Khaslakhanau Ends Yakushenko's Reign to Win 97kg Gold at U23 World Championships

LAS VEGAS, United States (October 13) -- In the last two years, Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) went 42-1, winning eight gold medals including titles at U20 and U23 World Championships. But his golden streak came to an abrupt end in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

Hoping to defend his U23 world title at 97kg at the U23 World Championships, Yakushenko was dealt with a 2-1 loss in the final by Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (BLR), a wrestler Yakushenko had beaten four times before.

Khaslakhanau, who lost 3-3 to Yakushenko in the quarterfinals at the 2025 U23 Worlds and 3-1 more recently in the final of the U23 European Championships, managed a stepout from par terre to break Yakushenko's 1-1 criteria lead. He then held his one point lead even as Yakushenko went out of character and tried a flying squirrel as well but to no avail.

A 2023 U20 world champion, Khaslakkhanau returned to the top of the podium after more than three years of missing out on the gold medal at various championships.

"I’ve really missed these emotions," Khaslakhanau said. "It’s been a long time since I last managed to win a final, so I’m incredibly happy. I’m very glad. Words can’t describe how good it feels when all your hard work pays off."

Yakushenko, who showed signs of a shoulder injury on Monday, opened the final on the aggressive note and got the par terre position, giving him a 1-0 lead. However, he failed to turn or lift Khaslakhanau. In the second period, Khaslakhanau was awarded the par terre but Yakushenko led the first point criteria.

As Khaslakhanau worked on a lift, Yakushenko managed to keep himself stable and avoided get thrown. He, however, did land outside the zone when Khaslakhanau completed the move, earning himself one point and a 2-1 lead.

"He’s a very difficult opponent for me," Khaslakhnau said. "This time, the first period didn’t go particularly well, so during the break, we had to change our tactics a little, and it worked. Changing tactics isn’t something I’m used to. I usually wrestle according to one game plan, but this time, my coach and I made the right decision at the right moment."

Explaining why Yakushenko is a challenging opponent, Khaslakhanau mentioned the size difference between the two, which forced him to switch his tactics for the final.

"He’s an awkward opponent for me because of his build. He’s tall and very big. I’m not small myself, but he’s twice my size!" he said. "I usually wrestle by controlling the opponent’s arm, and that’s how I approached the first period. In the second period, we decided to work underneath his arm instead. Apparently, that made things uncomfortable for him, and that’s how I managed to win."

For Yakushenko, who failed to pinpoint the reason for his surprise loss, it was a wake up call for the future tournament and his much-awaited senior-level debut next year.

"Maybe it was just not meant to be today," Yakushenko said. "I should have won. Maybe it's just for the best. I don't know. I will come wrestle senior probably next year."

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Aibek AITBEKOV (KAZ) df. Elmir ALIYEV (AZE), 13-4

BRONZE: Seima TOKUHARA (JPN) df. Yevhen POKOVBA (UKR), 9-4
BRONZE: Kubanych ARINOV (KGZ) df. Mehroj BAKHRAMOV (UZB), via fall

67kg
GOLD: Erzu ZAKRIEV (RUS) df. Azat SARIYAR (TUR), via fall (8-0)

BRONZE: Takaku SUZUKI (JPN) df. Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO), 5-4
BRONZE: Mohammad KAMALI (IRI) df. Yurik HOVEYAN (ARM), 6-0

72kg
GOLD: Yussuf ASHRAPOV (KAZ) df. Gaspar TERTERYAN (ARM), 4-3

BRONZE: Nilson SINISTERRA (COL) df. Nika BROLADZE (GEO), 8-5
BRONZE: Ibrahim OZDEMIR (TUR) df. Farid KHALILOV (AZE), 10-0

82kg
GOLD: Abolfazl MOHMEDI (IRI) df. Martik PETROSYAN (ARM), 2-1

BRONZE: Erlan MARS UULU (KGZ) df. Alexander JOHANSSON (SWE), via fall (4-5)
BRONZE: Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO) df. Ramazan ARAPKHANOV (RUS), 3-1

97kg
GOLD: Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (BLR) df. Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR), 2-1

BRONZE: Darius KIEFER (GER) df. Magomed MUKHTAROV (RUS), 4-1
BRONZE: Hadi SEYDI (IRI) df. Nurassyl AMANALY (KAZ), 8-0