#WrestleBelgrade

WATCH: 10 women's wrestling finals from World Championships

Wednesday, September 28, 2022 - 09:14 By Vinay Siwach

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 28) -- The women's competition was dominated by two nations as they competed for the team title. Japan and the USA went toe-to-toe for the title but ultimately it was Japan that claimed the top honors. Japan won five gold medals the USA won three. Moldova and Turkey won one each.

Watch all the 10 gold medals bouts from the World Championships here.

GOLD: 50kg - Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL) vs. Yui SUSAKI (JPN)

GOLD: 53kg - Khulan BATKHUYAG (MGL) vs. Dominique PARRISH (USA)

GOLD: 55kg - Mayu SHIDOCHI (JPN) vs. Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR)

GOLD: 57kg - Helen MAROULIS (USA) vs. Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN)

GOLD: 59kg - Grace BULLEN (NOR) vs. Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)

GOLD: 62kg - Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) vs. Kayla MIRACLE (USA)

GOLD: 65kg - Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) vs. Jia LONG (CHN)

GOLD: 68kg - Ami ISHII (JPN) vs. Tamyra MENSAH STOCK (USA)

GOLD: 72kg - Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) vs. Amit ELOR (USA)

GOLD: 76kg - Yasemin ADAR (TUR) vs. Samar HAMZA (EGY)

Habibi, Iran's first Olympic champion, dies aged 94

Monday, August 25, 2025 - 09:42 By United World Wrestling Press

TEHRAN, Iran (August 24) -- Emamali HABIBI (IRI), Iran's first-ever Olympic gold medalist and United World Wrestling Hall of Fame member, passed away Sunday aged 94.

Habibi was born Babol in 1931 and won the first Olympic gold medal for Iran in 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. Facing Alimbeg BESTAEV in the final round to decide the gold medalist, Habibi secured a fall in the 67kg final and etched his name in history, became first Olympic champion for Iran.

It was a rare feat in those times as he had never wrestled at an international event before the Olympics. He would make his World Championships debut in 1959, winning gold medal at 73kg. He defended his title in 1961 and added a third gold medal in 1962 at 78kg.

Emamali HABIBI (IRI) with his World Championships gold medal.

He participated in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome at 73kg and finished fourth. Habibi also has a gold medal at the 1958 Asian Games, held in Tokyo, Japan.

Habibi's legacy also includes his diverse wrestling techniques and speed on the mat which allowed him to win bouts with domination. He is widely considered one of the greatest freestyle wrestlers of his times. He was included in the UWW Hall of Fame in 2007 for his contribution to wrestling.

UWW offers its condolences to Iran Wrestling Federation and the Habibi family.