NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan (September 14) – The United World Wrestling bureau passed a series of decisions yesterday during a meeting before the start of the 2019 Senior Wrestling World Championships at the Barys Arena in Nur-Sultan.
Topping the outcomes was the selection of Krasnoyarsk as host of the 2022 Senior Wrestling World Championships. The Russian city is well known to wrestling fans as host city of the prestigious Ivan Yaryiguin Invitational held each January in memory of the two-time Olympic champion.
The 2022 championships will be Krasnoyarsk’s first time hosting the combined world championships and the first world championships since the Siberian city welcomed men’s freestyle in 1997.
The bureau also named several cities as hosts for the 2021 season, highlighted by Guatemala City (Pan-Am) and Katowice (Europe) each set to be senior-level hosts of the continental championships. The Russian city of Ufa was also named the host of the Junior World Championships and Belgrade as host the U23 World Championships.
The full and updated calendar of events can be found at www.unitedworldwrestling.org/events.
In a move meant to better align with established Olympic norms Bureau members approved limiting the age of Bureau members to 75 years old and the term of president to two (2) six-year terms. For consistency across the organization, the bureau also approved a limitation on the term of continental presidents, who may now serve no more than three terms of four years each.
Changes to the UWW constitution require the affirmation of the Congress which will take place in fall of 2020.
In addition to host city allocations and self-governance the bureau also approved the nominees for the 2020 Hall of Fame ceremony in Tokyo.
Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) a three-time Olympic champion, Olympic silver medalist and 13-time world champion was nominated to the Hall of Fame in the “Legend” category. She will be joined by former teammate, Olympic champion and eight-time World Champion Hitomi OBARA SAKAMOTO (JPN) who looks to enter the Hall of Fame as a member of women’s wrestling.
The men’s freestyle nominations included twin brothers John PETERSON (USA) and Ben PETERSON (USA). The Peterson’s each won Olympic gold, Olympic silver, world silver and world bronze.
In Greco-Roman, Gheorghe BERCEANU (ROU) - who won Olympic gold, Olympic silver and was a two-time world champion - was nominated alongside Olympic and world gold medalist Pertti UKKOLA (FIN).
Mr. MOLINA (CUB) was nominated as a referee and Yuri SHAKHMURADOV (RUS) as a coach.
Mr. Shakhmuradov was also added to the Women and Sport commission.
The 2019 Senior Wrestling World Championships begin at 11am local with action in four Greco-Roman weight categories. Semifinals will begin at 6pm local.
