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Sands of glory: legends rise, and new Beach Wrestling World Champions emerge in a season for the ages

October 19, 2025
Egypt 2025 worldchampionship
The Egyptian leg would see the first time the World Championships have been won in Africa and there was plenty of drama on the final day as the 2025 Kings and Queens of Beach Wrestling were coronated.

The sands of the Pharaohs have just settled as the sun sets on another amazing Beach Wrestling World Series. The 2025 edition saw the World Series take place in the Americas, Europe and Africa. The season opened in Monterrey, Mexico, before heading back to Europe for competitions in Croatia and Greece. For the first time ever, the World Series also took place on African soil, in Casablanca, Morocco.

© Kostadin Andonov - 50kg Women's BW - Stefania Claudia Ivascu Priceputu (ROU) df. Sabah Kaneb (MAR)
© Kostadin Andonov - 60kg Women's BW - Lydia Perez Tourino (ESP) df. Anastasiya Kravchenko (UKR)
© Kostadin Andonov - 70kg Women's BW - Irina Ringaci (MDA) df. Dimitra Androutsou (GRE)
© Kostadin Andonov - +70kg Women's BW - Eliana Rose Bommarito (USA) df. Iryna Pasichnyk (UKR)

Let’s get straight down to action in the women’s 50 kg where the Princess of Power Stefania PRICEPUTU (ROU) took home the gold with a dominant showing throughout the weekend and upon doing so, became a three-time World Champion after beating Morocco’s Sabah KANEB in the final. Claudia CABRERA from Aergentina took the bronze today, which was enough to see her take overall silver. Kaneb would finish the year in third place and take the bronze.

In the women’s 60 kg there was a dramatic end to the gold medal match where Spain’s Lydia PEREZ won the final with a point with two seconds remaining but although she took the gold for the leg, her opponent in the final, Anastasiya KRAVCHENKO (UKR) made it back to back world championship titles. Perez did break the Ukrainian stranglehold on the division with her overall silver and Ukraine’s Sofiia KUSHNIR took the bronze.

There was only 1700 points separating the gold and silver medallists in the women’s 70 kg by the time the sand settled, and it was Moldova’s Irina RINGACI standing atop the podium with Dimitra ANDROUTSOU (GRE) in second. Ringaci, third at the world championships in Zagreb earlier, took the gold courtesy of a win over overall bronze medal winner Olena NIKITINSKA from Ukraine in the final after beating runner up Androutsou in the semi-final.

The women’s +70 kg saw a new look Eliana BOMMARITO this year but with the same results. The most decorated Beach Wrestling athlete in US Beach Wrestling history made it a three-peat of World Championships as she overcame silver medallist Iryna PASICHYNK (UKR) in the final. Greek athlete Stefania ZACHIELA took the overall bronze.

 

© Kostadin Andonov - 70kg Men's BW - Levan Kelekhsashvili (GEO) df. Oleksii Boruta (UKR)
© Kostadin Andonov - 80kg Men's BW - Vasyl Mykhailov (UKR) df. Vusal Aliyev (AZE)
© Kostadin Andonov - 90kg Men's BW - Ibrahim Yusubov (AZE) df. Oleksii Yakovchuk (UKR)
© Kostadin Andonov - +90kg Men's BW - Mamuka Kordzaia (GEO) df. Vazha Daiauri (UKR)

Levan KELEKSHASHVILI from Georgia was a three-time 70 kg Beach Wrestling World Series Champion going into this event and chasing down 2024 title winner Oleksii BORUTA in a bid to claim title number four. It is mission accomplished for the Georgian as he secured first place in the rankings for the first time since 2022 having missed out on the podium altogether last year. His win over Boruta in the final saw the Ukrainian finish second overall. Quentin STICKER (FRA) finally got a podium spot with bronze.

Azerbaijan have a rich history in the sport and Vusal ALIYEV has written his own page in that history book as he was crowned 80 kg World Champion by just 3000 points over Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR). This was despite losing in the leg final to the Ukrainian in a close 2-3 match. 2023 Champ Hugo Cuenot secured overall bronze for France despite an early withdrawal due to injury here where it was Azerbaijan’s Sahib DADASHOV who took the event bronze.

Ibrahim YUSUBOV (AZE) is already a legend of the sandy circle, but he wrote another chapter in that legend with a dominating performance that saw him win his fourth back-to-back world title beating Ukraine’s Oleksii YAKOVCHUK 2-1 in a tense final. Team USA’s Jabari IRONS took the bronze.

Georgian Mamuka KORDZAIA stepped onto the podium for the sixth time in six years as he kept up his record of always finishing in the top three since the Beach Wrestling World Series started back in 2019; the 34-year-old wrestler stepped onto the top step of that podium for the third time as he made it back-to-back wins to go with his 2021 triumph. His win coming courtesy of victory in the final over Vazha DAIAURI (UKR) who himself claimed a Beach Wrestling World overall silver medal for the first time ever. His countryman Oleksandr VERESIUK took both bronze here and overall to complete this year’s medallists.

© Kostadin Andonov - Fans at the 2025 Beach Wrestling World Series season finale in Alexandria, Egypt

The 2025 Beach Wrestling World Series was a season defined by history, heart, and high drama across five stunning global stops. From the electric opener in Monterrey to the Adriatic beauty of Poreč and with a view on Mount Olympus in Katerini, the landmark debut on African sand in Casablanca, and the grand finale in Alexandria, this year’s World Series delivered a full-throttle showcase of what beach wrestling is all about.

New champions emerged and legends solidified their legacies, with Stefania Priceputu of Romania becoming a three-time World Champion in style, Eliana Bommarito of the USA completing a dominant three-peat, and Ibrahim Yusubov of Azerbaijan extending his reign to a jaw-dropping fourth straight title. The return of Levan Kelekhsashvili to the top was one of the season’s biggest stories, while Vusal Aliyev and Mamuka Kordzaia brought further glory to their wrestling-rich nations.

Greece, Moldova, and Argentina also had standout moments, highlighting the truly global nature of the sport’s growth. The shifting sands of 2025 crowned new kings and queens in unforgettable fashion, closing a chapter that will live long in the memory of beach wrestling fans around the world.

While this marks the end of the current season, but fans can stay informed by visiting www.beachwrestling.org or following the official social media channels.

Results Alexandria Beach Wrestling World Series
Women
50 kg
1- Stefania PRICEPUTU (ROU)
2- Sabah KANEB (MOR)
3- Claudia CABRERA (ARG)

60 kg
1- Lydia PEREZ (ESP)
2- Anastasiya KRAVCHENKO (UKR)
3- Sofiia KUSCHNIR (UKR)

70 kg
1- Irina RINGACI (MDA)
2- Dimitra ANDROUTSOU (GRE)
3- Olena NIKITINSKA (UKR)

+70 kg
1- Eliana BOMMARITO (USA)
2– Iryna PASICHNYK (UKR)
3- Daria KONSTANTYNOVA (UKR)

Men
70 kg
1- Levan KELEKHSASHVILI (GEO)
2- Oleksii BORUTA (UKR)
3- Quentin STICKER (FRA)

80 kg
1- Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR)
2- Vusal ALIYEV (AZE)
3- Sahib DADASHOV (AZE)

90 kg
1- Ibrahim YUSUBOV (AZE)
2- Oleksii YAKOVCHUK (UKR)
3- Jabari IRONS (USA)

+90 kg
1- Mamuka KORDZAIA (GEO)
2- Vazha DAIAURI (UKR)
3- Oleksandr VERESIUK (UKR)

Women’s Top Technique Winner – Irina Ringaci (MDA), 70 kg
Men’s Top Technique Winner – Vazha Daiauri (UKR), +90 kg

Results Beach Wrestling World Championships
WOMEN

50 kg
1- Stefania PRICEPUTU (ROU)
2- Claudia CABRERA (ARG)
3- Sabah KANEB (MAR)

60 kg
1- Anastasiya KRAVCHENKO (UKR)
2- Lydia PEREZ (ESP)
3- Sofiia KUSHNIR (UKR)

70 kg
1- Irina RINGACI (MDA)
2- Dimitra ANDROUTSOU (GRE)
3- Olena NIKITINSKA (UKR)

+70 kg
1- Eliana BOMMARITO (USA)
2- Iryna PASICHNYK (UKR)
3- Stefania ZACHEILA (GRE)

MEN
70 kg
1- Levan KELEKHSASHVILI (GEO)
2- Oleksii BORUTA (UKR)
3- Quentin STICKER (FRA)

80 kg
1- Vusal ALIYEV (AZE)
2- Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR)
3- Hugo CUENOT (FRA)

90 kg
1- Ibrahim YUSUBOV (AZE)
2- Oleksii YAKOVCHUK (UKR)
3- Jabari IRONS (USA)

+90 kg
1- Mamuka KORDZAIA (GEO)
2- Vazha DAIAURI (UKR)

3- Oleksandr VERESIUK (UKR)

Find the complete results here.

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