2026 U17 World Championships

Women's Wrestling Watch at U17 World Championships 2026

Tuesday, July 28, 2026 - 13:22 By Vinay Siwach

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Wrestling Taina FERNANDEZ (USA)

BAKU, Azerbaijan (July 23) -- Wrestlers at the U17 World Championships will take a sigh of relief. China, the top team in Asia at this level, will not take part in the tournament in Baku. With China missing, Japan, India, the United States will be the front-runners for the team title, which was won by India last year the U.S. finishing second and Japan third.

Despite the absence of China, the wrestling in Baku will still be top notch. From individual milestones to team performances, the tournament will have it.

Fernandez Chases Third Gold

Among the top storylines will be that of Taina FERNANDEZ (USA), a two-time world champion at 61kg. She is now at 69kg chasing a third U17 world title, a history-making feat if she wins the gold medal, as she will become the first non-Japanese wrestler to do it.

Only four wrestlers have three U17 world titles, all four being Japanese women -- Masako FURUICHI (JPN) [2011, 2012, 2013], Kika KAGATA (JPN) [2012, 2013, 2014], Yui SUSAKI (JPN) [2014, 2015, 2016] and Honoka NAKAI (JPN) [2017, 2018, 2019].

Fernandez, who is yet to lose an international bout, will be at 69kg in a tough field as she jumps eight kilograms. First up for her will be U17 Asia silver medalist TANIYA (IND). Let the commentators not mispronounce Taina and Taniya.

The bracket also includes U17 European champion Kiymet TEZCAN (TUR), bronze medalists Nino SAMKHARADZE (GEO) and Polina EFIMOVA (RUS), and also Hibiki IIDA (JPN), never counting out a Japanese wrestler.

Battle of 73kg

The weight class was introduced in 2018 and Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) won it. However, that was the last time a Japanese wrestler won the heaviest weight category. Since then, India has won three golds, and China, the U.S. and Russia once each.

The battle for the 73kg gold medal will be an open one in Baku as China is missing and India is betting on U17 champion GARIMA (IND). She will need to step up from her performance at the continental level if she wants the world title that KAJAL (IND) missed in the final last year.

It also has U17 European champion Solomiia PETRIV (UKR), a returning bronze medalist from 69kg. She will be the favorite to win the gold medal with potential rematches from U17 European Championships as silver medalist Bianka BARANY (HUN) and bronze medalists Karina MUZALEVSKAIA (RUS) and Lyra LEDERER (GER) are also entered.

U17 Asian silver medalist Namuuntsetseg BATBOLD (MGL) brings the typical Mongolian game of throws while Kaili MANUEL (USA) will be the dark horse.

Stars Clash at 57kg

The toughest weight class appears to be 57kg which has a few big names who have moved weight classes. Two returning silver medalists, Janka SILLEI (HUN) at 46kg and Epenesa ELISON (USA) from 53kg, are on the same half of the bracket at 57kg.

With Elison moving up only one weight class, she can go all the way but her first bout is against Rion SUZUKI (JPN). Sillei, who won the U17 European at 57kg, blanked everyone at the continental event.

Others at the weight include U17 European silver medalist Mariia POLTORAK (UKR), bronze medalist Marharyta DANILEVICH (BLR) and U17 Pan-Am silver Gurleen DHILLON (CAN).

While they don't have international medals yet, Suzuki, Nikita SEHRAWAT (IND) and Sofiia BELOVA (RUS) should not be counted out of the race.

Team Title Race

The U.S. will be hoping to win it all as a team and it has the wrestlers to do it. Fernandez leads the team that also has two returning medalists and three U17 Pan-Am champs. Elison will hope to change the colour of her medal while returning bronze medalist Madison HEALEY (USA) will be at 46kg.

The U17 Pan-American champions include Sophia VALDEZ (USA) at 40kg, Landri VON GONTEN (USA) at 61kg, and Eve SKROCKI (USA) at 69kg.

Last year, the U.S. fell short by four points to India which captured its first-ever U17 team title in Women's Wrestling. However, this year the team doesn't have the same aura as the one last year, opening the team race.

Despite the absence of some big names in the Japan team, it will be a strong squad. Japan is hosting an inter-high school tournament and many wrestlers have a compulsion to participate in the tournament. So it becomes a little difficult for Japan to go and win it all.

With Russia and Belarus getting team points and Ukraine having a strong squad, the team title race will not be as straight forward as it was last year.

2026 U17 World Championships

Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine Lead the Way into U17 World Championships Finals

Monday, July 27, 2026 - 19:24 By Vinay Siwach

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BAKU, Azerbaijan (July 27) -- Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine were the best performing countries on day one of the U17 World Championships that kicked off with Greco-Roman in Baku, Azerbaijan on Monday.

In the five weight classes that were in action on Monday, the three nations put a two finalists each while Hungary, hosts Azerbaijan, Iran, and the United States had one each.

U17 World Championships 2026

Ali ALMAS (KAZ) was the first wrestler to enter the final when he defeated Ararat AVETISYAN (ARM), 4-1, in the 48kg semifinals. Avetisyan, who finished 13th last year, was hoping to enter his first final at the world level but Almas gave no chance to the Armenian and secured the victory by scoring a turn from par terre.

Almas will now face Soltan IUSUPOV (RUS), who ended the hopes of Omar SALMANOV (AZE) of making the final in front of the home crowd with a 3-1 victory in the semifinal. Iusupov managed to lift Salmanov from par terre in the second period and scored a correct throw on the edge to complete the victory.

Diyar AMANALI (KAZ)Diyar AMANALI (KAZ), blue, reached the 55kg final at the U17 World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Kazakhstan's second finalist came at 55kg after Diyar AMANALI (KAZ) handed Danimir YORDANOV (BUL) a solid 8-1 defeat in the semifinal. Amanali changed the bout in the second period when he scored a takedown and two turns using a trap-arm gut.

Keve KOVACS (HUN) will try to stop Amanali in the final on Tuesday after he defeated Tsimafei SEMIANENKA (BLR), 2-1, in the other 55kg semifinal.

In a one-sided 65kg semifinal, Shamil LABAZANOV (RUS) took only 29 seconds to defeat Vazgen MNATSAKANYAN (ARM), 8-0. He scored a takedown to get the first two points before using the front headlock throw for four points to lead 6-0. He continued the action with another headlock roll and ended the bout with a technical superiority.

Ibrahim NASIBOV (UKR)Ibrahim NASIBOV (UKR), blue, defeated Orkhan HABIBLI (AZE), 4-3, in the 65kg semifinal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Taking on Labazanov for the gold medal at 65kg will be Ibrahim NASIBOV (UKR) who ended the hope of yet another home wrestler, Orkhan HABIBLI (AZE), with a close 4-3 win in the semifinals. Habibli took a 3-1 lead after scoring from par terre but when Nasibov got the position in the second period, he lifted Habibli and transitioned into a gut-wrench to lead 3-3 on last-point criteria. Habibli challenged at the end of the bout but it was lost, adding one more point to Nasibov's score.

 

Iran had a rather humbling first day with just one final. But the one finalist, Alireza REZAEI (IRI), took out the best at 80kg to reach the final. Rezaei denied defending world champion Abdulaziz KHOLMIRZAEV (UZB) a repeat after a 5-1 victory in the semifinals.

Kholmirzaev got the par terre first but did not score and then gave up a throw when Rezaei got par terre in the second period. Down 3-1, Kholmirzaev tried some desperate attacks and was close to scoring a takedown in the final 20 seconds but Rezaei defended his cartwheeling attempt and scored exposure points late in the match to win.

Rezaei will now face Isfahan HASANOV (AZE), who made sure Azerbaijan had at least one finalist at home on the opening day. Hasanov used a correct throw from par terre to get two points on Benediktas BUBELEVICIUS (LTU) and lead 3-0 before the Lithuanian scored a stepout in the same sequence to cut it to 3-1.

Bubelevicius, who got par terre in the second period, could not change the 3-2 score and as the match neared the end, he challenged for finger blocking from Hasanov which was denied, adding one more point to the Azerbaijan wrestler's score.

Bruno PALLONE (USA)Bruno PALLONE (USA) counters Andrej SIMIC (SRB) for four points during the 110kg semifinals. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

A U.S. vs Ukraine final is set at 110kg after two contrasting semifinals. Bruno PALLONE (USA) took on Andrej SIMIC (SRB) in the semifinal and scored a counter four-point throw to lead 6-2. Simic and Pallone went back-and-forth in second period but the latter always had control of the lead. He used a half-nelson to secure the fall while leading 12-5.

Tymofii PRYKHODKO (UKR) denied U17 European champion Fedor SUKHAREV (RUS) a chance to win a world title after winning 1-1 in the other semifinal, thanks to the first-point criteria when the match ends 1-1 and both points are scored for passivity.

Photo

RESULTS

48kg
SF 1: Soltan IUSUPOV (RUS) df. Omar SALMANOV (AZE), 3-1
SF 2: Ali ALMAS (KAZ) df. Ararat AVETISYAN (ARM), 4-1

55kg
SF 1: Diyar AMANALI (KAZ) df. Danimir YORDANOV (BUL), 8-1
SF 2: Keve KOVACS (HUN) df. Tsimafei SEMIANENKA (BLR), 2-1

65kg
SF 1: Shamil LABAZANOV (RUS) df. Vazgen MNATSAKANYAN (ARM), 8-0
SF 2: Ibrahim NASIBOV (UKR) df. Orkhan HABIBLI (AZE), 4-3

80kg
SF 1: Alireza REZAEI (IRI) df. Abdulaziz KHOLMIRZAEV (UZB), 5-1
SF 2: Isfahan HASANOV (AZE) df. Benediktas BUBELEVICIUS (LTU), 4-2

110kg
SF 1: Bruno PALLONE (USA) df. Andrej SIMIC (SRB), via fall (12-5)
SF 2: Tymofii PRYKHODKO (UKR) df. Fedor SUKHAREV (RUS), 1-1