After a weather-hit opening to the biggest Beach Wrestling event of the year, the action finally took centre stage in front of a packed Aloha Beach Club crowd as 97 athletes from 18 nations began their fight for the final points and ultimately the world titles of the 2026 season.

With quadruple ranking points on offer and seven of the eight ranking leaders arriving in Greece, there was little room for error. Day one proved exactly why.

Men’s 70 kg leader Oleksii Boruta made the perfect start, the Ukrainian defeating Germany’s Valentin Seimetz 3-0 before overcoming American Justin Benjamin 3-1 to remain unbeaten.

His closest rival, four-time World Champion Levan Kelekhsashvili, didn’t have things all his own way. The Georgian opened with a 2-0 victory over Ivan Semenov before Azerbaijan’s Rubail Ibrahimli produced one of the results of the day, defeating Kelekhsashvili 5-1.

There was another big result at 80 kg, where Azerbaijan’s Vusal Aliyev defeated ranking leader Luka Chkhitunidze from Georgia 3-0 in just 58 seconds. Chkhitunidze responded emphatically, beating American Wayne Lamont 5-0 in only 55 seconds, but the early defeat adds another twist to the title race.

Men’s 90 kg also delivered drama. Three-time 2026 winner Ashraf Ashirov was beaten by Georgia’s Evsem Shvelidze in the Azerbaijani’s opening contest before bouncing straight back with a 3-1 victory over Greece’s Michail Akritidis.

There were no such problems for +90 kg leader Vazha Daiauri. The Ukrainian came through the first day unbeaten, seeing off Georgia’s Tedore Ebanoidze 3-0 before another 3-0 victory over American Gabriel Rangel.

The women’s title races were every bit as unpredictable.

At 50 kg, Romania’s Ana Maria Rotaru handed ranking leader Viktoriia Slobodeniuk an opening-round defeat. The Ukrainian responded in style, beating Bulgaria’s Reya Stoilova 5-0, but Rotaru then continued her impressive day with a rapid victory over Kenaya Mwehu of the USA.

Oksana Moskalova kept her 60 kg title challenge firmly on course. The Ukrainian ranking leader opened with victory over Germany’s Viviane Herda and finished the day unbeaten. Elsewhere in a stacked division, Sofiia Kushnir edged reigning world champion Anastasiya Kravchenko (both UKR) before both returned to winning ways later in the programme.

Perhaps the biggest shock among the women came at 70 kg.

Ranking leader Olena Nikitinska started strongly with a 4-1 victory over Serbia’s Masa Perovic, but fellow Ukrainian Romana Vovchak then stopped her winning run with a 5-1 victory. Halyna Oleksiivska also finished strongly, leaving another Ukrainian-dominated title fight finely poised heading into the final day.

And three-time world champion Eliana Bommarito remains firmly on course in the women’s +70 kg division.

The American opened with a 3-0 victory over France’s Angelique Gonzalez before producing a lightning-fast eight-second win over compatriot Kasandra Villarreal.

Baku champion Daria Konstantynova (UKR) was equally impressive, defeating home favourite Stefania Zacheila before needing just eight seconds herself to beat Maria Hiles from the US. 

After four World Series stops, everything was always going to come down to Katerini.

The biggest field of the year arrived with 58 men, 39 women and 18 nations represented, and with quadruple points available, day one has already shaken up several of the races.

Boruta, Moskalova, Daiauri and Bommarito remain on course.
Others now have work to do.
The rain may have tried to take centre stage in Katerini.
But once the wrestlers hit the sand, the World Championships delivered.
And tomorrow, the 2026 kings and queens of the sand will finally be crowned.