UPDATE: Ahmadi wins Veterans Greco gold, the first ever U.S. double champ, plus Clark adds bronze in Greece
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Shirzad Ahmadi of the USA on the way to the Greco-Roman gold medal at 63 kg in Div. G. Ahmadi is the first Veterans World double champion for Team USA. Photo by Robbert Wijtman, CSC Photography.
ATHENS, Greece - Shirzad Ahmadi of Coventry, Conn. made American wrestling history after winning the gold medal in Greco-Roman at 63 kg in Div. G at the Veterans World Championships on Saturday.
Ahmadi, who won the Veterans World gold medal in freestyle in the same weight class on Thursday, becomes the first American to win a double World title in the history of the Veterans World event, which goes back more than 20 years.
He pinned Viktor Chipkov of Russia and defeated Abolghasem Farahmand of Iran, 5-0 to win his three-man roundrobin competition.
Ahmadi becomes the sixth U.S. wrestler to win a Veterans World title in Greco-Roman, joining Michael Tuck, who won a gold on Friday, along with Chris Brown in 2014, Gregg Stensgard in 2012, Valentin Kalika in 2009 and Ron Hughes in 2004.
For Ahmadi, it was his 12th career Veterans World gold medal, the most of any American.
“I was excited but seeing the excitement of my teammates was even more thrilling. Making history in the birthplace of wrestling made this trip to Athens even more special. I look forward to the next four years with these guys,” said Ahmadi.
Claiming a bronze medal was Brett Clark of Bakersfield, Calif. at 130 kg in Div. A. Clark beat Manuel Senn of Germany in the bronze-medal round, 4-0. It was his second medal of the week, after winning a silver medal in freestyle on Thursday.
Placing fifth after falling in the bronze-medal round for the United States were Jason Goldman of Endicott, N.Y. (Div. A, 58 kg) and Joseph Reasbeck of Superior, Wis. (Div. G, 130 kg).
The United States has now won eight gold medals at the 2015 Veterans Worlds. Joining Ahmadi, who won two gold medals, were Greco-Roman wrestler Michael Tuck of Smithville, Mo. (58 kg, Div. C), plus freestyle champions Grant Johnson of Houston, Texas (97 kg, Div. A), Shirzad Ahmadi of Coventry, Conn. (63 kg, Div. G), James Kasser of Lewis Center, Ohio (63 kg, Div. D), Antonio Peraza of Shoreham, N.Y. (85 kg, Div. F, Meghan Marcello of Indian Springs, Nev. (53 kg, Div. A) and Marie Ziegler (48 kg, Div. B.)
Over four days of competition, the United States has won 32 medals.
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
Greco-Roman champions
Div. A
58 kg – Artiom Kiourgkian (Greece)
63 kg – Aleksandr Serebrinnikov (Russia)
69 kg – Azad Alimohammadpour (Iran)
76 kg – Jimmy Samuelsson (Sweden)
85 kg – Mikael Torn (Sweden)
97 kg – Yuliyan Georgiev (Bulgaria)
130 kg – Eddy Bengtsson (Sweden)
Div. G
58 kg – Aleksandr Korenkov (Russia)
63 kg – Shirzad Ahmadi (USA)
69 kg – Elkamian Seyed Mohammadsaf (Iran)
76 kg – Siirend Olev (Estonia)
85 kg – Serafim Tomilin (Russia)
97 kg – Theodor Sammet (Germany)
130 kg – Estate Gullichidze (Georgia)
U.S. Greco-Roman results
Div. A
58 kg – Jason Goldman, Endicott, N.Y., 5th
LOSS Kim Munk Holk (Sweden), tech. fall, 0-8
LOSS Iadgar Mirpulatov (Russia), pin
69 kg – John Kokolakis, Ronkonkoma, N.Y., dnp/12th
LOSS Andrejs Drozdovs (Latvia), tech. fall 0-10
76 kg – Rudy James, St. Paul, Minn., 9th
LOSS Kirk Valentini (Italy), 6-6
130 kg – Brett Clark, Bakersfield, Calif., bronze medal
WIN Nehdi Unlu (Turkey), pin
LOSS Sami Ilvesoksa (Finland), tech. fall 0-8
WIN Manuel Senn (Germany), 4-0
Div. G
63 kg – Shirzad Ahmadi, Coventry, Conn., gold medal
WIN Viktor Chipkov (Russia), pin
WIN Abolghasem Farahmand (Iran), 5-0
130 kg – Joseph Reasbeck, Superior, Wis., 5th
LOSS Estate Gullichidze (Georgia), 0-7
LOSS Ali Shiah Posht (Iran), pin
ATHENS, Greece - Shirzad Ahmadi of Coventry, Conn. made American wrestling history after winning the gold medal in Greco-Roman at 63 kg in Div. G at the Veterans World Championships on Saturday.
Ahmadi, who won the Veterans World gold medal in freestyle in the same weight class on Thursday, becomes the first American to win a double World title in the history of the Veterans World event, which goes back more than 20 years.
He pinned Viktor Chipkov of Russia and defeated Abolghasem Farahmand of Iran, 5-0 to win his three-man roundrobin competition.
Ahmadi becomes the sixth U.S. wrestler to win a Veterans World title in Greco-Roman, joining Michael Tuck, who won a gold on Friday, along with Chris Brown in 2014, Gregg Stensgard in 2012, Valentin Kalika in 2009 and Ron Hughes in 2004.
For Ahmadi, it was his 12th career Veterans World gold medal, the most of any American.
“I was excited but seeing the excitement of my teammates was even more thrilling. Making history in the birthplace of wrestling made this trip to Athens even more special. I look forward to the next four years with these guys,” said Ahmadi.
Claiming a bronze medal was Brett Clark of Bakersfield, Calif. at 130 kg in Div. A. Clark beat Manuel Senn of Germany in the bronze-medal round, 4-0. It was his second medal of the week, after winning a silver medal in freestyle on Thursday.
Placing fifth after falling in the bronze-medal round for the United States were Jason Goldman of Endicott, N.Y. (Div. A, 58 kg) and Joseph Reasbeck of Superior, Wis. (Div. G, 130 kg).
The United States has now won eight gold medals at the 2015 Veterans Worlds. Joining Ahmadi, who won two gold medals, were Greco-Roman wrestler Michael Tuck of Smithville, Mo. (58 kg, Div. C), plus freestyle champions Grant Johnson of Houston, Texas (97 kg, Div. A), Shirzad Ahmadi of Coventry, Conn. (63 kg, Div. G), James Kasser of Lewis Center, Ohio (63 kg, Div. D), Antonio Peraza of Shoreham, N.Y. (85 kg, Div. F, Meghan Marcello of Indian Springs, Nev. (53 kg, Div. A) and Marie Ziegler (48 kg, Div. B.)
Over four days of competition, the United States has won 32 medals.
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
Greco-Roman champions
Div. A
58 kg – Artiom Kiourgkian (Greece)
63 kg – Aleksandr Serebrinnikov (Russia)
69 kg – Azad Alimohammadpour (Iran)
76 kg – Jimmy Samuelsson (Sweden)
85 kg – Mikael Torn (Sweden)
97 kg – Yuliyan Georgiev (Bulgaria)
130 kg – Eddy Bengtsson (Sweden)
Div. G
58 kg – Aleksandr Korenkov (Russia)
63 kg – Shirzad Ahmadi (USA)
69 kg – Elkamian Seyed Mohammadsaf (Iran)
76 kg – Siirend Olev (Estonia)
85 kg – Serafim Tomilin (Russia)
97 kg – Theodor Sammet (Germany)
130 kg – Estate Gullichidze (Georgia)
U.S. Greco-Roman results
Div. A
58 kg – Jason Goldman, Endicott, N.Y., 5th
LOSS Kim Munk Holk (Sweden), tech. fall, 0-8
LOSS Iadgar Mirpulatov (Russia), pin
69 kg – John Kokolakis, Ronkonkoma, N.Y., dnp/12th
LOSS Andrejs Drozdovs (Latvia), tech. fall 0-10
76 kg – Rudy James, St. Paul, Minn., 9th
LOSS Kirk Valentini (Italy), 6-6
130 kg – Brett Clark, Bakersfield, Calif., bronze medal
WIN Nehdi Unlu (Turkey), pin
LOSS Sami Ilvesoksa (Finland), tech. fall 0-8
WIN Manuel Senn (Germany), 4-0
Div. G
63 kg – Shirzad Ahmadi, Coventry, Conn., gold medal
WIN Viktor Chipkov (Russia), pin
WIN Abolghasem Farahmand (Iran), 5-0
130 kg – Joseph Reasbeck, Superior, Wis., 5th
LOSS Estate Gullichidze (Georgia), 0-7
LOSS Ali Shiah Posht (Iran), pin
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