Joe Rau to compete in respected Grand Prix Zagreb Open in Croatia, Jan. 16-17
Share:
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Joe Rau photo by Justin Hoch.
Joe Rau (Champaign, Ill./Titan Mercury WC/Illinois RTC) will wrestle in a highly competitive Greco-Roman event this weekend, the Grand Prix Zagreb Open, in Zagreb, Croatia, Jan. 16-17.
Rau, who qualified the U.S. for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, by winning a gold medal at 87 kg the 2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Ottawa, Canada last March. The previous weekend, Rau also won the 2020 Pan American Championships, to go along with his 2015 Pan American Championships title.
Rau won the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, but was unable to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games because his weight class did not get qualified for the Games. He is a two-time U.S. Senior World Team member, competing in the 2014 Senior Worlds in Tahkent, Uzbekistan and the 2019 Senior World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
Rau is the only U.S. athlete entered in this tournament, and will compete at 87 kg.
He will have a tough weight class, led by two-time World champion Zhan Beleniuk of Ukraine, 2018 University World champion Ali Cengiz of Turkey, 2015 Junior World bronze medalist Zakarias Berg of Sweden. There are athletes from 13 different nations in Rau’s bracket. Below is the preliminary list of entries.
87kg
Tomislav HADER (CRO)
Filip SMETKO (CRO)
Matej MANDIĆ (CRO)
Petr NOVAK (CZE)
Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN)
Vili ROPPONEN (FIN)
Juho PAHIKAINEN (FIN)
Ilias PAGKALIDIS (GRE)
Simone FIDELBO(ITA)
Veronica PARISI (ITA)
Mirco MINGUZZI (ITA)
Julius MATUZEVICIUS (LTU)
Martynas NEMSEVICIUS (LTU)
Eividas STANKEVICIUS (LTU)
Gabriel LUPASCO (MDA)
Vladislav GUTU (MDA)
Aleksandar ST JEPANETIC (SWE)
Oskar JOHANSSON (SWE)
Zakarias BERG (SWE)
Ramon BETSCHART (SUI)
Dogan GÖKTAŞ (TUR)
Ali CENGIZ (TUR)
Zhan BELENYUK (UKR)
Joe RAU (USA)
Rau will compete on Saturday, January 16, and if he qualifies, would complete the tournament on Sunday, January 17.
Website for Grand Prix Zagreb Open
http://gpzagrebopen.com/
GRAND PRIX ZAGREB OPEN
At Zagreb, Croatia, Jan. 16-17
Schedule (local Zagreb time, which is 6 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone)
Saturday, January 16
10.30 a.m.– 7.00 p.m. - Qualification and elimination rounds, all weight categories (on 3 wrestling mats)
Sunday, January 17
10.30 a.m. – 2.00 p.m. - Repechage bouts and bronze medal matches (all categories)
7.00 p.m. – 9:.00 p.m. - Opening ceremony and Final matches (all categories)
Joe Rau (Champaign, Ill./Titan Mercury WC/Illinois RTC) will wrestle in a highly competitive Greco-Roman event this weekend, the Grand Prix Zagreb Open, in Zagreb, Croatia, Jan. 16-17.
Rau, who qualified the U.S. for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, by winning a gold medal at 87 kg the 2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Ottawa, Canada last March. The previous weekend, Rau also won the 2020 Pan American Championships, to go along with his 2015 Pan American Championships title.
Rau won the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, but was unable to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games because his weight class did not get qualified for the Games. He is a two-time U.S. Senior World Team member, competing in the 2014 Senior Worlds in Tahkent, Uzbekistan and the 2019 Senior World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
Rau is the only U.S. athlete entered in this tournament, and will compete at 87 kg.
He will have a tough weight class, led by two-time World champion Zhan Beleniuk of Ukraine, 2018 University World champion Ali Cengiz of Turkey, 2015 Junior World bronze medalist Zakarias Berg of Sweden. There are athletes from 13 different nations in Rau’s bracket. Below is the preliminary list of entries.
87kg
Tomislav HADER (CRO)
Filip SMETKO (CRO)
Matej MANDIĆ (CRO)
Petr NOVAK (CZE)
Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN)
Vili ROPPONEN (FIN)
Juho PAHIKAINEN (FIN)
Ilias PAGKALIDIS (GRE)
Simone FIDELBO(ITA)
Veronica PARISI (ITA)
Mirco MINGUZZI (ITA)
Julius MATUZEVICIUS (LTU)
Martynas NEMSEVICIUS (LTU)
Eividas STANKEVICIUS (LTU)
Gabriel LUPASCO (MDA)
Vladislav GUTU (MDA)
Aleksandar ST JEPANETIC (SWE)
Oskar JOHANSSON (SWE)
Zakarias BERG (SWE)
Ramon BETSCHART (SUI)
Dogan GÖKTAŞ (TUR)
Ali CENGIZ (TUR)
Zhan BELENYUK (UKR)
Joe RAU (USA)
Rau will compete on Saturday, January 16, and if he qualifies, would complete the tournament on Sunday, January 17.
Website for Grand Prix Zagreb Open
http://gpzagrebopen.com/
GRAND PRIX ZAGREB OPEN
At Zagreb, Croatia, Jan. 16-17
Schedule (local Zagreb time, which is 6 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone)
Saturday, January 16
10.30 a.m.– 7.00 p.m. - Qualification and elimination rounds, all weight categories (on 3 wrestling mats)
Sunday, January 17
10.30 a.m. – 2.00 p.m. - Repechage bouts and bronze medal matches (all categories)
7.00 p.m. – 9:.00 p.m. - Opening ceremony and Final matches (all categories)
