Bey and Schultz come up short in Junior World semifinals

TRNAVA, Slovakia – USA’s two Junior Greco-Roman semifinalists, Kamal Bey and Cohlton Schultz, fell short of making the gold-medal bouts on Monday evening at the 2018 Junior World Championships in Trnava, Slovakia.

Reigning Junior World champion Bey was upended in the 77 kg semifinals, falling to 2015 Cadet European champion Islam Opiev of Russia, 7-1.

Bey was on the board first, drawing a passivity point against Opiev and carried a 1-0 lead into the break. In the second period, Bey was put down in par terre for passivity and Opiev scored two on a gut wrench. Later in the period, Bey stumbled, going for a takedown, and Opiev capitalized with a takedown and another gut for an eventual 7-1 victory.

Tomorrow Bey aims to become the first U.S. Junior Greco-Roman wrestler since 2011 to win back-to-back World medals. The last to do it was Ellis Coleman, who won bronze medals in 2010 and 2011.

Bey’s bronze-medal opponent will be determined tomorrow during the morning session.

2017 Cadet World champion Schultz kept his match close with Junior European bronze medalist David Ovasapyan of Armenia, dropping a 2-1 battle in the 130 kg semifinals.

Ovasapyan scored first on passivity to take a 1-0 lead into the break. The Armenian extended his lead to 2-0 with a step out. Schultz later scored on passivity to make it 2-1, but it was not enough for the semifinal win.

Like Bey, Schultz’s bronze opponent will be determined tomorrow morning.

The U.S. representative at 63 kg, Alston Nutter, was pulled back into repechage after Erbol Bakirov of Kyrgyzstan picked up a pin in the semifinals over Azamat Kairov of Russia to earn a spot in the finals. To start his journey for bronze, Nutter will face Hrachya Poghosyan of Armenia, who is a 2016 Cadet World bronze medalist, tomorrow morning.

Day-two action will begin Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. ET). Fans can watch all the action live on Trackwrestling.com.

2018 JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Trnava, Slovakia

U.S. Greco-Roman results

55 kg: Brady Koontz (Plover, Wisc./Ohio RTC)
LOSS Florin Tita (Romania), 7-6

63 kg: Alston Nutter (Fennimore, Wisc./NMU-OTS/Combat WC)
LOSS Erbol Bakirov (Kyrgyzstan), 10-0
vs. Hrachya Poghosyan (Armenia)

77 kg: Kamal Bey (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)
WIN Beka Guruli (Georgia), 9-1
WIN Konstantino Vachlas (Greece), fall 0:15
WIN Zahari Zashev (Bulgaria), fall 2:47
LOSS Islam Opeiv (Russia), 7-1
vs. bronze-medal opponent TBD

87 kg: Barret Hughes (Coweta, Okla./Titan Mercury WC/Cowboy RTC)
LOSS Kumar Sunil (India), 11-0

130 kg: Cohlton Schultz (Parker, Colo./New York AC)
WIN Lingzhe Meng (China), fall 4:50
WIN Oleg Agakhanov (Russia), fall 1:19
LOSS David Ovasapyan (Armenia), 2-1
vs. bronze-medal opponent TBD