Roman Bravo Young Makes History with Mexico’s First World Wrestling Medal
Roman Bravo Young created history at the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, after securing Mexico’s first-ever medal in the senior World Championships. The 27-year-old reached the men’s freestyle 57kg final with an impressive 4-1 victory over defending world champion Chongsong Han of North Korea on October 31.
With his semifinal victory at the Barys Arena, Bravo Young guaranteed Mexico at least a silver medal, marking a historic achievement for the country’s wrestling programme. He also became the first Mexican wrestler to reach a senior World Championships final.
Bravo Young Reverses Last Year’s Defeat Against Han
The semifinal was particularly significant for Bravo Young, who had lost to Han in the quarterfinals of the 2025 World Championships. The North Korean wrestler went on to win the world title last year, while Bravo Young subsequently missed out on a medal after losing his bronze-medal bout to Armenia’s Arsen Harutyunyan.
This time, the Mexican produced a tactically disciplined performance to turn the tables on the defending champion. Han took a 1-0 lead in the first period after Bravo Young conceded a passivity point.
However, the Mexican changed the momentum in the second period with a well-executed single-leg attack and takedown, moving ahead 2-1. He followed it with another successful takedown to extend his advantage to 4-1.
Han attempted to fight back, but Bravo Young maintained control during the closing exchanges to secure the victory and book his place in the final.
Speaking after the historic achievement, Bravo Young said, “I’ve known I was that good, it was just a matter of time. I worked really hard, I feel good.”
Roman Bravo Young’s Road to the 57kg Final
Bravo Young’s journey to the final featured several challenging encounters. He defeated Kazakhstan’s Meirambek Kartbay 5-2 before registering a 10-0 technical superiority victory over John Leopold of Mauritius.
In the quarterfinals, he faced Mongolia’s Munkh Erdene Batkhuyag in a closely contested bout. Trailing late in the match, Bravo Young scored a decisive takedown with just eight seconds remaining to secure a dramatic 4-3 victory and advance to the semifinals.
His victories over Batkhuyag and Han were particularly important, as both wrestlers had previously defeated him at the 2025 World Championships.
Spencer Lee Awaits in the World Championship Final
Bravo Young’s historic run took him into the 57kg gold-medal bout against American wrestler Spencer Lee, who also secured his place in the final after defeating Azerbaijan’s Islam Bazarganov by fall in the semifinals.
Lee, the Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist, had to recover from a difficult position after trailing 10-5 before securing the fall. The American had also defeated Bravo Young twice in previous international meetings, including at the Zagreb Ranking Series in 2025.
The final presented Bravo Young with an opportunity to go one step further and claim Mexico’s first-ever senior world wrestling title.
A Landmark Moment for Mexican Wrestling
At 27, Bravo Young has established himself as one of Mexico’s leading international wrestling competitors. Born in the United States, he represented Mexico at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and previously won two NCAA national championships while competing for Penn State University.
His achievement in Astana represents a significant milestone for Mexican wrestling, taking the country to a senior World Championships final for the first time.
Regardless of the final outcome, Bravo Young’s semifinal victory had already secured Mexico’s first-ever senior World Championships wrestling medal and placed his name in the country’s sporting history.
