USA defeats France 4-3 in Greco-Roman dual meet in Paris
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PARIS, France - A U.S. Greco-Roman team defeated France in a World Dual meet on Tuesday night, 4-3.
"It was a unique event," said USA Wrestling Assistant National Greco-Roman Coach Momir Petkovic. "It was held in a circus. There were 2,000 fans there and it was on national television. It was very exciting. I haven't seen anything like this before."
The USA won four of the first five matches contested to clinch the win the dual meet.
The match opened at 55 kg/121 lbs., where 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials runner-up Sam Hazewinkel (Springboro, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) defeated Jonathan Thian Lemaire, 3-0, 2-1. Hazewinkel had also beaten Lemaire in the second round at the Henri Deglane Challenge in Nice, France a few days earlier.
France won the next match, when 2008 Olympian Yannick Szczepaniak defeated 2008 Junior World bronze medalist Peter Kowalczuk (Oak Park, Ill./Sunkist Kids), 4-0, 3-0
Competing up one weight class from where he normally wrestles, 2008 U.S. Olympian Spenser Mango (St. Louis, Mo./Gator WC) won his bout at 60 kg/132 lbs. Mango stopped 2008 Olympian Sebastien Hidalgo, 3-0, 4-1.
Mango was eighth in the Olympics at 55 kg/121 lbs., while Hidalgo placed 13th at 60 kg/132 lbs.
The next match was at 96 kg/211.5 lbs., where R.C. Johnson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) defeated Senih Dundar, 1-3, 2-0, 4-0. Johnson had also defeated Dundar in the first round of the Henri Deglane Challenge.
Clinching the dual win for the USA was Jake Curby (LaGrange, Ill./Gator WC), who won the next match at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Curby stopped Franck Hassli, 1-1, 4-1.
Curby avenged a loss to Hassli in the bronze-medal match at the Henri Deglane Challenge a few days before.
France closed the dual meet with victories in the last two matches.
The U.S. defeated a strong French team, which featured three Olympic team members, another past World team member, as well as athletes who competed on past Junior World teams.
"The guys really picked it up," said Petkovic. "I told them 'if you lose this match, you will swim home.' Everybody wrestled well. Even the guys who lost wrestled well. They were all trying hard to win."
France has held a dual meet against other nations at this circus location in recent years, competing against Cuba last season and Armenia the year before.
USA 4, FRANCE 3
At Paris, France, December 2
55 kg/121 lbs. - Sam Hazewinkel (USA) dec. Jonathan Thian Lemaire (France), 3-0, 2-1
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Yannick Szczepaniak (France) dec. Peter Kowalczuk (USA), 4-0, 3-0
60 kg/132 lbs. - Spenser Mango (USA) dec. Sebastian Hidalgo (France), 3-0, 4-1
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - R.C. Johnson (USA) dec. Senih Dundar (France), 1-3, 2-0, 4-0
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Jake Curby (USA) dec. Franck Hassli (France), 1-1, 4-1
74 kg/163 lbs. - Alain Hassli (France) dec. Jake Fisher (USA), 3-0, 5-0
84 kg/185 lbs. - Melonin Noumonvi (France) dec. Brad Ahearn (USA), 1-1, 4-2
"It was a unique event," said USA Wrestling Assistant National Greco-Roman Coach Momir Petkovic. "It was held in a circus. There were 2,000 fans there and it was on national television. It was very exciting. I haven't seen anything like this before."
The USA won four of the first five matches contested to clinch the win the dual meet.
The match opened at 55 kg/121 lbs., where 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials runner-up Sam Hazewinkel (Springboro, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) defeated Jonathan Thian Lemaire, 3-0, 2-1. Hazewinkel had also beaten Lemaire in the second round at the Henri Deglane Challenge in Nice, France a few days earlier.
France won the next match, when 2008 Olympian Yannick Szczepaniak defeated 2008 Junior World bronze medalist Peter Kowalczuk (Oak Park, Ill./Sunkist Kids), 4-0, 3-0
Competing up one weight class from where he normally wrestles, 2008 U.S. Olympian Spenser Mango (St. Louis, Mo./Gator WC) won his bout at 60 kg/132 lbs. Mango stopped 2008 Olympian Sebastien Hidalgo, 3-0, 4-1.
Mango was eighth in the Olympics at 55 kg/121 lbs., while Hidalgo placed 13th at 60 kg/132 lbs.
The next match was at 96 kg/211.5 lbs., where R.C. Johnson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) defeated Senih Dundar, 1-3, 2-0, 4-0. Johnson had also defeated Dundar in the first round of the Henri Deglane Challenge.
Clinching the dual win for the USA was Jake Curby (LaGrange, Ill./Gator WC), who won the next match at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Curby stopped Franck Hassli, 1-1, 4-1.
Curby avenged a loss to Hassli in the bronze-medal match at the Henri Deglane Challenge a few days before.
France closed the dual meet with victories in the last two matches.
The U.S. defeated a strong French team, which featured three Olympic team members, another past World team member, as well as athletes who competed on past Junior World teams.
"The guys really picked it up," said Petkovic. "I told them 'if you lose this match, you will swim home.' Everybody wrestled well. Even the guys who lost wrestled well. They were all trying hard to win."
France has held a dual meet against other nations at this circus location in recent years, competing against Cuba last season and Armenia the year before.
USA 4, FRANCE 3
At Paris, France, December 2
55 kg/121 lbs. - Sam Hazewinkel (USA) dec. Jonathan Thian Lemaire (France), 3-0, 2-1
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Yannick Szczepaniak (France) dec. Peter Kowalczuk (USA), 4-0, 3-0
60 kg/132 lbs. - Spenser Mango (USA) dec. Sebastian Hidalgo (France), 3-0, 4-1
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - R.C. Johnson (USA) dec. Senih Dundar (France), 1-3, 2-0, 4-0
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Jake Curby (USA) dec. Franck Hassli (France), 1-1, 4-1
74 kg/163 lbs. - Alain Hassli (France) dec. Jake Fisher (USA), 3-0, 5-0
84 kg/185 lbs. - Melonin Noumonvi (France) dec. Brad Ahearn (USA), 1-1, 4-2
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