U.S. Greco-Roman team, with three 2024 Olympians, receive draw for Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial

The U.S. Greco-Roman team has received its draws for the Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial, a UWW Senior Ranking Series event, in Budapest, Hungary this weekend.

Many of the athletes competing in this event are expected to represent their nation at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris

The U.S. Greco-Roman team is led by all three of their 2024 U.S. Olympians, Payton Jacobson (87 kg), Josef Rau (97 kg) and Adam Coon (130 kg)

Coon, who was a 2018 World silver medalist, opens against 2023 World bronze medalist Abdellatif Mohamed of Egypt. Coon’s half bracket also features 2020 Olympic silver medalist Iakobi Kajaia of Georgia and 2017 World bronze medalist Yasmani Acosta of Chile.

Rau, who has competed on two U.S. Senior World Teams, opens against the winner of the preliminary bout between 2021 World champion and three-time World medalist Mohammadhadi Saravi of Iran and 2022 World bronze medalist Tamas Levai of Hungary. Rau is in the bottom half bracket.

Jacobson will be competing on his first U.S. Senior-level team when he competes in the Olympics in Paris. Jacobson opens against 2023 World champion Ali Cengiz of Turkey. Also in Jacobson’s half bracket on the bottom is another 2023 World champion, David Losonczi of Hungary.

The team also features 2020 Greco-Roman Olympian Alejandro Sancho who is wrestling at 72 kg. Sancho is up one weight class from 67 kg, where he has wrestled at the Olympics and World Championships.  Sancho will face the winner of the preliminary bout between 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Shmagi Bolkvadze of Georgia and Adam Pohilec of Hungary, who was fifth in the 2021 European U20 Championships. Sancho is in the bottom half-bracket, and could face 2023 World silver medalist Hasrat Jafarov of Azerbaijan in the semifinals.

Competing at 60 kg is Dalton Roberts, who won the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, but the USA did not qualify to compete in the Olympic Games at this weight. He has competed on two Senior World Teams. Roberts opens against 2022 Olympian Abdelkarim Fergat of Algeria. Roberts is in the bottom half of the bracket.

Two-time Senior World Team member Spencer Woods is competing at 82 kg, where his first match will be against Ashkan Saadati Fard of Iran, who was third in the 2021 World Military Championships, Woods was second behind Jacobson at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Woods is in the bottom half bracket.

Also competing is past Senior World Team member Jesse Porter at 77 kg, who opens against 2022 World champion Burhan Akbudak of Turkey. Porter is in the bottom half-bracket.

The Greco-Roman tournament will be wrestled on Saturday and Sunday, with the action beginning at 10:30 a.m. local time each day. Budapest is located six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time. Roberts and Coon, who ironically attended the same high school (Fowlerville in Michigan), will wrestle on Saturday. Competing on Sunday are Sancho, Porter, Woods, Jacobson and Rau.

The event is streaming live to the U.S. audience on FloWrestling.com. Updated brackets and results are available on UWW Arena.

The Polyak Imre and Varga Janos Memorial is the last UWW Ranking Series event of the season, giving athletes a final chance to up their rankings prior to the Olympic Games. For a complete breakdown of how the ranking points are awarded, visit UWW.org.

POLYAK IMRE & VARGA JANOS MEMORIAL

At Budapest, Hungary

U.S. Greco-Roman first round draws

60 kg: Dalton Roberts (U.S. Army WCAP)

Vs. Abdelkarim Fergat (Algeria), 2020 Olympian, 4-time African champion, 2024 African Olympic Qualifier champion

72 kg: Alejandro Sancho (U.S. Army WCAP)

Vs. winner of Shmagi Bolkvadze (Georgia) and Adam Pohilec (Hungary)

Bolkvadze – 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, 2021 and 2022 European champion, 2017 U23 World champion

Pohilec – 5^th in 2021 European U20 Championships, 5^th 2023 Gedza International (Serbia)

77 kg: Jesse Porter (New York AC) 

Vs. Burhan Akbudak (Turkey), 2022 World champion, 2021 World silver medalist, 2023 European champion, 2017 U23 World champion

82 kg: Spencer Woods (U.S. Army WCAP)

Vs. Ashkan Saadati Fard (Iran), 3^rd 2021 World Military Championships, 3^rd 2019 Takhti Cup (Iran),

87 kg: Payton Jacobson (Sunkist Kids/NMU NTS)

Vs. Ali Cengiz (Turkey), 2023 World champion, 2022 World bronze medalist, 2018 World University champion

97 kg: Josef Rau (Titan Mercury WC)

Vs. winner of Mohammadhadi Saravi (Iran) and Tamas Levai (Hungary)

Saravi – 2021 World champion, 2022 and 2023 World bronze medalist, 2020 Olympic bronze medalist, 2018 U20 World champion

Levai – 2022 World bronze medalist, 2021 U23 World champion,

130 kg: Adam Coon (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)

Vs. Abdellatif Mohamed (Egypt), 2023 World bronze medalist, 2016 and 2020 Olympian, 7-time African champion

Remaining Event Schedule – local Budapest time

Budapest is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone

Saturday, June 8

10:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds and repechage (WFS 55kg, 62kg, 65kg, 68kg, 76kg GR 60kg, 63kg, 130kg)

5:00 p.m. – Finals (WFS 55kg, 62kg, 65kg, 68kg, 76kg GR 60kg, 63kg, 130kg)

Sunday, June 9

10:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds and repechage (GR 55kg, 67kg, 72kg, 77kg, 82kg, 87kg, 97kg)

5:00 p.m. – Finals (GR 55kg, 67kg, 72kg, 77kg, 82kg, 87kg, 97kg)