Spenser Mango finishes fifth as World Championships conclude in Tashkent
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by Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
Spenser Mango fell to Norway’s Stig Andre Berge in the bronze-medal match on Sunday night. Larry Slater photo.
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan – Spenser Mango’s quest for a World bronze medal fell one win short for the second straight year.
Mango dropped a 1-0 decision to two-time Olympian Stig Andre Berge of Norway in the bronze-medal match at the World Championships on Sunday night at the Gymnastics Palace
Mango was called for passivity and Berge awarded what proved to be the match’s only point midway through the second period in Greco-Roman wrestling at 59 kg/130 lbs.
Mango fought valiantly to score in the match’s final minute, but the officials would not call passivity on Berge.
“I’m going home with no medal again – and that’s rough,” Mango said. “I still have things to work on. I’m one of the smaller guys in the weight and I need to keep adjusting to that.”
Mango, a two-time Olympian, placed fifth at the Worlds for the second straight year.
“I’m really proud of Spenser,” U.S. coach Matt Lindland said. “He fought hard – he always does. He gave everything he had, but we’ve got to score points. We knew that going into the match. We’ve got to take advantage of our opportunities.”
Mango, a two-time Olympian, opened with a tough 2-2 criteria victory over Turkey’s Fatih Ucuncu in the first round at 59 kg/130 lbs.
Mango scored on a pair of front headlock turns in earning a 4-0 win over 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Peter Modos of Hungary in the second round.
Mango followed with a 10-0 technical fall over World University silver medalist Kazuma Kuramoto of Japan in the quarterfinals. Mango launched Kuramoto to his back with a five-point body lock to gain control early.
He fell by a 9-1 technical fall to Olympic bronze medalist Mingiyan Semenov of Russia in the semifinals.
Two-time World bronze medalist Justin Lester launched World No. 5 Mindia Tursumia of Georgia with a front headlock for four points en route to a 5-0 first-round win at 71 kg/156 lbs.
Lester then dropped a wild 9-7 decision to World No. 2 Rasul Chunayev of Azerbaijan in the second round. Lester fell behind 9-2 before staging a furious late-match rally that came up just short.
Lester was eliminated when Chunayev lost his next bout.
“I got going about a minute and a half too late,” Lester said. “I gave up some points I usually don’t give up. When you’re on this level, you can’t give up points like that.”
Two-time World Team member Caylor Williams opened by dropping a 3-0 decision to Norway’s Marthin Nielsen at 98 kg/216 lbs.
Williams was eliminated when Nielsen lost his next match.
“I’m still fairly new to the sport of Greco-Roman wrestling,” Williams said. “I need to put on more size and weight, and keep gaining more international experience. I need to continue to grow as a wrestler.”
The U.S. finished 12th in the team standings with 14 points. American Andy Bisek won a bronze medal on Friday, giving the U.S. its first World Greco medal since 2009.
Iran won the title with 42 points, Russia was second with 36 points and Turkey third with 34.
Champions crowned on Sunday included Iran’s Hamid Soryan at 59 kg/130 lbs., Russia’s Chingiz Labazanov at 71 kg/156 lbs. and Armenia’s Artur Aleksanyan at 98 kg/216 lbs.
Soryan won his sixth World title to go with one Olympic gold medal.
This is the final day of the seven-day World Championships.
2014 World Championships
Sept. 8-14
Gymnastics Palace, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
59 kg/130 lbs.
Gold – Hamid Soryan (Iran)
Silver – Mingiyan Semenov (Russia)
Bronze – Stig Andre Berge (Norway)
Bronze – Elmurat Tasmuradov (Uzbekistan)
71 kg/156 lbs.
Gold – Chingiz Labazanov (Russia)
Silver – Yunus Oezel (Turkey)
Bronze – Afshim Byabangard (Iran)
Bronze – Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan)
98 kg/216 lbs.
Gold – Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia)
Silver – Oliver Hassler (Germany)
Bronze – Ghasem Rezaei (Iran)
Bronze – Cenk Ildem (Turkey)
Greco-Roman finals results
59 kg/130 lbs.
Hamid Soryan (Iran) dec. Mingiyan Semenov (Russia), 2-1
71 kg/156 lbs.
Chingiz Labazanov (Russia) dec. Yunus Oezel (Turkey), 3-1
98 kg/216 lbs.
Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia) won by tech. fall over Oliver Hassler (Germany), 8-0
U.S. Greco-Roman results
59 kg/130 lbs. – Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) – 5th place
WIN Fatih Ucuncu (Turkey), 2-2 criteria
WIN Peter Modos (Hungary), 4-0
WIN Kazuma Kuramoto (Japan), tech. fall 10-0
LOSS Mingiyan Semenov (Russia), tech. fall 1-9
LOSS Stig Andre Berge (Norway), 0-1
71 kg/156.5 lbs. – Justin Lester, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
WIN Mindia Tursumia (Georgia), 5-0
LOSS Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan), 7-9
98 kg/216 lbs. – Caylor Williams, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
LOSS Marthin Nielsen (Norway), 0-3
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan – Spenser Mango’s quest for a World bronze medal fell one win short for the second straight year.
Mango dropped a 1-0 decision to two-time Olympian Stig Andre Berge of Norway in the bronze-medal match at the World Championships on Sunday night at the Gymnastics Palace
Mango was called for passivity and Berge awarded what proved to be the match’s only point midway through the second period in Greco-Roman wrestling at 59 kg/130 lbs.
Mango fought valiantly to score in the match’s final minute, but the officials would not call passivity on Berge.
“I’m going home with no medal again – and that’s rough,” Mango said. “I still have things to work on. I’m one of the smaller guys in the weight and I need to keep adjusting to that.”
Mango, a two-time Olympian, placed fifth at the Worlds for the second straight year.
“I’m really proud of Spenser,” U.S. coach Matt Lindland said. “He fought hard – he always does. He gave everything he had, but we’ve got to score points. We knew that going into the match. We’ve got to take advantage of our opportunities.”
Mango, a two-time Olympian, opened with a tough 2-2 criteria victory over Turkey’s Fatih Ucuncu in the first round at 59 kg/130 lbs.
Mango scored on a pair of front headlock turns in earning a 4-0 win over 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Peter Modos of Hungary in the second round.
Mango followed with a 10-0 technical fall over World University silver medalist Kazuma Kuramoto of Japan in the quarterfinals. Mango launched Kuramoto to his back with a five-point body lock to gain control early.
He fell by a 9-1 technical fall to Olympic bronze medalist Mingiyan Semenov of Russia in the semifinals.
Two-time World bronze medalist Justin Lester launched World No. 5 Mindia Tursumia of Georgia with a front headlock for four points en route to a 5-0 first-round win at 71 kg/156 lbs.
Lester then dropped a wild 9-7 decision to World No. 2 Rasul Chunayev of Azerbaijan in the second round. Lester fell behind 9-2 before staging a furious late-match rally that came up just short.
Lester was eliminated when Chunayev lost his next bout.
“I got going about a minute and a half too late,” Lester said. “I gave up some points I usually don’t give up. When you’re on this level, you can’t give up points like that.”
Two-time World Team member Caylor Williams opened by dropping a 3-0 decision to Norway’s Marthin Nielsen at 98 kg/216 lbs.
Williams was eliminated when Nielsen lost his next match.
“I’m still fairly new to the sport of Greco-Roman wrestling,” Williams said. “I need to put on more size and weight, and keep gaining more international experience. I need to continue to grow as a wrestler.”
The U.S. finished 12th in the team standings with 14 points. American Andy Bisek won a bronze medal on Friday, giving the U.S. its first World Greco medal since 2009.
Iran won the title with 42 points, Russia was second with 36 points and Turkey third with 34.
Champions crowned on Sunday included Iran’s Hamid Soryan at 59 kg/130 lbs., Russia’s Chingiz Labazanov at 71 kg/156 lbs. and Armenia’s Artur Aleksanyan at 98 kg/216 lbs.
Soryan won his sixth World title to go with one Olympic gold medal.
This is the final day of the seven-day World Championships.
2014 World Championships
Sept. 8-14
Gymnastics Palace, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
59 kg/130 lbs.
Gold – Hamid Soryan (Iran)
Silver – Mingiyan Semenov (Russia)
Bronze – Stig Andre Berge (Norway)
Bronze – Elmurat Tasmuradov (Uzbekistan)
71 kg/156 lbs.
Gold – Chingiz Labazanov (Russia)
Silver – Yunus Oezel (Turkey)
Bronze – Afshim Byabangard (Iran)
Bronze – Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan)
98 kg/216 lbs.
Gold – Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia)
Silver – Oliver Hassler (Germany)
Bronze – Ghasem Rezaei (Iran)
Bronze – Cenk Ildem (Turkey)
Greco-Roman finals results
59 kg/130 lbs.
Hamid Soryan (Iran) dec. Mingiyan Semenov (Russia), 2-1
71 kg/156 lbs.
Chingiz Labazanov (Russia) dec. Yunus Oezel (Turkey), 3-1
98 kg/216 lbs.
Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia) won by tech. fall over Oliver Hassler (Germany), 8-0
U.S. Greco-Roman results
59 kg/130 lbs. – Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) – 5th place
WIN Fatih Ucuncu (Turkey), 2-2 criteria
WIN Peter Modos (Hungary), 4-0
WIN Kazuma Kuramoto (Japan), tech. fall 10-0
LOSS Mingiyan Semenov (Russia), tech. fall 1-9
LOSS Stig Andre Berge (Norway), 0-1
71 kg/156.5 lbs. – Justin Lester, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
WIN Mindia Tursumia (Georgia), 5-0
LOSS Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan), 7-9
98 kg/216 lbs. – Caylor Williams, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
LOSS Marthin Nielsen (Norway), 0-3
