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U20 Wrestling World Championships:
Iranians to extend GR supremacy, make up for Baku setback
The Iranian squad, however, will face a daunting task in retaining its dominance, as wrestling powerhouse Russia – the only nation other than Iran to have won the under-20 Greco-Roman team title over the past decade – will be eligible for team points for the first time since the 2021 edition.
Russia marked its return to the global stage in style last week by completing a clean sweep of the team trophies at the U17 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, snapping Iran’s four-year title-winning streak in the Greco-Roman competition in the process.
Iran will enter the tournament on the back of a commanding Greco-Roman campaign at the U20 Asian Championships in Pattaya, Thailand, last month, where the country claimed the team title thanks to five gold medals, one silver, and three bronzes across 10 weight classes.
A U17 world champion in 2024, Armin Shamsipour will compete in the 55kg division fresh off a gold medal-winning run in Pattaya, aiming to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Payam Ahmadi, who won gold in the category last year in Samokov, Bulgaria, before going on to claim an impressive silver medal on his senior World Championships debut.
Amirali Heidari will represent Iran in the 60kg event, looking to improve on his bronze medal in Pattaya, while Ali Gharibi will compete in the 63kg division on the back of an emphatic international debut in the Thai city, where he secured three successive superiority victories on his way to the title.
The 67kg draw will see Iliya Alikhani feature after replacing Mohammadreza Gholami, the bronze medalist at the continental championships, in the Iranian squad.
Ahmadreza Mohammadian will compete in the 72kg division, hoping to bounce back from a disappointing campaign at the 2025 World Championships, where he crashed out in the opening round.
Amir Saeidi Nava will represent the country in the 77kg division, while Alireza Mohammad-Hosseini will compete in the 82kg division as the reigning Asian champion. Amirhossein Nematzadeh, the bronze medalist in Pattaya, will take part in the 87kg competition.
A U17 world champion at 92kg last year, Amirsam Mohammadi, who suffered a quarterfinal exit in the 87kg class at the 2025 World Championships, will be among the favorites in the 97kg category after proving to be in a league of his own at the Asian event, outscoring his opponents 28-0 across four bouts.
Amirhossein Abdevali will also look to build on his Asian gold medal when he begins his campaign in the 130kg division.