Thielke wins Greco-Roman bronze medal at UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals in Azerbaijan
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Jesse Thielke of the USA gets his arm raised after beating Mehrad Mardani of Iran in the 59 kg bronze-medal bout in Baku, Azerbaijan. Photo courtesy of Matt Lindland.
BAKU, Azerbaijan - Jesse Thielke (Germantown, Wis./New York AC) won a bronze medal at 59 kg/130 lbs., the top U.S. performance in Greco-Roman on the final day of the UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals on Sunday.
Thielke, who was eighth in the 2013 World Championships, defeated 2012 Asian Junior champion Mehrad Mardani of Iran, 8-4 in the bronze-medal round.
Thielke opened with a 6-2 win over 2010 World University champion Mohsen Hajipour of Iran, 6-2. He followed with a pin over 2014 South American Games silver medalist Juan Carlos Lopez of Colombia. In the semifinals, he was defeated by 2013 World bronze medalist Elmurat Tasmuradov in a 4-14 technical fall.
He enters the season at No. 2 in the USA, after placing second behind two-time Olympian Spenser Mango in the 2015 World Team Trials. Thielke, a 2012 Junior World bronze medalist, took an Olympic redshirt this year from the University of Wisconsin. He was the lone American in the medal rounds in Baku in Greco-Roman.
“Jesse is going to make a huge impact. We are so happy to have Jesse back in the fold training and competing full-time in Greco-Roman. He beat some very good guys and we are just getting started,” said National Greco-Roman Coach Matt Lindland.
Two-time World bronze medalist Andy Bisek (Colorado Springs, Colo./Minnesota Storm) finished at 1-1 at 75 kg/165 lbs. and placed eighth. He opened with a 2-0 win over 2015 Asian bronze medalist Darkhan Bayakhmetov of Kazakhstan, 2-0. In his next bout, he fell to four-time World silver medalist Mark O. Madsen of Denmark, 0-5. Madsen had defeated Bisek in the 2015 World Championships in September. When Madsen failed to make the finals, Bisek was not eligible for repechage.
Also placing eighth was three-time U.S. World Team member Jordan Holm (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) at 85 kg/187 lbs. He opened with a 9-0 technical fall over 2015 Junior World champion Ali Cengiz of Turkey. In the next round, against 2015 World champion Zhan Beleniuk of Ukraine, Holm lost by injury default and withdrew.
2014 World Team member Joe Rau (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) dropped a pair of matches at 98 kg/215 lbs. and finished 10th.
At 130 kg/286 lbs., Robby Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) was beaten in his opening match by Sabah Sariyati of Azerbaijan, who was fifth in the 2015 World Championships, 0-8. Smith qualified for a repechage match, where he was edged by two-time World champion Heiki Nabi of Estonia, 0-2.
“This was a valuable experience for the Greco athletes. We had an amazing three-week training camp here with the Azerbaijan team. We are building bridges internationally and setting up training opportunities that we need to keep improving and growing as a team. I am proud to coach the Greco team. These men are building a reputation that they will stay in every match and fight to the last bell. This is an incredibly tough tournament, basically all the best guys in the world since you have to qualify to enter. We are continuing to progress,” said Lindland.
We will update this article with the medal round winners.
Over the three days of the tournament, the USA won six medals. Golds went to women’s wrestlers Helen Maroulis (Huntington Beach. Calif./Sunkist Kids) at 53 kg/116.5 lbs. and Elena Pirozhkova (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Silver medals went to women’s freestyler Alli Ragan (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and men’s freestyler Logan Stieber (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) at 65 kg/143 lbs. Bronzes went to Thielke and men’s freestyle wrestler Dom Bradley (Morgantown, W.Va./Sunkist Kids) at 125 kg/275 lbs.
Prize money at this event includes $10,000 to champions, $5,000 to silver medalists and $2,000 for bronze medalists.
UWW GOLDEN GRAND PRIX FINALS
At Baku, Azerbaijan, November 29
Greco-Roman results
59 kg/130 lbs.
Gold – Almat Kebispaev (Kazakhstan)
Silver – Elmurat Tasmuradov (Uzbekistan)
Bronze – Eldaniz Azizli (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Jesse Thielke (USA)
5th – Yun Won Chol (North Korea)
5th –Mehrad Mardani (Iran)
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold – Mehdi Zeydvand (Iran)
Silver – Kamran Mammadov (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Hasan Aliyev (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Zaur Kabaloev (Russia)
5th – Ali Arslan (Iran)
5th – Geraei Mohammdali (Iran)
71 kg/156 lbs.
Gold – Frank Staebler (Germany)
Silver – Rustam Aliyev (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Balint Korpasi (Hungary)
Bronze – Zhang Ri Dong (China)
5th – Afshin Byabangard (Iran)
5th – Manuel Torres (Venezuela)
75 kg/165 lbs.
Gold – Kim Hyeonwoo (Korea)
Silver – Payam Boveyripayani (Iran)
Bronze – Mark O. Madsen (Denmark)
Bronze – Ramin Teherisartang (Iran)
5th – Viktor Nemes (Serbia)
5th – Alabek Azisbekov (Kyrgyzstan)
80 kg/176 lbs.
Gold – Lasha Gobadze (Georgia)
Silver – Rafiq Huseynov (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Elvin Mursaliyev (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Aisha Aishan (China)
5th – Elyin Ahmadoov (Azerbaijan)
5th – Bilan Nalgiev (Russia)
85 kg/187 lbs.
Gold – Davit Chakvetadze (Russia)
Silver – Zhan Beleniuk (Ukraine)
Bronze – Islam Abbasov (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Mojtaba Karimfar (Iran)
5th – Hossein Nouri (Iran)
5th – Saman Azizi (Iran)
98 kg/215 lbs.
Gold – Salva Qadabadze (Azerbaijan)
Silver – Mahdi Aliyarifeizabadi (Iran)
Bronze –Di Xiao (China)
Bronze – Demirci Suleyman (Turkey)
5th – Orxan Nuriyev (Azerbaijan)
5th – Rustem Totrov (Russia)
130 kg/286 lbs.
Gold – Sabah Sariyati (Azerbaijan)
Silver – Nurmakhan Tinaliyev (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Ioseb Chugoshvili (Belarus)
Bronze –Behnam Medhizadeh Aryatape (Iran)
5th – Qiang Meng (China)
5th – Heiki Nabi (Estonia)
U.S. Greco-Roman performances on Sunday
59 kg/130 lbs. – Jesse Thielke, Germantown, Wis. (New York AC), bronze medal
WIN Mohsen Hajipour (Iran), 6-2
WIN Juan Carlos Lopes (Colombia), pin
LOSS Elmurat Tasmuradov (Uzbekistan), tech. fall 4-14
WIN Mehrad Mardani (Iran), 8-4
71 kg/156 lbs. – Pat Smith, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), dnp/12th
LOSS Afshin Byabangard (Iran), 0-5
75 kg/165 lbs. – Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm), 8th
WIN Darkhan Bayakhmetov (Kazakhstan), 2-0
LOSS Mark Madsen (Denmark), 0-5
80 kg/176 lbs. – Jake Fisher, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), dnp/12th
LOSS Jonibek Otabekov (Uzbekistan), 0-1
85 kg/187 lbs. – Jordan Holm, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 8th
WIN Ali Cengiz (Turkey), tech. fall 9-0
LOSS Zhan Beleniuk (Ukraine), inj. dft.
98 kg/215 lbs. – Joe Rau, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 10th
LOSS Mahdi Aliyarireizabadi (Iran), 2-5
LOSS Orxan Nuriyev (Azerbaijan), 0-7
130 kg/286 lbs. – Robby Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), dnp/13th
LOSS Sabah Sariyati (Azerbaijan), tech. fall 0-8
LOSS Heiki Nabi (Estonia), 0-2
BAKU, Azerbaijan - Jesse Thielke (Germantown, Wis./New York AC) won a bronze medal at 59 kg/130 lbs., the top U.S. performance in Greco-Roman on the final day of the UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals on Sunday.
Thielke, who was eighth in the 2013 World Championships, defeated 2012 Asian Junior champion Mehrad Mardani of Iran, 8-4 in the bronze-medal round.
Thielke opened with a 6-2 win over 2010 World University champion Mohsen Hajipour of Iran, 6-2. He followed with a pin over 2014 South American Games silver medalist Juan Carlos Lopez of Colombia. In the semifinals, he was defeated by 2013 World bronze medalist Elmurat Tasmuradov in a 4-14 technical fall.
He enters the season at No. 2 in the USA, after placing second behind two-time Olympian Spenser Mango in the 2015 World Team Trials. Thielke, a 2012 Junior World bronze medalist, took an Olympic redshirt this year from the University of Wisconsin. He was the lone American in the medal rounds in Baku in Greco-Roman.
“Jesse is going to make a huge impact. We are so happy to have Jesse back in the fold training and competing full-time in Greco-Roman. He beat some very good guys and we are just getting started,” said National Greco-Roman Coach Matt Lindland.
Two-time World bronze medalist Andy Bisek (Colorado Springs, Colo./Minnesota Storm) finished at 1-1 at 75 kg/165 lbs. and placed eighth. He opened with a 2-0 win over 2015 Asian bronze medalist Darkhan Bayakhmetov of Kazakhstan, 2-0. In his next bout, he fell to four-time World silver medalist Mark O. Madsen of Denmark, 0-5. Madsen had defeated Bisek in the 2015 World Championships in September. When Madsen failed to make the finals, Bisek was not eligible for repechage.
Also placing eighth was three-time U.S. World Team member Jordan Holm (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) at 85 kg/187 lbs. He opened with a 9-0 technical fall over 2015 Junior World champion Ali Cengiz of Turkey. In the next round, against 2015 World champion Zhan Beleniuk of Ukraine, Holm lost by injury default and withdrew.
2014 World Team member Joe Rau (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) dropped a pair of matches at 98 kg/215 lbs. and finished 10th.
At 130 kg/286 lbs., Robby Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) was beaten in his opening match by Sabah Sariyati of Azerbaijan, who was fifth in the 2015 World Championships, 0-8. Smith qualified for a repechage match, where he was edged by two-time World champion Heiki Nabi of Estonia, 0-2.
“This was a valuable experience for the Greco athletes. We had an amazing three-week training camp here with the Azerbaijan team. We are building bridges internationally and setting up training opportunities that we need to keep improving and growing as a team. I am proud to coach the Greco team. These men are building a reputation that they will stay in every match and fight to the last bell. This is an incredibly tough tournament, basically all the best guys in the world since you have to qualify to enter. We are continuing to progress,” said Lindland.
We will update this article with the medal round winners.
Over the three days of the tournament, the USA won six medals. Golds went to women’s wrestlers Helen Maroulis (Huntington Beach. Calif./Sunkist Kids) at 53 kg/116.5 lbs. and Elena Pirozhkova (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Silver medals went to women’s freestyler Alli Ragan (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and men’s freestyler Logan Stieber (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) at 65 kg/143 lbs. Bronzes went to Thielke and men’s freestyle wrestler Dom Bradley (Morgantown, W.Va./Sunkist Kids) at 125 kg/275 lbs.
Prize money at this event includes $10,000 to champions, $5,000 to silver medalists and $2,000 for bronze medalists.
UWW GOLDEN GRAND PRIX FINALS
At Baku, Azerbaijan, November 29
Greco-Roman results
59 kg/130 lbs.
Gold – Almat Kebispaev (Kazakhstan)
Silver – Elmurat Tasmuradov (Uzbekistan)
Bronze – Eldaniz Azizli (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Jesse Thielke (USA)
5th – Yun Won Chol (North Korea)
5th –Mehrad Mardani (Iran)
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold – Mehdi Zeydvand (Iran)
Silver – Kamran Mammadov (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Hasan Aliyev (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Zaur Kabaloev (Russia)
5th – Ali Arslan (Iran)
5th – Geraei Mohammdali (Iran)
71 kg/156 lbs.
Gold – Frank Staebler (Germany)
Silver – Rustam Aliyev (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Balint Korpasi (Hungary)
Bronze – Zhang Ri Dong (China)
5th – Afshin Byabangard (Iran)
5th – Manuel Torres (Venezuela)
75 kg/165 lbs.
Gold – Kim Hyeonwoo (Korea)
Silver – Payam Boveyripayani (Iran)
Bronze – Mark O. Madsen (Denmark)
Bronze – Ramin Teherisartang (Iran)
5th – Viktor Nemes (Serbia)
5th – Alabek Azisbekov (Kyrgyzstan)
80 kg/176 lbs.
Gold – Lasha Gobadze (Georgia)
Silver – Rafiq Huseynov (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Elvin Mursaliyev (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Aisha Aishan (China)
5th – Elyin Ahmadoov (Azerbaijan)
5th – Bilan Nalgiev (Russia)
85 kg/187 lbs.
Gold – Davit Chakvetadze (Russia)
Silver – Zhan Beleniuk (Ukraine)
Bronze – Islam Abbasov (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Mojtaba Karimfar (Iran)
5th – Hossein Nouri (Iran)
5th – Saman Azizi (Iran)
98 kg/215 lbs.
Gold – Salva Qadabadze (Azerbaijan)
Silver – Mahdi Aliyarifeizabadi (Iran)
Bronze –Di Xiao (China)
Bronze – Demirci Suleyman (Turkey)
5th – Orxan Nuriyev (Azerbaijan)
5th – Rustem Totrov (Russia)
130 kg/286 lbs.
Gold – Sabah Sariyati (Azerbaijan)
Silver – Nurmakhan Tinaliyev (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Ioseb Chugoshvili (Belarus)
Bronze –Behnam Medhizadeh Aryatape (Iran)
5th – Qiang Meng (China)
5th – Heiki Nabi (Estonia)
U.S. Greco-Roman performances on Sunday
59 kg/130 lbs. – Jesse Thielke, Germantown, Wis. (New York AC), bronze medal
WIN Mohsen Hajipour (Iran), 6-2
WIN Juan Carlos Lopes (Colombia), pin
LOSS Elmurat Tasmuradov (Uzbekistan), tech. fall 4-14
WIN Mehrad Mardani (Iran), 8-4
71 kg/156 lbs. – Pat Smith, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), dnp/12th
LOSS Afshin Byabangard (Iran), 0-5
75 kg/165 lbs. – Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm), 8th
WIN Darkhan Bayakhmetov (Kazakhstan), 2-0
LOSS Mark Madsen (Denmark), 0-5
80 kg/176 lbs. – Jake Fisher, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), dnp/12th
LOSS Jonibek Otabekov (Uzbekistan), 0-1
85 kg/187 lbs. – Jordan Holm, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 8th
WIN Ali Cengiz (Turkey), tech. fall 9-0
LOSS Zhan Beleniuk (Ukraine), inj. dft.
98 kg/215 lbs. – Joe Rau, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 10th
LOSS Mahdi Aliyarireizabadi (Iran), 2-5
LOSS Orxan Nuriyev (Azerbaijan), 0-7
130 kg/286 lbs. – Robby Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), dnp/13th
LOSS Sabah Sariyati (Azerbaijan), tech. fall 0-8
LOSS Heiki Nabi (Estonia), 0-2
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