On the final day of the 2026 Galaxy U23 World Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada, Justin Rademacher claimed the silver medal in the 97 kg men’s freestyle division after dropping a 9-7 decision to Russia’s Mukhamed Khaniev, anchoring a third-place team finish for the United States with 1,044 points.
The Bottom Line
- Iran secured the team standings crown at the Las Vegas tournament with 1,802 points, followed closely by Russia in second place with 1,713 points.
- Justin Rademacher delivered the highest-profile American medal performance of the closing session, securing silver at 97 kg against a deep international field.
- The United States finished third overall in the team standings with 1,044 points, holding off fourth-place Türkiye, which finished with 995 points.
Las Vegas Mat Battles Shape Final Team Standings
The final sessions at the tournament in Nevada brought the team race into sharp focus as Iran edged out Russia for the top spot in the overall standings. Iran accumulated 1,802 team points across the weight classes, while Russia finished second with 1,713 points. The host United States secured third place with 1,044 points, outpacing Türkiye, which finished fourth with 995 points. Japan rounded out the upper tier with 756 points, followed by Georgia at 687 points and India at 578 points.
The closing matches featured intense head-to-head battles for gold across group two weight classes. In the 97 kg final, Rademacher faced Mukhamed Khaniev of Russia, ultimately falling short in a 9-7 decision that secured the silver medal for the American wrestler. Meanwhile, the bronze medals in the same weight class went to Iran’s Mohammadmobin Azimi, who secured a 10-0 technical fall over Armenia’s Gurgen Simonyan, and Georgia’s Konstantine Petriashvili, who earned a 10-0 technical fall against Belarus’s Uladzislau Kazlou.
Weight Class Results and International Podium Finishes
Action across the other weight classes during the final day produced decisive victories and technical falls. In the 57 kg division, Kazakhstan’s Merey Bazarbayev pinned Türkiye’s Bekir Keser at 2:14 to claim gold. Daito Katsume of Japan secured bronze with a 7-2 decision over the United States’ Luke Lilledahl, while India’s Rohit took the other bronze with an 8-3 decision against Armenia’s Arman Harutyunyan.
The 65 kg division saw Iran’s Ahora Khateri edge Japan’s Kaiji Ogino 7-6 for the gold medal. Russia’s Eldar Akhmadudinov claimed bronze via a 12-1 technical fall over Kazakhstan’s Oskonbai Abdisamatov, and India’s Singh Jaskaran defeated Belarus’s Magomedkhan Magamedkhanov 8-5 for the second bronze. In the 70 kg final, Russia’s Magomed Eltemirov defeated Iran’s Ebrahim Elahichouran 5-3, while Abdullah Toprak of Türkiye and Moldova’s Alexandr Gaidarli both secured bronze medals via 10-0 technical falls.
| Team Country | Total Points | Final Standing |
|---|---|---|
| Iran | 1,802 | 1st |
| Russia | 1,713 | 2nd |
| United States | 1,044 | 3rd |
| Japan | 756 | 5th |
In the 79 kg category, Mahdi Yousefihajivar of Iran claimed gold with a 3-1 decision over Russia’s Said Saidulov. Kanata Yamaguchi of Japan earned a 10-0 technical fall against Jamaica’s Christopher Minto for bronze, and India’s Chandermohan defeated Türkiye’s Ibrahim Yaprak 5-2 to round out the podium. The collective results across these weight classes solidified the final point distributions and closed out the international competition in Nevada.
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