The 2026 Senior World Championships will bring the world's top wrestlers to Astana, Kazakhstan, from Oct. 24-Nov. 1, with Olympic champions, returning world champions and emerging contenders competing across men's freestyle, women's freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling.
The men's freestyle 97 kg bracket could be the tournament's biggest attraction, with four Olympic champions entered in the same weight class. Elsewhere, Spencer Lee will look to capture his first senior world title, Yui Susaki returns to the world championships after a two-year absence, and a Greco-Roman heavyweight looking to defend his title.
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Here are 10 names to watch at the 2026 Senior World Championships.
1. Spencer Lee, United States — 57 kg Men's Freestyle
Spencer Lee enters the tournament with a chance to add a senior world championship to an already impressive resume.
The former Iowa Hawkeye is a three-time NCAA champion and won silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Lee is still looking for his first senior world title after finishing outside the medals at the 2025 World Championships.
His 2026 results suggest he is ready to contend again. Lee won gold at the Muhamet Malo and Zagreb Ranking Series tournaments before securing his place on the U.S. team.
Lee will face a competitive 57 kg field that includes defending world champion Chong Song Han of North Korea.
With his recent results and Olympic experience, Lee has an opportunity to establish himself as the world's top wrestler at the weight.
2. Sujeet, India — 65 kg Men's Freestyle
Sujeet is one of the hottest wrestlers entering the Senior World Championships after putting together an impressive run of international results.
The Indian wrestler won the 2026 Asian Championships and Asian Games, along with gold at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series and Zagreb Open.
Sujeet will face defending world champion Rahman Amouzad of Iran, who defeated him at the 2025 World Championships. Their previous meeting was competitive, and Sujeet has continued to improve since that loss.
The 65 kg division is one of the deepest in men's freestyle, but Sujeet has demonstrated that he can beat elite international opposition.
A world title would cap an extraordinary year and establish him as one of the sport's leading competitors.
3. Kyle Snyder, United States — 97 kg Men's Freestyle
Kyle Snyder headlines a loaded 97 kg bracket that could produce some of the tournament's most anticipated matches.
The American is a 2016 Olympic champion, a three-time world champion and a three-time NCAA champion at Ohio State. He returned to the top of the world podium in 2025, winning gold at 97 kg.
Snyder's path to another title will be difficult. Russia's Abdulrashid Sadulaev, Bahrain's Akhmed Tazhudinov and Iran's Hassan Yazdani are also entered at the weight.
Together, the four wrestlers hold five Olympic gold medals and 14 world titles.
Snyder and Sadulaev have one of the defining rivalries of modern freestyle wrestling, and their presence in the same bracket creates the possibility of another major showdown.
4. Abdulrashid Sadulaev, Russia — 97 kg Men's Freestyle
Sadulaev is another major attraction at 97 kg.
The Russian is a two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion, and he will look to reclaim the world title after winning gold at the 2024 World Championships at 92 kg.
Sadulaev has already delivered strong results in 2026, winning the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series and European Championships. His return to 97 kg puts him back in the division where he built much of his legacy.
The possibility of another meeting with Snyder adds to the intrigue. The two have battled at the highest level for years, and both have demonstrated the ability to win world titles against elite opposition.
Sadulaev will have to navigate a difficult field that also includes Tazhudinov and Yazdani, but his experience and championship record make him one of the leading contenders.
5. Hassan Yazdani, Iran — 97 kg Men's Freestyle
Yazdani's move to 97 kg is an intriguing storyline.
The Iranian won Olympic gold at 74 kg at the 2016 Rio Games before becoming a dominant force at 86 kg, where he captured three world titles.
He now faces a new challenge against larger opponents in a weight class filled with Olympic and world champions. The move raises questions about how quickly Yazdani can adjust to the division's size and strength.
His technical ability and international experience make him a serious threat, but the 97 kg field will offer one of the toughest tests of his career.
6. Yui Susaki, Japan — 50 kg Women's Freestyle
Susaki returns to the Senior World Championships as one of the most accomplished wrestlers in women's freestyle.
The Japanese star won Olympic gold at the 2020 Tokyo Games and bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She has also captured four senior world titles, winning gold in 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2023.
Susaki has not competed at the Senior World Championships since 2023, making her return one of the tournament's biggest women's freestyle storylines.
Susaki will compete at 50 kg, where she is among the leading contenders. Her technical precision, speed and championship experience make her a major threat as she looks to capture a fifth senior world title.
7. Helen Maroulis, United States — 57 kg Women's Freestyle
Maroulis remains one of the most accomplished American wrestlers of her generation and will compete at 57 kg in Astana.
The three-time world champion made history at the 2016 Rio Olympics by defeating Japan's Saori Yoshida to become the first American woman to win Olympic wrestling gold. She later added Olympic bronze medals at the 2020 Tokyo Games and 2024 Paris Games.
Maroulis has not competed internationally since the 2025 World Championships, but she remains a major name in the 57 kg field. Her experience in high-pressure matches and ability to adapt tactically will be important against a competitive group of international contenders.
A strong performance in Astana would add another chapter to Maroulis' remarkable career and give the United States another experienced medal contender in women's freestyle.
8. Nonoka Ozaki, Japan — 62 kg Women's Freestyle
Ozaki is one of Japan's leading women's freestyle wrestlers and a two-time senior world champion.
She won world titles in 2022 and 2023 at 62 kg and enters the 2026 tournament looking to reclaim the top of the podium. Her ability to combine speed, technical precision and aggressive scoring makes her a difficult matchup for the division's top contenders.
Ozaki will face a competitive field that includes Bulgaria's Bilyana Dudova, China's Qi Zhang and India's Adaugo Nwachukwu. Each brings a different style, and the bracket could produce several challenging matchups on the way to the final.
With two world titles already on her resume, Ozaki has the credentials to make another deep run and help Japan continue its dominance in women's freestyle.
9. Hadi Saravi, Iran — 97 kg Greco-Roman
Saravi enters the tournament as the defending world champion at 97 kg.
The Iranian won Olympic gold at the 2024 Paris Games after earning bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He then captured his second senior world title in 2025, defeating Russia's Artur Sargsian in the final.
Saravi also won gold at the 2026 Asian Championships, giving him another strong result heading into Astana. His combination of upper-body strength, positional control and international experience makes him one of the division's leading contenders.
The 97 kg bracket includes several established international wrestlers, including Sargsian, Cuba's Gabriel Rosillo and Azerbaijan's Murad Ahmadiyev.
Saravi will look to navigate the field and defend his world title.
10. Kyle Dake, United States — 86 kg Men's Freestyle
Kyle Dake is chasing a rare accomplishment at the 2026 Senior World Championships: winning a world title at three different weight classes.
The Cornell legend has already won four senior world championships, capturing gold at 79 kg in 2018 and 2019 before winning back-to-back 74 kg titles in 2021 and 2022.
He also won bronze medals at both the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
At this year's worlds, Dake will compete at 86 kg as he pursues another world title. Winning gold would make him a world champion at three different weight classes, adding another historic achievement to his resume.
The 86-kilogram bracket will feature a deep field of international contenders, but Dake's experience and championship pedigree make him one of the wrestlers to watch in Astana.
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