#Yariguin2019

Yariguin Final Pairings Set for Sunday Afternoon

By Eric Olanowski

KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 26) - Russia continued its stronghold on the freestyle competition and inserted three additional wrestlers into Day Four Yariguin finals. They also have two of the four wrestlers competing for the top spot in the 92kg round-robin tournament.

The Russian Federation has already won six gold medals and has an opportunity to sweep the freestyle competition. If they can find a way to remain undefeated during Sunday’s final session, they’ll claim a gold medal in each of the ten weight classes. 

In women’s wrestling, Russia leads the gold medal race with a trio of champions, but Japan, who has a pair of champions and a pair of day four finalists, can take control of the gold medal race if they win each of their two gold medal matches on Sunday.  

Belarus and the United States claimed the remaining two women’s wrestling finalist spots. 

Belarus is looking for their first Yariguin gold medal of 2019, while Tamyra Mariama MENSAH is looking to give the United States their second women’s wrestling title in the past two days. 

If Mensah wins against Japan’s Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI, she’ll become the first American wrestler in any style to win three Yariguin titles. 

The final day of wrestling begins at 11:00 (local time), with the finals expected to start at (13:00).

FINALS

Freestyle

74kg - Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) vs. Yakup GOR (TUR)
86kg - Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) vs. Fatih ERDIN (TUR)  
97kg - Shamil MUSAEV (RUS) vs. Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR)

Women’s Wrestling
 
72kg - Tamyra Mariama MENSAH (USA) vs. Yuka KAGAMI (JPN)
76kg - Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN) vs. Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR)

#development

UWW Donates Mats to Mauritius for Regional Development Project

By United World Wrestling Press

MAURITUS (April 27) -- United World Wrestling has donated wrestling mats to the Mauritius National Wrestling and Allied Games Association. The mats were provided through UWW’s partner and sponsor, Taishan Sports, in support of the Olympic Solidarity/ UWW Regional Development Program.

The mats will be used as part of the OS/UWW regional program, which aims to strengthen wrestling development in Mauritius and create a lasting impact across the East Africa region. By improving access to quality training facilities and equipment, the initiative seeks to support athletes, coaches, and youth participation while helping national federations raise standards across the region.

The regional program is scheduled to take place from October 9 to 18, 2026 and will combine athlete training camps, coaches’ education, referees’ courses, and a regional competition to conclude the activities. Olympic Solidarity will soon send invitations to all National Olympic Committees in East Africa to participate in the program.

The President of the Mauritius National Wrestling and Allied Games Association Joel ANTOINETTE highly appreciated the donation.

“We are incredibly grateful for the generous donation of these wrestling mats," Antoinette said. "This contribution is more than just equipment; it’s the foundation for a new era. We promise to honor this gift by working tirelessly to revolutionize the Wrestling sport, pushing boundaries, and elevating our athletes to heights."

Thanks to the support of the Mauritius National Olympic Committee, this is not the first time that the Mauritius National Wrestling Association has organized such educational events. Over the past years, they have successfully delivered several Olympic Solidarity/UWW development activities at both national and regional levels.

Mauritius has increased its presence on the international wrestling stage in recent years, with athletes competing more regularly at major events thanks to the continued support of the Mauritius National Olympic Committee and the Mauritius Wrestling federation. This progress reflects the growing ambition of the federation and the country’s commitment to advancing the sport.