Hafizov, Bey, Schultz advance to Senior National Greco-Roman finals, as part of U.S. Pan American Olympic Qualifier team selection
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
USA Wrestling is using the 2023 Senior Nationals in Fort Worth, Texas as its qualifying event for the U.S. Greco-Roman team that will compete in the 2024 Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier in Acupulco, Mexico, February 28-March 1.
The Greco-Roman competition at the Senior Nationals in Fort Worth will be held Friday, December 15 and Saturday, December 16.
The winners of the 2023 Senior Nationals in Greco-Roman will be the representatives for the United States at the Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier. The United States has not yet qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France at any of the Greco-Roman Olympic weight classes: 60 kg, 67 kg, 77 kg, 87 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg.
According to the procedures for the 2024 Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier in Greco-Roman, any “2023 World Championships participants, at the Olympic weight classes, that also were medalists in the 2023 Pan American Games will get a bye to the finals of the December 2023 Senior Nationals Tournament.”
This sit-out rule impacts three Greco-Roman athletes, Ildar Hafizov of the U.S. Army at 60 kg, Kamal Bey of the U.S. Army at 77 kg and Cohlton Schultz of the Sunkist Kids at 130 kg.
All three competed for the USA at the 2023 Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. At the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, Hafizov and Bey won gold medals and Schultz won a silver medal. All three will advance directly to the Senior Nationals finals on Saturday, December 16.
The 2024 Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier – Greco-Roman procedures
The opponents to face Hafizov, Bey and Schultz will be determined on Friday, December 15. The winners of the Senior Nationals semifinals at 60 kg, 77 kg and 130 kg will wrestle off during Session II at the conclusion of the semifinals round to determine who advances to the finals on Saturday, December 16.
2023 Senior Nationals schedule
In the other three Greco-Roman weight classes contested at the Senior Nationals (67 kg, 87 kg, 97 kg), the winners of the semifinals on Friday, December 15 will advance to the finals on Saturday, December 16.
There will be a one-match finals at the Senior Nationals in all weight classes.
The Senior Nationals in Fort Worth is NOT a qualifier for the U.S. Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier team in men’s freestyle and women’s freestyle.