Amit Elor in the 2022 Senior World Finals (photos courtesy of Martin Gabor/UWW)In reviewing the results of the 2022 Senior World Championships, I noticed that three of the four champions for the United States of America, in men's freestyle, were over 30 years old. That generally goes against the typical thought process that the international game is trending towards youth. Which led me to look at all of the champions' ages and continue the exercise across the other two styles. Then for comparison's sake measured it against the 2021 champions.
Here they are, for fun, this could be a topic for deeper dives in the future!
Men's Freestyle
57 kg - Zelimkhan Abakarov (Albania) 29 years old
61 kg - Rei Higuchi (Japan) 26 years old
65 kg - Rahman Amouzad (Iran) 20 years old
70 kg - Taishi Narikuni (Japan) 24 years old
74 kg - Kyle Dake (USA) 31 years old
79 kg - Jordan Burroughs (USA) 34 years old
86 kg - David Taylor (USA) 31 years old
92 kg - Kamran Ghasempour (Iran) 25 years old
97 kg - Kyle Snyder (USA) 26 years old
125 kg - Taha Akgul (Turkey) 31 years old
Average Age 2022 Men's Freestyle Champions = 27.7 years old
2021 Men's Freestyle
57 kg - Thomas Gilman (USA) 27 years old
61 kg - Abasgadzhi Magomedov (Russia) 23 years old
65 kg - Zagir Shakhiev (Russia) 22 years old
70 kg - Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (Poland) 33 years old
74 kg - Kyle Dake (USA) 30 years old
79 kg - Jordan Burroughs (USA) 33 years old
86 kg - Hassan Yazdani (Iran) 26 years old
92 kg - Kamran Ghasempour (Iran) 24 years old
97 kg - Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Russia) 25 years old
125 kg - Amir Zare (Iran) 20 years old
Average Age 2021 Men's Freestyle Champions = 26.3 years old
Women's Freestyle
50 kg - Yui Susaki (Japan) 23 years old
53 kg - Dom Parrish (USA) 25 years old
55 kg - Mayu Mukaida (Japan) 25 years old
57 kg - Tsugumi Sakurai (Japan) 21 years old
59 kg - Anastasia Nichita (Moldova) 23 years old
62 kg - Nonoka Ozaki (Japan) 19 years old
65 kg - Miwa Morikawa (Japan) 23 years old
68 kg - Tamyra Mensah-Stock (USA) 29 years old
72 kg - Amit Elor (USA) 18 years old
76 kg - Yasemin Adar (Turkey) 30 years old
Average Age 2022 Women's Freestyle Champions = 23.6 years old
2021 Women's Freestyle
50 kg - Remina Yoshimoto (Japan) 21 years old
53 kg - Akari Fujinami (Japan) 18 years old
55 kg - Tsugumi Sakurai (Japan) 20 years old
57 kg - Helen Maroulis (USA) 30 years old
59 kg - Bilyana Dudova (Bulgaria) 24 years old
62 kg - Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan) 28 years old
65 kg - Irina Ringaci (Moldova) 20 years old
68 kg - Meerim Zhumanazarova (Kyrgyzstan) 21 years old
72 kg - Masako Furuichi (Japan) 24 years old
76 kg - Adeline Gray (USA) 30 years old
Average Age 2021 Women's Freestyle Champions = 23.6 years old
2022 Greco-Roman
55 kg - Eldaniz Azizli (Azerbaijan) 30 years old
60 kg - Zholaman Sharshenbekov (Kyrgyzstan) 22 years old
63 kg - Sebastian Nad (Serbia) 25 years old
67 kg - Mate Nemes (Serbia) 29 years old
72 kg - Ali Arsalan (Serbia) 27 years old
77 kg - Akzhol Makhmudov (Kyrgyzstan) 23 years old
82 kg - Burhan Akbudak (Turkey) 27 years old
87 kg - Zurab Datunashvili (Serbia) 31 years old
97 kg - Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia) 30 years old
130 kg - Riza Kayaalp (Turkey) 32 years old
Average Age 2022 Men's Greco-Roman Champions = 27.6 years old
2021 Greco Roman
55 kg - Ken Matsui (Japan) 20 years old
60 kg - Victor Ciobanu (Moldova) 28 years old
63 kg - Meysam Dalkhani (Iran) 24 years old
67 kg - Mohammadreza Geraei (Iran) 25 years old
72 kg - Malkhas Amoyan (Armenia) 22 years old
77 kg - Roman Vlasov (Russia) 30 years old
82 kg - Rafig Huseynov (Azerbaijan) 33 years old
87 kg - Zurab Datunashvili (Serbia) 30 years old
97 kg - Mohammadhadi Saravi (Iran) 23 years old
130 kg - Ali Akbar Yousefi (Iran) 24 years old
Average Age 2021 Greco-Roman Champions = 25.9 years old
In both men's styles, the average age of the champions went up a bit. Greco, moreso than freestyle, though it started lower in 2021. What's interesting is that women's freestyle stayed exactly the same and is significantly lower than the men's champions. The second part is not particularly surprising considering the growth of women's wrestling, with more younger talented wrestlers joining the pool.
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