USA defeats Georgia, 7-3, in first round of World Cup
Share:
by USA Wrestling
YAKUTSK, Russia – The United States won seven of the night’s bouts against Georgia in its first dual at the 2019 Men’s Freestyle World Cup in Yakutsk, Russia.
Georgia, which finished third as a team at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, picked up the win in the first match at 57 kg as Lasha Lomtadze defeated Zach Sanders, 3-1.
National Team member Nico Megaludis put the United States on the board with a 12-2 technical fall over 2016 Cadet World bronze medalist Tornike Katamadze at 61 kg.
The Red, White and Blue rattled off three more wins from Zain Retherford at 65 kg, Jason Chamberlain at 70 kg and Isaiah Martinez at 74 kg.
Retherford, a 2017 Senior World Team member and a 2012 Cadet World champion, put up nine points in a decisive 9-2 win against Amiran Vakhtangashvili.
2018 Final X runner-up Chamberlain followed the performance with a dominant 10-0 shutout technical fall over 2017 U23 World bronze medalist Mirza Skhulukhia.
To go up 4-1 in the dual, Martinez defeated Zurabi Erbotsonashvili with a 10-06 decision.
The two teams traded wins the next few bouts.
Tommy Gantt fell to Davit Kkutsishvili at 79 kg, while 2017 U23 World Team member Sam Brooks won by fall over 2015 Junior World bronze medalist Tarzan Maisuradze at 86 kg.
Georgia claimed the W at 92 kg, where 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Dato Marsagishvili took out multiple-time National Team member Hayden Zillmer in a 3-0 win. In addition to his Olympic medal, Marsagishvili owns three other World medals, including a 2011 Senior World bronze, a 2011 Junior World gold and a 2009 Junior World bronze.
The U.S. sealed the dual win as Final X runner-up Kyven Gadson outlasted 2011 Junior World silver medalist Mamuka Kordzaia, 2-0.
Putting an exclamation point on the dual was Tony Nelson, who put together a 6-0 performance against 2018 U23 World bronze medalist Rolandi Andriadze at 125 kg.
The U.S. will battled Iran on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. local time (3:30 a.m. Saturday ET).
2019 MEN’S FREESTYLE WORLD CUP
at Yakutsk, Russia
USA 7, Georgia 3
57 kg: Lasha Lomtadze (Georgia) dec. Zach Sanders (USA), 3-1
61 kg: Nico Megaludis (USA) TF Tornike Katamadze (Georgia), 12-2
65 kg: Zain Retherford (USA) dec. Amiran Vakhtangashvili (Georgia), 9-2
70 kg: Jason Chamberlain (USA) TF Mirza Skhulukhia (Georgia), 10-0
74 kg: Isaiah Martinez (USA) dec. Zurabi Erbotsonashvili (Georgia), 10-6
79 kg: Davit Kkutsishvili (Georgia) TF Tommy Gantt (USA), 11-0
86 kg: Sam Brooks (USA) fall Tarzan Maisuradze (Georgia)
92 kg: Dato Marsagishvili dec. Hayden Zillmer (USA), 3-0
97 kg: Kyven Gadson (USA) dec. Mamuka Kordzaia (Georgia), 2-0
125 kg: Tony Nelson (USA) dec. Rolandi Andriadze (Georgia), 6-0
Read More#
U.S. men’s freestyle draws set at U20 World Championships
Hafizov to go for gold medal in Greco-Roman at German Grand Prix in Dortmund
Cooley wins his first bout but falls in the quarterfinals, Aslikyan still possible for repechage at U17 Worlds in Greco-Roman
Five U.S. men’s freestyle champions crowned on final day of Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial
