Burroughs, Snyder among six receiving day one draws for Grand Prix of Germany

Jordan Burroughs leads the U.S. charge at Grand Prix of Germany this weekend. Photo: John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com.

DORTMUND, Germany – Six U.S. wrestlers have weighed in and received their draws for the 2016 Grand Prix of Germany to be held at Helmut-Körnig-Halle in Dortmund, Germany on Saturday.


Four members of the 2016 U.S. Men’s Freestyle Olympic Team are set for their final tune-up prior to competing Rio de Janeiro, Brazil next month.


Three-time World champion and Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids/Nebraska RTC) will see action for the first time since the Beat the Streets “United in the Square” exhibition in May. Competing at 74 kg/163 lbs., Burroughs will open against young German prospect Markus Knobel.


Also entered at 74 kg is 2014 World bronze medalist Bekzod Abdurakhomov of Uzbekistan who was a NCAA All-American at Clarion. Burroughs and Abdurakhmonov could potentially meet in the semifinals.


Coming off an undefeated performance at the Freestyle World Cup in Los Angeles, Calif., 2015 World champion Kyle Snyder (Woodbine, Md./Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) is set to face three-time Olympian Nicolai Ceban of Moldova in the first round at 97 kg/213 lbs. A potential semi-final against seven-time World and Olympic medalist Khetag Gazyumov of Azerbaijan looms for the youngest World champion in U.S. history.


Olympian Frank Molinaro (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) is less than one month removed from an undefeated Freestyle World Cup, his best international showing to date. He will do battle against Germany’s William Stier in his opener tomorrow. A Molinaro win his first two matches could set up a showdown against 2012 Olympic champion Togrul Asgarov of Azerbaijan in the 65 kg finals.


Surging Olympian J’den Cox (Columbia, Mo./Missouri WF) seeks to continue his winning ways in just the third international tournament of his young career tomorrow. Up first for the two-time NCAA champion is Kanat Berdiyev of Kazakhstan. Olympic champion Sharif Sharifov of Azerbaijan will await Cox in the quarterfinals at 86 kg/189 lbs. should they both win in round one.


Two U.S. Marines will take the mat in tomorrow’s Greco-Roman competition out in Dortmund.


Jayshon Wilson (Camp Lejeune, N.C./U.S. Marine Corps) is slated to face Khalil Rabbia of Palestine in the first round at 75 kg/165 lbs. Rabbia finished in fifth place at the 2015 Asian Championships.


After posting a bronze medal performance at the Grand Prix of Zagreb and a fifth place finish at the Grand Prix of Paris in January, Daniel Miller (Camp Lejeune, N.C./U.S. Marine Corps) will open with a stiff test in Dortmund against two-time World bronze medalist Cenk Ildem of Turkey.


A complete schedule, pairings, brackets and results for the Grand Prix of Germany can be found at http://www.gp-ringen-dortmund.de/cms/. Competition will begin at 9 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET) tomorrow. Information on a live stream has not been made available at this time.

GRAND PRIX OF GERMANY

July 2-3 at Dortmund, Germany

U.S. men’s freestyle draws for Saturday

65 kg/145.5 lbs. – Frank Molinaro, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)

Vs. William Stier (Germany)


74 kg/163 lbs. – Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska RTC)

Vs. Markus Knobel (Germany)


86 kg/189 lbs. – J’Den Cox, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri Wrestling Foundation)

Vs. Kanat Berdiyev (Kazakhstan)


97 kg/213 lbs. – Kyle Snyder, Woodbine, Md. (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC)

Vs. Nicolai Ceban (Moldova), Three-time Olympian (2008, 2012, 2016), 2012 University World silver medalist

U.S. Greco-Roman draws for Saturday

75 kg/165 lbs. – Jayshon Wilson, Camp Lejeune, N.C. (U.S. Marine Corps)

Vs. Khalil Rabbia (Palestine), 2015 Asian Championships fifth place


98 kg/215 lbs. – Daniel Miller, Camp Lejeune, N.C. (U.S. Marine Corps)

Vs. Cenk Ildem (Turkey), Two-time World bronze medalist, 2008 University World champion, two-time Olympian (2012, 2016)