# World Wrestling Championships

The World Wrestling Championships are the Greco-Roman Wrestling (men's, since 1904) and Freestyle Wrestling (men's since 1951 and women's since 1987) World Championships organized by United World Wrestling (UWW).

## Editions
### Men's freestyle

| Year | Dates | City and host country | Team champion |
| 1951 | 26–29 April | Helsinki, Finland | Turkey |
| 1954 | 22–25 May | Tokyo, Japan | Turkey |
| 1957 | 1–2 June | Istanbul, Turkey | Turkey |
| 1959 | 1–5 October | Tehran, Iran | Soviet Union |
| 1961 | 2–4 June | Yokohama, Japan | Iran |
| 1962 | 21–23 June | Toledo, United States | Soviet Union |
| 1963 | 31 May – 2 June | Sofia, Bulgaria | Soviet Union |
| 1965 | 1–3 June | Manchester, United Kingdom | Iran |
| 1966 | 16–18 June | Toledo, United States | Turkey |
| 1967 | 12–14 November | New Delhi, India | Soviet Union |
| 1969 | 8–10 March | Mar del Plata, Argentina | Soviet Union |
| 1970 | 9–11 July | Edmonton, Canada | Soviet Union |
| 1971 | 27–30 August | Sofia, Bulgaria | Soviet Union |
| 1973 | 6–9 September | Tehran, Iran | Soviet Union |
| 1974 | 29 August – 1 September | Istanbul, Turkey | Soviet Union |
| 1975 | 15–18 September | Minsk, Soviet Union | Soviet Union |
| 1977 | 21–23 October | Lausanne, Switzerland | Soviet Union |
| 1978 | 24–27 August | Mexico City, Mexico | Soviet Union |
| 1979 | 25–28 August | San Diego, United States | Soviet Union |
| 1981 | 11–14 September | Skopje, Yugoslavia | Soviet Union |
| 1982 | 11–14 August | Edmonton, Canada | Soviet Union |
| 1983 | 26–29 September | Kyiv, Soviet Union | Soviet Union |
| 1985 | 10–13 October | Budapest, Hungary | Soviet Union |
| 1986 | 19–22 October | Budapest, Hungary | Soviet Union |
| 1987 | 26–29 August | Clermont-Ferrand, France | Soviet Union |
| 1989 | 31 August – 3 September | Martigny, Switzerland | Soviet Union |
| 1990 | 6–9 September | Tokyo, Japan | Soviet Union |
| 1991 | 3–6 October | Varna, Bulgaria | Soviet Union |
| 1993 | 25–28 August | Toronto, Canada | United States |
| 1994 | 25–28 August | Istanbul, Turkey | Turkey |
| 1995 | 10–13 August | Atlanta, United States | United States |
| 1997 | 28–31 August | Krasnoyarsk, Russia | Russia |
| 1998 | 8–11 September | Tehran, Iran | Iran |
| 1999 | 7–10 October | Ankara, Turkey | Russia |
| 2001 | 22–25 November | Sofia, Bulgaria | Russia |
| 2002 | 5–7 September | Tehran, Iran | Iran |
| 2003 | 12–14 September | New York City, United States | Georgia |

### Men's Greco-Roman

| Year | Dates | City and host country | Team champion |
| 1904 | 23–26 May | Vienna, Austria | — |
| 1905 | 8–10 May | Berlin, Germany | — |
| 1907 | 20 May | Frankfurt, Germany | — |
| 1908 | 8–9 December | Vienna, Austria | — |
| 1909 | 3 October | Vienna, Austria | — |
| 1910 | 6 June | Düsseldorf, Germany | — |
| 1911 | 25–28 March | Helsinki, Finland | — |
| 1913 | 27–28 July | Breslau, Germany | — |
| 1920 | 4–8 September | Vienna, Austria | — |
| 1921 | 5–8 November | Helsinki, Finland | — |
| 1922 | 8–11 March | Stockholm, Sweden | — |
| 1950 | 20–23 March | Stockholm, Sweden | Sweden |
| 1953 | 17–19 April | Naples, Italy | Soviet Union |
| 1955 | 21–25 April | Karlsruhe, West Germany | Soviet Union |
| 1958 | 21–24 July | Budapest, Hungary | Soviet Union |
| 1961 | 5–7 June | Yokohama, Japan | Soviet Union |
| 1962 | 25–27 June | Toledo, United States | Soviet Union |
| 1963 | 1–3 July | Helsingborg, Sweden | Soviet Union |
| 1965 | 6–8 June | Tampere, Finland | Soviet Union |
| 1966 | 20–22 June | Toledo, United States | Soviet Union |
| 1967 | 1–3 September | Bucharest, Romania | Soviet Union |
| 1969 | 3–5 March | Mar del Plata, Argentina | Soviet Union |
| 1970 | 4–6 July | Edmonton, Canada | Soviet Union |
| 1971 | 2–5 September | Sofia, Bulgaria | Bulgaria |
| 1973 | 11–14 September | Tehran, Iran | Soviet Union |
| 1974 | 10–13 October | Katowice, Poland | Soviet Union |
| 1975 | 11–14 September | Minsk, Soviet Union | Soviet Union |
| 1977 | 14–17 October | Gothenburg, Sweden | Soviet Union |
| 1978 | 20–23 August | Mexico City, Mexico | Soviet Union |
| 1979 | 21–24 August | San Diego, United States | Soviet Union |
| 1981 | 28–30 August | Oslo, Norway | Soviet Union |
| 1982 | 9–12 September | Katowice, Poland | Soviet Union |
| 1983 | 22–25 September | Kyiv, Soviet Union | Soviet Union |
| 1985 | 8–11 August | Kolbotn, Norway | Soviet Union |
| 1986 | 23–26 October | Budapest, Hungary | Soviet Union |
| 1987 | 19–22 August | Clermont-Ferrand, France | Soviet Union |
| 1989 | 24–27 August | Martigny, Switzerland | Soviet Union |
| 1990 | 19–21 November | Rome, Italy | Soviet Union |
| 1991 | 27–30 September | Varna, Bulgaria | Soviet Union |
| 1993 | 16–19 September | Stockholm, Sweden | Russia |
| 1994 | 8–11 September | Tampere, Finland | Russia |
| 1995 | 12–15 October | Prague, Czech Republic | Russia |
| 1997 | 10–13 September | Wrocław, Poland | Russia |
| 1998 | 27–30 August | Gävle, Sweden | Russia |
| 1999 | 23–26 September | Piraeus, Greece | Russia |
| 2001 | 6–9 December | Patras, Greece | Cuba |
| 2002 | 20–22 September | Moscow, Russia | Russia |
| 2003 | 2–5 October | Créteil, France | Georgia |

### Women's freestyle

| Year | Dates | City and host country | Team champion |
| 1987 | 24–25 October | Lørenskog, Norway | Norway |
| 1989 | 24–25 August | Martigny, Switzerland | Japan |
| 1990 | 29 June – 1 July | Luleå, Sweden | Japan |
| 1991 | 24–25 August | Tokyo, Japan | Japan |
| 1992 | 4–5 September | Villeurbanne, France | Japan |
| 1993 | 7–8 August | Stavern, Norway | Japan |
| 1994 | 6–7 August | Sofia, Bulgaria | Japan |
| 1995 | 9–10 September | Moscow, Russia | Russia |
| 1996 | 29–31 August | Sofia, Bulgaria | Japan |
| 1997 | 10–12 July | Clermont-Ferrand, France | Japan |
| 1998 | 8–10 October | Poznań, Poland | Russia |
| 1999 | 10–12 September | Boden, Sweden | United States |
| 2000 | 1–3 September | Sofia, Bulgaria | Japan |
| 2001 | 22–25 November | Sofia, Bulgaria | China |
| 2002 | 2–3 November | Chalcis, Greece | Japan |
| 2003 | 12–14 September | New York City, United States | Japan |

### Combined

| Year | Dates | City and host country | Team champion | Team champion | Team champion |
| Year | Dates | City and host country | Men's freestyle | Men's Greco-Roman | Women's freestyle |
| 2005 | 26 September – 2 October | Budapest, Hungary | Russia | Hungary | Japan |
| 2006 | 25 September – 1 October | Guangzhou, China | Russia | Turkey | Japan |
| 2007 | 17–23 September | Baku, Azerbaijan | Russia | United States | Japan |
| 2008 | 11–13 October | Tokyo, Japan | — | — | Japan |
| 2009 | 21–27 September | Herning, Denmark | Russia | Turkey | Azerbaijan |
| 2010 | 6–12 September | Moscow, Russia | Russia | Russia | Japan |
| 2011 | 12–18 September | Istanbul, Turkey | Russia | Russia | Japan |
| 2012 | 27–29 September | Strathcona County, Canada | — | — | China |
| 2013 | 16–22 September | Budapest, Hungary | Iran | Russia | Japan |
| 2014 | 8–14 September | Tashkent, Uzbekistan | Russia | Iran | Japan |
| 2015 | 7–15 September | Las Vegas, United States | Russia | Russia | Japan |
| 2016 | 10–11 December | Budapest, Hungary | — | — | — |
| 2017 | 21–26 August | Paris, France | United States | Russia | Japan |
| 2018 | 20–28 October | Budapest, Hungary | Russia | Russia | Japan |
| 2019 | 14–22 September | Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan | Russia | Russia | Japan |
| 2021 | 2–10 October | Oslo, Norway | Russian Wrestling Federation | Russian Wrestling Federation | Japan |
| 2022 | 10–18 September | Belgrade, Serbia | United States | Turkey | Japan |
| 2023 | 16–24 September | Belgrade, Serbia | United States | Azerbaijan | Japan |
| 2024 | 28–31 October | Tirana, Albania | Georgia | Azerbaijan | Japan |
| 2025 | 13–21 September | Zagreb, Croatia | | | |

## All-time medal table

Updated after the 2024 World Wrestling Championships.
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Soviet Union | 253 | 93 | 69 | 415 |
| 2 | Japan | 139 | 75 | 88 | 302 |
| 3 | Russia | 111 | 67 | 96 | 274 |
| 4 | United States | 86 | 105 | 113 | 304 |
| 5 | Iran | 71 | 67 | 80 | 218 |
| 6 | Bulgaria | 63 | 95 | 103 | 261 |
| 7 | Turkey | 60 | 63 | 84 | 207 |
| 8 | Hungary | 33 | 54 | 53 | 140 |
| 9 | Cuba | 32 | 28 | 49 | 109 |
| 10 | Sweden | 31 | 40 | 48 | 119 |
| 11 | China | 29 | 22 | 39 | 90 |
| 12 | France | 27 | 23 | 25 | 75 |
| 13 | Azerbaijan | 22 | 34 | 39 | 95 |
| 14 | Germany | 22 | 28 | 48 | 98 |
| 15 | Finland | 22 | 26 | 25 | 73 |
| 16 | Ukraine | 19 | 21 | 61 | 101 |
| 17 | Georgia | 17 | 21 | 44 | 82 |
| 18 | Poland | 15 | 38 | 39 | 92 |
| 19 | Romania | 15 | 33 | 38 | 86 |
| 20 | South Korea | 14 | 23 | 25 | 62 |
| 21 | Canada | 14 | 18 | 32 | 64 |
| 22 | Armenia | 14 | 10 | 22 | 46 |
| 23 | Norway | 12 | 17 | 29 | 58 |
| 24 | Austria | 11 | 9 | 8 | 28 |
| 25 | North Korea | 10 | 5 | 10 | 25 |
| 26 | West Germany | 9 | 13 | 19 | 41 |
| 27 | East Germany | 8 | 23 | 23 | 54 |
| 28 | Kyrgyzstan | 8 | 5 | 13 | 26 |
| 29 | Serbia | 8 | 1 | 12 | 21 |
| 30 | Mongolia | 7 | 28 | 44 | 79 |
| 31 | Kazakhstan | 7 | 21 | 35 | 63 |
| 32 | Belarus | 6 | 17 | 27 | 50 |
| 33 | Uzbekistan | 6 | 11 | 22 | 39 |
| 34 | Yugoslavia | 5 | 19 | 17 | 41 |
| 35 | Denmark | 5 | 8 | 10 | 23 |
| 36 | Moldova | 4 | 8 | 4 | 16 |
| 37 | Russian Wrestling Federation | 4 | 5 | 9 | 18 |
| 38 | Italy | 3 | 8 | 12 | 23 |
| 39 | Czechoslovakia | 3 | 6 | 11 | 20 |
| 40 | Venezuela | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 |
| 41 | Egypt | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| – | Individual Neutral Athletes | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| 42 | Estonia | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| 43 | India | 1 | 5 | 17 | 23 |
| 44 | Chinese Taipei | 1 | 5 | 6 | 12 |
| 45 | Greece | 1 | 3 | 12 | 16 |
| 46 | Israel | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| 47 | Bahrain | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 48 | Albania | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 49 | Belgium | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 50 | Slovakia | 0 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| 51 | Czech Republic | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| 52 | Puerto Rico | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 53 | Nigeria | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| 54 | Lithuania | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 55 | Latvia | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 55 | Netherlands | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 57 | Croatia | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 58 | Lebanon | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 58 | North Macedonia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 58 | Tajikistan | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 61 | Brazil | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 61 | Tunisia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 61 | Turkmenistan | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 64 | Spain | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 64 | Switzerland | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 66 | Bohemia | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 66 | Colombia | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 66 | Pakistan | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 69 | Argentina | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 69 | Chile | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 69 | Ecuador | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 69 | Great Britain | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 69 | San Marino | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 69 | Syria | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 69 | United World Wrestling | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (75 entries) | Totals (75 entries) | 1,243 | 1,235 | 1,639 | 4,117 |
* Names in italic are national entities that no longer exist.

## Team titles

| Country | FS | GR | FW | Total |
| Soviet Union | 22 | 26 | 0 | 48 |
| Russia | 13 | 14 | 2 | 29 |
| Japan | 0 | 0 | 27 | 27 |
| Turkey | 5 | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| United States | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Iran | 5 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Azerbaijan | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Georgia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| China | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Russian Wrestling Federation | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Bulgaria | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Cuba | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Hungary | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Norway | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Sweden | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |

## Multiple gold medalists

The tables shows those who have won at least 5 gold medals at the World Championships. Boldface denotes active wrestlers and highest medal count among all wrestlers (including these who not included in these tables) per type.

### Men's freestyle

| Rank | Wrestler | Country | Weights | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Valentin Yordanov | Bulgaria | 52 kg | 1983 | 1995 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 10 |
| 2 | Aleksandr Medved | Soviet Union | +87 kg / 97 kg / +97 kg / +100 kg | 1961 | 1971 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| 3 | Sergei Beloglazov | Soviet Union | 57 kg / 62 kg | 1979 | 1987 | 6 | 1 | – | 7 |
| 3 | Arsen Fadzaev | Soviet Union | 68 kg / 74 kg | 1983 | 1991 | 6 | 1 | – | 7 |
| 3 | Abdulrashid Sadulaev | Russia Russian Wrestling Federation Individual Neutral Athletes | 86 kg / 97 kg / 92 kg | 2014 | 2024 | 6 | 1 | – | 7 |
| 6 | Jordan Burroughs | United States | 74 kg / 79 kg | 2011 | 2022 | 6 | – | 3 | 9 |
| 7 | Buvaisar Saitiev | Russia | 74 kg / 76 kg | 1995 | 2005 | 6 | – | – | 6 |
| 8 | Makharbek Khadartsev | Soviet Union Russia | 90 kg | 1986 | 1995 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| 9 | Khadzhimurat Gatsalov | Russia | 96 kg / 120 kg / 125 kg | 2005 | 2014 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| 10 | Ali Aliyev | Soviet Union | 52 kg / 57 kg | 1959 | 1967 | 5 | 1 | – | 6 |
| 11 | Leri Khabelov | Soviet Union Russia | 100 kg / 130 kg | 1985 | 1995 | 5 | – | 1 | 6 |
| 12 | Abdollah Movahed | Iran | 70 kg / 68 kg | 1965 | 1970 | 5 | – | – | 5 |

### Men's Greco-Roman

| Rank | Wrestler | Country | Weights | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Aleksandr Karelin | Soviet Union Russia | 130 kg | 1989 | 1999 | 9 | – | – | 9 |
| 2 | Hamid Sourian | Iran | 55 kg / 59 kg | 2005 | 2014 | 6 | – | – | 6 |
| 3 | Rıza Kayaalp | Turkey | 120 kg / 130 kg | 2009 | 2023 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 10 |
| 4 | Mijaín López | Cuba | 120 kg / 130 kg | 2005 | 2015 | 5 | 3 | – | 8 |
| 5 | Gogi Koguashvili | Russia | 90 kg / 97 kg | 1993 | 1999 | 5 | – | 1 | 6 |
| 6 | Nikolay Balboshin | Soviet Union | 100 kg | 1973 | 1979 | 5 | – | – | 5 |
| 6 | Viktor Igumenov | Soviet Union | 78 kg / 74 kg | 1966 | 1971 | 5 | – | – | 5 |
| 6 | Valery Rezantsev | Soviet Union | 90 kg | 1970 | 1975 | 5 | – | – | 5 |
| 6 | Aleksandar Tomov | Bulgaria | +100 kg | 1971 | 1979 | 5 | – | – | 5 |

### Women's freestyle

| Rank | Wrestler | Country | Weights | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Saori Yoshida | Japan | 55 kg / 53 kg | 2002 | 2015 | 13 | – | – | 13 |
| 2 | Kaori Ichō | Japan | 63 kg / 58 kg | 2002 | 2015 | 10 | – | – | 10 |
| 3 | Hitomi Obara (Sakamoto) | Japan | 51 kg / 48 kg | 2000 | 2011 | 8 | – | – | 8 |
| 4 | Christine Nordhagen | Canada | 70 kg / 68 kg / 75 kg | 1993 | 2001 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 5 | Yayoi Urano | Japan | 75 kg / 70 kg / 65 kg | 1990 | 1996 | 6 | 1 | – | 7 |
| 6 | Adeline Gray | United States | 67 kg / 72 kg / 75 kg / 76 kg | 2011 | 2023 | 6 | – | 3 | 9 |
| 7 | Kyōko Hamaguchi | Japan | 75 kg / 72 kg | 1997 | 2010 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| 8 | Zhong Xiue | China | 44 kg / 47 kg / 46 kg | 1991 | 1999 | 5 | 2 | – | 7 |
| 9 | Shoko Yoshimura | Japan | 44 kg | 1987 | 1996 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 9 |
| 10 | Liu Dongfeng | China | 75 kg | 1991 | 1997 | 5 | – | 1 | 6 |
| 10 | Stanka Zlateva | Bulgaria | 72 kg | 2006 | 2011 | 5 | – | 1 | 6 |
| 12 | Nikola Hartmann | Austria | 61 kg / 62 kg | 1993 | 2000 | 5 | – | – | 5 |