USA draws Russia, Hungary, Turkey & Kazakhstan in Group A at Greco-Roman World Cup in Iran, May 15-16
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by Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
Photos of Ravaughn Perkins on his way to the 2014 U.S. Open title by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors. Perkins will compete at the Greco-Roman World Cup in Iran.
The United States has been randomly drawn into Group A for the 2014 Greco-Roman World Cup, which will be hosted in Tehran, Iran, May 15-16.
The other teams in Group A will be Russia, Hungary, Turkey and Kazakhstan. The United States will face each of these four teams in dual meets within their group.
Group B will consist of Korea, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Finland. These teams will wrestle against each other in dual meets within their group.
The official draw was conducted by FILA President Nenad Lalovic at FILA’s headquarters in Corsier –sur-Vevey, Switzerland.
VIDEO: Official draw for the 2014 Greco-Roman World Cup
The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, and will feature the top 10 men’s freestyle wrestling teams in the world, based upon the team standings of the 2013 World Championships.
Russia was the champion at the 2013 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. The rest of the Group A includes No. 3 Hungary, No. 6 Kazakhstan, No. 7 Turkey and No. 9 USA.
Group B includes No. 2 Korea, No. 4 Armenia, No. 5 Azerbaijan, No. 8 Iran and No. 10 Finland.
The final round-by-round schedule of the Greco-Roman World Cup has not yet been announced.
Members of the USA delegation started its travel to Iran for the World Cup today, and will be there for a few days of acclimation prior to the start of this competition.
The U.S. team features four of the 2014 Greco-Roman Open national champions : RaVaughn Perkins (Omaha, Neb./ReadyRP National) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Andrew Bisek (Colorado Springs, Colo./Minnesota Storm) at 75 kg/ 165 lbs., Jordan Holm (Minneapolis, Minn (Minnesota Storm) at 85 kg/187 lbs. and Robby Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC) at 130 kg/286 lbs.
Rounding out the U.S. team is Ryan Mango (Palo Alto, Calif./Cardinal Wrestling Club) at 59 kg/130 lbs., Patrick Smith (Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) at 71 kg/156 lbs., Geordan Speiller (Oviedo, Fla/Florida Jets) at 80 kg/176 lbs. and Daren Burns (Boone, N.C./AppState RTC) at 98 kg/216 lbs.
When the group competition is completed, each team will compete in the medal rounds. The winning teams of each pool will compete for first place; second place in each pool will compete for third place; third place in each pool will compete for fifth place; fourth place in each pool will compete for seventh place and fifth place in each pool will compete for ninth place.
FILA will also be providing previews, results and Livestream coverage of the 2014 Greco-Roman World Cup on both May 15 and May 16.
The last Greco-Roman World Cup which Team USA participated in was in 2008 in Szombathely, Hungary, where the USA finished sixth. The previous year, in 2007 in Antalya, Turkey, the United States won its pool and reached the championship finals, where they lost a very competitive match to Ukraine, 3-4 and placed second.
The USA placed second in the Greco-Roman World Cup three times (1991, 1992, 2007) and third in the Greco-Roman World Cup 12 times (1980, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2004).
The first Greco-Roman World Cup was held in 1980 in Trelleborg, Sweden. The United States has hosted the event three times, in Oak Lawn, Ill. in 1986, in Albany, N.Y. in 1987 and in Colorado Springs, Colo. in 1996.
GRECO-ROMAN WORLD CUP
at Tehran, Iran, May 15-16
Group Pairings (with World Championship placements)
Group A: No. 1 Russia, No. 3 Hungary, No. 6 Kazakhstan, No. 7 Turkey and No. 9 USA.
Group B: No. 2 Korea, No. 4 Armenia, No. 5 Azerbaijan, No. 8 Iran and No. 10 Finland.
Greco-Roman World Cup Schedule
(local time in Tehran)
Thursday, May 15
10:00 a.m. – Session I (Pool Rounds 1-2)
4:00 p.m. – Opening Ceremony
4:45 p.m. – Session II (Pool Rounds 3-5)
Friday, May 16
10:00 a.m. – Fifth, Seventh and Ninth Place Matches
6:00 p.m. – First and Third Place Matches, followed by Awards Ceremony
Preliminary U.S. roster
59 kg/130 lbs. - Ryan Mango, Palo Alto, Calif. (Cardinal Wrestling Club)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – RaVaughn Perkins, Omaha, Neb. (ReadyRP National)
71 kg/156 lbs. - Patrick Smith (Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
75 kg/ 165 lbs.– Andrew Bisek, Chaska, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
80 kg/176 lbs. - Geordan Speiller, Oviedo, Fla (Florida Jets)
85 kg/187 lbs.- Jordan Holm, Minneapolis, Minn (Minnesota Storm)
98 kg/216 lbs. - Daren Burns, Boone, N.C. (AppState RTC)
130 kg/286 lbs. – Robby Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC)
Team Leader: Christina Kiki Kelley, Minneapolis, Minn.
Coaches: Steve Fraser, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Momir Petkovic, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Ahad Javansalehi, Hillsborough, Ore.; James Johnson, Phoenix, Ariz.
The United States has been randomly drawn into Group A for the 2014 Greco-Roman World Cup, which will be hosted in Tehran, Iran, May 15-16.
The other teams in Group A will be Russia, Hungary, Turkey and Kazakhstan. The United States will face each of these four teams in dual meets within their group.
Group B will consist of Korea, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Finland. These teams will wrestle against each other in dual meets within their group.
The official draw was conducted by FILA President Nenad Lalovic at FILA’s headquarters in Corsier –sur-Vevey, Switzerland.
VIDEO: Official draw for the 2014 Greco-Roman World Cup
The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, and will feature the top 10 men’s freestyle wrestling teams in the world, based upon the team standings of the 2013 World Championships.
Russia was the champion at the 2013 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. The rest of the Group A includes No. 3 Hungary, No. 6 Kazakhstan, No. 7 Turkey and No. 9 USA.
Group B includes No. 2 Korea, No. 4 Armenia, No. 5 Azerbaijan, No. 8 Iran and No. 10 Finland.
The final round-by-round schedule of the Greco-Roman World Cup has not yet been announced.
Members of the USA delegation started its travel to Iran for the World Cup today, and will be there for a few days of acclimation prior to the start of this competition.
The U.S. team features four of the 2014 Greco-Roman Open national champions : RaVaughn Perkins (Omaha, Neb./ReadyRP National) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Andrew Bisek (Colorado Springs, Colo./Minnesota Storm) at 75 kg/ 165 lbs., Jordan Holm (Minneapolis, Minn (Minnesota Storm) at 85 kg/187 lbs. and Robby Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC) at 130 kg/286 lbs.
Rounding out the U.S. team is Ryan Mango (Palo Alto, Calif./Cardinal Wrestling Club) at 59 kg/130 lbs., Patrick Smith (Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) at 71 kg/156 lbs., Geordan Speiller (Oviedo, Fla/Florida Jets) at 80 kg/176 lbs. and Daren Burns (Boone, N.C./AppState RTC) at 98 kg/216 lbs.
When the group competition is completed, each team will compete in the medal rounds. The winning teams of each pool will compete for first place; second place in each pool will compete for third place; third place in each pool will compete for fifth place; fourth place in each pool will compete for seventh place and fifth place in each pool will compete for ninth place.
FILA will also be providing previews, results and Livestream coverage of the 2014 Greco-Roman World Cup on both May 15 and May 16.
The last Greco-Roman World Cup which Team USA participated in was in 2008 in Szombathely, Hungary, where the USA finished sixth. The previous year, in 2007 in Antalya, Turkey, the United States won its pool and reached the championship finals, where they lost a very competitive match to Ukraine, 3-4 and placed second.
The USA placed second in the Greco-Roman World Cup three times (1991, 1992, 2007) and third in the Greco-Roman World Cup 12 times (1980, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2004).
The first Greco-Roman World Cup was held in 1980 in Trelleborg, Sweden. The United States has hosted the event three times, in Oak Lawn, Ill. in 1986, in Albany, N.Y. in 1987 and in Colorado Springs, Colo. in 1996.
GRECO-ROMAN WORLD CUP
at Tehran, Iran, May 15-16
Group Pairings (with World Championship placements)
Group A: No. 1 Russia, No. 3 Hungary, No. 6 Kazakhstan, No. 7 Turkey and No. 9 USA.
Group B: No. 2 Korea, No. 4 Armenia, No. 5 Azerbaijan, No. 8 Iran and No. 10 Finland.
Greco-Roman World Cup Schedule
(local time in Tehran)
Thursday, May 15
10:00 a.m. – Session I (Pool Rounds 1-2)
4:00 p.m. – Opening Ceremony
4:45 p.m. – Session II (Pool Rounds 3-5)
Friday, May 16
10:00 a.m. – Fifth, Seventh and Ninth Place Matches
6:00 p.m. – First and Third Place Matches, followed by Awards Ceremony
Preliminary U.S. roster
59 kg/130 lbs. - Ryan Mango, Palo Alto, Calif. (Cardinal Wrestling Club)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – RaVaughn Perkins, Omaha, Neb. (ReadyRP National)
71 kg/156 lbs. - Patrick Smith (Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
75 kg/ 165 lbs.– Andrew Bisek, Chaska, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
80 kg/176 lbs. - Geordan Speiller, Oviedo, Fla (Florida Jets)
85 kg/187 lbs.- Jordan Holm, Minneapolis, Minn (Minnesota Storm)
98 kg/216 lbs. - Daren Burns, Boone, N.C. (AppState RTC)
130 kg/286 lbs. – Robby Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC)
Team Leader: Christina Kiki Kelley, Minneapolis, Minn.
Coaches: Steve Fraser, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Momir Petkovic, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Ahad Javansalehi, Hillsborough, Ore.; James Johnson, Phoenix, Ariz.
