Rıza Kayaalp Eliminated in Quarterfinals at World Championship

The Grecoroman style elimination and quarterfinal bouts of the 2026 World Senior Wrestling Championship were completed on the second day of the event in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Representing Turkey at 130 kilograms, Rıza Kayaalp won his first two matches against India's Joginder Rathee and Ukraine's Mykhailo Vyshnyvetskyi by clear scores, advancing to the quarterfinals.

In the quarterfinal, the 37-year-old wrestler faced Finland's Matti Elias Kuosmanen in a closely contested bout and lost 5-3. Because Kuosmanen was eliminated in the semifinals, Kayaalp did not gain access to the repechage and completed the tournament without winning a medal.

Kayaalp had returned to the world championship stage in 2023. Over his career he has won five world gold, three silver and two bronze medals, and at European championships he claimed his 13th gold medal, surpassing the record of the legendary Russian wrestler Aleksandr Karelin.

Wrestling at 97 kilograms, İbrahim Tığcı earned a repechage match after Russia's Artur Sargsian, who had beaten him in the second round, reached the final. Tığcı continues his pursuit of a bronze medal, while Cengiz Arslan, competing at 72 kilograms, lost his first match and was eliminated from the tournament.

The World Wrestling Championship will conclude with the final bouts on Sunday, 1 November.