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Lamont advances to the U23 World Championships semifinals after Monday’s opening Greco-Roman round
by Joe Wedra, USA Wrestling
BELGRADE, Serbia – Taylor Lamont won a pair of matches in Monday’s first Greco-Roman session to advance to the semifinals at 55 kg at the 2021 U23 World Championships. Lamont, making his eighth age-group World team appearance, will wrestle tonight for a chance to make tomorrow’s finals.
Two other U.S. athletes remain eligible to be pulled back into the tournament after losses – David Stepanian at 63 kg and Spencer Woods at 87 kg.
Lamont began his tournament with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Moldova’s Aritom Deleanu. Both wrestlers scored points on passivity calls and were not able to turn on top, but Lamont’s second-period passivity point was ultimately the difference-maker. Down on criteria, Deleanu had to attempt a throw under 10 seconds left that he couldn’t complete. The Moldova corner did challenge, but the call was confirmed, advancing Lamont to the 55 kg quarterfinals.
In the quarters, Lamont stormed back from an initial 3-0 deficit to win a 6-3 bout against Georgia’s Giorgi Tokhadze. The Georgian turned Lamont after a passivity call in the first period, but Lamont kept pressure and forced four straight step outs to take control of the match. He wrestled the full six minutes, punching his ticket to the semifinals.
Lamont will wrestle Iran’s Poya Dad Marz in the semifinals.
At 63kg, David Stepanian advanced into the quarterfinals due to a forfeit in the first round from Serbia’s Zolt Zonai. In the quarters, Stepanian was defeated by Moldova’s Corneliu Resu, 2-0. Both of Resu’s points came via passivity calls. Stepanian will need Resu to win his semifinal match later today to be pulled back into the tournament.
In the first round at 77 kg, U.S. representative Britton Holmes dropped a 5-1 match to Uzbekistan’s Dilshod Omongeldiyev. In the next round, Omongeldiyev dropped a 6-2 bout to his opponent from Serbia, officially eliminating Holmes from the tournament.
At 87 kg, Army WCAP wrestler Spencer Woods was pinned by Poland’s Szymon Szymonowicz in the first minute of his first-round match. Szymonowicz secured a body lock and put Woods to his back, eventually finishing up the fall.
Woods will need Szymonowicz to win tonight’s semifinals to be pulled back into the tournament.
Brandon Metz (130 kg) dropped his first-round match to Vladyslav Kovalenko of Ukraine, 2-1. Kovalenko was called for passivity in the second period, but Metz was unable to score as time expired. Kovalenko dropped his next match to his opponent from Turkey, officially eliminating Metz from the tournament.
Tonight’s semifinal session begins at 6 p.m. local time, which is five hours ahead of U.S. eastern time. All matches can be watched live on FloWrestling.
U23 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Belgrade, Serbia November 1
Greco-Roman semifinal pairings
55 kg
Taylor Lamont (USA) vs. Poya Dad Marz (Iran)
Arslan Abdurakhmanov (Kazakhstan) vs. Mavlud Rizmanov (Russia)
63 kg
Ahmet Uyar (Turkey) vs. Corneliu Rusu (Moldova)
Leri Abuladze (Georgia) vs. Ali Reza Nejati (Iran)
77 kg
Tamas Levai (Hungary) vs. Dmytro Vasetskyi (Ukraine)
Amin Kaviyaninejad (Iran) vs. Sergei Stepanov (Russia)
87 kg
David Losonczi (Hungary) vs. Szymon Szymonowicz (Poland)
Aleksandr Komarov (Russia) vs. Temuri Tchkuaselidze (Georgia)
130 kg
Dariusz Vitek (Hungary) vs. David Ovasapyan (Armenia)
Fatih Bozkurt (Turkey) vs. Amin Mirzazadeh (Iran)
U.S. Greco-Roman Group One results
55kg: Taylor Lamont (Mapleton, Utah/Sunkist Kids WC)
WIN Aritom Deleanu (Moldova), 2-1
WIN Giorgi Tokhadze (Georgia), 6-3
Semifinals vs. Poya Dad Marz (Iran)
63kg: David Stepanian (Macomb, Mich./New York AC)
WIN Zolt Zonai (Serbia), forfeit
LOSS Corneliu Resu (Moldova), 2-0
77kg: Britton Holmes (Peyton, Colo./Army WCAP)
LOSS Dilshod Omongeldiyev (Uzbekistan), 5-1
87kg: Spencer Woods (Shungnak, Alaska/Army WCAP)
LOSS Szymon Szymonowicz (Poland), fall 0:46
130kg: Brandon Metz (West Fargo, N.D./Bison WC)
LOSS Vladyslav Kovalenko (Ukraine), 2-1
Two other U.S. athletes remain eligible to be pulled back into the tournament after losses – David Stepanian at 63 kg and Spencer Woods at 87 kg.
Lamont began his tournament with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Moldova’s Aritom Deleanu. Both wrestlers scored points on passivity calls and were not able to turn on top, but Lamont’s second-period passivity point was ultimately the difference-maker. Down on criteria, Deleanu had to attempt a throw under 10 seconds left that he couldn’t complete. The Moldova corner did challenge, but the call was confirmed, advancing Lamont to the 55 kg quarterfinals.
In the quarters, Lamont stormed back from an initial 3-0 deficit to win a 6-3 bout against Georgia’s Giorgi Tokhadze. The Georgian turned Lamont after a passivity call in the first period, but Lamont kept pressure and forced four straight step outs to take control of the match. He wrestled the full six minutes, punching his ticket to the semifinals.
Lamont will wrestle Iran’s Poya Dad Marz in the semifinals.
At 63kg, David Stepanian advanced into the quarterfinals due to a forfeit in the first round from Serbia’s Zolt Zonai. In the quarters, Stepanian was defeated by Moldova’s Corneliu Resu, 2-0. Both of Resu’s points came via passivity calls. Stepanian will need Resu to win his semifinal match later today to be pulled back into the tournament.
In the first round at 77 kg, U.S. representative Britton Holmes dropped a 5-1 match to Uzbekistan’s Dilshod Omongeldiyev. In the next round, Omongeldiyev dropped a 6-2 bout to his opponent from Serbia, officially eliminating Holmes from the tournament.
At 87 kg, Army WCAP wrestler Spencer Woods was pinned by Poland’s Szymon Szymonowicz in the first minute of his first-round match. Szymonowicz secured a body lock and put Woods to his back, eventually finishing up the fall.
Woods will need Szymonowicz to win tonight’s semifinals to be pulled back into the tournament.
Brandon Metz (130 kg) dropped his first-round match to Vladyslav Kovalenko of Ukraine, 2-1. Kovalenko was called for passivity in the second period, but Metz was unable to score as time expired. Kovalenko dropped his next match to his opponent from Turkey, officially eliminating Metz from the tournament.
Tonight’s semifinal session begins at 6 p.m. local time, which is five hours ahead of U.S. eastern time. All matches can be watched live on FloWrestling.
U23 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Belgrade, Serbia November 1
Greco-Roman semifinal pairings
55 kg
Taylor Lamont (USA) vs. Poya Dad Marz (Iran)
Arslan Abdurakhmanov (Kazakhstan) vs. Mavlud Rizmanov (Russia)
63 kg
Ahmet Uyar (Turkey) vs. Corneliu Rusu (Moldova)
Leri Abuladze (Georgia) vs. Ali Reza Nejati (Iran)
77 kg
Tamas Levai (Hungary) vs. Dmytro Vasetskyi (Ukraine)
Amin Kaviyaninejad (Iran) vs. Sergei Stepanov (Russia)
87 kg
David Losonczi (Hungary) vs. Szymon Szymonowicz (Poland)
Aleksandr Komarov (Russia) vs. Temuri Tchkuaselidze (Georgia)
130 kg
Dariusz Vitek (Hungary) vs. David Ovasapyan (Armenia)
Fatih Bozkurt (Turkey) vs. Amin Mirzazadeh (Iran)
U.S. Greco-Roman Group One results
55kg: Taylor Lamont (Mapleton, Utah/Sunkist Kids WC)
WIN Aritom Deleanu (Moldova), 2-1
WIN Giorgi Tokhadze (Georgia), 6-3
Semifinals vs. Poya Dad Marz (Iran)
63kg: David Stepanian (Macomb, Mich./New York AC)
WIN Zolt Zonai (Serbia), forfeit
LOSS Corneliu Resu (Moldova), 2-0
77kg: Britton Holmes (Peyton, Colo./Army WCAP)
LOSS Dilshod Omongeldiyev (Uzbekistan), 5-1
87kg: Spencer Woods (Shungnak, Alaska/Army WCAP)
LOSS Szymon Szymonowicz (Poland), fall 0:46
130kg: Brandon Metz (West Fargo, N.D./Bison WC)
LOSS Vladyslav Kovalenko (Ukraine), 2-1