U20 World Championships 2026 Day1 Greco-Roman: Results & Video Highlights

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (August 16) -- The U20 World Championships kicked off in Bratislava, Slovakia with four Greco-Roman weight classes -- 63kg, 77kg, 87kg and 130kg with two returning champions hoping to defend their titles.

Ali ILIASOV (RUS), the returning champion at 130kg, managed to reach the semifinals after three technical superiority or fall wins.

The defending champion at 87kg Luca KOCHALIDZE (GEO) failed to advance after dropping his bout against senior world bronze medalist Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN).

Use code BUNDLE10 to get 10 percent off on UWW+ subscription and watch U20, U23 and senior World Championships.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | GRECO-ROMAN PREVIEW

14:00: Mega match-up at 87kg as Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) clashes with defending champion Luka KOCHALIDZE (GEO). Yoshida with high pace throughout the match and gets both par terre positions and a stepout. He also scores a late takedown to complete a 5-0 win over the Georgian and advance to the semifinals

13:57: U20 African champion Essam HUSSEIN (EGY) with a four-pointer against Amirhossein ABDEVALI (IRI) which gave him a 5-5 criteria lead in the 130kg quarterfinals. Iran loses the challenge as well and Hussein upsets the U20 Asian champion 6-5. 

13:45: Saba PURTSELADZE (GEO) drops his quarterfinals to Koppany LASZLO (HUN), who defeated the Georgian at the U20 European Championships as well. Laszlo with a huge four-pointer to change the course of the bout and win 6-2

13:40: Samvel TERTERYAN (ARM) gets both par terre positions in the bout and beats Zalan TOPLAK (HUN), 5-0, to advance to the semifinals at 77kg. The U20 European champion is hoping to win a world title in the same year 

13:35: Ali ILIASOV (RUS) with yet another technical superiority victory as he beats Alan DZABIEV (BUL), 9-0, at 130kg. He scores a four-pointer from par terre, then turns Dzabiev for a 7-0 lead. A takedown to finish the bout in 2 minutes and 27 seconds

13:30: Iurik PETROSIAN (ARM) hands Iran its first loss of the session after beating Amirhossein NEMATZADEH (IRI), 5-1, at 87kg. Petrosian scores a turn from par terre and then a point for a stepout off a throw. Nematzadeh cannot score any points from par terre and loses a challenge as well

13:22: Amir SAEIDI NAVA ((IRI) finishes the 87kg bout in quick time, winning 8-0 against Nestor BARAN (UKR) with a big four-point throw. Iran has won all bouts so far

13:20: U20 Asian champion Ali GHARIBI (IRI) and returning silver medalist Aleks MARGARYAN (ARM) go back-and-forth at 63kg but Gharibi pulls off two turns from par terre and a big over-under to win 12-4 and advance

13:12: Amirhossein ABDEVALI (IRI) is cautioned for two offensive fouls which gives Trayvn BOGER (USA) a point but that is all he scores as Abdevali wins the 130kg bout 9-1.

13:05: Saba PURTSELADZE (GEO), a former U17 world champion, wins his pre-quarterfinals against Piyush KUMAR (IND), 7-1. A takedown before he gets par terre and two turns to lead 7-0 and Kumar got par terre in the second period. However, he did not score any points 

13:00: Ali ILIASOV (RUS) with four turns from par terre to beat Seyran KIRAKOSYAN (ARM), 9-0, and advance to the 130kg quarterfinals. Iliasov looks good to defend his gold medal

12:55: Defending champion at 87kg Luca KOCHALIDZE (GEO) with another dominant win. He won 9-0 against Eleftherios PAPPAS (GRE) but a challenge was won by Pappas and the score reversed to 7-0. Kochalidze built this lead from par terre with a turn and then a throw. He finishes the bout on restart 10-0

12:40: Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN), chasing his second age-group world title, advances to the quarterfinals at 87kg with another technical superiority win. He beats Vladyslav SOLODCHUK (UKR), 12-3.

12:10: Salim KAZMAKHOV (RUS) with an 8-0 technical superiority over Timur DEMIR (GER) in four minutes and 12 seconds at 63kg. Can Kazmakhov challenge the top wrestler at 63kg?

12:00: Samvel TERTERYAN (ARM) marches on with another dominant win. He controls his bout against Leister BOWLING (USA) and wins 6-0 at 77kg

11:28: Rematch of the 130kg final from last year's U20 World Championships between Ali ILIASOV (RUS) and Cemal BAKIR (TUR). Iliasov pinned Bakir in Samokov and the he does it again in Bratislava. Iliasov with  beautiful underhook four-pointer for four points and then Bakir has no chance to escape the fall

11:25: AKHIL (IND) with a surprise four-pointer against U20 European Championships silver medalist Orkhan HAJIYEV (AZE) 87kg and then holds the Azerbaijan wrestler for a fall

11:20: Luka KOCHALIDZE (GEO), the defending champion at 87kg, begins with a 5-0 win over Ivan BIALIAYEU (BLR). He controls the bout with ease. Kochalidze finished seventh at this year's U20 European Championships

11:10: Senior world bronze medalist Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) is tested by Aidan SQUIER (USA) at 87kg. He begins with a stepout and a takedown before getting the par terre position to lead 4-0. Squier gets a takedown to cut the lead to 4-2. However, Yoshida with a takedown and turn before break to make it 8-2. He finishes the bout in the second period with a takedown

10:55: U20 European champion Samvel TERTERYAN (ARM) opens 77kg run with a 9-0 win against Mohamed IBRAHIM (EGY). While the scoreline scores a technical superiority win for the Armenia wrestler, the match was much closer.

10:40: Aditya TATE (IND) with an upset win over U20 European champion Maksut SULTANOV (UKR) at 63kg. Sultanov led 3-2 but Tate scores exposure from par terre and takes a 4-3 lead. Ukraine challenge for a block from Sultanov but that is called risk from Tate, giving a point for lost challenge to the Indian

10:20: Ali GHARIBI (IRI), the U20 Asian champion, dominates his opening bout against Vlad DUMINICA (MDA) and wins 9-0 to open his campaign at 63kg.

10:00: The U20 World Championships 2026 will see Greco-Roman 63kg, 77kg, 87kg and 130kg action. The rematch of last year's World Championships final at 130kg will be a round one bout this year between Cemal BAKIR (TUR) and Ali ILIASOV (RUS).