Steve Mocco (Iowa City, Iowa/New York AC) has been named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for Jan. 20-26.
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by Craig Sesker
Each week, TheMat.com will select an Athlete of the Week, based upon performance within wrestling for that week. The selection committee will consider any level of wrestling, from youth programs through the Senior level.
Mocco, a 2008 Olympian, won a gold medal on Jan. 25 at the Ivan Yarygin Memorial Grand Prix in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Mocco won the freestyle title at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Mocco won four matches on the way to the gold medal. In the gold-medal finals, Mocco defeated Soslan Gagloev of Russia by injury default, when Gagloev could not compete.
Mocco opened the tournament with victories over Russians Tsibick Maksarov (2-0, 4-0) and Alan Dzampaev (3-2, 4-0). In the semifinals, Mocco defeated Ali Isaev of Azerbaijan, 4-0, 5-0. Isaev had upset 2008 Olympic silver medalist Bakhtiar Akhmedov of Russia in the quarterfinals.
Mocco becomes only the 10th U.S. wrestler to claim a gold medal in this tournament in the 20 years that the United States has been attending.
Note: To nominate a wrestler for TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week, send the athlete's name, accomplishments for the week and career accomplishments to Craig Sesker at csesker@usawrestling.org
Mocco, a 2008 Olympian, won a gold medal on Jan. 25 at the Ivan Yarygin Memorial Grand Prix in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Mocco won the freestyle title at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Mocco won four matches on the way to the gold medal. In the gold-medal finals, Mocco defeated Soslan Gagloev of Russia by injury default, when Gagloev could not compete.
Mocco opened the tournament with victories over Russians Tsibick Maksarov (2-0, 4-0) and Alan Dzampaev (3-2, 4-0). In the semifinals, Mocco defeated Ali Isaev of Azerbaijan, 4-0, 5-0. Isaev had upset 2008 Olympic silver medalist Bakhtiar Akhmedov of Russia in the quarterfinals.
Mocco becomes only the 10th U.S. wrestler to claim a gold medal in this tournament in the 20 years that the United States has been attending.
Note: To nominate a wrestler for TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week, send the athlete's name, accomplishments for the week and career accomplishments to Craig Sesker at csesker@usawrestling.org
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