be a strong contender as well.

Among the big names at 76kg, Martina KUENZ (AUT), Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (AIN), Yuliana YANEVA (BUL), Samar HAMZA (EGY), Epp MAE (EST), Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) and Anastasiia SHUSTOVA (UKR) are taking the trip to Istanbul.

Despite all the stars assembling in Istanbul, Stadnik will be the center of attraction. How does a 36-year-old bounce back from her first-ever loss in Europe? Is she still good enough to compete against some of the best in the world? Is she a medal threat for Paris 2024?

A win in Istanbul will answer those questions.

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open Ranking Series 2026 Entries

By United World Wrestling Press

ZAGREB, Croatia (January 22) -- The 2026 season will kick off with the Ranking Series in Zagreb. Zagreb Open will begin February 4 to 8 and will be held at Arena Zagreb, the same venue as the World Championships.

Freestyle will kick off the competition on February 4 with six weight classes. February 5 will see the remaining four Freestyle weight classes and two Women's Wrestling weights in action. Day three will be four Women's Wrestling weights and two Greco-Roman.

Both Women's Wrestling and Greco-Roman will be held on day four, February 7, with women's in four and Greco in two weight classes. Last and day five will be all Greco with six weight classes.

Click here for full schedule of Zagreb Open 2026 Ranking Series. 

All action will be live on UWW+. Subscribe to UWW+ to watch.

Greco-Roman

55kg
Filip BARTOSIK (CZE)
Koba KARUMIDZE (GEO)
LALIT (IND)
Poya DAD MARZ (IRI)
Mohammad IRIHOSSEINVAND PANAHISANI (IRI)
Arsen ZHUMA (KAZ)
Nurzat KABDYRAKHIMOV (KAZ)
Yersin ABYIR (KAZ)
Artiom DELEANU (MDA)
Sebastian KOLOMPAR (SRB)
Omer RECEP (TUR)
Brady KOONTZ (USA)
Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB)
Jasurbek ORTIKBOEV (UZB)

60kg
Giorgi KOCHALIDZE (GEO)
SAHIL (IND)
Sajjad ABBASPOUR (IRI)
Pouya NASERPOUR (IRI)
Koto GOMI (JPN)
Yu SHIOTANI (JPN)
Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ)
Galym KABDUNASSAROV (KAZ)
Yerbol KAMALIYEV (KAZ)
Corneliu RUSU (MDA)
Georgij TIBILOV (SRB)
Mert ILBARS (TUR)
Dalton ROBERTS (USA)
Maxwell BLACK (USA)
Zane RICHARDS (USA)
Alisher GANIEV (UZB)
Mehroj BAKHRAMOV (UZB)

63kg
Nikolay VICHEV (BUL)
Adham ELSAYED (EGY)
CHETAN (IND)
Meysam DALKHANI (IRI)
Erfan JARKANI (IRI)
Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ)
Dastan ZARLYKHANOV (KAZ)
Saifulla KURMAN (KAZ)
Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA)
Morten THORESEN (NOR)
Dejan BERKEC (SRB)
Ildar HAFIZOV (USA)
Rhett PEAK (USA)
Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB)
Khusniddin OLIMBOEV (UZB)

67kg
Aker SCHMID (AUT)
Dominik ETLINGER (CRO)
Mohamed ABDELREHIM (EGY)
Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO)
Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO)
Rati KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO)
Sachin SAHRAWAT (IND)
Mohammad KAMALI (IRI)
Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI)
Katsuaki ENDO (JPN)
Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN)
Din KOSHKAR (KAZ)
Dinmukhamed OMAROV (KAZ)
Yerzhet ZHARLYKASSYN (KAZ)
Valentin PETIC (MDA)
Sebastian NAD (SRB)
Niklas OEHLEN (SWE)
Murat FIRAT (TUR)
Alston NUTTER (USA)
Otto BLACK (USA)
Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB)
Oybek SHARIBJONOV (UZB)

72kg
Estebane TSCHARNER (CIV)
Pavel PUKLAVEC (CRO)
Moustafa ALAMELDIN (EGY)
Mishiko ALEKSANDRIA (GEO)
Nika BROLADZE (GEO)
Krisztian VANCZA (HUN)
Krisztofer KLANYI (HUN)
Kuldeep MALIK (IND)
Javad REZAEI (IRI)
Almatbek AMANBEK (KAZ)
Daniyar KALENOV (KAZ)
Nikolay KHAPKO (KAZ)
Henrik DAHLEN (SWE)
Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR)
Alejandro SANCHO (USA)
Benjamin PEAK (USA)
Abror ATABAEV (UZB)
Shakhzod KUCHKOROV (UZB)

77kg
Stoyan KUBATOV (BUL)
Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO)
Luka IVANCIC (CRO)
Ehab KHALIL (EGY)
Yehia ABDELKADER (EGY)
Temuri ORJONIKIDZE (GEO)
Levente LEVAI (HUN)
Robert FRITSCH (HUN)
Zoltan LEVAI (HUN)
AMAN (IND)
Ali OSKOU (IRI)
Ahoura BOUVEIRI PIANI (IRI)
Amir SAEIDI NAVA (IRI)
Isami HORIKITA (JPN)
Merey MAULITKANOV (KAZ)
Tamerlan SHADUKAYEV (KAZ)
Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA)
Aleksa ILIC (SRB)
Artur POLITAIEV (UKR)
Kamal BEY (USA)
Abdullo ALIEV (UZB)
Aram VARDANYAN (UZB)
Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB)

82kg
Ibrahim TABAEV (BEL)
Filip SACIC (CRO)
Karlo KODRIC (CRO)
Marek VRBA (CZE)
Michal ZELENKA (CZE)
Emad ABOUELATTA (EGY)
Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO)
PRINCE (IND)
Abolfazl MOHMEDI (IRI)
Reza MOKHTARI (IRI)
Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ)
Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ)
Omar SATAYEV (KAZ)
Mihail BRADU (MDA)
Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT)
Antal VAMOS (SRB)
Ognjen JAKOVLJEVIC (SRB)
Alexander JOHANSSON (SWE)
Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR)
Mykyta POLITAIEV (UKR)
Beka MELELASHVILI (USA)
Jesse PORTER (USA)
Azimjon SOATULLAEV (UZB)
Samandar BOBONAZAROV (UZB)

87kg
Deyvid DIMITROV (BUL)
Antonio LUKAC (CRO)
Ivan HUKLEK (CRO)
Matej MANDIC (CRO)
Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN)
Fares GHALY (EGY)
Mahmoud IBRAHIM (EGY)
Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO)
Erik SZILVASSY (HUN)
Istvan TAKACS (HUN)
Tamas LEVAI (HUN)
ROHIT (IND)
Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ)
Maksat SAILAU (KAZ)
Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ)
Marcel STERKENBURG (NED)
Andrija MIHAJLOVIC (SRB)
Dogan KAYA (TUR)
Payton JACOBSON (USA)
Zachary BRAUNAGEL (USA)
Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB)
Mukhammadkodir RASULOV (UZB)
Rahimjon UZOKOV (UZB)

97kg
Daniel GASTL (AUT)
Filip SMETKO (CRO)
Kristian LUKAC (CRO)
Tomislav BRKAN (CRO)
Mathias BAK (DEN)
Mohamed GABR (EGY)
Luka GABISONIA (GEO)
Giorgi MELIA (GEO)
Alex SZOKE (HUN)
NITESH (IND)
Naser ALIZADEH 
Hadi SEYDI AVENDI (IRI)
Takahiro TSURUDA (JPN)
Iussuf MATSIYEV (KAZ)
Nurassyl AMANALY (KAZ)
Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED)
Luka KATIC (SRB)
Mihail KAJAIA (SRB)
Uros KRSTIN (SRB)
Aleksandar STJEPANETIC (SWE)
Abdul CEBI (TUR)
Michial FOY (USA)
Javokhir SHODIYAROV (UZB)

130kg
Marko MILANOVIC (CRO)
Artur SARKISJAN (CZE)
Rati TALIKISHVILI (GEO)
Darius VITEK (HUN)
Laszlo DARABOS (HUN)
Joginder RATHEE (IND)
Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ)
Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ)
Oskar MARVIK (NOR)
Jacob LOGAARD (SWE)
Riza KAYAALP (TUR)
Aden ATTAO (USA)
Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA)
Courtney FREEMAN (USA)

Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)World champion at 79kg Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) is moving up to 86kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Freestyle

57kg
Nikoloz BOTCHORISHVILI (GEO)
Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO)
AMAN (IND)
ANKUSH (IND)
Atish TODKAR (IND)
Milad VALIZADEH (IRI) 
Ali YAHYAPOUR (IRI)
Fuga SASAKI (JPN)
Roman BRAVO YOUNG (MEX)
Azamat TUSKAEV (SRB)
Anthony KNOX (USA)
Liam CRONIN (USA)
Spencer LEE (USA)

61kg
Giorgi GONIASHVILI (GEO)
Reza MOMENI (IRI)
Ali ABURUMAILA (PLE)
Austin DESANTO (USA)

65kg
Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA)
Nika ZAKASHVILI (GEO)
Gamzatgadzsi HALIDOV (HUN)
Zoltan MIZSEI (HUN)
SUJEET (IND)
Vishal KALIRAMANA (IND)
Peyman NEMATI (IRI)
Takara SUDA (JPN)
Joseph MCKENNA (USA)

70kg
Alexander SEIWALD (AUT)
Muhammad ABDURACHMANOV (BEL)
Akaki KEMERTELIDZE (GEO)
Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN)
ABHIMANYOU (IND)
Ebrahim ELAHI (IRI)
Sina KHALILI (IRI)
Patryk OLENCZYN (POL)
Caleb HENSON (USA)
Ian PARKER (USA)
Tyler KASAK (USA)

74kg
Adam THOMSON (CAN)
Seyfulla ITAEV (FRA)
Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO)
Benjamin DOBLER (HUN)
Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN)
CHANDERMOHAN (IND)
DEEPAK (IND)
Aliakbar FAZLI (IRI)
Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN)
Kamil RYBICKI (POL)
Alfred DANIEL (SLE)
David CARR (USA)
James GREEN (USA)
Jarrett JACQUES (USA)
Farhad NOURIKHORJESTAN (UWW)

79kg
Muhamed BEKTEMIROV (AUT)
Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA)
Otari ADEISHVILI (GEO)
Luka CHKHITUNIDZE (GEO)
AMIT (IND)
Sobhan ESMI (IRI)
Adel PANAEIAN (IRI)
Krisztian BIRO (ROU)
Daniel BRAUNAGEL (USA)
Dean HAMITI (USA)
Evan WICK (USA)

86kg
Simon MARCHL (AUT)
Connor CHURCH (CAN)
Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO)
Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)
Mukul DAHIYA (IND)
Sandeep MANN (IND)
Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI)
Abolfazl SHAMSIPOUR (IRI)
Cezary SADOWSKI (POL)
Shane JONES (PUR)
Gabriel MC DUFFIE (SLE)
Parker KECKEISEN (USA)
Zahid VALENCIA (USA)

92kg
Zaur BERADZE (GEO)
Jointy KUMAR (IND)
Mobin AZIMI (IRI)
Abolfazl RAHMANI (IRI)
Dustin PLOTT (USA)
Michael MACCHIAVELLO (USA)
Trent HIDLAY (USA)

97kg
Benjamin GREIL (AUT)
Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN)
Samuel PEREIRA (CAN)
Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA)
Konstantine PETRIASHVILI (GEO)
Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO)
Musza ARSUNKAEV (HUN)
Richard VEGH (HUN)
Deepak CHAHAL (IND)
VICKY (IND)
Hassan YAZDANI (IRI)
Kamil KURUGLIYEV (KAZ)
Stephen BUCHANAN (USA)
Zane LANHAM (USA)

125kg
Johannes LUDESCHER (AUT)
Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN)
Aleksandre ABRAMISHVILI (GEO)
Vlagyiszlav BAJCAJEV (HUN)
DINESH (IND)
Mahendra GAIKWAD (IND)
Mortaza JANMOHAMMADZADEH (IRI)
Kamil KOSCIOLEK (POL)
Robert BARAN (POL)
Demetrius THOMAS (USA)
Wyatt HENDRICKSON (USA)

Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN)Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), world 65kg champion, is entered at 68kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Women's Wrestling

50kg
Asmar JANKURTARAN (AZE)
Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE)
Kamila BARBOSA (BRA)
Katie DUTCHAK (CAN)
Ena ZEMUNIC (CRO)
Laura BOGATIC (CRO)
Laura FATH (HUN)
MUSKAN (IND)
NEELAM (IND)
Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA)
Haruna MORIKAWA (JPN)
Zeinep BAYANOVA (KAZ)
Agata GOLUCHOWSKA WALERZAK (POL)
Natalia WALCZAK (POL)
Nipuni HEWA PEDIGE (SRI)
Kendra RYAN (USA)
Elizaveta SMIRNOVA (UWW)

53kg
Nargiz SAMADOVA (AZE)
Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA)
Annika WENDLE (GER)
Gerda TEREK (HUN)
Anjali KACHHAWA (IND)
ANTIM (IND)
Umi IMAI (JPN)
Roksana ZASINA (POL)
Nethmi PORUTHOTAGE (SRI)
Everest LEYDECKER (USA)
Katie GOMEZ (USA)
Sydney PETZINGER (USA)

55kg
Karla GODINEZ (CAN)
JYOTI (IND)
Nagisa HARADA (JPN)
Beatrice FERENT (ROU)
Tuba DEMIR (TUR)
Amani JONES (USA)
Areana VILLAESCUSA (USA)
Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW)

57kg
Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE)
Giullia PENALBER (BRA)
Samantha STEWART (CAN)
Amory ANDRICH (GER)
Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN)
Tamara DOLLAK (HUN)
MANISHA (IND)
Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN)
Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ)
Felicitas DOMAJEVA (NOR)
Evelina HULTHEN (SWE)
Tindra DALMYR (SWE)
Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR)
Amanda MARTINEZ (USA)

59kg
Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE)
Iris SLATKA (CRO)
Elena BRUGGER (GER)
Erika BOGNAR (HUN)
RAJNITA (IND)
Sena NAGAMOTO (JPN)
Bediha GUN (TUR)
Abigail NETTE (USA)
Alexis JANIAK (USA)

62kg
Lais NUNES (BRA)
Lana NOGIC (CRO)
Ameline DOUARRE (FRA)
Luisa SCHEEL (GER)
Naemi LEISTNER (GER)
Eniko ELEKES (HUN)
ANJLI (IND)
Bhagyashree FAND (IND)
Nonoka OZAKI (JPN)
Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ)
Grace BULLEN (NOR)
Johanna LINDBORG (SWE)
Alara BOYD (USA)
Macey KILTY (USA)
Marilyn GARCIA (USA)
Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (UWW)

65kg
Marijana SUMSKI (CRO)
PULKIT (IND)
Nana IKEHATA (JPN)
Kriszta INCZE (ROU)
Agnes NYGREN (SWE)

68kg
Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE)
Aleah NICKEL (CAN)
Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA)
Gerda BARTH (GER)
Laura KOEHLER (GER)
Karolina POK (HUN)
Noémi SZABADOS (HUN)
Mansi LATHER (IND)
NISHA (IND)
Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN)
Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU)
Masa PEROVIC (SRB)
Tindra SJOEBERG (SWE)
Nesrin BAS (TUR)
Kennedy BLADES (USA)
Solin PIEARCY (USA)
Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW)

72kg
Zahra KARIMZADA (AZE)
Veronika VILK (CRO)
Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER)
Diksha MALIK (IND)
Mahiro YOSHITAKE (JPN)
Buse TOSUN (TUR)
Alexandria GLAUDE (USA)
Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (UWW)

76kg
Shauna KUEBECK (CAN)
Kendra DACHER (FRA)
Jyoti BERWAL (IND)
PRIYA (IND)
Enrica RINALDI (ITA)
Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN)
Gulmaral YERKEBAYEVA (KAZ)
Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU)
Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU)
Tristan KELLY (USA)