The 2025 U23 European Championships took place towards the end of last week in Tirana, Albania with Georgia taking the team title over 2nd place Ukraine 133 to 99. Georgia boasted two golds, one silver, and three bronze whereas Ukraine had a pair of champs and one bronze. Turkiye came in 3rd (98 points) with one titlist and three bronze medalists.
However, Russia — which is still not permitted to earn team points in officially-sanctioned United World Wrestling events — claimed two tournament champions, three runner-ups, and three bronze medalists. That total alone would have put the Russians at 145 points.
One of the biggest stories emanating from the tournament was the performance of Melkamu Fetene (60 kg), who made history for Israel by becoming both the country’s first-ever U23 Euro finalist and two-time medalist. Fetene defeated, in order, Olivier Skrzypczak (POL), Papik Dzhavayan (RUS), and Suren Aghajanyan (ARM) before falling to Dimitri Khachidze (GEO) in the final. Last year, Fetene placed 3rd at 60 kg, which at the time made him the third U23 European Championships bronze medalist from Israel (Andrei Tsaryuk, ’16; and Shon Nadorgin, 67 kg in ’23).
Germany’s Aaron Bellscheidt also made waves. Bellscheidt downed returning champ and ’24 U23 World bronze Khasay Hasanli (AZE) 7-3 in the 77 kg quarterfinal and eventually advanced to the gold medal round where he was cut down by ’21 Junior World Champion Evgenii Baidusov (RUS) to close out his showing.
(Full placewinners below)
2025 U23 European Championships
March 12-14 — Tirana, ALB
FULL PLACEWINNERS
55 kg
GOLD: Alibek Amirov (RUS)
SILVER: Koba Karumidze (GEO)
BRONZE: Arayik Topalyan (ARM)
BRONZE: Elmir Aliyev (AZE)
60 kg
GOLD: Dimitri Khachidze (GEO)
SILVER: Melkamu Fetene (ISR)
BRONZE: Papik Dzhavayan (RUS)
BRONZE: Mert Ilbars (TUR)
63 kg
GOLD: Vitalie Eriomenco (MDA)
SILVER: Ziya Babashov (AZE)
BRONZE: Alexander Vafai (SWE)
BRONZE: Romeo Beridze (GEO)
67 kg
GOLD: Anri Khozrevanidze (GEO)
SILVER: Hleb Makaranka (BLR)
BRONZE: Daniial Agaev (RUS)
BRONZE: Azat Sariyar (TUR)
72 kg
GOLD: Ruslan Nurullayev (AZE)
SILVER: Danil Girgorev (RUS)
BRONZE: Oleg Khalilov (UKR)
BRONZE: Arionas Kolitsopoulos (GRE)
77 kg
GOLD: Evgenii Baidusov (RUS)
SILVER: Aaron Bellscheidt (GER)
BRONZE: Alexandrin Gutu (MDA)
BRONZE: Khasay Hasanli (AZE)
82 kg
GOLD: Alexandru Solovei (MDA)
SILVER: Gamzat Gadzhiev (RUS)
BRONZE: Jonni Sarkkinen (FIN)
BRONZE: Frederik Methiesen (DEN)
87 kg
GOLD: Alperen Berber (TUR)
SILVER: Vladimeri Karchaidze (FRA)
BRONZE: Vigen Nazaryan (ARM)
BRONZE: Baskhan Saidov (RUS)
97 kg
GOLD: Yehor Yakushenko (UKR)
SILVER: Richard Karelson (EST)
BRONZE: Abubakar Khaslakhanau (BLR)
BRONZE: Luka Gabisonia (GEO)
130 kg
GOLD: Mykhailo Vyshnyvetskyi (UKR)
SILVER: Magomed Alichuev (RUS)
BRONZE: Cemal Bakir (TUR)
BRONZE: Saba Chilashvili (GEO)
Two Interviews This Week
A pair of fresh and important interviews are set for publication this week — Northern Michigan freshman Landon Drury (63 kg) and the first head coach for Doane University Greco-Roman, Jason Christenson.
Drury, one of the brightest young Greco-Roman prospects in the country, is an athlete who has taken a unique path. Originally from Washington, Drury left home while in high school and moved to Colorado where he trained under (and lived with) multi-time World Team member Joe Betterman. Rapid progress soon followed, and in ’23 Drury made the U20 World Team and found himself in a World medal match later that summer.
Christenson — who has enjoyed an immensely-successful coaching career filled with outstanding accomplishments — is beginning to put the pieces in place to fully launch Doane’s Greco program in time for the fall ’25 semester. Christenson imparts equal measures wisdom and humility as he describes his personal coaching philosophy in conjunction with the approach he is taking in order to bring more young athletes into the sport. He also shares some of what Doane’s upcoming plans already entail. The Christenson interview not only addresses questions American Greco-Roman supporters might have, but it provides an allotment of valuable insights for coaches of all age-groups and disciplines, as well.
Listen to “5PM57: Kamal Bey and David Stepanyan” on Spreaker.
Listen to “5PM56: Rich Carlson and Spencer Woods” on Spreaker.
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