ОVATION, edition № 2

STRIVING FOR MEDALS!

RESULTS OF THE FIRST DAY ATHLETES FROM SIX COUNTRIES WILL COMPETE FOR THE FIRST GOLD MEDAL

The first finalists of the 2026 Yarygin Cup have been determined. Today, January 30, athletes from six countries – Russia, Belarus, Mongolia, North Korea, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan – will compete for seven gold medals.

^{From left to right: David Baev (Russia), Won Myung-chun (DPRK), Viktor Rassadin (Tajikistan)}

The Champion's Greatness

Reigning world champion Won Myung-chun demonstrated true class. The North Korean athlete clearly stood out with the speed and intensity of her performance. In the quarterfinals of the 50 kg weight class, she simply tormented Mongolian athlete Mengerel Munkhbat with endless attacks, ultimately winning by stoppage. The same scenario was repeated almost identically in the semifinals against Belarusian Svetlana Kotenko. The perpetual motion of the Korean engine lead to early victory.

In the final, Natalia Varakina of Belarus, who confidently defeated Russian champion Natalia Pudova, will try to hold off the world champion.

Unpredictable semifinals

The semifinals in the 55 kg category were very close. Alexandra Skirenko seemed to be confidently leading against Ekaterina Verbina (5:0), but ultimately barely held on (7:6). Meanwhile, Viktoria Vaulina couldn't hold on to her 3:0 lead against Laura Almagonbetova. The athlete from Kazakhstan seemed fragile and timid at first, but this impression was completely deceptive: it was no coincidence that Laura was competing at the World Championships, and in a heavier category at that, taking the victory 7:3.

By the final action

The semifinal between Anastasia Yakovleva and Victoria Khusainova of Kazakhstan (59 kg) was expected to be a competitive one, as both athletes share similar aggressive styles. And that's exactly what it turned out to be, although, of course, the two competitors scored fewer points than expected. Finally, the former Russian Khusainova emerged victorious after the final act, with the score  4-4.

Her opponent in the final will be  highly experienced Svetlana Lipatova. The 32-year-old, multiple champion and medalist at Russian Championships, handled 21-year-old Alina Rybkina with great composure, though Rybkina clearly struggled to overcome some shyness in front of her titled opponent.

Without a Krasnoyarsk final

The 65 kg final in Krasnoyarsk, so eagerly anticipated by the tournament hosts, could have taken place. Dinara Kudayeva and Khanum Velieva competed in separate semifinals. Velieva accomplished her goal, albeit with great difficulty. The decorated Krasnoyarsk wrestler was losing to Enkhzhin Tuvshinjargal, a World Championship bronze medalist and a very strong athlete. In the final second, Velieva snatched victory with a four-point throw (8:6), though a two-point throw to tie the score would have been out of the question for the Krasnoyarsk wrestler.

Kudayeva, however, lost her way to the final to Belarusian Ksenia Tsiarenia. The Krasnoyarsk native was leading 4-2 after hitting a great shot. But in the second period, her opponent was much more active and deservedly won 8-5.

TODAY ARE THE FINALS   Women ► 50 kg Won Myung-chun (DPRK) vs. Natalia Varakina (Belarus) ► 55 kg Alexandra Skirenko (Russia) vs. Laura Almaganbetova (Kazakhstan) ► 59 kg Viktoria Khusainova (Kazakhstan) vs. Svetlana Lipatova (Russia) ► 65 kg Khanum Velieva (Russia) vs. Ksenia Tsiarenia (Belarus)   Men ► 57 kg Munkh-Erdene Bakhtuyag (Mongolia) vs. Musa Mekhtikhanov (Russia)  ► 61 kg Chermen Tavitov (Russia) vs. Kezhik Mongush (Russia) ► 70 kg David Baev (Russia) vs. Viktor Rassadin (Tajikistan)

CALLED TO THE MAT... DAY 2

On the second day of the 2026 Yarygin Cup, preliminary bouts will be held in the 53 and 57 kg weight categories for women and the 65, 79, and 125 kg weight categories for men.

MEN

• 65 kg

Last year's winners: 1. Ibragim Ibragimov. 2. Ramazan Ferzaliev. 3. Aripgadzhiyav Abdulaev, Chayan Mongush (all from Russia).

Favorites: Ibragim Ibragimov, Abasgazhi Magomedov, Dzhambulat Kizinov (all from Russia), Wong Jin Kim (DPRK), Ahmet Duman (Turkiye).

Spectators are eagerly awaiting the clash between Ibragim Ibragimov and Absgadzhi Magomedov, the 2021 World and European Champion. They met in the final at the Russian Championships, and Ibragimov prevailed. He won gold at the 2025 European Championships. However, he failed to secure a medal at the World Championships in Zagreb, losing in the bronze to Umidzhon Jalolov of Uzbekistan. A surprise in this weight class could also come from 2024 World Championship silver medalist Akhmet Duman.

• 79 kg

Last year's winners: 1. Akhmed Usmanov. 2. Gadzhimurad Alikhamaev. 3. Akhmed Manilov, Dzhamal Akhmadudinov (all from Russia).

Favorites: Akhmed Usmanov, Magomed Magomaev, Nikita Suchkov, Gadzhimurad Alimkhaev (all from Russia).

Akhmed Usmanov is the clear leader in this category in Russia, having won both the national championship and the Yarygin Cup last season. He reached the quarterfinals of the World Championship. As early as the round of 16, Usmanov could face Asian Championship medalist Suldhu Olonbayar of Mongolia. And in the semifinals, he could face Nikita Suchkov, who has twice reached the finals of the Yarygin tournaments.

• 125 kg

Last year's winners: 1. Zelimkhan Khizriev. 2. Artem Pukhovsky. 3. Igor Ovsyannikov (all from Russia), Mortaza Zhanmohammadzadenamarvar (Iran).

Favorites: Abdulla Kurbanov, Zelimkhan Khizriev, Ostap Pasenok, Shamil Musayev (all from Russia), Denis Khromenkov (Belarus).

Abdulla Kurbanov won the Russian Championship and represented the country at the World Championships, reaching the quarterfinals in Zagreb. During the tournament, he defeated the strong Belarusian wrestler Denis Khromenkov – now he has a chance to settle the score again. As for Zelimkhan Khizriev, the wrestler and the Yarygin Cup "love each other": the experienced wrestler has won three times in Krasnoyarsk. It will be interesting to see if three-time European champion Feyzullah Aktürk will be able to intervene in the medal race. He won his titles in the 92 kg weight class (last year, he won bronze at the European Championships in the same weight class). And now he's trying his hand at the super heavyweight division.

WOMEN

• 53 kg

Last year's medalists: 1. Natalia Malysheva. 2. Anzhelika Vetoshkina. 3. Natia Svanidze, Victoria Vaulina (all from Russia).

Favorites: Oh Kyung Ren, Choi Hyo Kyung (DPRK), Natalia Malysheva, Anzhelika Vetoshkina (both from Russia), Namuntsetseg Ttsog Ochir (Mongolia).

The largest category at the tournament is women's wrestling – 29 contenders! Of these, 17 are foreigners. And a strong rivalry is looming, not Russian, but North Korean. Oh Kyung Ren became world champion, although in a heavier category, and Choi Hyo Kyung won bronze at the last world championship. Natalia Malysheva and Nmuentsetsen Tsog Ochir also competed in Zagreb, but both were eliminated in the round of 16.

• 57 kg

Last year's winners: 1. Veronika Chumikova (Russia). 2. Lailokhon Sobirova (Uzbekistan). 3. Kristina Mikhneva, Erzhema Zhamsaranova (both Russia).

Favorites: Song Il Sim (DPRK), Julia Rodrigues Penalber de Oliveira (Brazil), Kristina Mikhneva (Russia).

Another North Korean champion is on the Krasnoyarsk mat! Song Il Sim had a fantastic World Championships in Zagreb, only losing by one point to American Helen Maroulis in a tight final. The debut of a Brazilian wrestler in Krasnoyarsk is highly anticipated. Julia Rodrigues Penalber de Oliveira has already established herself as a respected figure in the Americas, having competed in the Olympics, where she became the first Brazilian wrestler to win bronze. Now she faces a new challenge.

NEW "IVAN YARYGIN" RECORDS

This year, the tournament has truly exploded – nearly 500 athletes will participate! This has never been seen before in its history!

• Of course, this number is preliminary, based on the number of athletes who passed the weigh-in. The credentials committee will provide more precise data. But it's already clear that a record number of participants will be set.
• Russian wrestlers (men and women) have come to Krasnoyarsk from 35 regions of the country. Their total number is approaching 280. Representatives from 21 countries are set to take to the mats of the Ivan Yarygin Sports Palace.
• The Mongolian team boasts a record number of participants – nearly eighty people! Some men's weight classes have seven or eight wrestlers, while in the women's category, there are up to six.
• Of course, there are also countries from which only one wrestler made it to Siberia, such as Greece, Tajikistan, and Brazil. But it's these countries that typically receive the warmest support from the stands.

THE DARING OF SIDAKOV, BURAKOVA AND VELIEVA

Over the past 36 years, thousands of the world's strongest wrestlers have attempted to conquer the Yarygin tournament podium. Among the winners are approximately fifty Olympic champions! There was even a case where three Olympic champions from different years stood on the podium in the same weight category! So, Olympic laurels didn't always pave the way to Yarygin gold…

Buvaisar Saitiev has reached the top spot in men's tournaments more often than anyone else throughout their history – six times. He reached the podium in the 74 kg weight class in 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2003.

This year, Zaur Uguev could have equaled Saitiev's record, but he was unable to travel to Krasnoyarsk due to health problems. Nevertheless, last year, Uguev became one of the five-time winners of the Yarygin tournament.

► David Musulbes (100,130 kg): 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001 ► Kuramagomed Kuramagomedov (97, 120 kg): 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 ► Makhach Murtazaliev (66, 74 kg): 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 ► Zaur Uguev (57, 61 kg): 2017, 2018, 2023, 2024, 2025

At the 2026 Ivan Yarygin Cup, Olympic champion and three-time world champion Zaurbek Sidakov (74 kg) will dare to reach the top of the Yarygin podium for the fifth time. Incidentally, he already has seven medals of various denominations won on the Yarygin mats. And Sidakov could become the seventh person in history to achieve this feat.

Women's wrestling is celebrating a milestone! It was included in the tournament program in 2002. This means women will be competing in Krasnoyarsk for the 25th time!

And they have their own gold medalist! Alena Kartashova also won the 63 kg weight class six times – in 2003-2006, 2008, and 2009.

Around the same time, Natalia Golts (55 kg) was shining on the Krasnoyarsk mats, becoming a five-time winner of the tournament – ​​in 2005-2008 and 2010.

Who knows, perhaps this "anniversary" year will add two more names to the list of the most decorated duos – Khanum Velieva and Ksenia Burakova, who already have four gold medals each, have a chance to change history. They have the skill, but will they have the athletic audacity and luck?