#WrestleZagreb

World Championships 2025 Day 8: GR 63kg, 67kg, 87kg Highlights

By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 20) -- The World Championships are close to its end with the final full day of action on Saturday. Three packed weight classes -- 63kg, 67kg and 87kg -- go on the mat.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 7 RESULTS

67kg semifinals
SF 1: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) vs Daniial AGAEV (UWW)
SF 2: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) vs. Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ)

14:28: Daniial AGAEV (UWW) ends the bid of former Olympic champion Luis ORTA (CUB) for a second world title when he gets a 2-point lift and dump from par terre -- after being given more than ample time to complete the move -- in the second period for a 4-2 win at 67kg. Agaev will face Esmaeili for a place in the final.

14:27: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) completes a correct throw from par terre which gives him a 4-3 lead and ultimately the victory over Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM) in the 67kg quarterfinals. Galstyan threaten to upset the world silver and Olympic bronze medalist as he turned him when he got the par terre. However, Jafarov scored a stepout to make it 3-1 at the break.

14:23: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) remains on fire, chalking up his third straight victory by technical superiority without giving up a point as he annihilates Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR) 8-0 at 67kg. Esmaeili comes out of the blocks with quick 4-point arm throw. Set up in par terre, he then executes a roll, then charges Joergensen out for a stepout. The final point was awarded on challenge, ending the match at 1:54.

14:21: Host Croatia's quest for a world finalist ends as Dominik ETLINGER (CRO) drops his quarterfinal at 67kg 10-0 to Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) who absolutely manhandled Etlinger. A reverse lift throw for four and suplex for four in his win.

63kg semifinals
SF 1: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) vs. Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI)
SF 2: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) vs. Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA)

14:15: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) puts Moldova in the semifinals with a 3-1 victory over Azatjan ACHILOV (TKM) at 63kg. A two-point turn from par terre is difference between the two wrestlers.

14:14: Seven years after winning his lone world title, Sergey EMELIN (UWW) sees his quest end in Zagreb due to the newest rule change in the sport, as three-time Asian medalist Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) gains the first of two passivity points to win 1-1 on "first-point" criteria and advance to the 63kg semifinals.

14:13: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB), the world U20 and senior Asian champion, reaches the semifinals at 63kg with an 8-0 technical superiority win over Yerzhet ZHARLYKASSYN (KAZ). Unreal forward pressure from Khalmakhanov.

14:10: Asian silver medalist Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI) continued his quest for a world gold with a comprehensive 8-0 win over Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) to make the 63kg semifinals. Keshtkar powers Mammadov down for a takedown, then unleashes a 2-point throw, which gets a 2-point foul attached. That puts Keshtkar on top of par terre, and he takes advantage with another 2-point throw to end the match at 2:07.

87kg Semifinals
SF 1: David LOSONCZI (HUN) vs. Alireza MOHAMADI (IRI)
SF 2: Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) vs. Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW)

14:02: Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW) somehow manages to defend against a throw from par terre by Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) even after being lifted in the air, landing on top for two points, which are awarded on challenge. Alirzaev then puts the match away when he goes on top in par terre in the second period, scoring two rolls for a 7-1 victory and a place in the 87kg semifinals.

14:02: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) got the first priority Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) but he fails to score any points from par terre and leads 1-0 at the break. Mohmadi gets the two points from par terre and a stepout to lead 4-1. Zhanyshov cannot break the defense of Mohamadi who wins with that scoreline.

1401: Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR) gets the par terre and a stepout to lead David LOSONCZI (HUN) 2-0 at the break. In the second period, Losonczi trips to grip Filchakov who is cautioned for fleeing and the bouts restarts in par terre. Losonczi with a four-pointer to lead 6-2. He defends that lead to enter the semifinals at 87kg.

14:00: Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) gets the first of the two passivity points awarded, and that makes the difference in a 1-1 victory over Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) that puts him into the 87kg semifinals later today.

Quarterfinals begin at the same time.

13:34: Gagik SNJOYAN (FRA) turns Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM) from par terre to take a 3-0 lead in the first period but the Armenian unleashes a strong gut-wrench in the second period and scores four turns for eight points to lead 9-3 and win the bout at 67kg.

13:30: Former European champion Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) manages to turn Aref MOHAMMADI (QAT) just enough to get the two points from par terre to lead 3-1. Qatar challenges against the scoring but that is lost and Eriomenco wins 4-1 at 63kg.

13:28: Host Croatia's long-shot hopes of winning a gold medal remained alive when Dominik ETLINGER (CRO) scored all of his points in the second period to knock off No. 2 seed Valentin PETIC (MDA) 7-4 at 67kg. Etlinger reeled of two rolls from par terre, then twice stopped throw attempts for 2-point counters. Of concern is that Etlinger was holding his left arm after the match, indicating a possible injury.

13:22: Luis ORTA (CUB) into the 67kg quarterfinals with a 1-1 victory over Murat FIRAT (TUR) as he gets the criteria according to the new Greco-Roman rules which gives the victory to the first scorer if the bout ends 1-1. As has become the norm, Turkiye challenge after the match which changes the score to 2-1 but Orta remains the winner.

13:13: A clutch takedown from Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) in the final 8 seconds as he upsets European champion Kerem KAMAL (TUR), 5-3. Kamal was leading 3-3 on criteria after both score two-point turns from their par terre position. However, Mammadov managed to find an opening in the final moments to hand Kamal his first loss of this year when he would have least liked it.

13:12: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) finishes off a victory over Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (AUS) with a spectacular 5-point throw to earn a spot in the 67kg quarterfinals. Put on top in par terre, Jafarov gets two points for a penalty when Shimoyamada blocks his throat while in the air. Australia challenges, but is unsuccessful, putting Jafarov up 4-0. It also puts Shimoyamada, the former Japan national champ, on bottom again, and he is helpless to stop Jafarov's big throw.

13:08: Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW) was sailing to  victory with a 5-0 lead over Damian VON EUW (SUI) but the Swiss wrestler slammed him for four to make it interesting in the last minute but Alirzaev with a reversal and he wins 6-4 at 87kg.

13:05: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) continues his devastating form, easily putting away Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB) 8-0 to advance to the 67kg quarterfinals. Esmaeli gets a roll from par terre, then picks up a takedown to go ahead 5-0 at the break. Another takedown followed by a stepout ends the match at 4:05.

13:01: Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI) keeps the winning streak of Iran going after beating Baosheng HUANG (CHN), 2-1, at 63kg.

12:57: Veteran Sergey EMELIN (UWW) uses a reverse head lock from standing to slam Karen ASLANYAN (ARM) to mat for 4 in the second period, paving the way for a 7-3 victory at 63kg that ends testily. Emelin's final points came on a 2-point penalty, and Aslanyan had some words for Emelin, although they ended up with a final hug as they exited the mat.

12:56: World U20 and Asian senior champion Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) gets a roll and exposure from par terre in the first period and he's through to the 63kg quarterfinals with a 5-1 victory over two-time European medalist Oleksandr HRUSHYN (UKR).

12:50: Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN), Paris Olympic bronze medalist, gets both par terre positions in his match against Szymon SZYMONOWICZ (POL) and he adds a stepout plus a correct throw to win 5-0 and advance to the 87kg quarterfinals.

12:42: Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) gives up the first passivity point to Payton JACOBSON (USA) at 87kg, but does not allow a turn in par terre. When his chance comes in the second period, Komarov takes advantage and gut wrenches Jacobson over. An unsuccessful challenge for who-knows-what gives Komarov another point, and he gains a late stepout to win 5-1.

12:40: European champion David LOSONCZI (HUN) uses his early 4-0 lead as a cushion to beat local favorite Ivan HUKLEK (CRO) 4-3 at 87kg. He scored a turn from par terre and stepout to get the 4-0 lead before defending that in the second period.

12:34: Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) gets the roll in par terre against Vigen NAZARYAN (ARM) in the first period of their 87kg clash, then holds steady in the bottom in the second period. That puts last year's world U20 champion into the quarterfinals with a 3-1 win.

12:25: Paris Olympic and 2023 world silver medalist Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) trails 3-1 going into the second period against Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL). But he rectifies the situation quickly, getting behind and then launching a beautiful 4-point throw. Mohmadi gets a chance at par terre and repeats the 4-pointer. Another throw is not executed as well, but gives him a 1-point stepout and an 11-3 win and a spot in the 87kg quarterfinals.

12:15: Asian silver medalist Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) sticks Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) to his back off the whistle for a 4-point takedown at 67kg. As he works for a fall, Beishekeev stands up and slams Sogabe down for a 4-point throw, ending the match 8-0 in 1:30. That avenged a loss by fall to Sogabe in the first round at the 2023 Asian Championships, where Sogabe took the silver.

12:14: Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (AUS), a former Asian champion who has made the rare move for a Japanese of changing his national affiliation to Australia, shows he's still got it. The 30-year-old takes Gjete PRENGA (ALB) down to his back for 4, then sends him flying for a 4-point throw to win their 67kg clash 8-0 in 39 seconds.

12:10: European champion and Olympic bronze medalist Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) is taken into the second period by Neiser MARIMON HIDALGO (VEN) at 67kg, albeit with a 3-0 lead, but ducks under for a takedown, then launches a slick 4- point throw for a 9-0 win in 3:52.

12:07: Luis ORTA (CUB), after a four-pointer, gets the par terre and two turns to win Maksym LIU (UKR) to win 9-0. Ukraine corner challenges asking for the last turn to be cancelled but it is valid and the challenge is lost, giving another point to Orta.

12:03: Daniial AGAEV (UWW), a 2024 world U23 bronze medalist,  has a 2-point throw after a takedown annulled on challenge, but comes back in par terre with a trap-arm roll for a 5-0 lead over European bronze medalist Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO) at 67kg. In the second period, Khetsuriani charges to a stepout. then gets a chance at par terre. but Agaev resists, and he walks off a 5-2 winner.

11:51: Paris Olympic 67kg champion Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI), who added a second straight Asian title earlier this year and is aiming for his first senior world title, has a challenging opening match in former world champion Sebastian NAD (SRB). Esmaeili scores first by successfully challenging for a singlet-grabbing foul, then muscles Nad down for a takedown. A passivity point gives him a 5-0 lead at the break. In the second period, Esmaeili spins behind for a takedown, then quickly gut wrenches for a 9-0 win.

11:35: Former world champion Leri ABULADZE (GEO) drops his opening bout to Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Sergey EMELIN (UWW), 1-1, on the basis of first-point criteria.

11:27: Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW) with a controlled 4-0 victory over Jianwen LUO (CHN) at 87kg. A position in par terre, a turn for two points and a stepout in his win.

11:21: Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ), world U20 champion in 2024, lifts Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) from par terre for a fine suplex for four points. Gobadze is cautioned for two points for a leg foul and the bout restarts in par terre. Yevloyev with a correct throw to finish the bout 9-1

11:17: Vigen NAZARYAN (ARM) held off an aggressive Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) in the final minute to win 1-1 at 87kg. Nazaryan got the first-point criteria

11:11: Paris Olympic silver medalist Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) needed a correct throw and a bodylock to takedown for a 5-1 victory over Hannes WAGNER (GER) at 87kg

11:07: Marcel STERKENBURG (NED), a world U23 silver medalist, starts his senior World Championships with a 4-1 victory over Mukhammadkodir RASULOV (UZB). He scored a stepout to make it 1-1 before getting the par terre and leading 2-1. A turn from par terre extended his lead to 4-1, also the winning score.

11:05: Former European champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) gets a bloody lip early in his 87kg match with Soh SAKABE (JPN), but is otherwise untroubled in rolling to a 5-2 win. Two rolls from par terre gives him a 5-0 lead at the break. Sakabe gets a chance at par terre in the second period but hardly budges Komarov, although he gets a stepout in the final seconds.

11:00: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) comes from 5-1 down to beat Hasan KILINC (TUR), 6-5, at 87kg. Kilic got a reverse lift throw for four points from par terre in the second period to lead 5-1 but Zhanyshov with setpouts and cautions against Kilinc to win.

10:55: Two-time world bronze medalist Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR) has little trouble disposing of Erion RAMLJAK (AUS) with an 8-0 victory at 87kg. Filchakov starts with a stepout, then reels off three exposures from par terre to end the proceedings in 1:46.

10:50: After Karlo KODRIC (CRO) ended the 11-year wait for a world medal for hosts Croatia, Ivan HUKLEK (CRO) is looking to add to that bronze medal. He wins with a 9-0 win over Patrik GORDAN (ROU) at 87kg

10:30: The 63kg, 67kg and 87kg wrestlers are set to take the mat on day eight of the World Championships in Zagreb.

#WrestleZagreb

Hrushyna, Koliadenko lift Ukraine to Euro title

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (April 21) -- As Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) prepared for her gold medal bout at the European Championships in Zagreb, her attention was divided between the task at hand and her phone. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of anxiety. It wasn't the usual pre-competition jitters that she had grown accustomed to over the years. She was worried about her family back in her hometown Irpin, Ukraine.

"A shell landed on my apartment and destroyed everything," Koliadenko said. "Training is difficult due to the constant air raids. In fact, before the national competition [February], I received a notification on my phone that there was an air raid warning in the Kyiv region. It's not easy leaving your loved ones in a war zone while you're competing abroad."

But as her name was called, Koliadenko put aside the worries of home and stepped on the mat for the 62kg gold medal bout at the European Championships and showed the world who is best in the weight class in Europe.

Koliadenko won the gold medal, her second at the European Championships, by defeating Grace BULLEN (NOR) via fall. With her victory, Ukraine won the team title with 157 points. Turkiye finished second with 136 points and Bulgaria was third with 94 points.

In addition to Koliadenko's win, Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR) defended her title at 57kg, giving Ukraine two gold medals for the night. At 53kg, Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) won back-to-back European titles while Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) stunned Irina RINGACI (MDA) in the 65kg final. At 72kg, Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU) became the second wrestler from Romania to win a European title in women's wrestling.

After winning bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, Koliadenko has been off the mat for a year, marking her return at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series in which she won a bronze medal. She was part of the Ukraine team which won its first-ever World Cup in December before finishing with another bronze at the Ibrahim Moustafa Ranking Series in February.

There, Koliadenko faced Bullen in the quarterfinals and managed to scrape out a 14-12 win, a match that was dominated by Bullen. But for the European Championships, Koliadenko came prepared.

"This was a tough competition and we had to prepare for each match," she said. "I prepared for Grace just like I did for all the other matches that I fought with the wrestlers who became my best friends."

In the final, Koliadenko began with a snap to go behind to score her first points. Bullen was put on the activity clock but Koliadenko continued her aggressive wrestling and scored another takedown using a similar technique to lead 5-0. Just before the break, Bullen shot a double-leg and while Koliadenko managed to survive a big throw, she did give up two points.

Bullen did not give up though and used the same shot at the start of the second period and got the four points to lead 6-5. Bullen tried another leg attack and hit her head on Koliadenko's knee, forcing a medical timeout for concussion.

After a thorough examination, the doctors confirmed that Bullen can continue but it disturbed her momentum as Koliadenko scored a takedown to lead again. Bullen made a half-hearted attack which Koliadenko countered to secure the fall.

And as Koliadenko walked off the mat, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. Perhaps for a brief moment, she was able to put those thoughts away she had before the bout.

"We needed to show the strength of our city," Koliadenko said. "It was a motivation for me to bring victory to our country. It was a difficult time, but we brought back two gold medals."

Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR)Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR) defended her 57kg European title by pinning Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE). (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The second was from Hrushyna who won her fourth European title overall and second consecutive win in the 57kg weight class. In the final, she made short work of Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE).

"Alina inspires me to win and I was well-prepared for the victory," Koliadenko said regarding Hrushyna's performance.

Beginning the gold medal bout with an arm drag for a takedown, Hrushyna managed to get a turn as well, just, to lead 4-0. Aliyeva never looked in the class of Hrushyna who managed to defend against almost every attack on her. She used an arm bar to secure the fall with 15 seconds remaining in the first period.

With that, Hrushyna claimed the European title with three consecutive falls in Zagreb as Mathilde RIVIERE (FRA) and Tokyo bronze medalist Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) also met the same fate.

"I was well prepared," Hrushyna said. "I didn't even expect to do what I did, but I was ready and in a very good mood, and everything turned out that way."

Despite her dominant performance in winning gold, Hrushyna said that she did not expect herself to stand on the top of the podium this year.

"The whole process was difficult for me, both physically and mentally, because I didn't have high hopes of winning the gold," she said. "Everyone understood that I was ready and that I could potentially win the gold, but the preparation was always tough for me. There were a lot of worries, but I'm very happy that I was able to perform at my best in the competition."

Looking ahead to future competitions, Hrushyna wants to be ready for the World Championships, especially for her Japanese opponents who have defeated her at three different World Championships.

"I understand that Japanese are the strongest in wrestling," she said. "We are constantly preparing for their fights and know that they are our biggest competitors. We will work with the coach to become the best. There will be training sessions in the Olympic base. We will do our job, and everyone will work on their part to do their best."

Jonna MALMGREN (SWE)Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) gets emotional after winning the gold medal at 53kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) was another returning champion who won the gold medal once again in Zagreb as she defeated Stalvira ORSHUSH (HUN) 9-3 in the 53kg final.

Just two months ago, Orshush had rolled Malmgren for a 10-0 win at the Ibrahim Moustafa Ranking Series event. A dejected Malmgren, instead of dwelling over the loss, got to work soon and fine-tuned her defense.

“I used to get upset and I lost a lot,” she said before the European Championships. “From last year I am better. Sometimes it doesn't work. That match was one of those. My head was not with me. After Egypt, I thought it was bad. It was like a wake-up call.”

The wake-up call was at the right time as Malmgren faced Orshush with tighter defense and did not commit to half attacks during the match.

“I think we had a better plan this time,” she said. “I really knew what to do and what she would do. So I just followed our plan and it worked out really well.”

In the 9-3 win, Malmgren used a leg lace to score six points which proved to be vital in the end even though Orhush scored a takedown.

An emotional Malmgren ran towards her coach Sofia MATTSSON (SWE), a virtual thank you for her work on the 2021 U20 world champion.

Malmgren is coached by two former European champions -- Mattsson won the title five times while Yuliya RATKEVICH (AZE) won the title in 2011. Both Mattsson and Ratkevich are world champions from 2009.

“I know all the work she [Mattsson] has put in and I see it in myself,” she said. “When I was growing up, I saw her in training and saw her in competition. She was more surprised if she lost than if she won. She is a great inspiration and I am so proud of having her as my coach.”

Another special moment for Malmgren was when her parents were present in the Zagreb Arena, watching their 21-year-old daughter win the gold.

“I heard my parents the most [from the stands],” Malmgren laughed.

At 65kg, Hristova managed to keep Ringaci under check and win the gold after a thrilling 6-4 bout.

Four seconds into the final, Hristova scored the takedown as Ringaci fell off balance. But she answered with a takedown after sneaking out of a lock from Hristova.

The second period was more action-packed as both wrestlers tried for takedowns. However, both wrestlers were up to the mark in the defense. Ringaci broke the deadlock when she circled around the zone and pushed Hristova out, claiming a point.

At one point, Hristova almost got a takedown but the referees deemed her action invalid as she was folding Ringaci's knee more than 90 degrees. Bulgaria challenged the call but lost, adding one more point to Ringaci's score.

Now, Hristova had 27 seconds to turn around and she used snap downs on a tiring Ringaci to go behind in standing. Rigaci tried the hip toss to fend Hristova off but she fell on her back. The judges awarded two points to Hristova which meant a 4-4 win for her.

As time ran out, Moldova challenged the call but on review, it was called four points for Hristova, improving her win to 6-4. This was Hristova's second European gold as she won one in 2020.

Ringaci, on the other hand, lay inconsolable on the mat, having missed her third European title after winning previously in 2020 at 65kg and 2022 at 68kg.

Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU)Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU) celebrates after winning the 72kg gold medal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The session and women's wrestling closed out on a perfect note as Romania got its second-ever women's wrestling European champion as Anghel won the gold at 72kg. By virtue of Anghel's 4-4 win, Buse TOSUN (TUR) had to finish with a silver medal for the second straight year.

Tosun led 1-0 at the break after Anghel failed to score in the 30-second activity time in the first period. But this changed quickly in the second as Anghel tossed Bosun for two points out of the zone.

Turkiye challenged that call with the intention that Tosun never fell in danger and it should only be a single point. On review, the two points were upheld and Anghel got one more for the lost challenge.

Tosun got a single leg and tried to transition into a cradle but managed only a stepout to cut the lead to 3-2. 20 seconds later, she got the takedown and the lead, 4-3, which she had to defend for 27 seconds.

Anghel, desperate for gold, went all out against a defensive Tosun and to a stepout by the barest of margins, win 4-4 on criteria.

Riza KAYAALP (TUR)Riza KAYAALP (TUR) reached the 130kg final in Zagreb. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Kayaalp moves closer

ZAGREB, Croatia (April 21) -- Riza KAYAALP (TUR) stands on the brink of history after reaching the final of the 130kg weight class in the European Championships. A gold medal on Saturday would bring him level with Alexander KARELIN's record of 12 gold medals at the event.

The three-time Olympic medalist and four-time world champion dominated his semifinal match against Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU), scoring a step out, receiving an activity point, and landing three gut wrenches to win 8-0 in just two minutes. His opponent in the final will be Sabah SHARIATI (AZE), who won a close 1-1 bout against Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) in the other semifinal.

In the 77kg weight class, Viktor NEMES (SRB) returned to the final of the European Championships after five years, defeating World Championships silver medalist Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) 1-1. Nemes had finished with silver in 2018 and will face defending champion Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) in the gold medal match on Saturday. Amoyan defeated Yunus BASAR (TUR) 6-1 in his semifinal match, a rematch of last year's final in Budapest.

The final of the 87kg weight class will see Ali CENGIZ (TUR) take on Istvan TAKACS (HUN). In the semifinals, Cengiz avenged his loss from the final of the Ibrahim Moustafa Ranking Series two months ago by defeating Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) 3-1, while Takacs won his match against Damian VON EUW (SUI) 5-1. Being the deepest weight class in Zagreb, 87kg saw a number of upsets, most notably Turpal BISULTANOV's (DEN) 12-3 loss to Semen NOVIKOV (BUL). In the quarterfinals, Cengiz defeated Islam ABBASOV (AZE) 1-1, Takacs beat Novikov 3-2, and Gobadze overcame Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) 6-0.

The final in the 63kg weight class will be a repeat of last year's gold medal bout in Budapest, with both Leri ABULADZE (GEO) and Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE) winning their respective semifinals. Abuladze dominated his semifinal match against Abu AMAEV (BUL) with an 11-2 victory, while Mammadov defeated Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM) 5-1. In the 2022 final, Abuladze had defeated Mammadov.

Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) will defend his title at 55kg after making it to the final. However, his opponent won't be his arch-rival Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) but Adem UZUN (TUR) as the Turkiye wrestled upset returning silver medalist Tsurtsumi 13-3 in the semifinal. Azizli defeated Denis MIHAI (ROU) in the other semifinal match 9-1.

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RESULTS

53kg
GOLD: Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) df. Stalvira ORSHUSH (HUN), 9-3

BRONZE: Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) df. Iulia LEORDA (MDA), 5-2
BRONZE: Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) df. Turkan NASIROVA (AZE), 10-0

57kg
GOLD: Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR) df. Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE), via fall (10-0)

BRONZE: Elena BRUGGER (GER) df. Jowita WRZESIEN (POL), 3-1
BRONZE: Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) df. Mathilde RIVIERE (FRA), 4-2

62kg
GOLD:  Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) df. Grace BULLEN (NOR), via fall (9-6)

BRONZE: Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) df. Selvi ILYASOGLU (TUR), 3-2
BRONZE: Luisa NIEMESCH (GER) df. Johanna LINDBORG (SWE), 8-1

65kg
GOLD: Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) df. Irina RINGACI (MDA), 6-4

BRONZE: Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR) df. Kendra DACHER (FRA), 10-2
BRONZE: Kriszta INCZE (ROU) df. Busra EFE (TUR), 9-0

72kg
GOLD: Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU) df. Buse TOSUN (TUR), 4-4

BRONZE: Dalma CANEVA (ITA) df. Ilana KRATYSH (ISR), via fall
BRONZE: Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA) df. Liudmyla PAVLOVETS (UKR), 5-1

UkraineUkraine won the women's team title with 157 points. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Greco-Roman Semifinals

55kg
GOLD: Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) vs. Adem UZUN (TUR)

SF 1: Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) df. Denis MIHAI (ROU), 9-1
SF 2: Adem UZUN (TUR) df. Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO), 13-3

63kg
GOLD: Leri ABULADZE (GEO) vs. Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE) 

SF 1: Leri ABULADZE (GEO) df. Abu AMAEV (BUL), 11-2
SF 2: Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM), 5-1

77kg
GOLD: Viktor NEMES (SRB) vs. Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)

SF 1: Viktor NEMES (SRB) df. Zoltan LEVAI (HUN), 1-1
SF 2: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df. Yunus BASAR (TUR), 6-1

87kg
GOLD: Istvan TAKACS (HUN) vs. Ali CENGIZ (TUR)

SF 1: Ali CENGIZ (TUR) df. Lasha GOBADZE (GEO), 3-1
SF 2: Istvan TAKACS (HUN) df. Damian VON EUW (SUI), 5-1

130kg
GOLD: Sabah SHARIATI (AZE) vs. Riza KAYAALP (TUR) 

SF 1: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU), 8-0
SF 2: Sabah SHARIATI (AZE) df. Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO), 1-1