Ukrainian freestyle wrestler Anastasiia Alpeieva has become the 2026 world champion in the women's 76 kg weight category.
In the final of the World Wrestling Championships, held at the Barys Arena in Astana, Kazakhstan, from 24 October to 1 November, the 24-year-old athlete from the Volyn region defeated India's Kajal Dhochac 8–6, securing Ukraine's first medal of the tournament.
Alpeieva's gold was Ukraine's first medal at the 2026 World Championships. Earlier, Oksana Livach, Solomiia Vynnyk and Parviz Nasibov had narrowly missed out on podium finishes after losing their bronze-medal bouts.
The victory also marks the best result of Alpeieva's career at the senior World Championships, surpassing her previous best finish of fifth place in 2025.
In addition, Alpeieva has made history for the Ukrainian national team by winning the country's first-ever gold medal in the heaviest women's wrestling weight category (72–76 kg), in which Ukrainian wrestlers had previously managed to secure only bronze medals.
