Six U.S. champions on first day of freestyle Veterans World Championships

2016 Veterans World champion Antonio Peraza in action. Photo: Robbert Wijtman, CSC Photography.

WALBRZYCH, Poland – The U.S. reigned in a score of medals on the first day of the freestyle Veterans World Championships with six Americans winning gold, one taking silver and three earning bronze.

Gold medalists for the U.S. on Friday were: Octavius Bellamy (Div. B, 97 kg), Keith Stagg (Div. E, 63 kg), Bruce Moe (Div. E, 76 kg), John Hanrahan (Div. E, 85 kg), Craig Johnson (Div. F, 69 kg) and Antonio Peraza (Div. F, 85 kg).

Peraza earned his second-straight freestyle World title at the Veterans World Championships with a dominating four-win performance at 85 kg in Div. F. He picked up two falls, a technical fall and win by decision in a four-man round-robin.

“I want to thank my team mate and wrestling buddy Paul Bazony who works out with me even injured. That’s what wrestling is all about. I pulled off 19 pounds to be here, worked hard twice a day, 6 times a week. I’m so proud,” Peraza said.

Now medaling at his eighth Veterans Worlds, Moe finally has his gold. The Hillsboro, N.D. native won three matches, including a 9-5 decision over Ibragim Ibragimov of Russia in the finals, to grab the gold medal. He won silver at the Greco-Roman Veterans Worlds two weeks ago in Finland.

“After four bronzes and three silvers, I got my first gold and it feels really good. It is great to be here with all my teammates no matter where it is at, it is always good,” Moe stated.

Stagg was a silver medalist at this event last year, and took a step up on the podium to cement himself as a Veterans World champion. He defeated South Africa’s Hendrik Jakobus Bekker in the championship bout by a 7-6 tally.

Bellamy impressed with three wins in the Div. B 97 kg bracket with three wins over international opponents. He scored a fall over Stefan Georgiev of Bulgaria in the gold medal match.

It was a four-win day for Div. E 85 kg champion Hanrahan, who dominated a five-man round-robin to win his World title.

Johnson defeated Poland’s Edward Maselko, 9-4, in his only bout of the day to claim the Div. F 69 kg crown.

Taking the only silver medal on the day for the U.S. was Hedj Nelson in the Div. E 69 kg weight class. It is the second-consecutive silver medal for Nelson at this event.

2013 Veterans World champion Jason Goldman, 2015 Veterans World bronze medalist Kevin Hejnal and Edward Paladino all secured bronze medals for the U.S. on Friday.

In total, the U.S. won 10 medals on the first day of action in Poland with two days of competition remaining.

The freestyle Veterans World Championships will resume on Saturday at 4 a.m. (ET) with action in the Div. C and Div. D brackets.

Complete results and a live stream of the Veterans World Championships is being provided by United World Wrestling at www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

2016 VETERANS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Oct. 7-9 in Walbrzych, Poland

Final Results
Div. B
58 kg/127.8 lbs.
Gold – Semen Sorkomov (Russia)
Silver – Batnasan Tumurbat (Mongolia)
Bronze – Jason Goldman (United States)

63 kg/138.8 lbs.
Gold – Martun Arutiunian (Russia)
Silver – Sascha Pfeifer (Germany)
Bronze – Edward Paladino (United States)
Bronze – Rafal Kielpinski (Poland)

69 kg/152 lbs.
Gold – Katsuyoshi Ito (Japan)
Silver – Urij Makarov (Germany)
Bronze – Baatar Nyamjav (Mongolia)
Bronze – Sergei Parai (France)

76 kg/167.5 lbs.
Gold – Abdulmuttalip Melek (Turkey)
Silver – Jacques Rossouw (South Africa)
Bronze – Sergiu Cojuhari (Moldova)
Bronze – Ertan Uysal (Turkey)

85 kg/187.4 lbs.
Gold – Kadir Girdoglu (Turkey)
Silver – Tudor Eni (Moldova)
Bronze – Enkhtsogt Narangerel (Mongolia)
Bronze – Ganbat Dorjgotov (Mongolia)

97 kg/213.8 lbs.
Gold – Octavius Bellamy (United States)
Silver – Stefan Georgiev (Bulgaria)
Bronze – Nazmi Kahveciler (Turkey)
Bronze – Jaroslaw Czerczak (Poland)

130 kg/286.6 lbs.
Gold – Aydin Halimoglu (Turkey)
Silver – Andrei Dzemchanka (Belarus)
Bronze – Bayanmunkh Shura (Mongolia)

Div. E
58 kg/127.8 lbs.
Gold – Muhlis Kazimoglu (Turkey)
Silver – Tulegen Bertayev (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Dmitrii Chagaan (Russia)

63 kg/138.8 lbs.
Gold – Keith Stagg (United States)
Silver – Hendrik Bekker (South Africa)
Bronze – Valentin Konstantinov (Russia)
Bronze – Stepan Nikiforov (Russia)

69 kg/152 lbs.
Gold – Zakiy Bikbulatov (Russia)
Silver – Hedj Nelson (United States)
Bronze – Michael Gross (Germany)

76 kg/167.5 lbs.
Gold – Bruce Moe (United States)
Silver – Ibragim Ibragimov (Russia)
Bronze – Kevin Hejnal (United States)
Bronze – Daniel Rodriguez (Argentina)

85 kg/187.4 lbs.
Gold – John Hanrahan (United States)
Silver – Willem Putter (South Africa)
Bronze – Michael Bulgrin (Germany)

97 kg/213.8 lbs.
Gold – Victor Graur (Italy)
Silver – Lkhagvasuren Jadambaa (Mongolia)
Bronze – Miroslaw Wieczorkiewicz (Poland)

130 kg/286.6 lbs.
Gold – Zurab Kasradze (Russia)
Silver – Istvan Foeldesi (Hungary)
Bronze – Attila Szabo (Romania)
Bronze – Pietro Bortolu (Italy)

Div. F
58 kg/127.8 lbs.
Gold – Vasilii Alekseev (Russia)
Silver – Mihaly Marta (Hungary)
Bronze – Wladyslaw Olejnik (Poland)
Bronze – Basylbek Mamytbekov (Kyrgyzstan)

63 kg/138.8 lbs.
Gold – Efrem Efremov (Russia)
Silver – Anatoli Kara-Sal (Russia)
Bronze – Ismail Kosukoglu (Turkey)
Bronze – Sergei Maltsev (Russia)

69 kg/152 lbs.
Gold – Craig Johnson (United States)
Silver – Edward Maselko (Poland)

76 kg/167.5 lbs.
Gold – Ehrhard Pocher (Germany)
Silver – Bernd Radestock (Germany)
Bronze – Nikolai Grigorev (Russia)
Bronze – Musa Dadberov (Russia)

85 kg/187.4 lbs.
Gold – Antonia Peraza (United States)
Silver – Nasanjargal Ulziibayar (Mongolia)
Bronze – Anatoliy Veklich (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Ferenc Szaraz (Hungary)

97 kg/213.8 lbs.
Gold – Reginald Holder (South Africa)
Silver – Vladimirs Golubevs (Latvia)
Bronze – Zdzislaw Brzozowski (Poland)

130 kg/286.6 lbs.
Gold – Omar Janargaiyev (Kazakhstan)
Silver – Janusz Zurawski (Poland)

U.S. Men’s Freestyle Results
Div. B
58 kg/127.8 lbs. – Jason Goldman, Endicott, N.Y., Bronze
WIN Makoto Kakizaki (Japan), 12-2
WIN Ersin Basar (Turkey), 10-5
LOSS Semen Sorkomov (Russia), 5-2
LOSS Batnasan Tumurbat (Mongolia), 4-2

63 kg/138.8 lbs. – Pete Benedix, International Falls, Minn. 
LOSS Sascha Pfeifer (Germany), 7-0
LOSS Rafal Jan Kielpinski (Poland), 10-0

63 kg/138.8 lbs. – Edward Paladino, Alpharetta, Ga., Bronze
LOSS Martun Arutiunian (Russia), 4-3

69 kg/152 lbs. – Marc Tadelman, Deerfield, Ill. 
LOSS Sergei Parai (France), 11-0

97 kg/213.8 lbs. – Octavius Bellamy, Bolingbrook, Ill., Gold
WIN Steffen Baumann (Germany), 10-0
WIN Nazmi Kahveciler (Turkey), 4-1
WIN Stefan Georgiev (Bulgaria), Fall

Div. E
63 kg/138.8 lbs. – Keith Stagg, Township of Washington, N.J., Gold
WIN Stepan Nikiforov (Russia), DQ
WIN Hendrik Jakobus Bekker (South Africa), 7-6

69 kg/152 lbs. – Hedj Nelson, Kettle Falls, Wash., Silver
WIN Michael Gross (Germany), 2-0
LOSS Zakiy Bikbulatov (Russia), 3-1
WIN Baasanchuluun Sodnomdarjaa (Mongolia), 12-0

76 kg/167.5 lbs. – Kevin Hejnal, Modesto, Calif., Bronze
LOSS Bruce Moe (United States), 8-2
WIN Omer Ersoz (Turkey), 10-6

76 kg/167.5 lbs. – Bruce Moe, Hillsboro, N.D., Gold
WIN Kevin Hejnal (United States), 8-2
WIN Omer Ersoz (Turkey), 10-0
WIN Ibragim Ibragimov (Russia), 9-5

85 kg/187.4 lbs. – John Hanrahan, Alpharetta, Ga., Gold
WIN Ildar Schreiner (Germany), 4-0
WIN Istvan Jaszkai (Hungary), 8-0
WIN Michael Bulgrin (Germany), 13-0
WIN Willem Putter (South Africa), 2-0

130 kg/286.6 lbs. – Daniel Studenic, Alpharetta, Ga. 
WIN Abdulla Zabakov (Kazakhstan), 9-2
LOSS Zurab Kasradze (Russia), 6-0
LOSS Attila Szabo (Romania), 3-2

Div. F
63 kg/138.8 lbs. – Steve Barkman, Bloomsbury, N.J.
LOSS Efrem Efremov (Russia), Fall
LOSS Ismail Kosukoglu (Turkey), 3-0

69 kg/152 lbs. – Craig Johnson, Gold
WIN Edward Maselko (Poland), 9-4

76 kg/167.5 lbs. – Greg Archer, Terre Haute, Ind. 
LOSS Bernd Radestock (Germany), Fall
LOSS Musa Dadberov (Russia), Fall

85 kg/187.4 lbs. – Dean Barnard, Buford, Ga. 
LOSS Antonio Peraza (United States), Fall
WIN Herbert Saum (Germany), 2-1
LOSS Ferenc Szaraz (Hungary), Fall

85 kg/187.4 lbs. – Peter Haag, Chicago, Ill. 
LOSS Ferenc Szaraz (Hungary), 4-2

85 kg/187.4 lbs. – Antonio Peraza, Gold
WIN Herbert Saum (Germany), 10-0
WIN Dean Barnard (United States), Fall
WIN Ferenc Szaraz (Hungary), Fall
WIN Nasanjargal Ulziibayar (Mongolia), 7-3

97 kg/213.8 lbs. – Steve Contarino
LOSS Zdzislaw Brzozowski (Poland), 13-3
LOSS Vladimirs Golubevs (Latvia), Fall
WIN Reginald Holder (South Africa), 4-1