Friday Session I Blog: Rau, Hafizov possible for repechage, Smith eliminated, Bey lost second repechage

The USA is done competing on Friday. Still possible for repechage are Ildar Hafizov (60 kg) and Josef Rau (97 kg). Pat Smith is eliminated. Kamal Bey lost his second repechage match and is also out.

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97 kg

Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia) tech fall Artur Omarov (Czechia), 9-0 1:57

Mindaugas Venckaitis (Lithuania) tech fall Mihail Kajaia (Serbia), 8-0 2:13

Gabriel Rosillo Kindelan (Cuba) dec. Abubakar Khaslakhanau (Individual Neutral Athletes), 8-5

Mohammadhadi Saravi (Iran) dec. Felix Baldauf (Norway), 4-1

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When Olympic and World champion Artur Aleksanyan of Armenia won his quarterfinal by technical fall, Joe Rau (USA) remains eligible for repechage.

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60 kg

Gevorg Gharibyan (Armenia) dec. Nihat Zahid mammadli (Azerbaijan), 3-1

Fumita Kenichiro (Japan) dec. Liguo Cao (China), 3-1

Mehdi Mohsen Nejad (Iran) dec. Christopher Josef kraemer (Germany), 7-0

Zholaman Sharshenbekov (Kyrgyzstan) tech fall Islomjon Bakhramov (Uzbekistan), 10-0 3:47

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When Mehdi Mohsen Nejad (IRI) won his quarterfinal, that means Ildar Hafizov is still a possibilty for repechage. Mohsen Nejad must win his semifinal bour tonight to pull Hafizov back to repechage.

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72 kg semifinals

Selcuk Can (Turkey) dec. Michael Widmayer (Germany), 4-1

Ibrahim Ghanem (France) tech fall Ibragim Magomadov (Kazakhstan), 10-0 4:20

Robert Fritsch (Hungary) pin Ali Arsalan (Serbia), 5:47

Shingo Harada (Japan) dec. Ulvi Ganizade (Azerbaijan), 6-4

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When Ibragim Magomadov (Kazakhstan) was defeated in the 72 kg quarterfinals by Ibrahim Ghanem of France, 10-0, Pat Smith (USA) was eliminated – not eligible for repechage.

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Quarterfinals starting now. We have three guys who are still possible for repechage from Group Two, Ildar Hafizov (60 kg), Pat Smith (72 kg) and Joe Rau (97 kg). Will update on each of their situations.

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GR 97 kg 1/8 final – Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia) tech. fall Josef Rau (USA), 9-0

Rau hit with passivity, 1-0 for Aleksanyan. Aleksanyan gets four gut wrenches to secure a 9-0 technical fall over Rau.

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GR 72 kg 1/8 final – Ibragim Magomadov (Kazakhstan) dec. Patrick Smith (USA), 5-1

Magamadov hit with passivity, 1-0. We go to the break with Smith leading, 1-0. Smith hit with passivity, 1-1 with Magamadov holding criteria. Magamadov gets two gut wrenches to lead 5-1. Smith not able to score at end and Magamadov wins, 5-1

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GR 77 kg repechage – Alexandrin Gitu (Moldova) dec. Kamal Bey (USA), 3-3

Bey hit for passivity, 1-0 for Gitu. Kamal gets a step out to tie it at 1-1. Bey gets a step out to make it 2-1. Gutu takes down Bey late in the period, now leads 3-2 at the break. Gitu hit with passivity, 3-3, Gitu has criteria. No more scoring, Gitu wins 3-3 by criteria.

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Larry Slater

Joe Rau (USA) locks up Filip Smetko (Croatia) at World Championships. Larry Slater photo.

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GR 1/16 final – Josef Rau (USA) dec. Filip Smetko (Croatia), 4-1

Rau hit with passivity, 1-0. Big exxchange where Rau comes out on top, leading 4-1, with a caution against Smetko. Rau leads 4-1 at the break. No points scored in the second period. Rau wins, 4-1.

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GR 60 kg 1/16 final – Mehdi Mohsen Nejad (Iran) dec. Ildar Hafizov (USA), 7-0

Hafizov hit for passivity, 1-0. Nejad hit three gut wrenches for six more points to lead 7-0. We go to the break with Nejad winning 7-0. No points scored in second period. Nejad wins 7-0.

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Larry Slater

Pat Smith (USA) pins Kamil Czarnecki (Poland) at World Championships. Photo by Larry Slater.

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GR 72 kg preliminary – Patrick Smith (USA) pin Kamil Czarnecki (Poland), 4:08

Czarnecki gets an arm throw for four points and leads 4-0. Smith hit for passivity, 5-0. Czarnecki gets a gut wrench turn for 7-0 lead. Smith rebounds with takedown on edge, 7-2. We go to the break with Czarnecki up 7-2. Smith gets a step out from a double under hook, 7-3. Another double underhook to step out, 7-4. Add a caution and one also, 7-5. Smith tosses Czarnecki to his back and quickly gets the pin at 4:08

Larry Slater

Kamal Bey (USA) overpowers Jonni Sarkinen (FIN) at Worlds. Larry Slater photo.

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Kamal Bey will face Alexandrin Gitu (Moldova) in his next repechage match. Bey needs three repechage wins to get to a medal bout.

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GR 77 kg repechage – Kamal Bey (USA) dec. Jonni Sarkinen (Finland), 7-3

Bey forces a step out to lead 1-0. Sarkinen hit for passivity, 2-0. We go to the break with Bey leading 2-0. Sarkinen gets a takedown to lead 2-2, and takes over criteria. Bey hit for passivity, 3-2 for Sarkinen. Bey powers forward and forces a takedown with 33 seconds left, 4-3 for Bey. Sarkinen tries a throw, and Bey gets a counter takedown, 6-3. Finland challenges but denied, 7-3. Sarkinen unable to score, so Bey wins 7-3.

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#WrestleBelgrade

U.S. Greco-Roman mat assignments

Mat A

Bout 1 GR 77 kg repechage – Kamal Bey (USA) v Jonni Sarkinen (Finland)

Mat B

Bout 9 GR 60 kg 1/16 final – Ildar Hafizov (USA) v Mehdi Mohsen Nejad (Iran)

Mat C

Bout 5 GR 72 kg preliminary – Patrick Smith (USA) v Kamil Czarnecki (Poland)

Bout 13 GR 1/16 final – Josef Rau (USA) v Filip Smetko (Croatia)

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Three more U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers from Group Two get started on Friday, two-time Olympian Ildar Hafizov and past Senior World Team members Patrick Smith (72 kg) and Josef Rau (97 kg).

Hafizov is in his fourth Senior Worlds for Team USA, in addition to his 2020 Olympic appearance. Before emigrating to the USA, Hafizov also competed on Olympic and World Teams for Uzbekistan. Smith is on his fourth U.S. Senior World Team, which Rau is competing in the Senior Worlds for the third time. All three of these veteran U.S. stars are seeking their first Senior World medal.

Kamal Bey (77 kg) is the lone U.S. wrestler from Group One to advance to the repechage. He will have a serious climb to reach a medal match, needing to win three repechage matches in this session in order to reach a World bronze medal match this evening. Kamal is in an Olympic weight class, so if he reaches that bronze bout, he has a chance to qualify the USA for the Paris Olympics if he is in the top five when it is all over.

The USA won three Greco-Roman matches on Thursday. What will the win total be for Team USA in Greco-Roman on Friday?

Session I starts at 10:30 a.m. local time, which is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time (4:30 a.m.).

Enjoy the action live on FloWrestling at https://flosports.link/42Kg0JY