Rising Sun: Chinese Star Aims for Olympic Glory in Land of Top Rivals

Friday, October 18, 2019 - 17:10 By Ken Marantz

Once SUN Yanan (CHN) made the bold decision at 15 to leave home for the unknown to pursue a wrestling career, she knew there was no turning back.

"At the beginning, I told myself I needed to be independant, because I already left home," she recalls. "I cannot go back. If I go back, it would be shameful."

Sun has never looked back and, despite her late start in the sport, has forged a solid career that includes a world gold medal, an Olympic bronze and numerous other laurels. After a setback at the recent World Championships, the 27-year-old has her sights set firmly on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

"Step by step, I felt I really enjoyed wrestling and it already became part of my life," Sun says of her development in the sport. "And I wanted to realize my dream to be more confident and become a perfect lady because of wrestling. I really grew up."

Yanan SUN celebrates during a match with Japan's Yui SUSAKI. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)

The 27-year-old Sun speaks easily and openly through an interpreter during an interview at last week's Tokyo 2020 test event, a women's tournament in the six Olympic weights. While Sun attended with the Chinese team but did not take part, the trip gave her a first glimpse of the Olympic venue, located in the Makuhari Messe convention center in neighboring Chiba city.

"I'm very excited when I imagine that next year maybe I will compete here at the Olympics," she says. "I hope I can be much stronger and show my best next year."

Sun secured a spot for China at 50kg by placing fifth at the World Championships in the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan last month. Although she finished out of the medals, she showed she could still be a factor in the weight class.

Throughout her career, Sun has inevitably found herself in high-level clashes with opponents from powerful Japan, and the draw in Nur-Sultan put her into a quarterfinal against Yuki IRIE (JPN). Irie, who knocked off two-time world champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) to make the Japanese team, had beaten Sun in their last two meetings over the past two years.

But on this September day in Central Asia, Sun got the best of her nemesis with the kind of confidence and audacity that develops by leaving home as a teenager to strike out on one's own.

Sun built up a 9-1 lead with two bold moves before holding on for a nail-biting 13-12 win.

The first big move was a backdrop off a front headlock, a 4-point move more likely to be seen in Greco-Roman matches. She had used the move before in a 15-7 win over Vinesh PHOGAT (IND) in India's Pro Wrestling League in January 2018.

"In China, the women also practice that move," Sun says. "[The one against Vinesh] was better than this one."

She topped that soon after, getting behind Irie in the standing position and popping a slick back suplex for 5 points. That proved crucial as she saw an 11-3 lead with 1:30 left whittled down before coming away with the win.

After falling 6-4 to eventual champion Mariya STADNIK (AZE) in the semifinals, Sun lost the bronze-medal match to Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS), although she can take some solace in the way she fought back from a 9-3 deficit with :19 left, scoring 6 points but losing on big-point criteria (the difference was 4-point headlock throw with :40 left).

That experience reaffirmed her policy of not concentrating solely on the Japanese, who will have to earn their own Olympic spot at 50kg at the Asian qualifier in March.

"I haven't only focused on Japan," Sun said. "Because my dream is to become the Olympic champion, so no matter if [the opponent] is Japanese or from other countries, I need to win, I need to improve myself."

As a rambunctious daughter of an electric welder growing up in Fengsheng village in Lioaning Province, located near the border with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Sun stood out for her prowess in sports, particularly for her speed as a runner. It caught the eyes of local sports officials.

"When I was young, I was really good at sports," Sun says. "Sprinting, all kinds of sports. One of the wrestling coaches went to my school and found me and invited me to train, and I found that it was very interesting."

One month after completing her studies at the time, Sun left home for the sports school. While she developed a passion for the sport, "at the time, I missed my home very much," she says, adding she returned home for visits just three times in two years. It's during those trips home she can indulge in her favorite dishes from the region, her mom's chicken mushroom stew and pickled cabbage with boiled pork.

Sun, who has a brother nine years her junior who also wrestled but has since stopped, says her family was concerned about her leaving at first, but always supported her efforts.

"At the beginning, my parents thought it would be very hard work," she says. "Later, they could feel that I am very happy when I am involved and I can fight for my team and country, and they supported me."

SUN Yanan smiles during a training session during the Toyko Test Event. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Three years after starting the sport, Sun was invited to train with the national team in Beijing for the first time. Like any youngster from a rural upbringing, she was awed by the big city and star-struck by the heroes with whom she trained.

"I felt that Beijing was a gorgeous city, the center of China, and I was very excited," Sun recalls. "I met so many world champions on the national team, and I so admired them.

"We trained with Wang Jiao, who was an Olympic champion [in 2008 at 72kg], and all I could do was just stare at her all the time," she says with a laugh. "Actually, Wang Jiao is also from Liaoning, the same team [as me], but I met her in Beijing."

Soon after arriving in the capital, she got her first taste of international competition at the 2010 Asian Junior Championships, although she did not have to leave the country. The tournament was held in the eastern China city of Huangshan, known for its World Heritage Site mountain peaks.

"At the time, it was my first time to see so many foreign faces," Sun says. "Some were fat, some were short, some were tall. It was very interesting to compete with so many foreigners."

Scaling her first wrestling mountain, Sun successfully reached the summit, and not surprisingly the final step to the top involved a Japanese. Sun faced Arisa TANAKA (JPN) in the 51kg final and came away with a hard-fought 2-0 (6-2, 9-6) win under the old scoring system.

"The final was with a Japanese wrestler, and I felt at the time the competition was very fierce," she says. "It was a very tough match for me."

Just over one month later, Sun made her first international trip, heading to Budapest for the junior World Championships. Once again, the title came down to her and a Japanese, and Sun walked off with the gold with a 2-1 (2-1, 3-3, 3-2) win over Haruka HIRANO (JPN).

In 2011, she achieved the Asian senior-junior double in tournaments held three weeks apart. Her first senior continental title came at 48kg in Tashkent in May, and the next month in Jakarta, she repeated as 51kg junior gold medalist. In both finals, she defeated Davaanchimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (MGL).

In September that year, she made her first appearance at the senior World Championships, but finished eighth at 51kg in Istanbul after losing to eventual champion Zamira RAKHMANOVA (RUS) in the third round and Jessica MACDONALD (CAN) in the repechage.

After finishing second to MacDonald at the World Championships the following year in Strathcona County, Canada, Sun reached the top of the podium on her third try at 51kg in Budapest in 2013. After gaining revenge by beating MacDonald in the semifinals, she defeated Sumiya ERDENECHIMEG (MGL) for the elusive gold.

SUN Yanan gets emotional after defeating Yuki IRIE (JPN) at the 2019 World Championships. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

It took awhile for the magnitude of the accomplishment to sink in.

"At that time I didn't really pay that serious attention to the World Championships because I was still very young, even though I already attended many international competitions and in 2012, I got second [at the worlds]," Sun says. "It was my third time to attend the World Championships in 2013 and I was still feel very relaxed and did not know what it really meant, not like now."

From 2014, Sun dropped down to the Olympic weight of 48kg, which put her on a direct collision course with Japan's new lightweight star Eri TOSAKA (JPN). Tosaka, a year younger than Sun, was the 48kg champion at the 2011 Asian juniors, the year the Chinese won the 51kg title.

Their first encounter was a close one, with Tosaka winning 6-4 at the 2014 Women's World Cup. Six months later, the setting was the 48kg final at the Asian Games in Incheon, Korea, and the Japanese came away with a 5-1 win and the gold.

Sun would finally get the better of her rival at the 2016 Asian Championships in Bangkok, handing the three-time world champion her first defeat in almost 3 1/2 years with a dramatic victory in the semifinals.

Trailing 2-1, Sun turned Tosaka over with a crotch lift counter with :12 left, but in a final rolling flurry, Tosaka was awarded 2 points for an apparent 4-3 win. The Chinese side challenged the call, and it was amended to give each 2 points, reversing the outcome and making Sun a 5-4 winner.

Sun then went on to capture her second senior continental title with a 12-2 technical fall over Irina BORISSOVA (KAZ) in the final.

For Tosaka, the loss relieved some of the pressure she had put on herself, which would bear fruit when the two would meet with much more at stake six months later.

"Part of me feels relieved," Tosaka was quoted as saying on the Japan federation website at the time. "Up to now, I felt somehow I would always find a way to win. In the back of my mind, I would think, I'm still going to win. I didn't want to lose [today], but to win the gold medal at the Olympics, I think it was probably best to lose once."

That prove prescient, as Tosaka went on to win the gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics, taking out Sun in the semifinals 8-3 when she scored a takedown, then ripped off three straight ankle-lace rolls. Sun made sure she didn't leave Brazil empty-handed, as she defeated Zhuldyz ESHIMOVA (KAZ) by 10-0 technical fall for a bronze medal.

Following the Rio Games, Tosaka took time off and underwent foot surgery, but the 48kg hole (later to become 50kg) in the Japanese lineup was quickly filled by a new kid on the block, the teenaged Susaki. She marked her emergence by beating Sun 9-4 in the quarterfinals of the 2017 Asian Championships in New Dehli before going on to win the gold. Sun finished fifth.

Sun suffered another setback the following year at the Asian Games in Jakarta, where Vinesh, who suffered a dislocated knee during their quarterfinal match at Rio 2016, made amends by defeating the Chinese 8-2 in the qualification round. Vinesh went on to win the title by beating Irie in the final.

Sun got back on track by winning a bronze medal at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest, where she lost in the quarterfinals to Stadnik, whose subsequent loss in the final to Susaki gave the Japanese a second straight world title. At this year's Asian Championships, Sun took the silver after losing 6-4 in the final to Irie.

When Sun takes the mat at Makuhari Messe in pursuit of her dream of winning a gold medal at Tokyo 2020, there will be no shortage of rivals more than ready to burst her bubble.

Whoever earns the place for Japan---Susaki, Irie, Tosaka or anyone else---will have extra motivation in gunning for gold in front of the home crowd. And Stadnik, coming off her golden performance in Nur-Sultan, will surely be aiming to make up for her silver at Rio 2016 as her career winds down.

Sun, of course, is still young enough to be considered a candidate for the Paris 2024 Olympics, but she does not foresee sticking around for that one. Asked if she has considered retirement, she replied, "After this Tokyo Games and the year after, there is a National Games held once every four years. After that, maybe," then adds, "What I think most is how to realize my dream first. Then maybe travel around the world."

While an Olympic gold would certainly lead to more fame and fortune than she currently has accumulated like the medals in her trophy case, Sun says it would not have a personal effect on her.

"It will change nothing for me," she says. "I will still be myself. After this is realized, I will find my next dream and try to realize it."

And if it means leaving home, so be it. She will keep looking ahead.

#WrestleAthens

U17 World Wrestling Championships 2025 Preview

Friday, July 25, 2025 - 16:28 By Vinay Siwach

ATHENS, Greece (July 23) -- Eight years after it last hosted the World U17 Championships, Greece gears up for another.

The 2025 World U17 Championships will be held in Athens from July 28 to August 3 at the Ano Liosia Olympic Hall, the historic venue where wrestling competition during the 2004 Olympics was held.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL PREVIEW HERE

While the wrestlers will be making new memories, one former wrestler will be reliving old memories. Four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO (JPN) will be revisiting Athens, this time as Japan’s team coach, 21 years after she won her first gold medal at the Games in 2004.

Japan is expected to reclaim the Women's Wrestling team title it lost to India in 2024. The United States, Ukraine and China are also sending strong teams.

In Freestyle, the U.S. will battle it out with Iran, the top two countries last year. Meanwhile, in Greco-Roman, Iran will face challenges from Asian counterparts and Azerbaijan.

The competition will begin with Greco-Roman on July 28 with five weight classes and will follow a two-day format. Women's Wrestling will begin July 30 and Freestyle on August 1. The repechage and medal bouts of each weight category will be held the next day.

The action from the World U17 Championships will be live on UWW+ on uww.org and the UWW App. Follow United World Wrestling on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube.

Samuel SANCHEZ (USA) is one of the returning world U17 champions in Athens. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Freestyle

The defending team champion the U.S. boasts a quality line-up including world champ Samuel SANCHEZ (USA) and four Pan-Am champions from 2025 -- Ariah MILLS (USA), Alexander TAYLOR (USA), Jayden JAMES (USA) and Arseni KIKINIOU (USA).

Iran, which missed the Asian U17 Championships, has wrestlers who have previous success at Asian level and in ISF Gymnasiade. It won only two gold medals last year, but it hopes Morteza HAJ (IRI), Amirali ALIZADEH (IRI), Arian MEHRALIZADEH (IRI) and Amirhossein NAGHDALIPOUR (IRI) will help it better that number this year.

Said PASHAYEV (AZE) is the European champion at 92kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Six out of the 10 European champions from 2025 are set to be in Athens with Azerbaijan entering three. Ravan HASANZADE (AZE) at 48kg, Ruslan ALIZADA (AZE) at 55kg and Said PASHAYEV (AZE) at 92kg will be the biggest hopes for Azerbaijan to win gold, a medal the country was denied last year.

The other European champs are Zorab ALOIEV (UKR) at 61kg, Artur KOSTIUK (UKR) at 80kg and Magomedrasul OMAROV (UWW) at 110kg.

Bekassyl ASSAMBEK (KAZ) won the 60kg gold at the Asian U17 Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan had a successful Asian U17 Championships in Vietnam after the no-show of Iran and Japan's subdued performance.

Kazakhstan won two gold medals in Vietnam and both wrestlers, Ibrahim YSKAKBEK (KAZ) at 55kg and Bekassyl ASSAMBEK (KAZ) at 60kg, will be in Athens and try to win a world gold, a medal the country has not won since 2022.

Kyrgyzstan also had two gold medalists, Arnur NURSAIDOV (KGZ) at 45kg and Dovudbek BAKHADIROV (KGZ) at 48kg, at Asian Championships. The onus will be on these to lead the team as it looks for a second straight top-three finish. Last year, it placed third, the highest for the country at the world level.

Uzbekistan won only one gold in Vietnam but every wrestler competed for a medal, helping it finish third. Japan and India, fourth and fifth in Vietnam, are likely to be the dark horses in Greece.

A few others who can surprise the field including returning silver medalist Frederick BACHMANN (PUR) at 60kg, returning champ Ulugbek RASHIDOV (UZB) at 51kg, Abdumalik JALOLDINOV (UZB) at 55kg, returning silver medalist Huseyn ISMAYILOV (AZE) at 65kg and Hasan HASANOV (AZE) at 60kg.

KAJAL (IND) was one of India's five world U17 champions in 2024. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Women's Wrestling

Japan will undoubtedly be favored to win the team title but in the last few years, Japan's supremacy has been challenged by both the United States and India.

India won the team title last year for the first time with an incredible performance, winning five gold medals while Japan only won one.

Can Japan bounce back? Certainly.

Yu KATAOKA (JPN) at 49kg and Rion OGAWA (JPN) at 53kg have dominated the continental level and have been unbeaten internationally. They will lead a team that also includes An NAKANISHI (JPN), Sayuki HIBARINO (JPN) and Hanano OYA (JPN).

Japan will have to step up when it comes to heavier weight classes if it wants to capture the trophy. The presence of Icho as coach should serve as motivation for the young wrestlers, who take on the world.

India will have six current and former continental champions in Athens. KAJAL (IND), world champ at 69kg, will be at 73kg this year but will still be the favorite to win the gold medal. She was dealt a shock loss at the Asian Championships by Wenjin QIU (CHN) in the final. Qiu will also be in Athens and a potential clash with Kajal is on the cards.

Asian champ RACHANA (IND), who has silver from 2023 Worlds, will be at 43kg hoping to win gold. Kasish GURJAR (IND) was the Asian champion in 2023, MONI (IND) is the Asian champ at 57kg while Ashvini VISHNOI (IND) is a two-time continental champion at 65kg. MANISHA (IND), who won gold in Vietnam, will lead India's charge at 69kg.

Former world u17 champion Morgan TURNER (USA) is one of the favorites to win at 49kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The U.S. is bringing a host of Pan-American champions but its biggest star will be 2023 world champ Morgan TURNER (USA), who also won the bronze medal in 2024. She will be at 49kg, a weight class in which she won the Pan-Am gold this year.

At 40kg, Maisie ELLIOTT (USA) is a Pan-Am champion and so is Emma BACON (USA) at 57kg, Taina FERNANDEZ (USA) at 61kg, Violette LASURE (USA) at 65kg, Cassandra GONZALES (USA) at 69kg and Ella Jo POALILLO (USA) at 73kg.

Jaclyn BOUZAKIS (USA), who also won Pan-Am gold at 46kg, is a returning bronze medalist and will be one of the favorites for the gold medal this year.

From Europe, nine 2025 continental champions are entered for Athens. European champion at 40kg Valia HARSAN (ROU) will test herself against Asian champion Shokhista SHONAZAROVA (UZB) along with other big names in the field including European silver medalist Polina TIMSINA (EST), European bronze medalist Finja STRAUCH (GER) and Daria MASLENNIKOVA (UWW), who is three-time European U15 champion.

Raniia RAKHMANOVA (UWW) was the champion at 43kg and will be the favorite for the gold medal as well.

At 46kg, Nazrin AHMADLI (AZE) is a returning bronze medalist from 40kg but will contend with Janka SILLEI (HUN) in the weight class. Sillei is unbeaten internationally and won the European gold in Skopje. Local wrestler and world silver from 43kg Maria GKIKA (GRE) will hope to win a medal for the hosts. Additionally, Gurjar, Hanano OYA (JPN), world silver from 40kg Kamila KUCHMA (UKR), Bouzakis and European silver Irina TSYDEEVA (UWW) will have their eyes on gold.

A battle between Kataoka and Turner is expected at 49kg which also has Asian silver medalist Saniya SOLTANGALI (KAZ) and returning bronze medalist and European champ Polina BOCHKAREVA (UWW).

SAARIKA (IND) won the Asian U20 Championships gold medal after a close win over Mihoko TAKEUCHI (JPN), a Klippan Lady Open champion and 2022 World U17 Championships silver medalist. But for success in Athens, Saarika will have to battle it out with European champion at 53kg Mariia ZHYTOVOZ (HUN), Japanese star Ogawa, two-time European silver Fatma YILMAZ (TUR) and Euro U15 champ Yuliia HOLHOVSKA (UKR), who is 15 years old and Elison.

Japan has unheralded Sayuki TANADA (JPN) at 57kg which also has Asian champion MONI (IND), Asian silver Madkhiya USMANOVA (KAZ), European silver Ivanna LUKIANENKO (UKR) and Bacon. This is the only weight class in which the European champion has not entered.

Miranda KAPANADZE (GEO) is Georgia's first-ever European champion in Women's Wrestling. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

At 61kg, history-maker for Georgia's Miranda KAPANADZE (GEO) has entered hoping to win a world medal for Georgia in Women's Wrestling. She was the first European champ for Georgia in Women's Wrestling. But she will face resistance from Asian champ Zhaidar MUKAT (KAZ), European silver Ozdenur OZMEZ (TUR) and European champ Zalina TOTROVA (UWW).

Germany's Feenja HERMANN (GER) finished seventh at 57kg last year but managed to win the European silver medal at 65kg this year. She will be hoping for a world medal as well. Ashvini VISHNOI (IND) is a two-time Asian champ at this weight class and Japan has Mitsuki OKAWA (JPN). Lasure and European champ Lilia ERMOKHINA (UWW) will also be presenting their challenges.

Another of Germany's big hope is Ayla SAHIN (GER) who won the gold medal at the Europeans at 69kg. She was 10th last year at the Worlds at 65kg. But Asian champ MANISHA (IND), Mao TERAOKA (JPN), Pan-Am silver Linda MARTINEZ (MEX), Pan-Am champ Gonzales and European silver medalist Zukhra KAZULAEVA (UWW) are also in the mix.

Apart from the Kajal-Qiu match-up at 73kg, European silver medalist Greta TVERSKYTE (LTU), European champion Eylem ENGIN (TUR), a returning medalist from 57kg, returning fifth-placer Khrystyna DEMCHUK (UKR) and Pan-Am champ Poalillo will make this category worth a watch.

Behruzbek VALIEV (UZB) is one of the three Asian U17 champions for Uzbekistan in Athens. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Greco-Roman

Last year, Uzbekistan was a standout in Greco-Roman at the U17 level, winning the Asian U17 team title and finishing second at the World Championships. It continued this success at the Asian level this year, with each wrestler winning a medal, including three golds.

Uzbekistan will once again be in the team race and threaten Iran, the defending champions.

All three of its Asian champs -- Behruzbek VALIEV (UZB) at 71kg, Abdulaziz KHOLMIRZAEV (UZB) at 80kg and Fakhrikamol KOMILJONOV (UZB) at 92kg -- will compete in Athens.

Iran will rely heavily on its heavyweights Amirsam MOHAMMADI (IRI) at 92kg and Yazdan Reza DELROUZ (IRI) at 110kg for gold medals.

Last year's 15th-placer Hossein KAZEMI (IRI) at 71kg will be a handful for his opponents and Amirreza TAHMASBPOUR (IRI) will be the favorite at 55kg. Amir HAJIVAND (IRI) at 48kg and Amirmohammad HAJI (IRI) at 51kg will compete in the gold-medal hunt as well.

Azerbaijan is another country that is bringing a strong squad to Athens. It has three European champions and three medalists from Skopje making the trip.

While the lighter and heavier weight classes have seen Asian wrestlers do well, the middle weight classes have been dominated by European wrestlers, especially at 65kg, 71kg and 80kg.

Since the weight classes were shuffled in 2018, only three Asian wrestlers have managed to win gold medals at 65kg, 71kg and 80kg. Reza SAKI (IRI) won at 71kg in 2022 and Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) claimed gold at 80kg in 2023. In 2024, Amir SAEIDI (IRI) broke the jinx at 65kg.

Erekle TAVBERIDZE (GEO) is the European 65kg champion. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

In Athens, at 65kg, European champ Erekle TAVBERIDZE (GEO) will lead the charge. Other key European wrestlers include silver medalist Janes NAZARYAN (ARM), bronze medalist Kyliane EDDOUH (FRA), home favorite Iason MARGARITIDIS (GRE) and many other strong competitors from the European Championships in Skopje.

Asian champion Dosbol SHAMIL (KAZ), who finished seventh at 60kg at the last World Championships, will look to break European dominance at this weight class. So will Pan Am champ Arseni KIKINIOU (USA), who is competing in Freestyle as well.

At 71kg, it can very well end up being a European champion vs Asian champion match to decide it all. Giorgi GOGELASHVILI (GEO) will look to add a world title to his European one while Behruzbek VALIEV (UZB), the Asian champion, will have a chance to upgrade his bronze medal from last year to gold.

Despite his 14th-place finish this year at the European Championships, Yusif AHMADLI (AZE) is a strong contender for gold. He finished seventh at the World Championships last year and has a silver medal in 2023 at 65kg. European silver medalist Ignat MEICO (MDA) and bronze medalist Matias ONNENLEHTO (FIN) are also entered.

European U17 champion Senik VARDANIAN (UWW) will look to add a world title to his name. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

As many as 12 European wrestlers from Skopje are entered at 80kg for Athens. Senik VARDANIAN (UWW) was the champion and will be the favorite to win gold in Athens. He is joined by silver medalist Benediktas BUBELEVICIUS (LTU) and bronze medalists Nijat YEYLAGALIYEV (AZE) and Ismail BEREKET (TUR).

Abdulaziz KHOLMIRZAEV (UZB), the Asian champ, and Pan-Am champion Isai FERNANDEZ (USA) have a big task ahead of them to capture the gold medal.

An interesting entry at 92kg is Said PASHAYEV (AZE), the European Freestyle champ, who will also compete in Greco-Roman. He finished 16th in Skopje. He may not be the favorite but has a chance to trouble the likes of European champion Vadim DRAGUSHAN (UWW) and Asian champion Fakhrikamol KOMILJONOV (UZB), who also is a returning bronze medalist.

Filling the line-up are Amirsam MOHAMMADI (IRI), Asian silver medalist Adilet TOISHY (KAZ), European silver medalist Tymur LARIN (UKR) and Kanstantsin KASYAN (UWW), who will be the dark horse at this weight class. The hosts Greece will bank on European bronze medalist Ioannis MOUTOUSIDIS (GRE) to win a medal at home.

Iran has been denied the 110kg gold since 2019 but it hopes that Yazdan Reza DELROUZ (IRI) will bring it back. Although, it won't be easy. The field includes European champion Rihad IBRAHIMLI (AZE) and silver medalist Denis LAZAROV (BUL). Asian champion HARDEEP (IND) may trouble the Iranian and so can Emrullah CAPKAN (TUR), who finished fifth last year.

European silver medalist Ali NAZAROV (AZE) will be the favorite at 60kg as he dominated the European field barring the final. His biggest challenge can come from Asian champ Damir AKAN (KAZ) in an otherwise weak weight class.

At 45kg, Abdurrahman HUSEYNLI (AZE) is the European champ and he has a good chance to win the world title as well. But the lowest weight class always has a surprise in store. Saba ABASHIDZE (GEO) will look to avenge his European final's loss to Huseynli while Ararat AVETISYAN (ARM), European bronze medalist, is also entered. But can Kuanyshbek ZHANGAZHOL (KAZ), the Asian champion, spoil their party?

Another Asian champion from Kazakhstan, Nurdaulet KUMARULY (KAZ), will be challenging the 48kg field that includes European champion Stanislav IVANOV (BUL), silver medalist Martin MANJIKYAN (ARM), and bronze medalist Gurban MAJNUNOV (AZE).

Marat ATSHEMYAN (ARM), left, and Aslanbek KOSTOEV (UWW) are likely to face each other at 51kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Armenia's gold at the World Championships can come from Marat ATSHEMYAN (ARM), who won the European Championships gold medal at 51kg and a world silver medal at 45kg last year. He will also have a chance to avenge his 2024 Worlds final's loss to Aslanbek KOSTOEV (UWW), who is also entered at 51kg.

The 55kg category is again dominated with European entries including champion Danil LOZHKIN (UWW) and silver medalist Giorgi CHACHUA (GEO). Asian Championships finalists are also entered with champion Alkham ABDIRASULOV (KGZ) and silver medalist Sadriddin TULKINBOEV (UZB).

Rising Sun: Chinese Star Aims for Olympic Glory in Land of Top Rivals

Comments

U17 World Wrestling Championships 2025 Preview