Russia Sends Five to Finals on Day One of 2026 European Wrestling Championships

The 2026 European Wrestling Championships kicked off today (April 23) in Tirana, Albania, with the first day of freestyle action delivering dominant performances and clear finalists across five weight classes.

Russia made a powerful statement early in the tournament, sending all five of its semifinalists into the finals. Musa Mekhdikhanov (57 kg), Bashir Magomedov (65 kg), David Baev (70 kg), Akhmed Usmanov (79 kg), and Abdulrashid Sadulaev (97 kg) will all compete for gold tomorrow.

Sadulaev, one of the most decorated wrestlers in the world, looked particularly sharp. He advanced to the 97 kg final after defeating all three of his preliminary opponents by technical superiority and will face Batyrbek Tsakulov of Slovakia in the gold medal match.

Meanwhile, former 65 kg world champion Ismail Musukaev suffered a heavy defeat in the 70 kg semifinals, losing 11-0 to Moldova’s Alexandr Gaidarly. In another notable result, Armenia’s Vazgen Tevanyan was eliminated after a tightly contested bout against Russia’s Bashir Magomedov, while Shamil Mamedov also exited the competition.

Semifinal Results and Finals Matchups

57 kg Semifinals:

Roberty Dingashvili (Georgia) 1 – Islam Bazarganov (Azerbaijan) 11
Manvel Khndzrtsyan (Armenia) 0 – Musa Mekhdikhanov (Russia) 5

Final: Islam Bazarganov (Azerbaijan) vs Musa Mekhdikhanov (Russia)

65 kg Semifinals:

Islam Dudaev (Albania) 4 – Islam Guseinov (Belarus) 0
Bashir Magomedov (Russia) 3 – Vazgen Tevanyan (Armenia) 3 (criteria win)

Final: Islam Dudaev (Albania) vs Bashir Magomedov (Russia)

70 kg Semifinals:

Ismail Musukaev (Hungary) 0 – Alexandr Gaidarly (Moldova) 11
David Baev (Russia) 9 – Oleksii Boruta (Ukraine) 2

Final: Alexandr Gaidarly (Moldova) vs David Baev (Russia)

79 kg Semifinals:

Jabrail Gadzhiev (Azerbaijan) 1 – Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov (Belarus) 5
Akhmed Usmanov (Russia) 3 – Zelimkhan Khadjiev (France) 0

Final: Akhmed Usmanov (Russia) vs Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov (Belarus)

97 kg Semifinals:

Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Russia) 12 – Akhmed Magamaev (Bulgaria) 2
Givi Matcharashvili (Georgia) 1 – Batyrbek Tsakulov (Slovakia) 12

Final: Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Russia) vs Batyrbek Tsakulov (Slovakia)

With Russia sweeping all five finals on the opening day, the spotlight now turns to whether they can convert dominance into gold medals. The finals promise high-level matchups across all weights as Europe’s best wrestlers battle for continental supremacy.