Two Armenian Wrestlers Reach Semifinals at the 2026 U23 World Wrestling Championships in Greco-Roman Wrestling

The 2026 U23 World Wrestling Championships in Greco-Roman wrestling began on October 12 in Las Vegas, USA. The opening day featured preliminary bouts in five weight categories: 60, 67, 72, 82, and 97 kg.

Armenia was represented by four wrestlers on the first day, two of whom successfully advanced to the semifinals. Gaspar Terteryan (72 kg) and Martik Petrosyan (82 kg) will compete for places in the World Championship finals.

Another Armenian representative, Yura Hoveyan (67 kg), secured two victories before being eliminated in the quarterfinals. However, he still has a chance to compete for a bronze medal through the repechage.

Gaspar Terteryan Advances Convincingly to U23 World Championships Semifinals

In the 72 kg category, Gaspar Terteryan opened his campaign with a 3-1 victory over Georgia's Nika Broladze.

In the quarterfinals, the Armenian wrestler faced Russia's Magomed Barakhoev and secured a dominant 9-0 victory by technical superiority, comfortably earning his place among the final four.

Terteryan will face Colombia's Nilson Sinisterra in the semifinals.

Gaspar Terteryan's results (72 kg):

• Round of 16: Nika Broladze (Georgia) — won 3-1.

• Quarterfinal: Magomed Barakhoev (Russia) — won 9-0.

• Semifinal: Nilson Sinisterra (Colombia).

Martik Petrosyan Wins Three Bouts to Reach Semifinals

In the 82 kg category, Martik Petrosyan competed in three bouts, two of which were particularly closely contested.

The Armenian wrestler began the tournament with a 10-2 victory by technical superiority over Serbia's Ognjen Jakovljevic.

In the round of 16, Petrosyan faced Uzbekistan's Alimjon Soatullaev, who had defeated him 8-0 in 2025. This time, the Armenian wrestler gained revenge with a narrow 3-2 victory.

His quarterfinal opponent was Kyrgyzstan's U23 Asian champion Erlan Mars Uulu. The bout ended 1-1, but Petrosyan was awarded the victory on criteria after scoring the first point.

The Armenian wrestler will face Sweden's Alexander Johansson for a place in the final.

Martik Petrosyan's results (82 kg):

• Round of 32: Ognjen Jakovljevic (Serbia) — won 10-2.

• Round of 16: Alimjon Soatullaev (Uzbekistan) — won 3-2.

• Quarterfinal: Erlan Mars Uulu (Kyrgyzstan) — won 1-1 (on criteria, having scored first).

• Semifinal: Alexander Johansson (Sweden).

Yura Hoveyan Eliminated in Quarterfinals

In the 67 kg category, Yura Hoveyan successfully progressed through the first two rounds of the World Championships.

In his opening bout, the Armenian wrestler defeated China's Muki Yang 3-2 before overcoming American Otto Black 6-3 in the round of 16.

However, Hoveyan faced Russia's U20 world champion Erzu Zakriev in the quarterfinals and suffered an 8-0 defeat by technical superiority.

The Armenian wrestler's chances of continuing in the competition now depend on Zakriev's performance. If the Russian reaches the final, Hoveyan will enter the repechage and have an opportunity to compete for bronze.

Yura Hoveyan's results (67 kg):

• Round of 32: Muki Yang (China) — won 3-2.

• Round of 16: Otto Black (USA) — won 6-3.

• Quarterfinal: Erzu Zakriev (Russia) — lost 0-8.

Ruben Gevorgyan Loses Opening Bout

In the 97 kg category, Ruben Gevorgyan was unable to progress beyond his opening bout. The Armenian wrestler lost 2-7 to Georgia's Luka Gabisonia.

Gevorgyan also retains a mathematical chance of entering the repechage if his opponent advances to the final.

Ruben Gevorgyan's result (97 kg):

• Opening bout: Luka Gabisonia (Georgia) — lost 2-7.

When Are the 2026 U23 World Wrestling Championships Semifinals?

The semifinals for the opening day of competition will take place overnight on October 12–13.

Semifinal start times:

• 04:00 — Moscow time.

• 05:00 — Yerevan time.

Semifinals featuring Armenian wrestlers:

• 72 kg: Gaspar Terteryan (Armenia) vs. Nilson Sinisterra (Colombia).

• 82 kg: Martik Petrosyan (Armenia) vs. Alexander Johansson (Sweden).

Following the opening day's preliminary bouts at the 2026 U23 World Wrestling Championships, Armenia has two semifinalists and remains in contention for medals in other weight categories.