U.S. Greco-Roman Squad Learns Opening Draws for Zagreb Open
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by David Gerhart, USA Wrestling
Payton Jacobson competes at 2025 U23 World Championships in Novi Sad, Serbia
ZAGREB, Croatia – A quartet of Olympians lead Team USA’s 19-man Greco-Roman side into the Zagreb Open. This weekend’s action in Croatia is United World Wrestling’s first Ranking Series event of the season.
2024 Olympians Kamal Bey and Payton Jacobson start their international seasons on Saturday. At 77 kg, 2017 Junior World champion Bey takes on Iran’s Ali Oskou in the first round. 2025 U23 World bronze medalist Jacobson highlights the 87 kg bracket for the Americans with an opening round match against 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Ivan Huklek of Croatia.
Two-time Olympian Ildar Hafizov begins competition on Friday at 63 kg against two-time age-group Asian Championships medalist Khusniddin Olimoev of Uzbekistan.
The final Olympian in action for the U.S. is 2020 representative Alejandro Sancho in the 72 kg weight class. Sancho’s first match on Sunday comes against Hungary’s Krisztofer Klanyi, who is an age-group European Championships medalist.
Along with Jacobson’s match against an Olympian, two additional members of the U.S. take on Olympians at the Zagreb Open. Rhett Peak takes on 2024 Olympian and World bronze medalist Islomjon Bakhramov of Uzbekistan at 63 kg. In the 130 kg division, Aden Atto takes on seven-time World champion and 2020 Olympian Riza Kayaalp from Türkiye.
Two reigning World silver medalists are also on the docket for the Americans. Zane Richards opens the 60 kg weight class against Uzbekistan’s Alisher Ganiev. At 130 kg, 2025 World Team member Cohlton Schultz faces Hungary’s Darius Vitek.
In the Greco-Roman field, the U.S. is fielding eight of its 10 2025 World Team members at the Zagreb Open.
Team USA also has a trio of age-group World medalists in action this weekend. Two-time age-group medalist Otto Black and 2019 Junior World bronze medalist Alston Nutter are both in action at 67 kg. 2024 U23 World silver medalist Beka Melelashvili is competing at 82 kg.
All opening round matchups for the Greco-Roman squad and a complete event schedule are listed below.
Greco-Roman competition runs from Friday through Sunday at Arena Zagreb. Action each day begins at 10:30 a.m. local time/4:30 a.m. ET.
Matches will be streamed live on FloWrestling. Live results and brackets are available on UWW Arena.
GR 63-67 kg
10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds
12:30 p.m. – Semifinals
1:30 p.m. – Repechage
6 p.m. – Finals
GR 77-87 kg
10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds
1:30 p.m. – Semifinals
2:30 p.m. – Repechage
6 p.m. – Finals
GR 55-60-72-82-97-130 kg
10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds
1:30 p.m. – Semifinals
2:30 p.m. – Repechage
6 p.m. – Finals
*All times reference local time in Zagreb, Croatia, which is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time.
VS Sebastian Kolompar (Serbia) or Poya Dad Marz (Iran)
VS Alisher Ganiev (Uzbekistan)
VS Yu Shiotani (Japan)
VS Corneliu Rusu (Moldova)
VS Khusniddin Olimboev (Uzbekistan)
VS Islomjon Bakhramov (Uzbekistan)
VS Rati Khozrevanidze (Georgia)
VS Din Koshkar (Kazakhstan) or Morten Thoresen (Norway)
VS Almatbek Amanbek (Kazakhstan)
VS Krisztofer Klanyi (Hungary)
VS Ali Oskou (Iran)
VS Antal Vamos (Serbia)
VS Yuksel Saricicek (Türkiye)
VS Rahimjon Uzokov (Uzbekistan) or Istvan Takacs (Hungary)
VS Ivan Huklek (Croatia)
VS Javokhir Shodiyarov (Uzbekistan) or Mathias Bak (Denmark)
VS Jacob Logaard (Sweden)
VS Darius Vitek (Hungary)
VS Riza Kayaalp (Türkiye)
