06.02.2026Nearly 500 athletes took part in the 37th International Freestyle Wrestling Competition for Men and Women, the "Ivan Yarygin Cup," held in Krasnoyarsk. The competition ran from January 29 to February 1.
496 athletes (322 men and 174 women) competed for medals - the 2026 Ivan Yarygin Cup broke the record for the total number of participants for all previous years. This year's tournament included representatives of four continents and 21 countries. Brazil was represented at the competition for the first time and became the 58th country to participate in the tournament in its history.
The 74 kg weight class proved to be the most popular in the men's tournament, attracting 40 wrestlers from ten countries. In the women's competition there were more foreign participants than Russian women – 97 to 77. The most popular weight class was the 53 kg, with 29 medal contenders.
20 medal events were contested at the Cup, ten each for men and women. Wrestlers from the Krasnoyarsk Region team won four medals. Khanum Velieva (65 kg) won silver, while Dinara Kudayeva (65 kg), Valeria Trifonova (76 kg), and Akhmed Khumidov (61 kg) won bronze.
In addition to the winners and runners-up, several other athletes were awarded for outstanding achievements following the tournament.
Ivan Yarygin himself once initiated competitions to help Siberian wrestlers hone their skills. That initiative has grown over the years into a large-scale tournament, which is now valued and respected by wrestlers from around the world.
Denis Petrovsky, Minister of Sports of the Krasnoyarsk Region
The Minister also noted that Ivan Yarygin's legacy lives on largely thanks to his wife, Natalia Yarygina. She personally participates in organizing and running the tournament year after year.
The regional Ministry of Sport emphasizes that hosting the 2026 Ivan Yarygin Cup is in line with the goals of the National program "Sport of Russia," which aims to popularize sport and improve the quality of life of Russian people.
