Justin Grant places eighth in freestyle at Dan Kolov International in Bulgaria

RUSE, Bulgaria – Justin Grant (Easton, Pa./New York AC) placed eighth at 125 kg/275 lbs. in men’s freestyle, the lone U.S. athlete to compete in the Dan Kolov International this past weekend.


Grant opened the tournament with a 4-1 win over Kamil Kosiolek of Poland. In the second round, he was defeated by 2013 World silver medalist Alen Zasieiev of Ukraine, 4-2. Zasieiev went on to win the gold medal.


When Zasieiev advanced to the gold-medal finals, Grant was pulled back into repechage, where he was defeated by Daulet Shabanbay of Kazakhstan, 13-2. Shabanbay was fifth in the 2012 Olympic Games.


Grant competed for Bloomsburg in college, and has twice been a placewinner at the U.S. Senior Freestyle Open.


Among the winners was Bulgaria’s Borislav Novachkov, who was the champion at 65 kg/145.5 lbs. and was named the top Bulgarian freestyle wrestler in the tournament. Novachkov was a star for Cal Poly and grew up in California.


The tournament, which had a huge turnout of 473 entries, also included a Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle division, in which no U.S. athletes entered.

DAN KOLOV/NIKOLA PETROV INTERNATIONAL

At Ruse, Bulgaria, April 7-9


Men’s freestyle medalists


57 kg/125.5 lbs.

Gold – Erdenebat Bekhbayar (Mongolia)

Silver – Andrei Dukov (Romania)

Bronze – Givi Davidovi (Italy)

Bronze – Mahir Amiraslanov (Azerbaijan)


61 kg/134 lbs.

Gold – Dzhamal Otarsultanov (Russia)

Silver – Recep Munir Aktas (Turkey)

Bronze – Zelimkhan Abakarov (Russia)

Bronze – Timur Aitkulov (Kazakhstan)


65 kg/145.5 lbs.

Gold – Borislav Novachkov (Bulgaria)

Silver – Bajrang (India)

Bronze – Meirzhan Ashirov (Kazakhstan)

Bronze – Magomed Muslimov (Azerbaijan)


70 kg/154 lbs.

Gold – Magaomed Gazimagomedov (Russia)

Silver – Nikolay Kurtev (Bulgaria)

Bronze – Alexander Semisorow (Germany)

Bronze – Ruslan Dibirgadzhiyev (Azerbaijan)


74 kg/163 lbs.

Gold – Kakhaber Khubezhty (Russia)

Silver – Bolat Sakayev (Kazakhstan)

Bronze – Ahmet Erturk (Turkey)

Bronze – Zhiger Zakirov (Kazakhstan)


86 kg/189 lbs.

Gold – Zbigniew Baranowski (Poland)

Silver – Shamil Kudiiamagomedov (Russia)

Bronze – Irakli Mtsituri (Georgia)

Bronze – Adilet Davlumbayev (Kazakhstan)


97 kg/213 lbs.

Gold – Riza Yildirim (Turkey)

Silver – Fatih Yasarli (Turkey)

Bronze – Anzor Urishev (Russia)

Bronze – Nurov Magomadgadji (FYR Macedonia)


125 kg/275 lbs.

Gold – Alen Zasieiev (Ukraine)

Silver – Inkar Yermukambet (Kazakhstan)

Bronze – Daniel Ligeti (Hungary)

Bronze – Sakir Bozkurt (Turkey)


Best International Freestyle wrestler – Zshamal Otarsultanov (Russia), 61 kg

Best Bulgarian Wrestler – Borislav Novachkov, 65 kg

U.S. men’s freestyle performance


125 kg/275 lbs. – Justin Grant, Buffalo, N.Y. (New York AC), 8th

WIN Kamil Kosciolek (Poland), 4-1

LOSS Alen Zasieiev (Ukraine), 4-2

LOSS Daulet Shabanbay (Kazakhstan), 13-2

Women’s freestyle medalists


48 kg/105.5 lbs.

Gold – Miglena Selishka (Bulgaria)

Silver – Frederika Petersson (Sweden)

Bronze – Ritu Phogat (India)

Bronze – Kim Yeojin (Korea)


53 kg/116.5 lbs.

Gold – Vanesa Kaladzinskaya (Belarus)

Silver – Zhuldyz Eshimova (Kazakhstan)

Bronze – Roksana Zasina (Poland)

Bronze – Nina Hemmer (Germany)


55 kg/121 lbs.

Gold – Katsiaryna Hanchar (Belarus)

Silver – Biliana Dudova (Bulgaria)

Bronze – Nuray Karadag (Turkey)

Bronze – Shinhye Lee (Korea)


58 kg/128 lbs.

Gold – Gulshaharat Talassov (Kazakhstan)

Silver – Emese Barka (Hungary)

Bronze – Mariana Cherdivara (Moldova)

Bronze – Natalya Sinishin (Azerbaijan)


60 kg/132 lbs.

Gold – Mimi Hristova (Bulgaria)

Silver – Johanna Mattsson (Sweden)

Bronze – Gabriella Sleisz (Hungary)

Bronze – Ayaulym Kassymova (Kazakhstan)


63 kg/138.75 lbs.

Gold – Yulia Tkach (Ukraine)

Silver – Yusein Taybe (Bulgaria)

Bronze – Da Col Sara (Italy)

Bronze – Monika Michalik (Poland)


69 kg/152 lbs.

Gold – Aline Focken (Germany)

Silver – Alla Cherkasova (Ukraine)

Bronze – Elmira Syzdykova (Kazakhstan)

Bronze – Dibya Kakran (India)


75 kg/165 lbs.

Gold – Yasemin Adar (Turkey)

Silver – Maria Selmeier (Germany)

Bronze – Gulmaral Terkebayeva (Kazakhstan)

Bronze – Anna Schellin (Germany)


Best International Women’s Wrestler – Aline Focken (Germany), 69 kg

Best Bulgarian Wrestler – Mimi Hristova, 60 kg

Greco-Roman medalists


59 kg/130 lbs.

Gold – Ivo Angelov (Bulgaria)

Silver – Rustem Hammet (Turkey)

Bronze – Taleh Mammadov (Azerbaijan)

Bronze – Radoslav Vasilev (Bulgaria)


66 kg/145.5 lbs.

Gold – Kamran Mammadov (Azerbaijan)

Silver – Gunar Abdulsamet (Turkey)

Bronze – Deyvid Dimitrov (Bulgaria)

Bronze – Sanghun Oh (Korea)


71 kg/156 lbs.

Gold – Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan)

Silver – Ruslan Tsarev (Kyrgyzstan)

Bronze – Nurgazy Asangulov (Kyrgyzstan)

Bronze – Balint Korpasi (Hungary)


75 kg/165 lbs.

Gold – Tarek Abdelslam (Bulgaria)

Silver – Fukhan Bayrak (Turkey)

Bronze – Manfred Edsberg (Sweden)

Bronze – Yunus Emre Basar (Turkey)


80 kg/176 lbs.

Gold – Daniel Aleksandrov (Bulgaria)

Silver – Laszlo Szabo (Hungary)

Bronze – Bogdan Kourinnoi (Sweden)

Bronze – Iliyan Georgiev (Bulgaria)


85 kg/187.5 lbs.

Gold – Peter Bacsi (Hungary)

Silver – Azat Beishebekov (Kyrgzstan)

Bronze – Missaoui Mohamed Skender (Turkey)

Bronze – Nikolay Bayryakov (Bulgaria)


98 kg/215 lbs.

Gold – Balazs Kiss (Hungary)

Silver – Uzur Dzhuzupbekov (Kyrgyzstan)

Bronze – Suleyman Demirci (Turkey)

Bronze – Dimitriy Timchenko (Ukraine)


130 kg/286 lbs.

Gold – Alin Alexuc (Romania)

Silver – Mykola Kuchmii (Ukraine)

Bronze – Constantin Hutuleac (Romania)

Bronze – Min-Seok Kim (Korea)


Best International Greco-Roman wrestler – Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan), 71 kg

Best Bulgarian Greco-Roman wrestler – Ivo Angelov, 59 kg