Poland produced one of the most memorable performances of the 2026 European Grappling Championships by narrowly defeating Russia to secure the women’s team title in Yerevan, Armenia. In a contest that remained undecided until the final weight categories, Poland finished with 89 points, just one point ahead of Russia’s 88, highlighting how fiercely contested the championship was.
The Polish triumph was built on consistency across the tournament. Although both Poland and Russia won two gold medals each, Poland’s stronger overall performances in the remaining weight classes proved decisive in the final standings.
Former world medalist Justyna Sitko played a crucial role in the team’s success. Competing in the 90kg division, Sitko dominated her round-robin group, recording victories over Russian opponents and finishing unbeaten to claim the gold medal. Her campaign included wins against Kseniia Bushkova and Vlada Boiakhchieva before she defeated compatriot Maja Salamon to seal the title.
Poland’s second gold medal came through Martyna Kapuscinska, who emerged victorious in the women’s 71kg category. Kapuscinska secured the championship after defeating Ukraine’s Snezhana Morar in the final, adding valuable points to Poland’s overall tally.
Russia looked set to retain control of the standings after impressive performances from Olesia Zhuravleva and Alsu Ianshina. Zhuravleva claimed the 58kg title with a 6-2 victory over Italy’s Emma Rosini, while Ianshina captured gold at 64kg via submission against Ukraine’s Liudmyla Tsalai. However, Poland’s depth across the weight classes ultimately made the difference.
Spain also celebrated a major achievement through reigning world champion Carlota Prendes. The Spanish star dominated the women’s 53kg division, winning all four of her bouts by submission. Her most impressive performance came in the final, where she secured victory over Italy’s Giulia Angiolini in just 51 seconds, adding the European title to her growing collection of international honours.
While Poland celebrated success in the women’s competition, Russia demonstrated its overall strength in the men’s tournament. The Russian team accumulated 190 points and captured six gold medals to comfortably win the men’s team title. Poland finished second with 121 points, while Spain claimed third place with 86 points.
Among Russia’s standout performers were Shamil Guseinov (71kg), Aleksandr Karpenkov (77kg), Ruslan Radzhabkhanov (62kg), Magomed Shakhbanov (66kg), Mukhamed Urusov (100kg) and Bilal Kurbabagamaev (130kg), all of whom secured gold medals. Poland’s men’s gold medals came through Mateusz Mazur (92kg) and Sebastian Patyk (84kg), while host nation Armenia celebrated thanks to Razmik Misakyan’s victory in the 58kg category.
Key Results
Women’s Gold Medalists
53kg: Carlota Prendes (Spain)
58kg: Olesia Zhuravleva (Russia)
64kg: Alsu Ianshina (Russia)
71kg: Martyna Kapuscinska (Poland)
90kg: Justyna Sitko (Poland)
Women’s Team Standings
Poland – 89 points
Russia – 88 points
Other nations followed behind
Men’s Team Standings
Russia – 190 points
Poland – 121 points
Spain – 86 points
Poland’s one-point victory over Russia will be remembered as one of the closest finishes in recent European Grappling Championship history, proving that depth across categories can be just as important as winning gold medals.
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