Why it matters:
The U20 World Championships are a key stepping stone for young wrestlers. Iranian legends like Hassan Yazdani and Kamran Ghasempour began their rise with junior medals. Winning here boosts a wrestler’s chances for senior national teams, major events like the Asian Games and Olympics.
Details:
Yousefi’s path to gold featured decisive wins over international rivals, while three other Iranian athletes exited early.
Round 1: Crushed Moldova’s Ion Marciu 10-0.
Round 2: Technical fall over Armenia’s Narek Nikoghosyan, 8-0, advancing to quarterfinals.
Quarterfinals: Edged Turkmenistan’s Alp Arslan Begnjoyev 6-4 to reach semis.
Semifinals: Overpowered Russia’s Said Saidulov 15-7.
Final: Clinched gold with an 8-6 victory against the U.S.'s William Henkel.
But teammates Arshia Hadadi (57 kg), Ali Asghar Tat (65 kg), and Tohid Nouri (92 kg) failed to continue.
What’s next:
Focus shifts to remaining competitions, with Iran eyeing more medals to build on Yousefi’s success.
Go deeper:
Iran's Youth Freestyle Wrestling Team Wins Asian Championship
seyed mohammad kazemi - ahmad shirzadian
