The Iranian Greco-Roman wrestler Said Esmaili won and secured the gold medal at the 2026 World Wrestling Championship on Tuesday evening.
The Olympic champion from Paris successfully defended his title in the 67 kg weight category, achieving a convincing victory by throw over Aitjan Khalmakhanov from Uzbekistan. This victory marks the fourth for Iran in the Greco-Roman wrestling competitions held in Astana.
Esmaili noted the unique nature of the World Championship, stating: 'This is a World Championship that differs from other tournaments. It becomes more difficult every year. My opponents study and analyze me, which makes winning medals consistently very hard, especially in the 67 kg weight category, which is one of the most competitive in the world.'
Earlier, in the final matches, Semen Novikov from Bulgaria inflicted a rare defeat on Iran, beating Alireza Mohammadi 4:0, replicating the final of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Additionally, Karen Aslanyan defeated Nihat Mammadli (AZE) 8:4 in the 63 kg weight category, becoming champion for the first time.