Seven Greco-Roman athletes to compete at Druskininkai Cup in Lithuania, August 17-18

A group of seven Greco-Roman athletes are slated to compete at the Druskininkai Cup in Druskininkai, Lithuania, this weekend. The two-day tournament will see almost 100 athletes from 14 countries on the mat on Saturday and Sunday.

This tournament will be for age-group athletes, including U20 and U23 athletes from the United States. Senior National Team member Max Black (60 kg) aims to gain more international experience prior to the U23 World Championships in October, held in Tirana, Albania.

Black, a two-time U20 World Team member, accepted a spot on the 2024 U23 World Team following a third-place finish at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in April. The Colorado native recently took bronze at the 2024 Thor Masters Senior tournament in March.

Six athletes in the group are also set to compete at the U23 World Championships later this fall. 55 kg: Billy Sullivan (55 kg), Jonathan Gurule (63 kg), Robert Perez (67 kg) Justus Scott (72 kg) and Beka Melelashvili (82 kg) will compete in Lithuania.

Sullivan, Gurule, Perez and Scott enter with past age-group World Team experience. Melelashvili, who joined the group as a transfer from Georgia earlier this year, competed at the U23 Pan American Championships in Colombia this summer, securing a silver medal. In 2022, Melelashvili competed at the Druskininkai Cup for Georgia and won a silver medal.

Past age-group World Team member Michael Altomer competes at 87 kg this weekend. Altomer placed eighth at this tournament last year, and has since earned gold at the 2023 U20 Pan American Championships and silver at the 2024 U23 Pan American Championships.

After the competition, the athletes will stay at the resort, where they will spend ten days in a wrestling training camp.

The competition will be held at the LSC sports complex "Druskininkai". Action begins on Saturday, August 17. Live stream details are available below, and results will be posted on TheMat.com.

Mat A Live Stream:  https://youtube.com/live/r5yhDS7ygBM?feature=share

Mat B Live Stream: https://youtube.com/live/C-SJsRVpfn4?feature=share

U.S. Greco-Roman Roster

55 kg: Billy Sullivan (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP)

60 kg: Max Black (Castle Rock, Colo./NMU-National Training Center)

63 kg: Jonathan Gurule (Peralta, N.M./NMU-National Training Center)

67 kg: Robert Perez III (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids WC)

72 kg: Justus Scott (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP)

82 kg: Beka Melelashvili (Philadelphia, Pa./New York AC)

87 kg: Michael Altomer (Stuyvesant, N.Y./ Curby 3 Style WC)

Coach: Ike Anderson, Colorado Springs, Colo.

*all time listed local to Druskininkai, Lithuania, seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time

Saturday, August 17

10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. -  Preliminary rounds

4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - Preliminary rounds

Sunday, August 18

10:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - Consolation rounds and finals