LaMont, Hancock make Greco-Roman bronze medal matches at Junior World Championships

Taylor LaMont (USA) at the 2016 Junior World Championships. Photo: Justin Hoch, JHoch.com.

VIDEO: Athlete and coach interviews from the Junior World Championships


MACON, France – The U.S. Greco-Roman squad got off to a hot start at the 2016 Junior World Championships culminating with Taylor LaMont and G’Angelo Hancock securing places in bronze medal bouts.


Both LaMont and Hancock navigated to the semifinals before falling to quality opponents in tight fashion.


LaMont, a four time USAW Cadet and Junior Nationals champion, dropped his 60 kg/132 lbs. semifinal match to 2013 Cadet World champion Etienne Kinsinger of Germany, 2-1. The only points scored in the bout came off passivity calls.


The Utah native will face 2015 Cadet World champion Oleksandr Hrushyn of Ukraine for the bronze medal tonight. LaMont was a member of three Cadet World Team’s and finished in fifth place at the Cadet World Championships last year.


It was a back and forth affair in the 96 kg/211.5 lbs. semifinal for the up and coming U.S. star Hancock. Trailing Georgia’s Junior European silver medalist Giorgi Melia 8-7 at the start of the second period Hancock was hit in a four-point headlock and was unable to make up the difference. Melia emerged the winner by a 12-8 tally.


Hancock is set to wrestle Yuta Nara of Japan for the bronze medal. This year Hancock finished in third place at both the U.S. Olympic Team Trials and U.S. Open on the senior level at 98 kg.


“We had some big wins and two guys going for medals today. The guys wrestled hard. They fought hard. They’re a very talented group of young men that are excited to come out here and compete hard,” said U.S. Greco-Roman coach Matt Lindland.


The electric U.S. youngster Kamal Bey exploded for two technical fall wins to open his tournament at 74 kg/163 lbs. In the quarterfinals Bey was stopped by 2016 Junior European champion and two-time Junior World bronze medalist Zoltan Levai of Hungary, 10-2.


“I feel I wrestled a little undisciplined that last match,” Bey said following his quarterfinal loss. “The Hungarian was bigger than me. He out-pummeled me in a couple positions, and it kind of came close to the end there I got a little wild and stuff. I’ve got to remember I come with bursts, five second bursts. You don’t want to tire yourself out.”


Lightweight Randon Miranda won his opening match by technical fall over Japan’s Hideto Yamaguchi before falling to eventual finalist Ilkhom Bahkromov of Uzbekistan, 9-0. After being pulled into the repechage Miranda was unable to clinch a spot in the bronze medal bout, losing to Mehdi Nejad of Iran, 8-0.


“I felt like I can hang with these guys. It’s just little things that are getting me caught. It is what it is, but next year I’ll be back, and I won’t be making the same mistakes next year,” said Miranda.


The finals session will begin in France at 1 p.m. (ET) with the opening ceremonies followed by medal matches at 1:30 p.m. (ET).


Flowrestling is providing a live stream of the Junior World Championships at flowrestling.org. Viewers must purchase a FloPro membership to watch the competition live.


For complete brackets and match-by-match results visit unitedworldwrestling.org.

2016 JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Aug. 30 – Sept. 4 in Macon, France

Finals Matchups

50 kg/110 lbs.

Gold – Ilkhom Bakhromov (Uzbekistan) vs. Vladislav Melnikov (Russia)

Bronze – Nugzari Tsurtsumia (Georgia) vs. Mehdi Nejad (Iran)

Bronze – Sergey Simonyan (Armenia) vs. Adilet Taalaibekov (Kyrgyzstan)

60 kg/132 lbs.

Gold – Etienne Kinsinger (Germany) vs. Kaly Sulaimanov (Kyrgyzstan)

Bronze – Taylor LaMont (United States) vs. Oleksandr Hrushyn (Ukraine)

Bronze – Mikayil Rahmanov (Azerbaijan) vs. Seydylla Tazayev (Turkmenistan)

74 kg/163 lbs.

Gold – Tamerlan Shadukayev (Kazakhstan) vs. George Mariea (Romania)

Bronze – Zoltan Levai (Hungary) vs. Abubakr Alimov (Uzbekistan)

Bronze – Akhmed Kaytsukov (Russia) vs. Serkan Akkoyun (Turkey)

96 kg/211.5 lbs.

Gold – Giorgi Melia (Georgia) vs. Bopembe Sychev (Belarus)

Bronze – G’Angelo Hancock (United States) vs. Yuta Nara (Japan)

Bronze – Kevin Baumann (Estonia) vs. Ruslan Bekuzarov (Russia)

U.S. Greco-Roman results

50 kg/110 lbs. – Randon Miranda, Palmdale, Calif. (NMU-OTS)

WIN Hideto Yamaguchi (Japan), 8-0

LOSS Ilkhom Bakhromov (Uzbekistan), 9-0

LOSS Mehdi Nejad (Iran), 8-0


60 kg/132 lbs. – Taylor LaMont, Mapleton, Utah (Champions WC)

WIN Madalin Bulgar (Romania), 8-4

WIN Ariles Adjaoud (France), 5-3

LOSS Etienne Kinsinger (Germany), 2-1


74 kg/163 lbs. – Kamal Bey, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Front Range WC)

WIN Ze Chen (China), 8-0

WIN Reuven Zimkind (Israel), 9-0

LOSS Zoltan Levai (Hungary), 10-2


96 kg/211.5 lbs. – G’Angelo Hancock, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Front Range WC)

WIN Ravi (India), 6-1

WIN Nizami Shamilov (Azerbaijan), Fall 2:09

LOSS Giorgi Melia (Georgia), 12-8