With temperatures reaching 30°C and humidity levels at around 75 per cent throughout the day, the athletes were challenged by both their opponents and the harsh coastal conditions at the first event of the year.

On day one, athletes from 15 nations took to the sand across the eight senior weight categories as the first group stage matches of the 2026 season began to determine the path towards Sunday's medal rounds.

Host nation Vietnam had a strong presence throughout the competition and produced several outstanding performances in both the men’s and women’s divisions. Meanwhile, traditional beach wrestling powerhouses, including Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Romania and Greece, asserted their dominance early on.

In the men’s 70 kg category, Levan Kelekhsashvili of Georgia opened strongly with back-to-back victories over UWW representative Konstantin Topshinov and Greece’s Ilias Karnavas, placing himself in a commanding position heading into the final stages. Ukraine’s Oleksii Boruta also impressed, defeating Davit Partenadze of Georgia and Azerbaijan’s Rubail Ibrahimli. Meanwhile, Frenchman Quentin Sticker and Ukrainian Ivan Semenov both secured significant victories in Group C.

In the 80 kg division, there were a series of explosive finishes throughout the afternoon session. World Series debutant Luka Chkhitunidze from Georgia produced two emphatic fall victories over the Philippines’ Jason Saltin Baucas and added another win over compatriot Diego Makharadze. France’s Hugo Cuenot looked sharp with two rapid technical superiority victories, while Serbia’s Miljan Rajic ended the day strongly with a fall victory over Vietnam’s Van Tu Nguyen. Reigning world champion Vusal Aliyev (AZE) also made an early statement by dispatching Makharadze in just 26 seconds in the second round.

In the 90 kg category, Georgia dominated the top of the standings with Iuza Tsertsvadze and Tornike Tulashvili, while Ashraf Ashirov (AZE) and Oleksii Yakovchuk (UKR) remained undefeated throughout the group stages. Greece’s Michail Akritidis also delivered one of the fastest wins of the day, defeating Tulashvili in just 28 seconds in round two.

In the +90 kg heavyweight category, three-time world champion Mamuka Kordzaia of Georgia and Ukraine’s Vazha Daiauri both recorded dominant victories, putting them in a strong position ahead of Sunday’s decisive bouts. Kordzaia secured a fall victory over Argentina’s Juan Oscar Magallanes in under a minute, while Daiauri dominated his contest against Vietnam’s Van Bao Nguyen late in the session.

Despite the draining conditions, the women’s divisions also produced several tightly contested matches.

Romania’s Ana Maria Gianina Rotaru opened the 50 kg category with a composed points victory, and later in the day, Vietnam’s Ngoc Linh Do responded with an important win to keep the home crowd invested heading into the final day of competition.

Ukraine had strong contenders in the women’s 60 kg division in the form of Sofiia Kushnir and Oksana Moskalova. However, Vietnam’s Thi My Hanh Ngyen produced one of the host nation’s biggest moments of the day when she won by technical superiority over the reigning champion, Anastasiya Kravchenko.

In the 70 kg category, Ukraine’s Olena Nikitinska delivered two rapid victories, including a 27-second fall against Vietnam’s Anh Tuyet Tran, underlining her credentials as one of the favourites for Sunday's competition.

In the women’s +70 kg category, meanwhile, Greece’s Stefania Zacheila emerged as one of the day's standout performers after opening with a 21-second fall, then adding a composed points victory later in the afternoon.

With the opening day now complete, the competition in several categories remains finely balanced heading into the final day. The unforgiving Da Nang sand, combined with the extreme humidity and relentless pace of beach wrestling, appears to already be playing a significant role in determining the outcome.

As the sun set on My Khe Beach after the opening day of competition, the 2026 Beach Wrestling World Series officially got underway, with medals, ranking points, and early-season momentum all now at stake ahead of Sunday’s decisive sessions.