News
On The Mat - Issue 1
Published Sat 05 Sep 2026
ON THE MAT - Issue 1 (Sept 2026)
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3 WORLD No. |
COVER STORY World No. 3 Tsuchika Shimoyamada is now the third-ranked Greco-Roman 67kg wrestler in the world, Australia's highest world ranking in decades. Next stop: the Senior World Championships. Budapest, July. The last Ranking Series event of the year, and Tsuchika opened with an 8-0 win. A quarter-final loss could have ended his day. Instead he won through repechage into the bronze medal match and finished fifth in a field drawn from the best in the world. Coming off a medal at the Mongolia Ranking Series in June, that result lifted him to World No. 3. He and fellow Greco-Roman wrestler Erion Ramljak now head to Japan to prepare, before joining the team in Astana on 23 October for the Senior World Championships. |
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~700 Record Nationals field |
150 Wrestlers at National Camp |
5 International events since July |
4 Selected for Senior Worlds |
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NATIONALS, 4-5 JULY Our biggest Nationals yet Almost 700 wrestlers entered Nationals in July, a record for the event. For the first time the women's divisions took the morning mats on both days, giving them dedicated mat time and more visibility. The U17s produced some of the best wrestling of the weekend, with several athletes identified for further development. Among the U20s, the wrestlers who trained in Kyrgyzstan in May and in Japan showed what a trip like that does: calmer, sharper and better under pressure. |
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SENIOR WORLDS, 24 OCT - 1 NOV Four for Astana Georgii Okorokov, Tom Barns, Tsuchika Shimoyamada and Erion Ramljak have been selected for the UWW Senior World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan. Georgii and Tom fly to the Izabekov Wrestling Academy in Kyrgyzstan on 8 October to finish their preparation, with Bilal Cetin and Nathan Korgees joining them for two weeks at the UWW-recognised centre. Tsuchika and Erion prepare in Japan before the whole team meets in Astana on 23 October. |
ONES TO WATCH
The next wave
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Bilal Cetin FS 65kg U20 Worlds, then straight to Warsaw to win at the Poland Open. Backed up under pressure. Joins the Kyrgyzstan camp in October. |
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Johnson Tsakirakis FS 92kg Prepared in Japan, then took on U17 Worlds looking focused and confident. A first benchmark event at exactly the right age. |
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Aika Brady & Harlan Grantham WW 53kg · FS 74kg First Grand Prix, drew eventual medallists, and both came back harder in their second matches. Stayed on for the Madrid camp. |
RESULTS
Scoreboard
Every international result since Nationals, and what each one means.
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ATHLETE |
CLASS |
RESULT |
WHAT IT MEANS |
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Grand Prix of Spain, Madrid: 10-12 Jul |
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Aika Brady |
WW 53kg |
★ 7th |
Drew an eventual medallist, came back stronger in her second match |
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Harlan Grantham |
FS 74kg |
★ 7th |
Same story: tough draw, fought hard in repechage |
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Ranking Series Final, Budapest15-19 Jul |
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Tsuchika Shimoyamada |
GR 67kg |
★ 5th · WR3 |
8-0 opener, then won through repechage to the bronze medal match |
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Georgii Okorokov |
FS 61kg |
★ 8th |
Lost 7-5 to a strong Azerbaijani, scoring throughout |
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U17 World Championships, Baku: 27 Jul - 2 Aug |
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Johnson Tsakirakis |
FS 92kg |
17th |
First benchmark event, prepared in Japan, composed throughout |
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U20 World Championships, Bratislava: 16-23 Aug |
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Bilal Cetin |
FS 65kg |
19th |
Defended well against Japan's eventual silver medallist, then repechage v Canada |
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Poland Open, Warsaw: 26-31 Aug |
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Tom Barns |
FS 97kg |
★ 8th |
Two wins, over Israel and Chile |
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Georgii Okorokov |
FS 61kg |
11th |
Won his second match of the day |
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Bilal Cetin |
FS 65kg |
11th |
Won his second match, days after U20 Worlds |
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Korgees, Pickering, Ramljak, Rourke |
FS65 · FS74 · GR87 · GR97 |
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Both matches lost, experience banked in a double-elimination field |
Ranking Series and Grand Prix events count towards UWW world rankings. World Championships are the benchmark events of the year.
COACH'S CORNER
How the National Camp was built
150 wrestlers, three days, one progression. The National Coaches built every session on the same ladder, so a first-year junior and a senior international could train in the same room and both get something out of it. Clubs are welcome to borrow the structure.
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1 Hand fighting |
2 Set-ups |
3 Attacks from set-ups |
4 Ground movement |
5 Follow-up actions |
6 Throws |
GET INVOLVED
Your move
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21 SEP Commonwealth Championships EOIs close Nomination criteria are out. Submit your expression of interest and the National Selection Panel picks the team. |
24 OCT - 1 NOV Follow the team at Senior Worlds Four Australians in Astana. Results and match links in the next issue. |
ANY TIME Send us your club news Results, photos, milestones and stories from your club or state, for the next issue. |
Behind the scenes: athlete wellbeing
CombatAUS continues to support athlete wellbeing and engagement, helping athletes balance the demands of high-performance sport with life outside competition. This includes support with university and scholarships, dual-career and employment pathways, education planning and personal wellbeing.
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HIGH PERFORMANCE POWERED BY COMBATAUS CombatAUS works alongside Wrestling Australia to deliver our High Performance program, athlete pathways, coaching and athlete support. |