Shirzad Ahmadi strikes gold again at Veterans World Championships
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by USA Wrestling
ANKARA, Turkey - Winning World titles never gets old for Shirzad Ahmadi.
Ahmadi captured his fifth Veterans World title on Friday during the Veterans World freestyle competition. Ahmadi has now won 15 medals in the Veterans World Championships. In addition to his five golds, he has won five silver medals and five bronze medals.
Ahmadi, from Coventry, Conn., won by injury default over Iran's Khalati Davood in the finals in the Division E (56 years and older) division at 63 kg/138.75 pounds.
"I am so happy right now," Ahmadi said. "I didn't sleep last night, not even a minute. I was nervous and trying to get adjusted to the time switch, so I could never get to sleep. I didn't think I would do this well without any rest."
Ahmadi pinned a returning World champion from Iran in the quarterfinals.
"I lost to the Iranian last year," Ahmadi said. "I knew he would be very tough. He beat me in the first period - he threw me for 3 points. I put pressure on him in the second period. I shot in on him and caught him on his back and ended up pinning him. I was really shocked to beat him like that."
Americans Zelik Ziegelbaum and Sam Chagolla both earned silver medals. Teammates Steve Barkman and Kenneth Peters each won bronze medals on Friday.
Ziegelbaum, from Port Washington, N.Y., dropped a 1-0, 1-0 finals decision to Moldova's Petru Marta. That was in Division E at 76 kg/167.5 lbs.
Chagolla, from Phoenix, lost by decision to a wrestler from Iran in the finals. That came in Division B (41-45 years old) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Barkman, from Bloomsbury, N.J., wrestled in Division E at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. Peters, from Elmhurst, Ill., wrestled in Division E at 76 kg/167.5 lbs.
American Ray Lotfi finished fifth after falling in the bronze-medal match late Friday night. Lotfi, from Sugarland, Texas, competed in Division E at 130 kg/286 lbs.
The U.S. will send three more wrestlers to the mat on Saturday. They include Brad Swartz, Jonny Akins and Jonathan Tush.
Ahmadi captured his fifth Veterans World title on Friday during the Veterans World freestyle competition. Ahmadi has now won 15 medals in the Veterans World Championships. In addition to his five golds, he has won five silver medals and five bronze medals.
Ahmadi, from Coventry, Conn., won by injury default over Iran's Khalati Davood in the finals in the Division E (56 years and older) division at 63 kg/138.75 pounds.
"I am so happy right now," Ahmadi said. "I didn't sleep last night, not even a minute. I was nervous and trying to get adjusted to the time switch, so I could never get to sleep. I didn't think I would do this well without any rest."
Ahmadi pinned a returning World champion from Iran in the quarterfinals.
"I lost to the Iranian last year," Ahmadi said. "I knew he would be very tough. He beat me in the first period - he threw me for 3 points. I put pressure on him in the second period. I shot in on him and caught him on his back and ended up pinning him. I was really shocked to beat him like that."
Americans Zelik Ziegelbaum and Sam Chagolla both earned silver medals. Teammates Steve Barkman and Kenneth Peters each won bronze medals on Friday.
Ziegelbaum, from Port Washington, N.Y., dropped a 1-0, 1-0 finals decision to Moldova's Petru Marta. That was in Division E at 76 kg/167.5 lbs.
Chagolla, from Phoenix, lost by decision to a wrestler from Iran in the finals. That came in Division B (41-45 years old) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Barkman, from Bloomsbury, N.J., wrestled in Division E at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. Peters, from Elmhurst, Ill., wrestled in Division E at 76 kg/167.5 lbs.
American Ray Lotfi finished fifth after falling in the bronze-medal match late Friday night. Lotfi, from Sugarland, Texas, competed in Division E at 130 kg/286 lbs.
The U.S. will send three more wrestlers to the mat on Saturday. They include Brad Swartz, Jonny Akins and Jonathan Tush.
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