Ukraine, U.S. Take Early Lead in Women's Wrestling at U17 Worlds

Wednesday, July 29, 2026 - 14:03 By Vinay Siwach

BAKU, Azerbaijan (July 29) -- Ukraine and the United States took early lead in Women's Wrestling at the U17 World Championships after two finalists each. The two countries will clash for the gold medal at 73kg while the U.S. had another finalist at 57kg and Ukraine at 43kg.

The head-to-head clash will come at 73kg after Solomiia PETRIV (UKR) and Kaili MANUEL (USA) made it to the final.

In the semifinals, Petriv once again got the better of Bianka BARANY (HUN) as she had defeated the Hungarian in the U17 European Championships final as well. Opening the bout with a headlock throw for two points, Petriv led 4-1 at the break, thanks to a slide-by to takedown.

Petriv went on to score two more takedown in the second period to complete an 8-1 win over Barany and has already upgraded her bronze from last year.

To win the gold medal on Thursday, Petriv will need to go past Manuel who held on to a 7-5 win against U17 Asian champion GARIMA (IND) in the other semifinal. Manuel was lifting Garima and dropping her outside the zone to score her stepouts.

She began with on and then Garima was put on the activity clock. Garima went for the leg attack but Manuel pancaked her and scored two point. A point for activity and turn made her lead 6-0. Garima gave up another stepout to add another point to Manuel's score.

There was still some fight left in Garima as she cut the lead to 7-3 but wasted time while trying to finish a leg-attack. With 10 seconds left, she got another takedown but failed to turn Manuel which would have given her a criteria win.

The second finalist for the U.S. was returning silver medalist Epenesa ELISON (USA) who is a win away from winning her first U17 world title and will take on Nikita SEHRAWAT (IND) on Thursday.

In contrasting semifinals at 57kg, Elison secured a 30-second fall over Gurleen DHILLON (CAN) while Sehrawat had to work har for her 6-2 win over Mariia POLTORAK (UKR).

Sehrawat lead 1-0 after an activity clock point and was put on the clock in the second period. During that 30-second period, she scored exposure and Poltorak also got exposure points. Sehrawat ended up on top as a reversal and led 4-2. She used her strength to keep Poltorak down in the final 30 seconds and managed a takedown as well.

Ukraine's second finalist was Olena KOLUBAI (UKR) who stormed to the 49kg gold-medal bout with a 10-0 technical superiority win over Ayanat MEINAMBAY (KAZ). After scoring a takedown, Kolubai used a gut-wrench for four turns.

She will now face Saika UCHIDA (JPN) who used a leg attack to bring Kamna BABAL (IND) to her back and then held her for a first-period fall. Uchida will has the chance to win the gold medal, a feat that will take her closer to her senior Asian champion Sowaka, who won the U17 world title twice -- 2022 and 2023.

At 43kg, Finja STRAUCH (GER) will look to become Germany's first-ever U17 world champion in 12 years after reaching the final. She picked up a fall over Daria MASLENNIKOVA (RUS) in the semifinal after building an 8-0 lead.

She will now take on Mukhlisa MASHARIPOVA (UZB), just the third Uzbekistan wrestler to reach U17 world final. She needed a counter cradle to win her semifinal against Maya NAICKER (CAN), 6-2.

The 65kg final will be between Aisha ABDIMALIK (KAZ) and Ariunzul BOLDBAATAR (MGL) as the two won the semifinals overpowering their European opponents.

Boldbaatar, the U17 Asian bronze medalist, was rather crafty with her attacks. She cartwheeled once and then used a headlock throw as well. More than takedown, it was exposure points that helped her beat Palina BRAHINETS (BLR), 7-1.

Abdimalik kept it simple, scoring counter takedowns against Vasiliki KARAVANOU (GRE) and building her lead before sealing the semifinal, 8-1.

RESULTS

43kg
SF 1: Finja STRAUCH (GER) df. Daria MASLENNIKOVA (RUS), via fall
SF 2: Mukhlisa MASHARIPOVA (UZB) df. Maya NAICKER (CAN), 6-2

49kg
SF 1: Olena KOLUBAI (UKR) df. Ayanat MEINAMBAY (KAZ), 10-0
SF 2: Saika UCHIDA (JPN) df. Kamna BABAL (IND), via fall

57kg
SF 1: Nikita SEHRAWAT (IND) df. Mariia POLTORAK (UKR), 6-2
SF 2: Epenesa ELISON (USA) df. Gurleen DHILLON (CAN), via fall

65kg
SF 1: Ariunzul BOLDBAATAR (MGL) df. Palina BRAHINETS (BLR), 7-1
SF 2: Aisha ABDIMALIK (KAZ) df. Vasiliki KARAVANOU (GRE), 8-1

73kg
SF 1: Kaili MANUEL (USA) df. GARIMA (IND), 7-5
SF 2: Solomiia PETRIV (UKR) df. Bianka BARANY (HUN), 8-1

Austria Develops Wrestling Future at UWW Performance Centre A.C. Wals

Wednesday, June 17, 2026 - 08:50 By Jörg Richter

WALS-SIEZENHEIM, Austria (June 16) -- Anyone in Wals-Siezenheim, Austria, looking for the local wrestling centre is directed towards the fire station. Standing in front of it, you look up at the tall tower where the hoses are hung up to dry after call-outs, and at the garages housing the emergency vehicles. But the floor above the firefighters belongs to the wrestlers.

The training centre of wrestling champions A.C. Wals was inaugurated in 1994, completely renovated in 2022 and, a year later, declared the sixth United World Wrestling training centre worldwide by UWW President Nenad LALOVIC.

The former mayor of Wals-Siezenheim, Ludwig BIERINGER, visits the training centre almost daily and can recount stories about the development of the wrestling venue, as well as the sporting stronghold of Wals-Siezenheim, home to the Red Bull family.

His words, "if, by building the wrestling centre, we manage to keep even one young person away from drugs, then this investment will have been worth it,” are likely to hold just as much significance today as they did 32 years ago, when the training hall was completed.

h In Austria, wrestlers are battling against the dominance of winter sports; whilst every child knows the ski jumpers, downhill and slalom skiers, wrestlers have to work incredibly hard to also make it into the spotlight of the mainstream media.

In Toni MARCHL, the Austrian Wrestling Federation has a dedicated and passionate leader who has given himself fully to the growth of the sport. His extensive network spans business, politics, and the highest levels of international sport, including UWW European Council President Karl Martin Dittmann and UWW President Lalovic, with whom he has built a strong and trusted relationship.

AC Wals Fitness centre at A.C. Wals. (Photo: Austrian National Wrestling Centre)

Back to the training centre in Wals, which was designated a UWW higperformance centre in 2022, wrestlers from all over the world now come together to train. This naturally also benefits the ORSV wrestlers, who can now train alongside the world’s best on a selective basis – and do so at home, on their own mats. What’s more, thanks to the efforts of ORSV wrestlers can now be found in positions supported by the sports programme within the army, as well as in the police, judiciary and customs services.

A small boarding school accommodates male and female athletes from all over Austria who combine school, vocational training or work with the demands of competitive sport in Wals-Siezenheim, whilst also travelling there on an ad hoc basis for centralised training sessions.

A large team of coaches has also been established to pass on their experience to the wrestlers. Georg MARCHL (Freestyle), Jeno BODI and Amer HRUSTANOVIC (Greco-Roman), and Elena PITTL (Women's Wrestling) lead a well-trained and dedicated team of coaches, supported and supervised by sports director Benedikt ERNST, and trained in collaboration with former German heavyweight wrestler Sven THIELE. The medical sector is also well-equipped in Wals-Siezenheim, with physiotherapy and sports medicine staff.

AC Wals A.C. Wals

The UWW Performance Centre is having an impact on the larger Austrian clubs and federations, which are following its example in developing talent under ever-improving conditions, so that an ever-stronger elite is emerging from the existing base. But no champion falls from the sky, no talent becomes a world champion overnight; everything takes time.

The ORSV is firmly committed to the long-term development of its athletes, investing in homegrown talent and building a sustainable future for Austrian wrestling. This philosophy is reflected in the growth of wrestlers such as Markus RAGGINER, Daniel GASTL, Simon MARCHL, Benjamin GREIL, Johannes LUDESCHER, Aker ACHMIDT and, last but not least, 10-time international medallist Martina KUENZ.

Projects like the UWW Performance Centre in Wals-Siezenheim represent exactly the kind of investment that nurtures the next generation, creates lasting foundations for the sport, and ensures that Austria's wrestling future is built from within.

- by Jorg RITCHER, Ringsport Magazine

Ukraine, U.S. Take Early Lead in Women's Wrestling at U17 Worlds

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Austria Develops Wrestling Future at UWW Performance Centre A.C. Wals