Ukraine Grants Its First Gold Medal in Seven Years at the Wrestling World Championships: Alla Belinska’s Historic Victory in Zagreb
In an exhilarating milestone for Ukrainian sports, a gold medal has finally returned to the national tally after more than seven years, thanks to Alla Belinska’s outstanding performance at the 2025 Wrestling World Championships.
The competition took place in the vibrant Croatian city of Zagreb, where the 29-year-old athlete from Ternopil showcased her exceptional talent in the 72 kg weight category.
Belinska advanced to the final after a series of convincing victories over Croatian Veronika Vilk, French Poline Lekarpentie, and Kyrgyzstani Nurzat Nurtayeva.
In the decisive match, she faced a familiar opponent—Turkish wrestler Nesrin Bash, whom she previously defeated at the European Championships-2025.
Demonstrating her resilience and skill, Belinska secured a dominant 6:0 win, claiming the gold medal and cementing her place in Ukrainian sports history.
This marks Ukraine’s first wrestling world title among women since 2018 when Alla Cherkasova claimed the gold.
Overall, Ukrainian athletes achieved two medals at this year’s championships: besides Belinska’s gold, Maria Vinnik earned silver in the 59 kg weight class.
Her victory adds to Ukraine’s proud wrestling legacy and underscores the country’s emerging strength on the global sports stage.