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First session of Tuesday’s Greco-Roman wrestling wraps at U23 World Championships for U.S.
by Joe Wedra, USA Wrestling
BELGRADE, Serbia – Multiple U.S. wrestlers will await the results of tonight’s Greco-Roman semifinals to see if they will be eligible to wrestle back for bronze at the U23 World Championships. Five members of Team USA began their tournaments this morning.
Nicholas Boykin (97 kg) opened up his tournament with a strong win over Poland’s Gerard Kurniczak. Boykin went down for passivity in the first, but defended well and quickly scored a takedown near the edge to take the first lead. He’d later score on a four-point throw, maintaining momentum and cruising to an 8-3 opening-round win.
Boykin fell in the second round to Russia’s Artur Sargsian, who went on to make the semifinals. If Sargsian wins tonight against his opponent from Austria, Boykin will be eligible to wrestle for bronze tomorrow.
At 72 kg, Nate Moore, who wrestles collegiately at Northern Colorado, began his day in the quarterfinals after his opponent from Sierra Leone was announced as a forfeit after weigh ins. In the quarters, he dropped a 12-2 match to Germany’s Idris Ibaev. Moore will need Ibaev to make the finals after tonight’s semifinal session for a chance to wrestle back for bronze.
Alston Nutter, a 2019 Junior World bronze medalist, dropped his opening-round match to Joni Khetsuriani of Georgia. Khetsuriani, a 2015 Cadet World silver medalist, wasted no time, scoring on two throws in the first 15 seconds of the match to go up, 6-0. He ultimately wrapped up a 9-0 first-period win to advance.
Nutter needs Khetsuriani to win his semifinal match against his opponent from Iran to be pulled back into the tournament.
At 60 kg, Dylan Gregerson was defeated by Iran’s Mehdi Mohsen Nejad, 8-0. Mohsen Nejad, a two-time U23 World bronze medalist, scored quickly on a four-point throw and then used a takedown and a turn to wrap up the win. Gregerson needs Mohsen Mejad to win his semifinal match tonight to be pulled back into the tournament.
Tommy Brackett lost his opening match at 82 kg to Mukhammadkodir Rasulov of Uzbekistan. Brackett had a lead on criteria at the break, but Rasulov took advantage of a passivity call against Brackett, turning him twice to open up a 6-1 lead and ultimately win an 8-3 match. Rasulov lost in the quarterfinals, officially eliminating Brackett from the competition.
Tonight’s semifinals, where Team USA will learn their repechage fates, will take place at 4:45 local time in Belgrade, which is five hours ahead of U.S. eastern time.
As a reminder to U.S. fans, Taylor Lamont (55 kg) will wrestle for a bronze medal later tonight. The medal match session will begin at 6:00 p.m. local time.
U23 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Belgrade, Serbia November 2
Greco-Roman semifinal pairings
60 kg
Mehdi Mohsen Nejad (Iran) vs. Pridon Abuladze (Georgia)
Kerem Kamal (Turkey) vs. Anvar Allakhiarov (Russia)
67 kg
Kadir Kamal (Turkey) vs. Hasrat Jafarov (Azerbaijan)
Mohammad Saadat Rezaei (Iran) vs. Joni Khetsuriani (Georgia)
72 kg
Idris Ibaev (Germany) vs. Shant Khachatryan (Armenia)
Ulvi Ganizade (Azerbaijan) vs. Sergei Kutuzov (Russia)
82 kg
Moric Kismoni (Hungary) vs. Ramon Betschart (Switzerland)
Mohammad Naghousi (Iran) vs. Aivengo Rikadze (Georgia)
97 kg
Artur Sargsian (Russia) vs. Markus Ragginger (Austria)
Robert Ersek (Hungary) vs. Pavel Hlinchuk (Belarus)
U.S. Greco-Roman Group One results
60kg: Dylan Gregerson (Bluffdale, Utah/Brunson UVRTC)
LOSS Mehdi Mohsen Nejad (Iran), 8-0
67kg: Alston Nutter (Fennimore, Wisc./Sunkist Kids WC)
LOSS Joni Khetsuriani (Georgia), 9-0
72kg: Nate Moore (Buckley, Wash./Northern Colorado WC)
WIN Sheku Kassegbama (Sierra Leone), forfeit
LOSS Idris Ibaev (Germany), 12-2
82kg: Tommy Brackett (Eads, Tenn./Gator Wrestling Club)
LOSS Mukhammadkodir Rasulov (Uzbekistan), 8-3
97kg: Nicholas Boykin (Murrfreesboro, Tenn./Sunkist Kids)
WIN Gerard Kurniczak (Poland), 8-3
LOSS Artur Sargsian (Russia), 11-0
Nicholas Boykin (97 kg) opened up his tournament with a strong win over Poland’s Gerard Kurniczak. Boykin went down for passivity in the first, but defended well and quickly scored a takedown near the edge to take the first lead. He’d later score on a four-point throw, maintaining momentum and cruising to an 8-3 opening-round win.
Boykin fell in the second round to Russia’s Artur Sargsian, who went on to make the semifinals. If Sargsian wins tonight against his opponent from Austria, Boykin will be eligible to wrestle for bronze tomorrow.
At 72 kg, Nate Moore, who wrestles collegiately at Northern Colorado, began his day in the quarterfinals after his opponent from Sierra Leone was announced as a forfeit after weigh ins. In the quarters, he dropped a 12-2 match to Germany’s Idris Ibaev. Moore will need Ibaev to make the finals after tonight’s semifinal session for a chance to wrestle back for bronze.
Alston Nutter, a 2019 Junior World bronze medalist, dropped his opening-round match to Joni Khetsuriani of Georgia. Khetsuriani, a 2015 Cadet World silver medalist, wasted no time, scoring on two throws in the first 15 seconds of the match to go up, 6-0. He ultimately wrapped up a 9-0 first-period win to advance.
Nutter needs Khetsuriani to win his semifinal match against his opponent from Iran to be pulled back into the tournament.
At 60 kg, Dylan Gregerson was defeated by Iran’s Mehdi Mohsen Nejad, 8-0. Mohsen Nejad, a two-time U23 World bronze medalist, scored quickly on a four-point throw and then used a takedown and a turn to wrap up the win. Gregerson needs Mohsen Mejad to win his semifinal match tonight to be pulled back into the tournament.
Tommy Brackett lost his opening match at 82 kg to Mukhammadkodir Rasulov of Uzbekistan. Brackett had a lead on criteria at the break, but Rasulov took advantage of a passivity call against Brackett, turning him twice to open up a 6-1 lead and ultimately win an 8-3 match. Rasulov lost in the quarterfinals, officially eliminating Brackett from the competition.
Tonight’s semifinals, where Team USA will learn their repechage fates, will take place at 4:45 local time in Belgrade, which is five hours ahead of U.S. eastern time.
As a reminder to U.S. fans, Taylor Lamont (55 kg) will wrestle for a bronze medal later tonight. The medal match session will begin at 6:00 p.m. local time.
U23 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Belgrade, Serbia November 2
Greco-Roman semifinal pairings
60 kg
Mehdi Mohsen Nejad (Iran) vs. Pridon Abuladze (Georgia)
Kerem Kamal (Turkey) vs. Anvar Allakhiarov (Russia)
67 kg
Kadir Kamal (Turkey) vs. Hasrat Jafarov (Azerbaijan)
Mohammad Saadat Rezaei (Iran) vs. Joni Khetsuriani (Georgia)
72 kg
Idris Ibaev (Germany) vs. Shant Khachatryan (Armenia)
Ulvi Ganizade (Azerbaijan) vs. Sergei Kutuzov (Russia)
82 kg
Moric Kismoni (Hungary) vs. Ramon Betschart (Switzerland)
Mohammad Naghousi (Iran) vs. Aivengo Rikadze (Georgia)
97 kg
Artur Sargsian (Russia) vs. Markus Ragginger (Austria)
Robert Ersek (Hungary) vs. Pavel Hlinchuk (Belarus)
U.S. Greco-Roman Group One results
60kg: Dylan Gregerson (Bluffdale, Utah/Brunson UVRTC)
LOSS Mehdi Mohsen Nejad (Iran), 8-0
67kg: Alston Nutter (Fennimore, Wisc./Sunkist Kids WC)
LOSS Joni Khetsuriani (Georgia), 9-0
72kg: Nate Moore (Buckley, Wash./Northern Colorado WC)
WIN Sheku Kassegbama (Sierra Leone), forfeit
LOSS Idris Ibaev (Germany), 12-2
82kg: Tommy Brackett (Eads, Tenn./Gator Wrestling Club)
LOSS Mukhammadkodir Rasulov (Uzbekistan), 8-3
97kg: Nicholas Boykin (Murrfreesboro, Tenn./Sunkist Kids)
WIN Gerard Kurniczak (Poland), 8-3
LOSS Artur Sargsian (Russia), 11-0