U23 World Championships 2024: Best storylines in Tirana

Monday, October 14, 2024 - 11:45 By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (October 14) -- The U23 World Championships will kick off in Tirana next Monday with 661 wrestlers participating. Not only some returning champions are entered, but a few Paris 2024 Olympic wrestlers are also participating in the October 21-27 tournament.

Iran, which missed the tournament last year, will hopefully be there for the U23 World Championships.

Here are a few top storylines to follow from Tirana

Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) is one of the favorites at 74kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Freestyle

- The 61kg defending champion Bashir MAGOMEDOV (AIN) will be the favorite for the gold medal. After winning the gold medal last year, Magomedov won the U23 European Championships this year. In the seven bouts in the two tournaments, Magomedov has won five bouts via technical superiorities.

- Another returning champion is Ibragim IBRAGIMOV (AIN), defending his 65kg gold medal. Last year, Ibragimov gave up only one point in the tournament over five bouts. He is likely to dominate this year too. However, former U20 world champion Mohit KUMAR (IND) will look to avenge the semifinal loss to Ibragimov. Kumar failed to medal and finished fifth.

Another U20 world champion coming to Tirana is Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB). After winning the gold medal in Sofia in 2022, Jalolov is still trying to return to the top. He also suffered a back injury and recovery has been a tough road for him. He tried qualifying for the Paris Olympics but failed to do so. Bilol SHARIP UULU (KGZ) and Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) will be in the medal run as well.

- Perhaps the most competitive category, the 74kg weight class will see Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE), Ali REZAEI (IRI), Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN), Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ) and Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) among other stars. The last three U20 world champions are entered. Gadzhiev won the U20 gold in 2022, Mesenbrink in 2023 and Rezaei in 2024. Takahashi is the senior Asian champion and Toktomabetov is the U23 Asian champion.

- Unbeaten at the international level Ibragim KADIEV (AIN) will start as the favorite win the gold medal at 86kg. Kadiev has two U20 world titles, including the 2024 edition. Former U20 world champion Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) will be hoping for a successful run at the U23 level. Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO), who won bronze last year and participated in the Paris Olympics is competing as well.

- Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) will be in Albania for his third U23 World Championships. He won bronze in 2021 and gold in 2022. He will be the favorite for the gold with Mustafagadzhi MALACHDIBIROV (AIN) offering competition. Malachdibirov won the gold medal at the U20 World Championships this year.

- 92kg world champion Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) continues his successful run at 97kg and will be competing for the U23 world title. He won the U20 World Championships gold in September and this will be his second U23 World Championships, having finishing fifth in 2022.

Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR), a former world silver medalist, will be returning to international after more than a year. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

Women's Wrestling

- Defending champion at 50kg Umi ITO (JPN) will be in action after one year. Ito has been behind Yui SUSAKI (JPN) and Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) domestically but has been a force at the international level. She is yet to lose a bout and has won U17, U20 and U23 world titles.

- The return of Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) will be a big news in Tirana. She last competed at the European Championships in 2023 and finished second. However, she has been nursing an injury for the last one year. She competed at the Valamar Cup and won the gold medal. But she will be test in Tirana as Paris Olympian and European champion Emma MALMGREN (SWE) is also competing.

- Irina RINGACI (MDA) will look to defend the gold medal at 65kg. She will also look to put her disappointing campaign at the Paris Olympics where she finished 10th. This will be her fourth U23 World Championships, the first being in 2019. She has two bronze medals and one gold medal.

- Ami ISHII (JPN) will be hoping to win her second career world title. She won the U20 gold in 2022 but finished second at the senior level. She won the Paris Olympic quota for Japan but failed to win the playoff in Japan as Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) beat her. She will be competing at 68kg.

- Croatia's first-ever world champion in wrestling, Veronika VILK (CRO) will be competing at her first U23 World Championships. Volk created history in 2023 when she won the U17 World Championships gold medal, becoming first wrestling world champion in Croatian history.

Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) defeated Riza KAYAALP (TUR) in June. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Greco-Roman

- The only Paris Olympic medalist competing in Tirana is Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN). The bronze medalist at 87kg will be in Tirana hoping to win his first world title at any level. He will be in a strong field with U23 world champion at 82kg Aues GONIBOV (AIN) moving up to 87kg. Former U20 world champion Vigen NAZARYAN (ARM), Joju SAMADOV (AZE), Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO), Yasin Ali YAZDI (IRI), Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) and Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) also competing.

- The 130kg weight class may throw some interesting competition. Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI), who defeated Riza KAYAALP (TUR) in Budapest in June, will be the favorite to win the gold medal. However, Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR), who defeated Hedayati in the 2022 U20 World Championships final, is also competing. Last year, Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN) won the gold medal at 97kg but is moving up to 130kg, a weight class he won a Paris Olympic quota as well. Muhammet BAKIR (TUR) will also be a big medal threat.

#WrestleTirana

U23 Euros: Yakushenko grabs 97kg gold; Georgia wins GR team title

Friday, March 14, 2025 - 21:27 By United World Wrestling Press

TIRANA, Albania (March 14) -- Ukraine was out of the top five in Greco-Roman team rankings before the 97kg gold medal bout Friday at the U23 World Chamionships. But Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) made sure that Ukraine improves, he helped it climb to number two spot.

Yakushenko won the 97kg gold medal after beating Richard KARELSON (EST) 4-1 in the final to take Ukraine's tally to 99 points, more than third-placed Turkiye (98 points), Azerbaijan (91 points) and Moldova (85 points).

Georgia won the team title, its fifth at the U23 European Championships in 10 editions, with 133 points. It won two golds, one silver and three bronze medals.

Yakushenko, who won his third consecutive gold internationally, would be proud of his campaign in Tirana, Albania as he gave no chance to his opponents in four bouts.

His four victories included one over former world U20 champion and Paris Olympian Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (UWW) in the first bout. He defeated the senior European bronze medalist 7-3.

In the final, Yakushenko denied Karelson a piece of history. Karelson was hoping to became the first Estonian to win the U23 European gold in Greco, adding to his historic U20 European gold from 2022.

Karelson got the first par terre advantage however Yakushenko calmly defended the position. When he got the chance in the second period, Yakushenko turned Karelson to lead 3-1. He lifted Karelson, hoping for a throw but managed only a out-of-bounds for one point to make it 4-1.

That was enough for Yakushenko to win the gold medal, adding to his collection of U20 world and European golds from last year. Karelson, too, would take some confidence with his campaign despite the loss in the final as the silver medal was his first in three years of international competitions.

Georgia won two gold medals Friday to reach the top of the podium. Dimitri KHACHIDZE (GEO) and Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) won the 60kg and 67kg finals respectively to add to Georgia's tally.

Khachidze gave no chance to Melkamu FETENE (ISR) in the 60kg final and needed only 50 seconds to win 9-0. He launched an arm throw for four before using an arm-drag to take control and launch another four-point throw. Fetene challenged but in vain.

The gold medal an improvement for Khachidze who finished fifth last year while Fetene was a silver medalist. With another silver, Fetene now has five age-group European medals, none of them gold.

Khozrevanidze needed a successful challenge to keep his lead in the 67kg final against Hleb MAKARANKA (UWW). After taking a 3-1 lead by turning Makaranka from par terre, Khozrevanidze was docked two points for offensive head-butting but he challenged the decision and on review, there was no foul.

The successful challenge restored Khozrevanidze's 3-1 lead which he held for the remaining one minute to win, completing the set of U17, U20 and U23 European golds for the 20-year-old.

At 82kg, Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) also completed his set of age-group European medals with gold after beating Gamzat GADZHIEV (UWW), 3-1, in the final.

The world U17 champion and world U20 silver medalist had a lacklusture 2024, winning only a silver medal [U20 European Championships] in five competitions. But he began 2025 with bronze at the Zagreb Open and now added a gold medal.

After both wrestlers had had their par terre positions, Solovei led 1-1 on criteria. But Gadzhiev was called passive again and put in par terre. As the third passivity in the match doesn't offer any points, Solovei, who led the bout, scored a turn to steer clear with a 3-1 lead.

It was too much for Gadzhiev to cover and Solovei was happy to pocket the gold medal, a huge confidence booster before steps on the mat at 77kg in Bratislava, Slovakia for the senior European Championships in second week of April. He was chosen ahead of Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) who has shown slump in his form. Gutu won the 77kg bronze medal in Tirana.

Returning bronze medalist at 72kg Ruslan NURULLAYEV (AZE) climbed to the top of the podium this year after he defeated Danil GRIGOREV (UWW), 3-2, in the gold-medal bout.

Nurullayev, a former world U23 medalist, scored a turn from par terre and before giving up a stepout but held on to his 3-2 to lead to win gold for Azerbaijan.

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Dimitri KHACHIDZE (GEO) df. Melkamu FETENE (ISR), 9-0

BRONZE: Papik DZHAVADIAN (UWW) df. Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM), 9-3
BRONZE: Mert ILBARS (TUR) df. Bohdan HRYSHYN (UKR), 5-0

67kg
GOLD: Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) df. Hleb MAKARANKA (UWW), 3-1

BRONZE: Daniial AGAEV (UWW) df. Bredi SLINKERS (NED), 9-0
BRONZE: Azat SARIYAR (TUR) df. Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL), 5-2

72kg
GOLD: Ruslan NURULLAYEV (AZE) df. Danil GRIGOREV (UWW), 3-2

BRONZE: Oleh KHALILOV (UKR) df. Rokas CEPAUSKAS (LTU), 5-1
BRONZE: Arionas KOLITSOPOULOS (GRE) df. Vasile ZABICA (MDA), 7-2

82kg
GOLD: Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) df. Gamzat GADZHIEV (UWW), 3-1

BRONZE: Jonni SARKKINEN (FIN) df. Elmin ALIYEV (AZE), 4-1
BRONZE: Frederik MATHIESEN (DEN) df. Data CHKHAIDZE (GEO), 12-4

97kg
GOLD: Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) df. Richard KARELSON (EST), 4-1

BRONZE: Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (UWW) df. Muhittin HELVACI (TUR), via fall (7-0)
BRONZE: Luka GABISONIA (GEO) df. Luka KATIC (SRB), 9-0

U23 World Championships 2024: Best storylines in Tirana

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U23 Euros: Yakushenko grabs 97kg gold; Georgia wins GR team title