2026 U17 World Championships

U17 World Championships 2026 Preview

Thursday, July 23, 2026 - 06:57 By Vinay Siwach

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Wrestling

BAKU, Azerbaijan (July 22) -- Records are usually made at the U17 World Championships. In Baku, one has been broken before the opening bout.

The tournament will have 675 wrestlers, the most-ever for a U17 World Wrestling Championships -- 242 Greco-Roman, 242 in Freestyle and 191 in Women's Wrestling, breaking the record of the 2017 edition in which 186 women participated.

From July 27 to August 2, the U17 World Championships will be live on UWW+. Subscribe to UWW+ using the code BUNDLE20 and get 20 percent off for all age-group World Championships - U17, U20 and U23.

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The competition is also set to return to Baku after 14 years and as it always does, it will be dramatic.

For instance, last year, the United States and Iran were locked in a tight race for the Freestyle team title. The former edged Iran in a dramatic final-day comeback, and the rivalry is expected to continue in Baku. Russia, which was not allotted team points last year, will be back in the race and with a strong team.

Russia will have most of its U17 national champions including Aldar BADMAEV (RUS), the first-ever national gold medal from Kalmykia, at 45kg. Five wrestlers hail from Dagestan and the team also includes four U17 European champions from 2026.

The U.S. will be led by returning silver medalist Arseni KIKINIOU (USA) at 65kg. In 2025, Kikiniou became the first wrestler in history to win a medal in both Freestyle and Greco-Roman since it was restarted in 2011, and he will attempt to repeat in Baku as well, perhaps with a gold medal.

Iran has four U17 Asian champions in its squad but to challenge for the team title, it will need its wrestlers to step up and not tank like they did in Athens last year, when the country did not win a single gold medal.

Hosts Azerbaijan, which had an exceptional U17 European Championships with seven medals including three golds, will hope to repeat the performance at home and stand among the top teams.

Here's a breakdown of 10 Freestyle weight classes:

45kg: Since this weight class was introduced in 2018, the U.S. and Iran have won all the golds. The former has won five golds while two have gone to Iran, one being Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) in 2018.

This year will be no different as Iran bring U17 Asian champion Mahdi DAMERCHELI (IRI) and the U.S. is going with U17 Pan-Am champ Rylen WAX (USA). Badmaev from Russia will have his first taste of international wrestling. U17 European champion Marko KVASNIUK (UKR) is also in the entries.

48kg: The best chance for hosts Azerbaijan will be Huseyn RZAZADE (AZE), the U17 European champion. He will likely have a rematch with Volodymyr BOIKO (UKR) from the final in Samakov, Bulgaria.

Both finalists from U17 Asia are also in the fray with the champion Farrukh MAKHMUDOV (UZB) hoping to add a world title to his name. Iran has silver medalist Amirali RAGHEB (IRI). But expect a tough challenge from Kirill KONDRASHOV (RUS) who won the U15 Europeans in 2025.

51kg: Ibrahim HASANOV (AZE), the U17 European champion, has the home crowd behind him as he tries to add a world title to his name. But in his part will be U17 Asian champion Benyamin ASHOFTEH (IRI), silver medalist Masamune USHIMADO (JPN) and Pan-Am champion Evan RESTIVO (USA).

Russia is going with Islam KURAKHMAEV (RUS), a rising prospect from Dagestan.

55kg: Can Chase KARENBAUER (USA), who made the team after beating Keegan BASSETT (USA), match the likes of wrestlers from Asia and Europe? He will be up against Arman ELAHI (IRI) won gold at the U17 Asian Championships, silver medalist Kyosuke IKEDA (JPN) and bronze Temirlan MURAT (KAZ), getting a chance to wrestle various styles.

Mustafa BERSANUKAEV (RUS) will make his U17 debut after making the team by winning the national championships. European bronze medalist Temuri TUTARASHVILI (GEO) is also in the mix along with Jakhongir TULKUNOV (UZB) who gave Elahi the toughest match in Da Nang.

60kg: The only weight class in which the defending champion is returning - SITENDER (IND). He won the gold medal in Athens but had close matches with wrestlers from Iran and Japan. To defend his title, Sitender will have to go through U17 European champion Sergei KARMRIAN (RUS), silver Mykyta KUZMENKO (UKR) and even U17 Asian champion Bekzodbek IBROHIMOV (UZB).

Among one of the toughest weight categories, the 60kg also includes U17 Asian silver Mardan ORYNBASSAR (KAZ), bronze medalists from Europe and Asia. Joseph BURKE (USA) will also be a tough bet.

65kg: Arseni KIKINIOU (USA) created history in Athens by winning medals in both styles. Now, he would like to repeat with at least one gold medal. He finished with a silver medal in Athens in Freestyle. Unless a huge upset, it is unlikely that anyone will be able to stop the American.

Sam ARSHADGH (IRI) will throw a challenge from Iran but while Jovani SOLIS (PUR) is the U17 Pan-Am champion but Kikiniou did not participate in the tournament. Russia will be represented by Magomed IBRAGIMOV (RUS), who finished 10th last year.

71kg: In a very open weight class, U17 Asian champion Adilet RYSBAY (KAZ) and U17 European champion Nikolay ILIEV (BUL), both will fancy their chances to win gold. Iran has Reza SHAMSIPOUR (IRI) who will also be in the race to win along with Mokhmad BAISULTANOV (RUS).

Camryn HOWARD (USA) will be representing the challenge from the U.S.

80kg: Hosts Azerbaijan will hope that U17 European champion Nihad SULEYMANLI (AZE) can give it a home world gold and also improve on his 13th place finish from last year. The route, however, may be a tough one. Amirali FERASATI (IRI), the U17 Asian champion, dominated his way to gold in Da Nang and is expected to have good result in Baku.

The weight class also has returning bronze medalist from 71kg Ayubjon BOZORZODA (TJK) and Arshavir DARAKHSHANIFARA (FIN), who won U17 European bronze and will now try to give Finland its first Freestyle medal at the U17 Worlds.

The U.S. challenge comes from Jayden OFARRILL (USA), while U17 European bronze medalist Rati REVAZASHVILI (GEO) will be at his third U17 Worlds, hoping for his first medal and Kantemir ELMESOV (RUS) will also be in the mix.

92kg: U17 European champion Abdurazak SHABANOV (RUS) is a favorite to win gold in the weight class. However, Ali DADAEV (FRA), silver to him, will try to avenge the loss from Bulgaria.

Iran, among the best as the weights get heavier, will be represented by Reza ISAZADEH (IRI), with U17 European bronze Nuradin MUSTAFAEV (GEO), U17 Pan-Am champion Salah TSARNI (USA) and U17 Asia silver Amirbek FAZLITDINOV (UZB) also entered.

110kg: Returning bronze medalist Hakim TAGHIYEV (AZE) will try to improve his medal but will have to be wary of U17 European champion Murtaz BAGDAVADZE (GEO) and silver medalist Stefan STEFANOV (BUL), both lost the bronze-medal bouts in Athens.

Arush RANA (IND), U17 Asian champion, and silver medalist Amirhossein ESMALI (IRI) will also be top prospects. Magomed OMAROV (RUS) and Peter MOCCO (USA) can make the run as well.

2026 World Championships

Yazdani Interview: 'Changing Weight Classes Difficult, But Ready for 97kg Challenge'

Saturday, June 20, 2026 - 06:27 By

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- By Amirreza ALIASGARI

KEMRAN, Iran (July 19) -- Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) made his eighth World Championships for Iran on Friday after beating Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI), 4-2 and 5-3, in two straight matches at 97kg.

In 2015, Yazdani was at 70kg and won a silver medal at his debut World Championships. For a decade, he spent his wrestling career at 86kg, winning two Olympic silver medals, three world titles, two world silver and one bronze medal.

Now at 97kg after two shoulder surgeries, a 31-year-old Yazdani is adjusting to the new weight class. As he returns to the World Championships after three years, Yazdani will be chasing his eighth medal and fourth title.

After making the Iran team for the World Championships, to be held in Astana from October 24 to November 1, Yazdani spoke to United World Wrestling about the challenges of 97kg, returning to the World Championships and how his body is holding up.

Excerpts:

- How are you feeling physically after the two tough matches?

Yazdani: I’ve improved in some areas, especially when it comes to my breathing and conditioning. But we didn’t really have enough time to focus on strength training, so we worked on that a bit less than we wanted to. With the time that’s left until the World Championships, I’m going to do everything I can to get myself in the best shape possible and be even better prepared.

- How prepared were you for the wrestle-off against Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI)?

Yazdani: For these competitions, I’d say I was about 70 percent ready. It’s hard to be 100 precent prepared for a tournament like this, but by the time the World Championships come around, I’ll definitely be in better shape and more prepared.

- What are your thoughts on competing at 97kg, a weight class that may have four Olympic champions in Astana?

Yazdani: The 97kg weight class is new for me, and of course I have new opponents now. It’s quite different from 86kg. I hope I can put on a good performance in this weight class as well. There are a lot of great champions here, and I hope I get the chance to wrestle against them, challenge myself, and show my best wrestling at the World Championships.

- But will it be challenging for your to be at the top at this weight class?

Yazdani: I already knew how many top wrestlers compete in this weight class. Considering my physical condition, I decided last year to move up to 97kg. Since it’s also an Olympic weight class, I wanted to make the move early so I’d have enough time to fix any weaknesses and adapt before the Olympics. My goal is to be at my very best for both the Olympics and the World Championships, which are just as important.

I wanted to move up sooner so I could get comfortable in this weight class as quickly as possible. Once you get to around 30 years old, things naturally become a little more difficult, and changing weight classes isn’t as easy as it used to be. There are definitely challenges at 97kg, and I’ve thought about all of them. Hopefully, I’ll be able to put on my best performance and come away with a great result.