U.S. wrestlers go 1-3, denied repechage on Day three of Greco-Roman World championships

Photo of Ildar Hafizovby Jim Thrall/ MatFocus

A heartbreaking round closed out the Greco-Roman World Championships for Team USA. The U.S. wrestlers went a combined 1-3, and none were pulled into repechage.

At 60 kg Ildar Hafizov (Colorado Springs, Colo/U.S. Army WCAP) won comfortably in his first match against Etienne Kisinger of Germany. Kinsinger scored the first point off passivity, but it was all Hafizov after that. He scored a takedown for two and followed it up with a lift for another two points, which gave him a 4-1 lead at the break. At the end of the second period, Hafizov drove his opponent out for another two points to claim a 6-1 victory.

Hafizov fell to 2018 World bronze medalist Lenur Temirov of Ukraine, 8-2, in his second match. Temirov scored first on a passivity point. Ukraine then lost a challenge to give Hafizov a 1-1 lead on criteria. In the second period, Hafizov earned a passivity point of his own, however Temirov reversed him from bottom and used a gut wrench to pick up two more points and take a 4-2 lead. In the closing seconds Temirov took Hafizov to his back to secure an 8-2 victory.

Hafizov was eliminated when Temirov lost in the quarterfinals to returning World champion Sergey Emelin of Russia, 10-0.

Returning World silver medalist Adam Coon (Fowlerville, Mich./New York AC/Michigan RTC) dropped a tough match to Lingzhe Meng of China. Coon scored the first point on passivity but was reversed and turned with a gut wrench to give his opponent a 3-1 lead. Meng wrestled conservatively the rest of the match. In the second period passivity was offered against the Chinese wrestler but ultimately white paddled. The 3-1 score would hold, and Coon was eliminated after Meng lost to three-time World Champion Riza Kayaalp of Turkey, 4-0.

Pat Smith (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) suffered a loss to Roland Schwarz of Germany in his opening match. Smith led 2-0 at the break on the strength of a passivity point and a step-out. In the second period Smith was hit with passivity and gave up four points on a lift. Smith added a step-out point, but it wasn’t enough. The final score was 5-3.

Smith was eliminated when Schwarz lost his next match to Paulius Galkinas of Lithuania, 10-0.

The Greco-Roman Team finished with an 8-12 total record with at least one fifth place finisher and one seventh place finisher. Full results will be provided at the conclusion of the tournament.

WORLD WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan

Greco-Roman Day 3 Results

60 kg/132 lbs. - Ildar Hafizov, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
WIN Etienne Kinsinger (Germany), 6-1
LOSS Lenur Temirov (Ukraine), 8-2

77 kg/169.5 lbs. - Pat Smith, (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm)
LOSS Roland Schwarz (Germany) 5-3

130 kg/286 lbs. - Adam Coon, (Fowlerville, Mich./New York AC/Michigan RTC)
LOSS Lingzhe Meng (China), 3-1