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Beach Blog: 2026 Beach World Series Baku

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by Rusty Davidson

Matilda Hruby (USA) celebrates with the American Flag after winning the 2026 U17 Beach World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Matilda Hruby (USA) celebrates with the American Flag after winning the 2026 U17 Beach World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Sunday, 30 August 2026…  We got most of Team USA on planes headed to the States. Ed Duncan, a member of United World Wrestling’s Beach Committee, will stay one more day for unofficial meetings with fellow Committee Member Oyan Nazariani of Azerbaijan.


Eva and I are flying home, not to the States, but to our summer home in Slovenia. The waits at airports typically give me time for some quiet to reflect on what all of this nonsense is really about. This trip is certainly no exception.


As I’ve often hinted, I see a constant evolution in our sport maintaining its rightful place in the Olympic Program. As with any evolutionary process, we see nay-sayers that will protect the status quo, often to its death. We also see risk-takers who end up being viewed as visionaries. I chose, long ago, to put my chips on the table with those risk-takers.


UWW has two events left on the 2026 docket. Our U20s will compete for World Championship medals a month from now in Katerini, Greece. That event coincides with the last stop of the 2026 Beach World Series for seniors.


In early November three U17 American superstars will represent our flag in the Youth Olympic Games, slated in Dakar, Senegal. One of our three spots is designated specifically to Pan American and now World Champion Tilly Hruby. Our other two spots are filled, based on weight-class allotment and with a certain amount of input from our federation.


In this evolutionary view, we see two DNA markers for strong wrestling development. UWW is mandating all continents to add Beach Wrestling to their Age Group Continental Championship menus. The second marker makes it clear that consistent participation and performance are recognized and rewarded.


All three American allocations to the Youth Games are female. Team USA has been consistent, in recent years, at sending large and successful female delegations to the age group Beach World Championship.  Our age-group men are only a step behind and catching up fast.


As more age-group American continental qualifiers, in the Olympic Styles, dare to stay an extra couple of days on their own dime, we are easing into a dominant position among Pan American nations. As the evolution continues to graduate, Team USA is poised to create more medal opportunities.


I’ve often heard both Gary Abbott and myself described as the Grandfathers of American Beach Wrestling, which is really quite flattering. Both of us have believed in the opportunity this outdoor style presents for over two decades.


It is my responsibility to appreciate, publicly, American U17 and U20 athletes, in Baku and Katerini, respectively. As these events are entirely self-funded, I can’t say that without appreciating their parents, high school and club coaches.


I appreciate our Senior athletes, also largely self-funded. Your commitment to excellence, along with your leadership and positive modeling inspire us all.


I appreciate Jamie McNab and Gary Abbott (retired). With all the other tasks on their plates, Gary and Jamie have remained steadfast in their commitment to USA’s future on the Beach.


I appreciate USAW National Teams Coach Timmy Box, along with Amanda and the girls. In addition to his collegiate coaching duties at Palomar, Coach Timmy gives of himself in inspiring style.


I appreciate UWW Beach Committee member and North Carolina State Chair Ed Duncan for giving tirelessly to the growth of the Beach dynamic. All of those tournament hosts and event managers who contribute to Ed’s Beach Wrestling Tour of America deserve appreciation.


I appreciate USWOA and the Beach Wrestling Referees it is developing. As a retired global Instructor for referees, I can personally attest to American refereeing excellence and integrity. UWW Refereeing Commission member Casey Goessl remains a true leader in developing opportunities for American referees.


I appreciate Richard Immel and his Communication Staff at USAW. With all they have on their plate, they get you quick and accurate coverage of global Beach events. (They also allow me to chip in… Thanx!)


I rarely speak for Gary, but I think it’s safe this one time.  We are two Proud Grandpas!


Ciao,

Rusty

Saturday, 29 August 2026…  Another one in the books. Our athletes, coach referees, and leaders represent our nation well. Eli brought home another World Medal, this one silver.


I’m consistently drawn to the activities and interactions immediately following the last medal presentations. Beach Wrestling, since its inception, has always bred a special camaraderie.


It starts with the Champions’ Champagne Celebration. The majority of these champions don’t drink alcohol. A few take a couple of sips. But watching world-class adult athletes chase and tease, shake and spray, and frolic like children is a spectacle in and of itself!


Then there are the photos… lots of photos. Team trophy winners, along with individual medalists, take their turns on the podium. Some get pics with teammates and coaches. Most include family members. The majority seek out competitors in their own bracket from other nations.


Almost all of these wonderful humans share close friendships within the Beach World Series family. They compete ferociously when it’s time, then share stories of family and life, and often dine together. It’s a magical human experience.


Our Azerbaijani hosts put on a great celebration during and after dinner. Azerbaijan knows sports, especially wrestling. Their federation hosts a lot of high-level events, most recently the Belt Wrestling Championship and the U17 Worlds, in the Olympic Styles.


It’s proper for all of us to thank the Azerbaijani Federation, its leadership and countless volunteers.  Congratulations on a job well done!


Now, I’m gonna’ follow my own rule… “Pack before you party”. Many of our teammates fly out of Baku at 2:00 a.m., which means ground transport at 11:00. Eva and I go to the airport at 3:00 a.m. for a 6:25 flight to Istanbul.


I’ll close up and summarize tomorrow (Sunday) from our summer residence in eastern Slovenia.


Ciao,

Rusty

Friday, 28 August 2026…  Wrestling always presents us with an accurate microcosm of the larger macrocosm of social life, locally, nationally, globally. A clear generational shift is evolving in our Beach Wrestling population.


The primary goal in adding an outdoor discipline to United World Wrestling’s menu was to increase opportunity for athletes in wrestling’s developing nations. Two decades later, we are seeing that goal reach fruition. 


121 athletes from 20 nations competed in the U17 World Championship Thursday. The Women’s 45kg bracket offers a great example of the diverse population we’ve developed. Those semi-finals included Algeria, Japan, Senegal and eventual champion Vietnam.


We’ve got the U20 World Championship next month in Katerini, Greece. Then our youngsters go back at it in the Youth Olympic Games the first week of November Dakar, Senegal.


The fact that the IOC chose only Beach Wrestling to represent our sport in those Games speaks to that body’s commitment to wrestling’s future on the Olympic program. Our beloved ancient sport survives because we continually make ourselves new again!


While our global age-group population is growing wildly, though, entries in Senior Beach Wrestling’s World Series events continue to shrink. This fact threatens all the effort UWW has pumped into keeping our sport viable in an ever-changing market arena.


Not all national wrestling federation fund their Senior Beach athletes. Many, like our own, depend on funding assistance from their National Olympic Committees. A few of those forward-thinking NOCs recognize the message implied by Beach Wrestling’s inclusion in Dakar. Many ignore that message.


With venue and production costs soaring astronomically, live attendance at Olympic events becomes affordable only to the wealthy. Grassroots enthusiasts, like those in wrestling, become increasingly dependent on television and streaming services for their consumption of Olympic sport.


Volleyball saved itself from extinction in the 1990s, branching out to both indoor and outdoor venues. Wrestling increases our stock by following suit. 


None of us want to relive the pain of 2013, when wrestling’s presence on the menu was threatened.  ANOC may well be hinting for us to help ourselves avert disaster by designating Beach competition as the only wrestling discipline in these Youth Games.


We have to hope… and help… our national wrestling federations to shine this light for their Olympic Committees.  The future is coming at us more quickly than ever. Wrestling has always deserved to be part of that future.


OK… Amen! Now, a quick Thank You and Congratulations to Missouri’s Eric Ward. Eric was selected to represent Team USA as a referee for both competitions in Baku. Ohio’s Paul Krugle is also refereeing here, on his own dime. Both Paul and Eric have represented Team USA with the excellence and integrity the wrestling world has come to expect from American referees. Thank You, Eric and Paul!


Tomorrow (Saturday), we’ll see the finals of the World Series’ fourth stop.


Ciao,

Rusty

 

Thursday, 27 August 2026…  A really windy day on the Caspian coast of Baku turned into two medals and a silver trophy for Team USA’s U17 Women’s Beach World Team. Arianna Garza kicked off the evening’s medal session with a silver medal, losing to Japan’s Reisa Kojima at 55kg.


Then, in the last women’s championship bout, Tilly Hruby followed the torch trail she lit during the day, throwing her Greek opponent for a bout-ending three.  Hruby completely dominated the class, even though she was the lightest competitor.


Combining the scoring efforts of Hruby, Garza and their USA Teammates, Team USA notched 53 team points on the day. The silver trophy finish was one point behind team champion Azerbaijan’s 54 and one ahead of Japan’s bronze trophy performance.


Wrestling always makes the world small, and it turns out Tilly Hruby and I are ‘related’ by wrestling travel. Tilly’s lifelong coach, Eric Heinz (Brighton, CO), travelled with me on a USA Wrestling tour in Japan during the summer of 1990.


Coach Heinz and I have managed to stay in touch over those three and a half decades since. Eric is a great storyteller and made me say ‘Wow’ with one today. 


Eric has been a K through 5 PE teacher in Brighton for the last 25 years.  He also coaches the high school team and the kids’ club that feeds it. For whatever reason, Coach Heinz pulled a five-year-old kindergarten girl, named Tilly, out of the lunch line 13 years ago and invited her and her parents to wrestling practice.


And here we are today… World Champion! Earlier this year, Tilly said, “Why not!” when she was invited to try Beach Wrestling following her freestyle performance in the U17 Pan American Championship.


Winning her Continental Championship earned Hruby an allotted spot in the Youth Olympic Games, this November in Dakar, Senegal. I gotta’ say, I’ve seen some stuff that made me say, “Wow!” Mathilda Hruby’s technical prowess, grit, integrity, and smile made me say, “Wow”, today.  Thanx, Tilly.


One other wrestling specialty finished my day saying, “Wow.” The Islamic Republic of Iran won the men’s side of the U17s. Wait for it… Wait for it…


Watching Iranian coaches and athletes stand and applaud for Tilly’s National Anthem, watching all our American athletes, parents, coaches stand and applaud several listenings to the Iranian anthem, watching future leaders of both countries (on the mat and off) laugh, trade T-shirts, and appreciate each other as humans made me say, “Wow!” Thanx, Wrestling!!


Tomorrow, the Seniors.


Ciao,

Rusty   

Wednesday, 26 August 2026…  This qualifies as one of those “Finally!” moments. Eva and I are on our way to Baku for Beach Wrestling.


I say finally because the entire Beach Wrestling global community has waited two decades for Azerbaijan to play host. Azerbaijan has asserted itself as a big-name power since our sport adopted the outdoor discipline in the early 2000’s.


And, speaking of big names, local hero Oyan Nazariani… a big man… is one of the biggest names in Beach Wrestling history. Oyan grew up wrestling in Iran, then moved to Azerbaijan at 20. He was a successful Greco-Roman wrestler throughout the age-group levels. Adding the Beach discipline to his resume and has become a legend.


Nazariani won the World Championship (at +90kg) in 2019. The same year he represented Azerbaijan in the first ANOC Beach Games, held in Doha, Qatar. 


After closing his competitive career, Oyan took on the role of Head Coach. Under his tutelage, Azerbaijan has developed into a world power on the beach in every age category.


Nazarian was added to the roster of Instructors for United World Wrestling’s Coach Education Program in 2024. He serves on UWW’s Beach Wrestling Committee.


Azerbaijan is a wrestling nation, having hosted countless championships in the Olympic styles. Through Oyan Nazariani’s efforts, they are hosting their first Beach Championship. No doubt, it will be first-class.


Oyan Nazariani is a giant of a man, both literally and figuratively. He has poured his heart into the development of the Beach Style and into hosting this event. It does my heart good to see him happy!


Gary and Richard will be filling you in on American results. Tomorrow, I’ll get you some snapshots of the personalities.


Ciao,

Rusty