Eight 2019 U.S. World Team members will compete at Yasar Dogu international ranking event, July 11-14

J'den Cox is the sole 2019 World Champion on the U.S. roster.

The U.S. men’s freestyle roster is set for the 2019 Yasar Dogu in Istanbul, Turkey, which will take place July 11-14. The 10-man American squad features eight 2019 World Team members.

The Yasar Dogu is the final United World Wrestling (UWW) Ranking Series tournament. Competitors can earn placement points towards their seeds at the 2019 World Championships. The four wrestlers with the most placements points per weight class will be seeded accordingly at the World Championships in Kazakhstan in September.

The only returning World Champion competing for Team USA is J’den Cox at 92 kg. Cox also boasts a 2016 Olympic bronze medal and a 2017 World bronze medal, both at 86 kg.

The entire U.S. lineup is stacked with wrestlers with laundry lists of international credentials. This includes 2012 Olympic champion and four-time World Champion Jordan Burroughs at 74 kg. Burroughs was a 2019 World bronze medalist. At the 2018 Yasar Dogu, he placed second to Italy’s Frank Chamizo, who he would later defeat to take bronze at the World Championships. Burroughs won the Yasar Dogu in 2016, and he placed third in 2014.

At 97 kg, Team USA will be represented by 2016 Olympic champion and two-time World champion Kyle Snyder. A 2018 World silver medalist, Cox finished third at the Yasar Dogu a year ago.

Another 2018 Yasar Dogu bronze medalist looking to improve on his finish is Nick Gwiazdowski. He was a 2018 and 2019 World bronze medalist at 125 kg, and will return to his third straight World Championships.

The 70 kg weight class is manned by two-time World medalist James Green. The international veteran earned a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships and a bronze at the 2015 World Championships.

Two-time World Team member Zain Retherford is entered at 65 kg. He is a 2012 Cadet World Champion.

A pair of first-time Senior World Team members will also enter, Tyler Graff at 61 kg and Pat Downey at 86 kg.

Graff defeated 2018 World bronze medalist Joe Colon to his make the World Team. Downey, a 2012 Junior World silver medalist, won the U.S. Open and the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. Downey received a forfeit in Final X, as returning World Champion David Taylor was injured and unable to compete.

Also on the U.S. team at the Yasar Dogu are Yianni Diakomihalis at 65 kg and Alex Dieringer at 79 kg.

Dieringer will face returning World Champion Kyle Dake for the World Team spot on August 17. He was a 2013 Junior World silver medalist.

Diakomihalis is a two-time Cadet World Champion, won the 2019 U.S. Open and placed second at Final X: Rutgers.

The Yasar Dogu International is also a UWW ranking tournament in women’s freestyle, but the USA will not have any entries in that discipline.

Istanbul is seven hours in front of Eastern Standard Time. The event will be broadcast live by FloWrestling.

2019 YASAR DOGU INTERNATIONAL
at Istanbul, Turkey, July 11-14

U.S. Men’s freestyle roster
61 kg: Tyler Graff (New Brunswick, N.J./Titan Mercury/NJRTC)

65 kg: Yianni Diakomihalis (Rochester, N.Y./Titan Mercury WC/FLWC)
65 kg: Zain Retherford (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC)

70 kg: James Green (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC)
74 kg: Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC)

79 kg: Alex Dieringer (Stillwater, /Titan Mercury WC/Cowboy RTC)
86 kg: Pat Downey (Princeton, N.J./Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC)

92 kg: J’den Cox (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC/USOTC)
97 kg: Kyle Snyder (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC)
125 kg: Nick Gwiazdowski (Raleigh, N.C./Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC)

Freestyle National Coach – Bill Zadick, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Manager of Freestyle Programs – Joe Russell, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Club Coach – Mark Perry, Iowa City, Iowa

Club Coach- Mark Manning, Lincoln, Neb.

Club Coach- Jeff Buxton, Easton, Pa.

Club Coach- Reece Humphrey, Dayton, N.J.

Club Coach- Zack Esposito, Stillwater, Okla.

Club Coach- Cody Sanderson, State College, Pa.

Club Coach- Mike Grey, Ithaca, N.Y.

Medical - Brandon Stone, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Medical - Robert Skinner, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Medical - Randy Aldret, Lafayette, La.

Referee - Danny Blackshear, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Delegate - Hooman Tavakolian, Roslyn Heights, N.Y.

Delegate - Paul Kieblesz, Middle Village, N.Y.

Schedule (seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone)

Thursday, July 11

11 a.m. - Preliminary rounds (57-61-70 kg MFS) (50-55-59-65 kg WFS)

4:30 p.m. - Preliminary rounds through semifinals (57-61-70 kg MFS) (50-55-59-65 kg WFS)

Friday, July 12

11 a.m. - Preliminary rounds through semifinals (65-79-125 kg MFS) (53-57-62-68 kg WFS) repechage (57-61-70Kg MFS) (50-55-59-65Kg WFS)

5:30 p.m. - Bronze and Gold medal matches (57-61-70 kg MFS) (50-55-59-65 kg WFS)

Saturday, July 13

11 a.m. – Preliminary rounds through semifinals (74-86-92-97 kg MFS) (72-76 kg WFS)

Repechage (65-79-125 kg MFS) (53-57-62-68 kg WFS)

5 p.m - Bronze and Gold medal matches (65-79-125 kg MFS) (53-57-62-68 kg WFS)

Sunday, July 14

11 a.m. - Repechage (74-86-92-97 kg MFS) (72-76 kg WFS)

12:30 p.m. - Bronze and Gold medal matches (74-86-92-97 kg MFS) (72-76Kg WFS)