Bisek, Smith win gold medals and the USA takes four medals at Haavisto Cup in Finland

Haavisto Cup champions Robbie Smith (left) and Andy Bisek (right). Photos from Finland from Momir Petkovic

ILMAJOKI, Finland – 2013 U.S. World Team members Andy Bisek (Colorado Springs, Colo./Minnesota Storm) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Robbie Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. won gold medals at the Haavisto Cup of Greco-Roman on Saturday.

Bisek won four matches, stopping Henri Valimaki of Finland in the finals, 8-3. He dominated his early bouts, scoring technical falls over Juha Erwing of England, 8-0 and Bogdan Kourinoi of Sweden, 8-0. His semifinals win was over Christoffer Nilsson of Sweden, 7-1.

Bisek, a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete, has been on two U.S. Senior World Teams.

Smith had four straight wins in a five-athlete roundrobin at heavyweight. Included in his wins was a pin over eventual silver medalist John Christian of Germany. Smith, also a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete, was seventh at the 2013 World Championships.

Winning silver medals were Nate Engel (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and 2013 U.S. World Team member Jordan Holm (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) at 84 kg/185 lbs.

Engel lost his first match in a round-robin format to eventual champion Niko Crepe of Finland. He rebounded with three straight wins, including technical falls over Mario Magisalu of Estonia and Isak Selder of Sweden.

Holm, a 2013 U.S. World Team member, went a strong 3-1 in the tournament. He opened up with a pair of technical falls over Einari Ukkola of Finland and Marko Kivimaki of Finland, then beat Zakarias Berg of Sweden, 4-1 in the semifinals. Holm’s only loss was in the gold-medal bout to Ruslan Isakov of Russia.

Three U.S. athletes placed fifth in the tournament, 2012 Olympian Ben Provisor (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 84 kg/185 lbs., Marcus Finau (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Jacob Mitchell (Colorado Springs, Colo.) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

The United States placed a strong second in the tournament with 59 points, just one point behind team champion and host Finland with 60 points. Sweden was third with 30 points. The tournament featured 32 national teams or club programs.

HAAVISTO CUP
At Ilmajoki, Finland, Nov. 22-23

Greco-Roman medalists

55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold – Niko Crepe (Finland)
Silver – Nate Engel (USA)
Bronze – Isak Selder (Sweden)

60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold – Erik Weiss (Germany)
Silver – My Haapamaki (Finland)
Bronze – Tobias Fonnesbek (Denmark)
Bronze – Artak Harutyunyan (Sweden)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold – Fevzi Mamutov (Ukraine)
Silver – Fredrik Bjerrehuus (Denmark)
Bronze – Jumaa Zakole (Finland)
Bronze – Anders Ekstrom (Denmark)

74 kg/163 lbs.
Gold – Andy Bisek (USA)
Silver – Henri Valimaki (Finland)
Bronze – Damian Hartmann (Germany)
Bronze – Christoffer Nilsson (Sweden)

84 kg/185 lbs.
Gold – Ruslan Isakov (Russia)
Silver – Jordan Holm (USA)
Bronze – Zakarias Berg (Sweden)
Bronze – Karri Suominen (Finland)

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Gold – Maxim Sarafyan (Russia)
Silver – Alo Toom (Estonia)
Bronze – Oscar Riihioja (Finland)
Bronze – Rami Hetaniemi (Finland)

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Gold – Robbie Smith (USA)
Silver – John Christian (Germany)
Bronze – Thomas Gulf (Finland)

U.S. Greco-Roman results

55 kg/121 lbs. – Nate Engel, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP), silver medal
LOSS Niko Crepe (Finland), tech. fall 0-8
WIN Mario Magisalu (Estonia), tech. fall 7-0
WIN Toufan Ahmadi (Finland), 4-1
WIN Isak Selder (Sweden), tech. fall 7-0

60 kg/132 lbs. – Nikko Triggas, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 8th
WIN Juho Huttunen (Finland) tech. fall 10-2
LOSS Tobias Fonnesbek (Denmark), 3-6

74 kg/163 lbs. – Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm), gold medal
WIN Juha Erwing (England), tech. fall 8-0
WIN Bogdan Kourinoi (Sweden), tech. fall 8-0
WIN Christoffer Nilsson (Sweden), 7-1
WIN Henri Valimaki (Finland), 8-3

84 kg/185 lbs. – Jordan Holm, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), silver medal
WIN Einari Ukkola (Finland), tech. fall 7-0
WIN Marko Kivimaki (Finland), tech. fall 8-0
WIN Zakarias Berg (Sweden), 4-1
LOSS Ruslan Isakov (Russia), 0-3

84 kg/185 lbs. – Ben Provisor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 5th
WIN Pedro Garcia (Spain), 6-0
LOSS Ruslan Isakov (Russia), 1-2
LOSS Karri Suominen (Finalnd), 0-1

96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Marcus Finau, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 5th
LOSS Maksim Sarafyan (Russia), 1-6
LOSS Rami Hetaniemi (Finland), tech. fall 3-10

120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Robbie Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), gold medal
WIN John Christian (Germany), pin
WIN Jacob Mitchell (USA), tech. fall 8-0
WIN Juuso Huovinen (Finland), 4-0
WIN Thomas Gulf (Finland), 4-0

120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Jacob Mitchell, Colorado Springs, Colo., 5th
LOSS Thomas Gulf (Finland), 8-11
LOSS Robbie Smith (USA), 0-8
WIN John Christian (Germany), 8-5
LOSS Juuso Huovinen (Finland), 0-1

Team Standings
1. Finland, 60 pts.
2. USA, 59 pts.
3. Sweden, 30 pts.
4. St. Petersburg, Russia, 27 pts.
5. Frankfort, Germany, 27 pts.
6. Denmark, 25 pts.
7. Estonia, 19 pts.
8. Ilmajoen Kisiljat, Finland, 16 pts.
9. Stockholm, Sweden, 14 pts.
10. Jarvenppa weightlifters, Finland, 12 pts.
(of 32 nations and club teams)