Justin Rademacher earns U23 World silver medal

Photo: Justin Rademacher (blue) earned a silver medal Sunday afternoon on the final day at the 2026 Galaxy U23 World Championships in Las Vegas. Photo by Sam Janicki.

By Tristan Warner 

LAS VEGAS — Justin Rademacher came within striking distance of a World title Sunday evening, ultimately settling for a silver medal at 97 kilograms as the 2026 U23 World Championships concluded in Las Vegas.

Rademacher, who wrestles collegiately for Oregon State, dropped a 9-7 decision to Russia’s Mukhamed Takhir Khaniev in the gold-medal match, capping an impressive tournament for the American.

The back-and-forth championship bout featured several scrambles and scoring exchanges, with Rademacher holding the advantage on criteria at one point before Khaniev was able to secure a takedown and turn late.

“Really, I’m just thinking about kind of the end when I’m up on criteria … and then he scored that two and two at the very end of the match,” Rademacher said afterward. “I feel like my leg defense was good all match, and then he just kind of hit an attack where he got my ankle.”

Despite the second-place finish, Rademacher, who will return to the Beavers at 197 pounds this season, believes his performance reinforced his ability to compete against the world’s best.

“I try and live a lifestyle where I’m telling myself I’m the best in the world every day,” Rademacher said. “I went in that match trying to beat him, right? I was winning at one point. So, it’s hard. … I’m right there. I have it. It’s just reminding myself who I am. Come back stronger next year.”

Rademacher will now turn his attention to a challenging early-season collegiate schedule, which includes several matchups against nationally ranked opponents.

“Win or lose, I’m learning something every single time, and I’m going to get better from it,” he said.

Elsewhere in Sunday’s medal matches, Penn State’s Luke Lilledahl fell short of the podium at 57 kilograms after advancing through the repechage round.

Lilledahl kept his bronze-medal hopes alive with a victory in repechage action but dropped a 7-2 decision to Japan’s Daito Katsume in the third-place bout, finishing fifth in the tournament.

Nebraska’s Christopher Minto, competing internationally for Jamaica, also reached a bronze-medal match at 79 kilograms after putting together a pair of victories in the repechage rounds.

Minto’s run ended against Japan’s Kanata Yamaguchi, who secured a 10-0 technical fall in 3:23 to claim the bronze medal. Like Lilledahl, Minto finished fifth in his weight class.

Rademacher’s silver-medal performance highlighted the final day of men’s freestyle competition for the United States, which had previously earned medals from Ohio State’s Ben Davino (gold, 61 kilograms), Penn State’s Jayden James (silver, 74 kilograms) and Iowa State’s Coby Merrill (bronze, 125 kilograms).

The tournament concluded Sunday following six days of international competition in Las Vegas.

1. Iran, 180

2. Russia, 171

3. United States, 104

4. Türkiye, 99

5. Japan, 75

6. Georgia, 68

7. India, 57

8. Kazakhstan, 55

9. Armenia, 49

10. Azerbaijan, 42

Gold – Merey Bazarbayev (Kazakhstan)

Silver – Bekir Keser (Türkiye)

Bronze – Daito Katsume (Japan)

Bronze – Rohit (India)

5th – Luke Lilledahl (United States)

5th – Arman Harutyunyan (Armenia)

7th – Rassoul Galbouraev (France)

8th – Ion Bulgaru (Moldova)

9th – Dunia Sibomana (Congo)

10th – Magomed Ozdamirov (Russia)

Gold – Merey Bazarbayev (Kazakhstan) fall Bekir Keser (Türkiye), 2:14

Bronze – Daito Katsume (Japan) dec. Luke Lilledahl (United States), 7-2

Bronze – Rohit (India) dec. Arman Harutyunyan (Armenia), 8-3

Gold – Ahora Khateri (Iran)

Silver – Kaiji Ogino (Japan)

Bronze – Eldar Akhmadudinov (Russia)

Bronze – Singh Jaskaran (India)

5th – Oskonbai Abdisamatov (Kazakhstan)

5th – Magomedkhan Magamedkhanov (Belarus)

7th – Sanjarbek Rustambekov (Uzbekistan)

8th – Hayk Abrahamyan (Armenia)

9th – Bo Bassett (United States)

10th – Yusuf Tumer (Türkiye)

Gold – Ahora Khateri (Iran) dec. Kaiji Ogino (Japan), 7-6

Bronze – Eldar Akhmadudinov (Russia) tech. fall Oskonbai Abdisamatov (Kazakhstan), 12-1

Bronze – Singh Jaskaran (India) dec. Magomedkhan Magamedkhanov (Belarus), 8-5

Gold – Magomed Eltemirov (Russia)

Silver – Ebrahim Elahichouran (Iran)

Bronze – Abdullah Toprak (Türkiye)

Bronze – Alexandr Gaidarli (Moldova)

5th – Taiga Ogino (Japan)

5th – Emrakh Hashymov (Ukraine)

7th – Rustamzhan Kakharov (Kyrgyzstan)

8th – Maiis Aliyev (Kazakhstan)

9th – Jordan Williams (United States)

10th – Shuang Chen (China)

Gold – Magomed Eltemirov (Russia) dec. Ebrahim Elahichouran (Iran), 5-3

Bronze – Abdullah Toprak (Türkiye) tech. fall Taiga Ogino (Japan), 10-0

Bronze – Alexandr Gaidarli (Moldova) tech. fall Emrakh Hashymov (Ukraine), 10-0

Gold – Mahdi Yousefihajivar (Iran)

Silver – Said Saidulov (Russia)

Bronze – Kanata Yamaguchi (Japan)

Bronze – Chandermohan (India)

5th – Christopher Minto (Jamaica)

5th – Ibrahim Yaprak (Türkiye)

7th – Giorgi Gogritchiani (Georgia)

8th – Yerkhan Abil (Kazakhstan)

9th – Vatan Annaorazov (Turkmenistan)

10th – Eljan Ismayilzada (Azerbaijan)

Gold – Mahdi Yousefihajivar (Iran) dec. Said Saidulov (Russia), 3-1

Bronze – Kanata Yamaguchi (Japan) tech. fall Christopher Minto (Jamaica), 10-0

Bronze – Chandermohan (India) dec. Ibrahim Yaprak (Türkiye), 5-2

Gold – Mukhamed Khaniev (Russia)

Silver – Justin Rademacher (United States)

Bronze – Mohammadmobin Azimi (Iran)

Bronze – Konstantine Petriashvili (Georgia)

5th – Gurgen Simonyan (Armenia)

5th – Uladzislau Kazlou (Belarus)

7th – Ivan Prymachenko (Ukraine)

8th – Rifat Gidak (Türkiye)

9th – Mauro Pellot Vazquez (Puerto Rico)

10th – Sherzod Poyonov (Uzbekistan)

Gold – Mukhamed Khaniev (Russia) dec. Justin Rademacher (United States), 9-7

Bronze – Mohammadmobin Azimi (Iran) tech fall. Gurgen Simonyan (Armenia), 10-0

Bronze – Konstantine Petriashvili (Georgia) tech. fall Uladzislau Kazlou (Belarus), 10-0