Jacobson, Black lead U.S. Greco-Roman team at U23 World Championships

A strong Greco-Roman group comprised of five past age-group U.S. World Team members, including one 2024 Paris Olympian, is primed to compete at the 2024 U23 World Championships, October 21-27 in Tirana, Albania.

The Greco-Roman portion of the event will be held on the first three days of action at Sports Hall “Feti Borova” in Tirana. Athletes in the first five Greco-Roman weight classes (60 kg, 67 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg and 97 kg) begin their tournaments on October 21, with the second wave of weights (55 kg, 63 kg, 77 kg, 87 kg and 130 kg) kicking off on October 22. Each bracket will be contested over a two-day stretch, running through semifinals on day one, followed by repechage and medal matches on day two.

Payton Jacobson, a 2024 Paris Olympian, elected to compete at the 2024 U23 World Championships. This will be Jacobson’s third age-group World Championship tournament, after he placed eighth at the 2022 U20 World Championships and ninth at the 2023 U23 World Championships. The Elkhorn, Wisconsin, native has had a strong 2024 season, winning the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at 87 kg in April, and is coming off of a bronze medal finish at the Valamar Cup in September. Jacobson is looking to continue his streak of success in Tirana.

At 60 kg, Senior National Team member Max Black also accepted the spot on the U23 World Team. Black finished third at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, and will compete in his third age-group World Championships. Previously, Black competed at the U20 World Championships in 2022 and 2023. He has picked up bronze in two international tournaments at the Senior level this year, and is looking to break through for his first World medal.

Three standout athletes, Robert Perez III, Justus Scott, and Wyatt Voelker are set to make their return to the World stage. Perez and Scott competed at last year’s championships, finishing 11th and 17th, respectively, while Voelker showcased his skills at the 2023 U20 World Championships, securing a fifth-place finish. Perez boasts an impressive international record with two age-group Pan American Championships medals in Greco-Roman and one in freestyle. Scott has clinched gold at both the Senior and U23 Pan American Championships. Voelker claimed gold at the 2023 U20 Pan American Championships, presenting his potential for success on the global stage.

At 55 kg, Billy Sullivan will compete in his second World Championships. In 2021, Sullivan placed fifth at the Junior World Championships. Earlier this year, he competed in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at 60 kg. Sullivan is a two-time age-group Pan American Championships bronze medalist. In September, Sullivan secured silver at the Valamar Cup.

Beka Melelashvili’s 2024 season includes a bronze medal at the Valamar Cup and a silver at the U23 Pan American Championships. His third-place finish at the Senior World Team Trials and a silver at the Druskininkai Cup highlight his competitive edge. This will be Melelashvili’s first World Championships competing for the United States after transferring from Georgia. In 2022, Melelashvili placed fifth at the U23 World Championships and eleventh at the U20 European Championships.

Hunter Garvin, set to compete at 77 kg, had a tremendous outing at the U23 Nationals in Geneva, Ohio, winning titles in both Greco-Roman and freestyle. At the U23 Pan American Championships in June, Garvin earned gold in freestyle. He earned NCAA All-America honors with a sixth place finish at the NCAA DI Championships for Stanford, showcasing consistency in folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman. This will be Garvin’s first international Greco-Roman outing.

KJ Miley has had an outstanding year. His breakout performances, particularly his gold at the U23 Pan American Championships, position him as a strong contender in Tirana. His fourth-place finish at the Last Chance OTT Qualifier further underscores his competitive edge.

Jonathan Gurule enters the 2024 U23 World Championships with a strong season behind him. He secured a fifth-place finish at the Druskinikai Cup and claimed the title at the U23 Nationals in Greco-Roman. Additionally, his fourth-place performance at the Last Chance OTT Qualifier highlights his readiness for the world stage.

In 2023, the United States placed 14^th with a total of 24 team points in Greco-Roman at the U23 World Championships.

The U23 World Championships will be live streamed on FloWrestling to the U.S. market. Brackets and updated results will be provided by United World Wrestling on uww.org and the UWW mobile app.

Those seeking to follow along in real time can reference the complete event schedule below. Tirana, Albania, is in the GMT +2 time zone, which is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time. USA Wrestling will provide regular updates on TheMat.com and its social media platforms throughout the event.

At Tirana, Albania, October 21-27

· U.S. Greco-Roman athlete bios

· Event entry list provided by UWW

· Live stream on FloWrestling.com

· Event website on UWW.org

Event Schedule

Monday, October 21

10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (Greco-Roman 60 kg, 67 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg and 97 kg)

6 p.m. – Semifinals (Greco-Roman 60 kg, 67 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg and 97 kg)

Tuesday, October 22

10:30 a.m. – Repechage (Greco-Roman 60 kg, 67 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg and 97 kg) and Qualification Rounds (Greco-Roman 55 kg, 63 kg, 77 kg, 87 kg and 130 kg)

4:45 p.m. – Semifinals (Greco-Roman 55 kg, 63 kg, 77 kg, 87 kg and 130 kg)

6 p.m. – Finals (Greco-Roman 60 kg, 67 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg and 97 kg)

Wednesday, October 23

10:30 a.m. – Repechage (Greco-Roman 55 kg, 63 kg, 77 kg, 87 kg and 130 kg) and Qualification Rounds (Women’s freestyle 50 kg, 55 kg, 59 kg, 68 kg and 76 kg)

4:45 p.m. – Semifinals (Women’s freestyle 50 kg, 55 kg, 59 kg, 68 kg and 76 kg)

6 p.m. – Finals (Greco-Roman 55 kg, 63 kg, 77 kg, 87 kg and 130 kg)

Thursday, October 24

10:30 a.m. – Repechage (Women’s freestyle 50 kg, 55 kg, 59 kg, 68 kg and 76 kg) and Qualification Rounds (Women’s freestyle 53 kg, 57 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, and 72 kg)

4:45 p.m. – Semifinals (Women’s freestyle 53 kg, 57 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, and 72 kg)

6 p.m. – Finals (Women’s freestyle 50 kg, 55 kg, 59 kg, 68 kg and 76 kg)

Friday, October 25

10:30 a.m. – Repechage (Women’s freestyle 53 kg, 57 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, and 72 kg) and Qualification Rounds (Men’s freestyle 61 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg, 92 kg and 125 kg)

4:45 p.m. – Semifinals (Men’s freestyle 61 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg, 92 kg and 125 kg)

6 p.m. – Finals (Women’s freestyle 53 kg, 57 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, and 72 kg)

Saturday, October 26

10:30 a.m. – Repechage (Men’s freestyle 61 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg, 92 kg and 125 kg) and Qualification Rounds (Men’s freestyle 57 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 79 kg and 97 kg)

4:45 p.m. – Semifinals (Men’s freestyle 57 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 79 kg and 97 kg)

6 p.m. – Finals (Men’s freestyle 61 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg, 92 kg and 125 kg)

Sunday, October 27

4 p.m. – Repechage (Men’s freestyle 57 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 79 kg and 97 kg)

6 p.m. – Finals (Men’s freestyle 57 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 79 kg and 97 kg)

*Listed times reflect local time in Tirana, Albania, which is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time

U.S. Greco-Roman Roster

55 kg – Billy Sullivan (Las Vegas, Nev./Army WCAP)

60 kg – Max Black (Castle Rock, Colorado/ 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)

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

77 kg – Hunter Garvin (North Liberty, Iowa/California RTC (CA RTC))

82 kg – Beka Melelashvili (Philadelphia, Pa./Conestoga Youth Wrestling)

87 kg – Payton Jacobson (Elkhorn, Wis./Sunkist Kids)

97 kg – Wyatt Voelker (Manchester, Iowa/Panther Wrestling Club RTC)

130 kg – KJ Miley (Little Rock, Ark./Arkansas RTC)

U.S. Greco-Roman Delegation

National Team Coach – Herb House

USA Wrestling Assigned Coach – Ike Anderson

USA Wrestling Assigned Coach – Cody Bickley

Personal Coach – Andy Bisek

Personal Coach – Ildar Hafizov

Personal Coach – Javier Maldonado

Personal Coach – Sean Gray

Personal Coach – Doug Schwab

Personal Coach – Tarieli Melelashvili

ATC – Randy Boswell

ATC – Elizabeth Del Re

DO – Andrew Peterson

Official – Jason Babi

Official – Brock Zollinger

Official – Nick Mancini

Team Leader – Meredith Suess

USA Wrestling, President – Bruce Baumgartner

USA Wrestling, Executive Director – Richard Bender

USA Wrestling, Sr. Manager, Communications – Richard Immel