It’s time to get ready for the Beach Wrestling World Series’ penultimate stop of the 2024 season in Katerini, Greece. A regular location for the series, this will be the third time the World Series returns to Katerini. A massive turnout is expected for the weekend with 94 athletes from 16 nations all gearing up to go head-to-head sandside. And, with finals on the horizon, this leg will see added pressure as the wrestlers seek to collect crucial points, positioning themselves higher in the overall rankings.

It’s been two years since the Beach Wrestling World Series kicked up the Grecian sands, and this year’s fourth stop is anticipating a welcomed return to the picturesque Paralia Beach in northern Greece. The Thermaikos Gulf’s turquoise waters set the backdrop for a beach wrestling scene like no other, a perfect stage for wrestlers to bring their best as the 2024 season nears its end. It’s been a minute since the wrestlers faced off on the beach, and with over two months since the third stop in Romania, much has happened in that time including some of our athletes returning to the sand from their Olympic campaigns.

Katerini is set to draw a huge turnout of athletes for the 2024 World Series penultimate stop, which will follow the U17 & U20 Beach Wrestling World Championships just days before, ensuring some U20 athletes will also stay to compete in the World Series tournament. A massive hosting nation Greek contingent with favourites Christos CHRISTOFORIDIS and Aikaterini Eirini PITSIAVA are sure to put on a show. Team USA is set to bring 14 athletes, the Ukrainian team in tow with 19 athletes, and notably the Japanese will make an appearance for the first time since the Singapore tournament in 2023. All wrestlers will be ready to bring their best, positioning themselves in the top spots in the overall rankings before the season’s end.

There’s a strong line up in the women’s 50kg division with a few favourites to keep us on our toes. Romanian Ana Maria PIRVU has the results to back her up as one to watch out for, equally so Ukrainian Viktoriia SLOBODENIUK who has also been going from strength to strength in the last few stops.

In the women’s 60kg division there’s a high possibility we will see an all-Ukrainian podium again, with Anastasiya KRAVCHENKO, Sofiia KUSHNIR and Sofiia BORDINSKYKH dominating the division so far. However, an upset is always possible, and with Italian Francesca INDELICATO who finished 4th in the recent Romanian stop present, the chances are even higher for that to happen.

Looking to the women’s 70kg division, Ukrainian Viktoriia HRYTSENKO is the woman to beat. With two golds under her belt this season, she’s looking fierce. Her teammates Oksana KUKHTA HEREL and Olena NIKITINSKA have their fair share of podium finishes this season and are definitely a threat. With the Greek home-sand crowd behind her, Dimitra ANDROUTSOU could see herself in the finals and is more than capable of putting pressure on the Ukrainian women.

In the women’s +70kg division, “The Bomb” Eliana BOMMARITO (USA) has truly established herself as a World Serie’s favourite and with back-to-back wins she is sure to bring her A-Game. Could the Greek home-sand favourites Aikaterini Eirini PITSIAVA and Stefania ZACHEILA (GRE) come out on top and break the reigning world champion’s winning streak? They have what it takes, and with an extra push from the crowd, we could just see blue and white covered in gold. 2022’s World Champion Catalina AXENTE (ROU), who recently ended her Olympic campaign in the Freestyle discipline with a sustained injury, will make her return to the sandy rings in Greece.

In the men’s 70kg division, it will be a weekend of tough bouts with Ukrainian Oleksii BORUTA, Turkey’s Yunus COSKUN and team USA’s Justin Benjamin, all fighting for their second gold of the season.

The men’s 80kg category is sure to be nothing less than thrilling. Home-sand hero Christos CHRISTOFORIDIS (GRE) will be fighting for another win, and with the crowd behind him, he’s likely to be stronger than ever. Vasile DIACON (MDA) and defending World Champion Hugo CUENOT from France are sure to put the pressure on the Greek favourite as well as some other faces potentially from Japan or American Tyler LOETHEN.

With two back-to-back gold medals, Moldovan Traian CAPATINA is looking particularly strong in the men’s 90kg category. Defeating Ibrahim YUSUBOV now two times in a row, the reigning World Champion from Azerbaijan will have to pull out a new bag of magic tricks if he wants to secure gold this time around. Oleksii YAKOVCHUK (UKR) who has finished third in the last two legs will be seeking a top spot on the podium, putting pressure on the others.

The men’s +90kg category has been dominated by Georgian Mamuka KORDZAIA in the last two stops. With Fatih YASARLI (TUR) seeking a win, and American powerhouses including Kyle FERRITER, Gabriel RANGEL and youngster Dominic PORTER, the stakes for the penultimate gold are higher than ever.

Who will snag the critical points in the 2024 season’s penultimate stop will all be revealed on the 21-22 of September when the sand starts to fly once more before finals. Promising non-stop action as usual, those sandside can expect a thrilling weekend in Greece, and for those unable to witness the glory live, you can tune into the livestream on the Beach Wrestling World Series YouTube Channel. Until then, stay up-to-date with all things Beach Wrestling on our socials.