U20 World Championships 2025 Day 7 Highlights

Saturday, August 23, 2025 - 06:52 By Vinay Siwach

SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (August 23) -- With four Greco-Roman weight classes, the U20 World Championships come towards the end. 63kg, 77kg, 87kg and 130kg wrestlers will be in action in Samokov, Bulgaria.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 6 RESULTS

13:55: In the final match of the morning session, former world U17 champion Yusuf BAKIR (TUR) needed a stepout with 40 seconds remaining to beat Mazaim MARDANOV (AZE), 4-3 at 130kg. Bakir with a 3-0 lead after he scored a turn from par terre, Mardanov takes criteria lead with a exposure from par terre and he tries to defend his criteria lead. However, Bakir manages a pushout to win 4-3.

13:45: Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI), the returning silver medalist, is not troubled by a Hungarian wrestler as he beats Koppany LASZLO (HUN) in the 130kg semifinal. Fathitazangi scored three stepouts while Laszlo had two as the Iranian wins 4-2.

13:25: Elias LYYSKI (FIN) stops world U17 champion Amirsam MOHAMMADI (IRI) in the 87kg quarterfinal with a 6-4 win. After he led 6-0 in the first period, Lyyski holds on to it and only gives four points in the second period.

13:15: Senior Asian champion Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) lets out a huge scream as he down European U20 champion Igor PUNCHENKO (UWW) in the 63kg quarterfinal. Khalmakhanov got his defense in the second period and defended his lead to win 6-4.

13:05: Damir IBRASHOV (KAZ) needed a challenge to beat Tural AHMADOV (AZE), 1-1, at 63kg. Ibrashov had the criteria from first par terre but was cautioned for fleeing but Kazakhstan challenged the call and won it to win 1-1.

12:50: Returning world champion from 72kg Zaur BESLEKOEV (UWW), who is now at 77kg, has no trouble in seeing off Petro SHAFRANSKYI (UKR), 8-0. Beslekoev is looking to win his second straight title.

12:40: Abdurakhman ABDULKADYROV (UWW), the European silver medalist at U20s, pins Orkhan HAJIYEV (AZE) and advance at 87kg.

12:32: Anri PUTKARADZE (GEO), European U20 champion and former world U17 champion, enters the 77kg quarterfinals with a 5-3 win over Asian U23 champion Akzhan YKYLASSOV (KAZ)

12:30: Martin LJOSAAK (NOR) will be ruing the chances he missed as he drops his 87kg bout 11-9 against world U17 champion Amirsam MOHAMMADI (IRI). was down 10-7 but Mohammadi was cautioned for blocking but Ljosaak can't finish the match

12:20: Ilias LAAOUINA (NED) is on a hot run here in Samokov. He now beats European U20 bronze medalist Bende OLASZ (HUN) at 63kg and into the quarterfinals.

12:17: Igor PUNCHENKO (UWW) with a technical superiority 9-0 victory over Al Bara CHOPALAEV (EST) and reach the 63kg quarterfinals. Punchenko looking to complete the world and continental double.

12:15: Tural AHMADOV (AZE) with a first par terre advantage and he keeps it until the end of the bout to win 1-1 against GAURAV (IND) at 63kg and advance to the quarterfinals.

12:10: Senior Asian champion AYTJAN KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) with a first-period fall over Manato NAKAMURA (JPN) at 63kg and wins his opening bout. Khalmakhanov is a 2022 world U17 champion

11:45: No problems for returning silver medalist at 130kg Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI) as he pins Saba PURTSELADZE (GEO), a former world U17 champion.

11:35: Big match between European U20 silver medalist Davud MAMMADOV (AZE) and bronze medalist Samvel TERTERYAN (ARM) at 77kg. Both wrestlers can't turn from par terre but Terteryan got the first point and he holds on to his criteria lead to win win 1-1.

11:20: Luka KOCHALIDZE (GEO), European U20 champion at 87kg, with a close 2-1 victory over Branko DUKIC (SRB).

11:12: Amirsam MOHAMMADI (IRI), who was recently crowned world U17 champion in Greece, is tested by Antonio LUKAC (CRO) in his first 87kg bout but Mohammadi wins 3-1. Perhaps he is feeling the difference in strength in the upper age-group.

10:55: Returning world U20 bronze medalist at 87kg Temirlan TURDAKYN (KAZ) looked a little rusty but manages to see off Wojciech IWANOWSKI (POL), 3-2.

10:40: Ilias LAAOUINA (NED) with an upset win over Asian U20 champion Emirlan DUISHENALIEV (KGZ). He manages to score 8 points from par terre and win 9-0 at 63kg.

10:30: European U20 champion Igor PUNCHENKO (UWW) faces William EKEROT (SWE), a European U20 bronze medalist. After a slow start Punchenko finishes the match in the second period with a fall and advance at 63kg.

#WrestleTirana

Kayaalp Breaks European Record with 13th Gold Medal

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 - 18:25 By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (April 21) -- "I truly believe I’ve set a record that will be very difficult to break."

Riza KAYAALP (TUR) knows the true effort it takes to win 12 gold medals at the European Championships. It took him 13 years. Now, on Tuesday, he won his record-breaking 13th gold medal at the European Championships in Tirana, moving past Aleksandr KARELIN.

With that, Kayaalp became the first wrestler in any style to win 13 golds in Europe. He defeated Darius VITEK (HUN), 7-1, in a dominant 130kg final.

Apart from Tuesday's gold, Kayaalp has won European titles in 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2010.

"It’s an incredible feeling," Kayaalp said. "This was my 15th final, and in my 15th final, I achieved my 13th title. This title is especially valuable to me because achieving such long-term and consistent success -- especially in Europe, where there are very strong nations -- is not easy. I’m very proud to have broken such a big record."

Wrestling Vitek in the 130kg final, Kayaalp got the par terre position in the first period and brought the strong gut-wrench he has made his own to turn Vitek three times for six points. He went into the break leading 7-0. Vitek got the par terre position in the second period but he failed to move the mountain-of-man Kayaalp.

With chants of "Riza, Riza" reverberating at the Feti Borova Hall, Kayaalp defended his lead and despite a few instances of him slipping, Vitek could not inflict any sort of danger to score any points. After six minutes of the final and history created, Kayaalp celebrated the 13th gold medal and took his own time with the fans.

"The matches were not easy. I had tough matches," he said. "One of my matches ended 1–1. In the semifinal, I can say I was subjected to some disrespect from a strong opponent in a very intense bout. But compared to those, the final match was more meaningful for me.

"When it became 7-0, well, I’m an athlete who doesn’t like to concede points," he said. "I don’t like giving points away, so I managed to protect that score. I can say I went through the second period quite comfortably, and having a 7–0 lead helped."

The last time Kayaalp built a 7-0 lead was back in 2017, when he pinned Balint LAM (HUN) in the 130kg final after a 7-0 lead.

Kayaalp's gold is a testimony to his longevity having won his first European title in 2010, a year in which his opponent in the final, Vitek, was 10 years, five months and 12 days when Kayaalp achieved his first gold.

"When you look back, you realize you’ve made 15 finals," Kayaalp said after winning the 130kg gold medal in Tirana. "Back then, I was just thinking whether I could win one or two medals. But then, making the final every time at the European Championships, it’s like a child being born and growing up to 15 years old."

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW) df. Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO), 2-1

BRONZE: Rashad MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Omer RECEP (TUR), 8-0
BRONZE: Stefan GRIGOROV (BUL) df. Manvel KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 3-1

63kg
GOLD: Sergey EMELIN (UWW) df. Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), 9-0

BRONZE: Karen ASLANYAN (ARM) df. Mairbek SALIMOV (POL), 11-0
BRONZE: Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Pridon ABULADZE (GEO), 6-2

77kg
GOLD: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df. Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO), 1-1

BRONZE: Edvin BAFF (SWE) df. Alexandrin GUTU (MDA), 2-1
BRONZE: Robert FRITSCH (HUN) df. Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO), 1-1

87kg
GOLD: Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) df. Semen NOVIKOV (BUL), via fall (8-4)

BRONZE: Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR) df. Ihar YARASHEVICH (UWW), 1-1
BRONZE: Islam ABBASOV (AZE) df. Dogan KAYA (TUR), 5-1

130kg
GOLD: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Darius VITEK (HUN), 7-1

BRONZE: Pavel HLINCHUK (UWW) df. Marat KAMPAROV (UWW), 10-5
BRONZE: Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) df. Beka KANDELAKI (AZE), 3-1

U20 World Championships 2025 Day 7 Highlights

Comments

Kayaalp Breaks European Record with 13th Gold Medal