UPDATE: Peraza wins gold, USA claims 11 freestyle medals on first day at Veterans Worlds in Greece
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Action photo of Veterans World bronze medalist Bruce Moe (Div. E, 76 kg) by Robbert Wijtmann, CSC Photography.
ATHENS, Greece – Antonio Peraza of Shoreham, N.Y. won a gold medal at 85 kg in Div. F, one of 11 medalists from the United States on the first day of freestyle wrestling at the Veterans World Championships on Tuesday.
The Veterans Worlds features athletes 35-years-old and above, and includes seven age divisions for men, in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. For the first time, United World Wrestling is including a women’s freestyle division in three age divisions.
Peraza was dominant in his four matches, winning three by pin and another by technical fall. He was part of a four athlete roundrobin at his weight class. Pins were over Johan Vogt of South Africa, Tilt Tartlaan of Estonia and Peter Haag of the USA. His technical fall was a 10-0 win over Anatoliy Veklich of Kazakhstan. Peraza won his first career Veterans World title.
“I haven't competed for 10 years. The last time I wrestled competitively I won the Veterans Nationals. I have been wrestling almost everyday since then. I'm am so happy to win a World Championship for my country, my team, my family, and coaches and workout partners. And I beat a world champion in the process," said Peraza.
The USA had four World silver medalists on Tuesday:
• Steve Turgeon, South Windsor, Conn., Div. E, 58 kg
• Keith Stagg, Washington Twp, N.J., Div. E, 63 kg
• Hedj Nelson, Kettle Falls, Wash., Div. E, 69 kg
• Steve Contarino, Palmetto, Fla., Div. F, 97 kg
Stagg had a 3-1 record on the way to his silver medal, while Turgeon, Nelson and Contarino finished the day with 2-1 records.
The USA added six bronze medalists on the day, including:
• Dan Lovell, Grand Rapids, Minn., Div. B, 97 kg
• Kevin Hejnal, Modesto, Calif., Div. E, 76 kg
• Bruce Moe, Hillsboro, N.D., Div. E, 76 kg
• Keith Ellis, Vacaville, Calif., Div. E, 85 kg
• John Taylor, Virginia Beach, Va., Div. F, 58 kg
• Zelik Zieglebaum, Sands Point, N.Y., Div. F, 76 kg
Wednesday’s competition will include men’s freestyle competition in Divisions C and D, and the women’s freestyle competition in Divisions B and C.
According to the UWW website, Team USA brought the largest delegation with more than 120 entries followed by Iran with 100, Turkey with 90 and Russia with 60.
United World Wrestling will host a live webstream from the Veterans World Championships all week, along with complete results updates at:
https://unitedworldwrestling.org/event/world-championship-13
VETERANS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Athens, Greece
Men’s freestyle champions
Division B champions
58 kg – Kyosuke Asakawa (Japan)
63 kg – Rikiya Katsume (Japan)
69 kg – Vladimir Vasiuk (Russia)
76 kg – Levon Asatryan (Armenia)
85 kg – Islam Quliyev (Azerbaijan)
97 kg – Rahmatabadi Soharb (Iran)
130 kg – Mohammad Akbarpour (Iran)
Division E champions
58 kg – Yasuo Misawa (Japan)
63 kg – Sergei Maltsev (Russia)
69 kg – Nicolass Didier (France)
76 kg – Soslan Adyrkhaiev (Ukraine)
85 kg – Jacubus Putter (South Africa)
97 kg – Teimura Khabadze (Georgia)
130 kg – Attia Szabo (Romania)
Division F champions
58 kg – Naser Rahimzadeh (Iran)
63 kg – Efrem Efremov (Russia)
69 kg – Sadegh Larijani (Iran)
76 kg – Bernd Radestock (Germany)
85 kg – Antonio Peraza (USA)
97 kg – Sing Karter (India)
130 kg – Sayed Mirrjafari (Iran)
U.S. men’s freestyle performances
Division B
69 kg – Edward Paladino, Alpharetta, Ga., dnp/11th
LOSS Miroslav Marcinek (Slovakia), 3-7
69 kg – Marc Tadelman, Deerfield, Ill., 10th
LOSS Masoud Nahavadi (Iran), 7-10
85 kg – Wesly Germaine, 10th
LOSS Jemal Kiladze (Georgia), pin
97 kg – Dan Lovell, Grand Rapids, Minn., bronze medal
WIN Richard Jensen (USA), pin
WIN Anastasios Alexandridis (Greece), tech. fall. 10-0
LOSS Randhir Singh (India), 1-6
WIN Stefan Georgiev (Bulgaria), 8-4
97 kg – Richard Jensen, Portland, Ore., 10th
LOSS Dan Lovell (USA), pin
130 kg – George Porter, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 5th
WIN Amrik Singh Punia (India), 10-4
WIN Mahsumi Sevimli (Turkey), tech. fall 12-1
LOSS Mohammad Ebrahi Akbarpour (Iran), inj. dft.
LOSS Bayanmunkh Shura (Mongolia), 2-4
Division E
58 kg – Steve Turgeon, South Windsor, Conn., silver medal
WIN Abdolreza Mojibousherhri (Iran), pin
WIN Yevgeny Lim (Kazakhstan), pin
LOSS Yasuo Misawa (Japan), pin
63 kg – Keith Stagg, Washington Twp, N.J., silver medal
WIN Kemal Kokum(Turkey), pin
WIN Mobil Yusifov (Azerbaijan). Pin
LOSS Sergei Maltsev (Russia), 4-11
WIN Ivan Moiseev (Russia), injury dft.
69 kg – Hedj Nelson, Kettle Falls, Wash., silver medal
WIN Hamid Rasouli (Iran), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Craig Johnson (USA), pin
LOSS Nicolass Didier (France), 10-12
69 kg – Craig Johnson, Broomfield, Colo., 5th
WIN Andreas Rallis (Greece), tech. fall 10-0
LOSS Hedj Nelson (USA), pin
LOSS Hamid Rasouli (Iran), pin
76 kg – Kevin Hejnal, Modesto, Calif., bronze medal
WIN Hasan Ozdemir (Turkey), pin
WIN Hencz Gyla (Hungary), pin
LOSS Soslan Anyrkhaiev (Ukraine), 4-11
WIN Ehrhard Pocher (Germany), pin
76 kg – Bruce Moe, Hillsboro, N.D., bronze medal
LOSS Valery Panin (Kazakshtan), 5-10
WIN Arthur Mouraov (Russia), 8-4
85 kg – Keith Ellis, Vacaville, Calif., bronze medal
WIN Chris Brown (USA), pin
WIN Michel Chiaffi (France), tech.fall 10-0
LOSS Kamel Egbali (Iran), 3-8
WIN Nikos Bonatakis (Greece), pin
85 kg – Chris Brown, Boyds. Md., 10th
LOSS Keith Ellis (USA), pin
85 kg – Mike Mitrowski, Brewster, Mass., 9th
LOSS Michel Chiaffi (France), pin
Division F
58 kg – John Taylor, Virginia Beach, Va., bronze medal
WIN Sait Er (Turkey), 6-3
LOSS Naser Rahimzadeh (Iran), tech. fall 11-0
WIN Perenlei Shagdar (Mongolia), pin
63 kg – Steve Barkman, Bloomsbury, N.J., 6th
LOSS Hoshang Yadollahi (Iran), 2-2
69 kg – John Hughes, Peoria, Ariz., 5th
WIN Petar Bozisov (Bulgaria), 4-2
LOSS Sadegh Larijani (Iran), tech fall 0-10
Bronze bout - Vs. Imre Jaksai (Hungary)
76 kg – Arche Grey, 4th
WIN Grigorev (Russia), 9-7
LOSS Zelik Zieglebaum (USA), 1-8
WIN Zurab Japaridze (Georgia), inj. dft.
LOSS Bernd Radestock (Germany), pin
76 kg – Zelik Zieglebaum, Sands Point, N.Y., bronze medal
WIN Zurab Japaridze (Georgia), pin
WIN Arche Grey (USA), 8-1
LOSS Bernd Radestock (Germany), 5-5
LOSS Grigorev (Russia), 0-4
85 kg – Antonio Peraza, Shoreham, N.Y., gold medal
WIN Anatoliy Veklich (Kazakhstan), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Johan Vogt (South Africa), pin
WIN Tilt Tartlaan (Estonia), pin
WIN Peter Haag (USA), pin
85 kg – Peter Haag, Chicago, Ill., 4th
LOSS Tilt Tartlaan (Estonia), pin
WIN Johan Voigt (South Africa), tech. fall 13-2
LOSS Anatoliy Veklich (Kazakhstan), tech. fall 11-0
LOSS Antonio Peraza (USA), pin
97 kg – Steve Contarino, Palmetto, Fla., silver medal
WIN Sing Karter (India), tech. fall 14-4
LOSS Mohammadjavad Samarghandi (Iran), 6-1
WIN Vladimirs Golubevs (Latvia), 2-1
ATHENS, Greece – Antonio Peraza of Shoreham, N.Y. won a gold medal at 85 kg in Div. F, one of 11 medalists from the United States on the first day of freestyle wrestling at the Veterans World Championships on Tuesday.
The Veterans Worlds features athletes 35-years-old and above, and includes seven age divisions for men, in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. For the first time, United World Wrestling is including a women’s freestyle division in three age divisions.
Peraza was dominant in his four matches, winning three by pin and another by technical fall. He was part of a four athlete roundrobin at his weight class. Pins were over Johan Vogt of South Africa, Tilt Tartlaan of Estonia and Peter Haag of the USA. His technical fall was a 10-0 win over Anatoliy Veklich of Kazakhstan. Peraza won his first career Veterans World title.
“I haven't competed for 10 years. The last time I wrestled competitively I won the Veterans Nationals. I have been wrestling almost everyday since then. I'm am so happy to win a World Championship for my country, my team, my family, and coaches and workout partners. And I beat a world champion in the process," said Peraza.
The USA had four World silver medalists on Tuesday:
• Steve Turgeon, South Windsor, Conn., Div. E, 58 kg
• Keith Stagg, Washington Twp, N.J., Div. E, 63 kg
• Hedj Nelson, Kettle Falls, Wash., Div. E, 69 kg
• Steve Contarino, Palmetto, Fla., Div. F, 97 kg
Stagg had a 3-1 record on the way to his silver medal, while Turgeon, Nelson and Contarino finished the day with 2-1 records.
The USA added six bronze medalists on the day, including:
• Dan Lovell, Grand Rapids, Minn., Div. B, 97 kg
• Kevin Hejnal, Modesto, Calif., Div. E, 76 kg
• Bruce Moe, Hillsboro, N.D., Div. E, 76 kg
• Keith Ellis, Vacaville, Calif., Div. E, 85 kg
• John Taylor, Virginia Beach, Va., Div. F, 58 kg
• Zelik Zieglebaum, Sands Point, N.Y., Div. F, 76 kg
Wednesday’s competition will include men’s freestyle competition in Divisions C and D, and the women’s freestyle competition in Divisions B and C.
According to the UWW website, Team USA brought the largest delegation with more than 120 entries followed by Iran with 100, Turkey with 90 and Russia with 60.
United World Wrestling will host a live webstream from the Veterans World Championships all week, along with complete results updates at:
https://unitedworldwrestling.org/event/world-championship-13
VETERANS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Athens, Greece
Men’s freestyle champions
Division B champions
58 kg – Kyosuke Asakawa (Japan)
63 kg – Rikiya Katsume (Japan)
69 kg – Vladimir Vasiuk (Russia)
76 kg – Levon Asatryan (Armenia)
85 kg – Islam Quliyev (Azerbaijan)
97 kg – Rahmatabadi Soharb (Iran)
130 kg – Mohammad Akbarpour (Iran)
Division E champions
58 kg – Yasuo Misawa (Japan)
63 kg – Sergei Maltsev (Russia)
69 kg – Nicolass Didier (France)
76 kg – Soslan Adyrkhaiev (Ukraine)
85 kg – Jacubus Putter (South Africa)
97 kg – Teimura Khabadze (Georgia)
130 kg – Attia Szabo (Romania)
Division F champions
58 kg – Naser Rahimzadeh (Iran)
63 kg – Efrem Efremov (Russia)
69 kg – Sadegh Larijani (Iran)
76 kg – Bernd Radestock (Germany)
85 kg – Antonio Peraza (USA)
97 kg – Sing Karter (India)
130 kg – Sayed Mirrjafari (Iran)
U.S. men’s freestyle performances
Division B
69 kg – Edward Paladino, Alpharetta, Ga., dnp/11th
LOSS Miroslav Marcinek (Slovakia), 3-7
69 kg – Marc Tadelman, Deerfield, Ill., 10th
LOSS Masoud Nahavadi (Iran), 7-10
85 kg – Wesly Germaine, 10th
LOSS Jemal Kiladze (Georgia), pin
97 kg – Dan Lovell, Grand Rapids, Minn., bronze medal
WIN Richard Jensen (USA), pin
WIN Anastasios Alexandridis (Greece), tech. fall. 10-0
LOSS Randhir Singh (India), 1-6
WIN Stefan Georgiev (Bulgaria), 8-4
97 kg – Richard Jensen, Portland, Ore., 10th
LOSS Dan Lovell (USA), pin
130 kg – George Porter, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 5th
WIN Amrik Singh Punia (India), 10-4
WIN Mahsumi Sevimli (Turkey), tech. fall 12-1
LOSS Mohammad Ebrahi Akbarpour (Iran), inj. dft.
LOSS Bayanmunkh Shura (Mongolia), 2-4
Division E
58 kg – Steve Turgeon, South Windsor, Conn., silver medal
WIN Abdolreza Mojibousherhri (Iran), pin
WIN Yevgeny Lim (Kazakhstan), pin
LOSS Yasuo Misawa (Japan), pin
63 kg – Keith Stagg, Washington Twp, N.J., silver medal
WIN Kemal Kokum(Turkey), pin
WIN Mobil Yusifov (Azerbaijan). Pin
LOSS Sergei Maltsev (Russia), 4-11
WIN Ivan Moiseev (Russia), injury dft.
69 kg – Hedj Nelson, Kettle Falls, Wash., silver medal
WIN Hamid Rasouli (Iran), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Craig Johnson (USA), pin
LOSS Nicolass Didier (France), 10-12
69 kg – Craig Johnson, Broomfield, Colo., 5th
WIN Andreas Rallis (Greece), tech. fall 10-0
LOSS Hedj Nelson (USA), pin
LOSS Hamid Rasouli (Iran), pin
76 kg – Kevin Hejnal, Modesto, Calif., bronze medal
WIN Hasan Ozdemir (Turkey), pin
WIN Hencz Gyla (Hungary), pin
LOSS Soslan Anyrkhaiev (Ukraine), 4-11
WIN Ehrhard Pocher (Germany), pin
76 kg – Bruce Moe, Hillsboro, N.D., bronze medal
LOSS Valery Panin (Kazakshtan), 5-10
WIN Arthur Mouraov (Russia), 8-4
85 kg – Keith Ellis, Vacaville, Calif., bronze medal
WIN Chris Brown (USA), pin
WIN Michel Chiaffi (France), tech.fall 10-0
LOSS Kamel Egbali (Iran), 3-8
WIN Nikos Bonatakis (Greece), pin
85 kg – Chris Brown, Boyds. Md., 10th
LOSS Keith Ellis (USA), pin
85 kg – Mike Mitrowski, Brewster, Mass., 9th
LOSS Michel Chiaffi (France), pin
Division F
58 kg – John Taylor, Virginia Beach, Va., bronze medal
WIN Sait Er (Turkey), 6-3
LOSS Naser Rahimzadeh (Iran), tech. fall 11-0
WIN Perenlei Shagdar (Mongolia), pin
63 kg – Steve Barkman, Bloomsbury, N.J., 6th
LOSS Hoshang Yadollahi (Iran), 2-2
69 kg – John Hughes, Peoria, Ariz., 5th
WIN Petar Bozisov (Bulgaria), 4-2
LOSS Sadegh Larijani (Iran), tech fall 0-10
Bronze bout - Vs. Imre Jaksai (Hungary)
76 kg – Arche Grey, 4th
WIN Grigorev (Russia), 9-7
LOSS Zelik Zieglebaum (USA), 1-8
WIN Zurab Japaridze (Georgia), inj. dft.
LOSS Bernd Radestock (Germany), pin
76 kg – Zelik Zieglebaum, Sands Point, N.Y., bronze medal
WIN Zurab Japaridze (Georgia), pin
WIN Arche Grey (USA), 8-1
LOSS Bernd Radestock (Germany), 5-5
LOSS Grigorev (Russia), 0-4
85 kg – Antonio Peraza, Shoreham, N.Y., gold medal
WIN Anatoliy Veklich (Kazakhstan), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Johan Vogt (South Africa), pin
WIN Tilt Tartlaan (Estonia), pin
WIN Peter Haag (USA), pin
85 kg – Peter Haag, Chicago, Ill., 4th
LOSS Tilt Tartlaan (Estonia), pin
WIN Johan Voigt (South Africa), tech. fall 13-2
LOSS Anatoliy Veklich (Kazakhstan), tech. fall 11-0
LOSS Antonio Peraza (USA), pin
97 kg – Steve Contarino, Palmetto, Fla., silver medal
WIN Sing Karter (India), tech. fall 14-4
LOSS Mohammadjavad Samarghandi (Iran), 6-1
WIN Vladimirs Golubevs (Latvia), 2-1
