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UWW President Lalovic elected ASOIF Vice-President

Friday, July 11, 2025 - 13:22 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (July 11) — United World Wrestling President Nenad LALOVIC has been elected as the Vice-President of Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF).

Lalovic, a member of the International Olympic Committee [IOC] since 2015, has been a member of Summer Olympic International Federation (IF) representative to the IOC Executive Board in 2022. He is also a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency Executive Committee.

“I am honored to be elected by my peers to the position of Vice President of ASOIF,” Lalovic said. “I take great pride in representing the Summer International Federations and in contributing to their future well-being. In an ever-evolving sporting landscape, it is essential that we strike the right balance between honoring tradition and embracing innovation. I look forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure that our federations continue to thrive and lead with purpose.”

Earlier in June, Lalovic was re-elected as Council member of ASOIF at its 49th General Assembly convened on June 11 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

“We had a very constructive meeting and I look forward to working closely with my Council colleagues to represent the interests of our member federations and help strengthen the Olympic Movement and sports at large. I’d also like to warmly congratulate Nenad Lalovic on his election as ASOIF Vice President, following his re-election as Council member during our recent General Assembly,” ASOIF President Ingmar DE VOS said.

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UWW Breakout Wrestlers of 2025: Hidlay, Farokhi, Onishi

Monday, December 15, 2025 - 12:24 By Eric Olanowski

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 14) -- The 2025 Breakout Wrestlers of the Year were not the ones anyone circled heading into the season. They weren’t the favorites, or the ones analysts picked to walk away from the season as world medalists.

They were the outsiders, largely unproven and underestimated. But that all changed in a single season when they smashed expectations, catapulting themselves into world-wide stardom with world-title runs that nobody saw coming.

Freestyle Breakout Performer of the Year: Trent HIDLAY (USA)

Before 2025, Hidlay had never climbed to the top of a podium at an international event. His  2025 season even began with more doubt than promise, dropping his second match of the year to rising Azeri phenom Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) at the Zagreb Open. But that loss lit a fuse. From that moment on, the 26-year-old didn’t just improve -- he transformed.

Hidlay unleashed a stunning 13-match win streak and collected gold medals at the Pan-American Championships, the Budapest Ranking Series and the World Championships. Along the way, he knocked off giants -- Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE), Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), and Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), just to name a few.

Then came the finale: a world finals comeback for the ages. Down and all but finished, Hidlay stormed back to defeat Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW). In one year, Hidlay didn’t just win -- he arrived.

Greco-Roman Breakout Performer of the Year: Gholemreza FAROKHI (IRI)

When opportunity knocked, Farokhi wasn’t just there to answer it, he was there to kick the door off its hinges. The 23-year-old stepped into Iran’s senior lineup for the first time in his career and tore through anyone in front of him -- whether it was at 82kg or 87kg.

Farokhi bulldozed his way to gold medals at the two World Championships he participated in. He racked up a perfect 17-0 record, including 11 technical superiority wins and six decisions, sweeping gold at the World Championships, U23 World Championships, the Islamic Solidarity Games, and the Zagreb Open Ranking Series.

Women’s Wrestling Breakout Performer of the Year: Sakura ONISHI (JPN)

At 19 years old, Onishi entered the senior circuit with massive goals but had zero experience and zero fear. In mere months, she became a problem no one had an answer for.

Onishi tore through the season with a flawless 15-0 record, capturing titles at the Senior and U20 World Championships, the Asian Championships, and the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series. Her dominance wasn’t subtle -- it was exactly what you’d expect from a Japanese women’s wrestler -- 11 tech falls, three pins, and a decision, outscoring opponents 158-17.