World Championships

Day One Wrap: Taylor, Retherford, Arujau reach World finals, Parris to go for bronze in Belgrade

BELGRADE, Serbia – It was an excellent day for the United States in men’s freestyle, as the 2023 Senior World Championships got started in Stark Arena on Saturday.

Winning their semifinals match and earning a spot in Sunday’s gold-medal finals were 2000 Olympic champion and two-time World champion David Taylor (86 kg), 2022 World silver medalist Zain Retherford (70 kg) and first-time World Team member Vito Arujau (61 kg).

With his victory in the semifinals, Taylor has clinched a berth for the United States at 86 kg in men’s freestyle for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Taylor was on fire today, winning two matches by pin and two by technical fall. In the semifinals, he put away Azamat Dauletbekov of Kazakhstan in 3:38. He will face his archrival Hassan Yazdanicharati of Iran in the finals. Taylor has beaten him in two of their three finals matches at either the Olympics or Worlds, including Taylor’s victory at the 2020 Olympic Games.

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Powerful USA team set for World Championships in Serbia, Sept. 16-24, with Olympic berths up for grabs

The United States is sending an experienced and talented team to the 2023 Senior World Wrestling Championships, set for Stark Arena in Belgrade, Serbia, September 16-24.

The United States is coming off one of its best Senior World Championships performances ever in 2022, with a total of 15 Senior World medals, including seven individual gold medalists, six silver medalists and two bronze medalists. The U.S. men’s freestyle team won the World Team Title in 2022 (its fourth ever), and the U.S. women’s freestyle team placed second in the final standings.

This event will serve as the first 2024 Olympic Games qualifying event for Paris, France. The top five athletes in each of the 18 Olympic weight classes will qualify their nation for Paris.

The event kicks off with men’s freestyle competition, which runs September 16-19. The USA team features a pair of Olympic champions, 2016 Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder (97 kg) and 2020 Olympic gold medalist David Taylor (86 kg). Snyder also boasts a 2020 Olympic silver medal. Both are also multiple Senior World champions, with Snyder owning three World titles and Taylor winning two World golds.

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Nagao places 5th at U23 World Championships as Competition Wraps

PONTEVEDRA, Spain – A week full of action that saw a pair of Gophers competing in the U23 World Championships came to a close on Sunday morning, as Gopher freshman Aaron Nagao closed out the weekend with a fifth-place finish.

Action began on Monday morning for Greco-Roman competition, as Michial Foy was slated to compete in the 87-kilogram weight division. He opened up his first World Championships against Croatia’s Filip Smetko, falling by a score of 4-0.

The turning point in the match was Smetko’s ability to convert in par terre position, as he used a gut wrench in the first period to turn Foy following a passivity point to give Foy a three-point deficit going into the break. Following the loss, Foy would need Smetko to reach the finals in order to be pulled back in to repechage, however Smetko would drop his next match and Foy would be eliminated after going 0-1.

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Foy, Nagao to Represent Team USA at U23 World Championships

MINNEAPOLIS – A pair of current Gophers will be heading overseas in hopes of becoming a world champion, as both Michial Foy and Aaron Nagao will compete in the U23 World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain next week.

Foy, a sixth-year senior for Minnesota, will be competing on Monday morning at 87 kilograms as the Greco-Roman portion of the tournament gets underway. Foy earned his ticket to the World Championships by winning the 87-kilogram bracket at the U23 World Team Trials earlier this summer, beating opponent Vincent Baker in the Best-of-3 finals.

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Hancock gets bronze medal in Greco-Roman at Senior World Championships; Vera not eligible for repechage

OSLO, Norway – 2020 Olympian G’Angelo Hancock put together a tournament to proud of after winning a bronze medal at 97 kg in Greco-Roman on Saturday evening at Jordal Amfi.

Hancock, competing in his fourth Senior World Championships, defeated 2012 Junior World silver medalist Peter Oehler of Germany by injury default in 3:32 in his bronze-medal match.

Hancock scored first when Oehler was hit for passivity, taking a 1-0 lead. Hancock was not able to turn Oehler on top. Late in the first period, with Oehler attempting to push Hancock off the mat, Hancock executed a slick counter and scored a takedown on the edge for a 3-0 lead going into the break. Early in the second period, Hancock powered Oehler to the mat for an apparent takedown, with Oehler attempting to let the referees know he was hurt. Hancock also turned him before the action was stopped. Officials did not award Hancock any points, but the injury to Oehler’s leg was too severe for him to continue and Hancock was the winner by injury default. Continue reading at teamusa.org →

Vera is possible for repechage, Jones and Omania eliminated in Greco-Roman at Senior Worlds in Oslo

OSLO, Norway – The three U.S. Greco-Roman entries in Group Three of the Greco-Roman tournament at the Senior World Championships were defeated in their first matches on Saturday morning. All three were competing in the first Senior World Championships of their career.

Alan Vera lost in an 8-0 technical fall to 2021 European Junior champion Turpal-Ali Bisultanov of Denmark at 87 kg. Vera was hit for passivity to put Bisultanov up 1-0. Bisultanov hit a gut wrench to make it 3-0, then followed up with a lift near the edge. Vera seemingly blocked the throw, but officials awarded Bisultanov a point for the lift, then a caution and two points for fleeing the mat, to make it 6-0. Bisultanov finished the match off with one more turn from par terre.

Bisultanov won his next two matches to qualify for the semifinals, where he will face No. 1 seed and 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Zurabi Datunashvili of Serbia. Bisultanov must win his semifinals bout against Datunishvili for Vera to be eligible for repechage. Only those who lost to a finalist are eligible for the repechage.
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Hancock to go for bronze in Greco-Roman at Senior World Championships; Roberts, Schultz not eligible for repechage

OSLO, Norway – 2020 Olympian G’Angelo Hancock will compete for a bronze medal on Saturday night, after losing his 97 kg Greco-Roman semifinal match on Friday evening at Jordal Amfi.

Hancock, who is competing in his fourth Senior World Championships, lost a heartbreaking 4-4 criteria decision to Alex Szoke of Hungary in his semifinals match.

Hancock got out to an early lead after a passivity call against Szoke made it 1-0. Hancock worked a hard-fought gut wrench for two points and a 3-0 lead which he took into the break. A passivity call against Hancock in the second period made it 2-1. Hancock defended off the whistle and created action to get back to their feet. Szoke’s corner challenged, believing there was exposure, but the call was confirmed and Hancock’s lead went up to 4-1. Continue reading at teamusa.org →