Smith wins gold and USA takes four medals at Lavrikov Championships in Russia

ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA – 2013 U.S. World Team member Robbie Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) won a gold medal at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., one of four U.S. medalists on the first day of the S.A. Lavrikov Greco-Roman Championships on Saturday.

Smith defeated U.S. teammate David Arendt (Camp LeJeune, N.C./U.S. Marines) in the finals, 6-1. He had three wins on the day, also defeating two Russian opponents, one by fall and the other by technical fall.


Arendt, the 2013 U.S. Open champion, opened with a pair of wins by technical fall, defeating opponents from Finland and Russia.


"Robbie is wrestling with a fire in his belly,” said National Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser. “Both Robby Smith and David Arendt wrestled very well, dominating all of their opponents prior to the finals. They are both showing great conditioning and power."


The USA had a pair of bronze medalists, Nate Engel (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and 2012 Olympian Ben Provisor (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 84 kg/185 lbs.


Engel opened with a loss to a Russian, 5-8, then defeated another Russian by technical fall, 9-2, for the bronze.


Provisor opened with a technical fall over a Belarus wrestler, 9-0, then fell to another Belarussian, 1-5. After a victory in the repechage over a Russian by a 9-0 technical fall, Provisor beat an opponent from Belarus for the bronze medal, 4-3.


More U.S. athletes will be in competition on Sunday.


Information on opponents will be updated when it becomes available.

S.A. LAVRIKOV GRECO-ROMAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

At St. Petersburg, Russia, Dec. 7


U.S. Greco-Roman performances


55 kg/121 lbs. – Nate Engel, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP), bronze medal

LOSS Russia, 5-8

WIN Russia, tech. fall 9-2


66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Bryce Saddoris, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines), dnp

LOSS Russia, 3-3


84 kg/185 lbs. – Jordan Holm, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), dnp

LOSS Belarus, pin


84 kg/185 lbs. – Ben Provisor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), bronze medal

WIN Belarus, tech fall 9-0

LOSS Belarus, 1-5

WIN Russia, tech. fall 9-0

WIN Belarus, 4-3


120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Robbie Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), gold medal

WIN Russia, pin

WIN Russia, tech. fall 9-0

WIN David Arendt (USA/Marines), 6-1


120 kg/264.5 lbs. – David Arendt, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines), silver medal

WIN Finland, tech. fall 7-0

WIN Russia, tech fall 8-0

LOSS Robbie Smith (USA/NYAC), 1-6