Azizli wins fifth world title as Azerbaijan takes two Greco-Roman golds on opening day in Astana

Opening day in Astana

The first Greco-Roman finals of the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships delivered a record, a comeback and a Georgian medal on Sunday at Barys Arena in Astana, Kazakhstan. Four weight classes were decided on the opening day of Group One competition, with Azerbaijan claiming two gold medals, Iran taking one, and Japan taking one. The finals, held on Sunday 25 October in Astana, which is one hour ahead of Tbilisi, set a tone for a tournament that still has its remaining Greco-Roman weights to come on Monday.

Azizli makes history at 55kg

The headline belonged to Eldaniz Azizli of Azerbaijan. In the 55kg final, Azizli beat Payam Ahmadi of Iran 3-1 to win his fifth world title, adding to the crowns he had previously won in 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The victory extends his record as Azerbaijan's most-decorated world champion wrestler, a status built over eight years at the top of one of the sport's lightest and most fiercely contested weights. Ahmadi, who had fought his way to the final, could not find a way past the champion in a final decided by fine margins rather than a single explosive exchange.

For Georgia, the 55kg class also brought the day's most satisfying result. Vakhtang Lolua won bronze with a technical fall, 10-0, over Davaabandi Munkh Erdene of Mongolia, a scoreline that left no doubt about the outcome and gave the Georgian team a medal on the opening day. The second bronze at 55kg went to the home crowd's favourite, Iskhar Kurbayev of Kazakhstan, who beat Lalit of India by technical fall, 9-0. The two bronze-medal bouts underlined how quickly a Greco-Roman contest at this level can be settled once a wrestler finds control from the clinch and on the mat.

Gomi's comeback at 60kg

The most dramatic final of the day came at 60kg. Koto Gomi of Japan beat Ali Ahmadi Vafa of Iran by fall at 4:13, completing a turnaround after Ahmadi Vafa had built a commanding lead in the bout. Ahmadi Vafa had arrived in the final in strong form, having beaten Alisher Ganiev of Uzbekistan 8-3 in the semi-final, and for much of the gold-medal match he looked on course to add a world title to that performance. Instead, Gomi found the opening he needed and ended the contest on the mat, turning a final that seemed to be slipping away into a gold medal in a matter of seconds.

Ganiev recovered from his semi-final defeat to take one of the two bronze medals at 60kg, while the other went to Aidos Sultangali of Kazakhstan, giving the hosts a second medal of the day. For Japan, Gomi's gold was a reminder of the depth of its Greco-Roman programme, while for Iran it was a second silver of the day and another sign of how close its wrestlers came to turning strong runs into titles on Sunday.

Suleymanov doubles Azerbaijan's golds at 77kg

Azerbaijan's second gold arrived at 77kg, where Sanan Suleymanov beat Alexandrin Gutu of Moldova 8-3. Suleymanov controlled the final to secure a clear victory and confirm Azerbaijan's status as the most successful nation of the opening day in terms of gold medals. Gutu had reached the final in spectacular fashion, pinning Stoyan Kubatov of Bulgaria in just 1:06 in his semi-final, a result that had marked him out as a dangerous opponent. In the final, Suleymanov did not allow him the same opening, and the Moldovan had to settle for silver.

The bronze medals at 77kg went to Ali Oskou of Iran, who edged Doniyorkhon Nakibov of Uzbekistan 4-3 in a tight contest, and to Shuai Mamedau of Belarus, who beat Kubatov by fall at 4:32. Oskou's bronze was an important contribution to Iran's overall tally, while Mamedau's fall ensured that Kubatov, who had been pinned in the semi-final, left Astana without a medal despite reaching the last four.

Farokhi takes 82kg gold for Iran

The final gold of the day went to Iran at 82kg, where Gholamreza Farokhi beat Yüksel Sarıçiçek of Türkiye in the final. The result gave Iran the gold medal that its Group One performance had promised, and it completed a day in which Iranian wrestlers were present in the medal matches across all four weights. The bronze medals at 82kg went to Mihail Bradu of Moldova and Akzhol Makhmudov of Kyrgyzstan, two wrestlers who turned repechage and bronze-medal opportunities into places on the podium.

What Monday brings

Taken together, the four weights produced a balanced picture at the top of the standings. According to IRNA, Iran's Day One and Group One tally was one gold, two silvers and one bronze, a return built on finals appearances at 55kg, 60kg and 82kg and a bronze at 77kg. Azerbaijan's two golds came at 55kg and 77kg, while Japan's gold at 60kg and the spread of bronze medals to Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Moldova and Kyrgyzstan showed how many nations remain competitive in Greco-Roman wrestling at world level.

The competition continues on Monday in the remaining Greco-Roman weights, 72kg, 97kg and 130kg. For the teams that left Sunday without gold, Monday offers a fresh set of finals and a chance to change the shape of the medal table. For Azerbaijan, the challenge will be to sustain a winning start; for Iran, it will be to turn another set of finals appearances into gold; and for Georgia, Lolua's bronze provides a platform to build on. Whatever happens next, Sunday in Astana will be remembered above all for Azizli's fifth world title, a milestone that places him further ahead of every other Azerbaijani wrestler in the history of the World Championships.