Update: Jordan Holm wins gold at rugged Hungarian Grand Prix

Two-time World Team member Jordan Holm (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) won a gold medal at 85 kg/187 lbs. at the Hungarian Grand Prix, considered one of the toughest Greco-Roman events in the world each year.


Holm tore through his bracket, winning five matches. In the championship finals, he stopped Kristofer Johansson of Sweden, 4-2. Johansson was fifth in the 2014 World Championships.


He opened with a 5-5 criteria win over 2005 Junior World champion Zhanabarek Kenzheev of Kyrgyzstan, 5-5, then scored a technical fall over veteran Vasyl Rachyba of Ukraine, 8-0. His quarterfinal win was over 2013 Asian Games bronze medalist Alhozur Ozdiev of Kazakhstan, 5-0. The semifinals victim was Rasmus Tjorstad of Norway, 4-2.


National Greco-Roman Coach Matt Lindland was impressed.


“In the Greco-Roman style the Hungary GP is the toughest tournament we will attend. The first day, our team wrestled well, although only netting one champion. Jordan put together a great tournament, He showed poise and kept his composure under pressure in some big matches. Jordan continues to improve his positioning and is finding ways to put points on the board,” he said.


After winning, Jordan Holm tweeted the following after the win: “Doing my best impersonation of @alliseeisgold this week.”


Obviously, he was referring to Jordan Burroughs, who won a gold medal yesterday in freestyle at the Medved International in Belarus.


The other American with a strong day was 2014 World Team member Bryce Saddoris (Camp LeJeune, N.C./U.S. Marines), who just fell short of medal contention at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.


Saddoris opened with three wins, beating Matous Morbitzer of the Czech Republic, 4-2 and Arsen Yamamoto of Japan, 8-0, then pinning Kristztian Jager of Hungary in the third round. In the quarterfinals, he fell to 2012 Olympic silver medalist Revaz Lashkhi of Georgia, 1-6. When Lashkhti lost in the semifinals, Saddoris was not able to compete in repechage.


The competition concludes on Sunday.

HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX

At Szombethely, Hungary, March 7


Greco-Roman results


66 kg/145.5 lbs.

Gold - Danijel Janecsics (Croatia)

Silver - Dominik Etlinger (Croatia)

Bronze - Bernard Mateus (Poland)

Bronze - Revaz Lashki (Georgia)


75 kg /165 lbs

Gold - Viktor Nemes (Serbia)

Silver - Laszlo Szabo (Hungary)

Bronze - Pajani Bouyeri (Iran)

Bronze - Mykola Daragan (Ukraine)


85 kg/185 lbs.

Gold - Jordan Holm (United States)

Silver - Kristofer Johansson (Sweden)

Bronze - Mate Sopadze (Georgia)

Bronze - Vasil Rachyba (Ukraine)


130 kg/286 lbs.

Gold - Daniel Ligeti (Hungary)

Silver – Balint Lam (Hungary)

Bronze - Kiril Hryshchanka (Belarus)

Bronze - Heiki Nabi (Estonia)


U.S. Greco-Roman performance


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

WIN Matous Morbitzer (Czech Republic), 4-2

WIN Arsen Yamamoto (Japan), 8-0

WIN Kristztian Jager (Hungary), pin

LOSS Revaz Lashkhi (Georgia), 1-6


75 kg/165 lbs. – Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm), dnp

LOSS Jure Kuhar (Slovenia), 0-2


85 kg/185 lbs. – Jordan Holm, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 1st

WIN Zhanabarek Kenzheev (Kyrgyzstan), 5-5

WIN Vasyl Rachyba (Ukraine), 8-0

WIN Alhozur Ozdiev (Kazakhstan), 5-0

WIN Rasmus Tjorstad (Norway), 4-2

WIN Kristofer Johansson (Sweden), 4-2


130 kg/286 lbs. – Robby Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), dnp

LOSS Mindaugas Mizgaitis (Lithuania), 0-1


130 kg/286 lbs. – Jarod Trice, Ames, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC), dnp

LOSS Nurmakhan Tinaliyev (Kazakhstan), 0-8