Beka Melelashvili named USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week presented by U.S. Air Force Special Warfare

Beka Melelashvili (Philadelphia, Pa./New York AC) has been named USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week, presented by U.S. Air Force Special Warfare, on October 23, 2024.

On Monday, it was an evening for the history books at Tirana’s Feti Borova Sports Hall for the U.S. Greco-Roman program. Beka Melelashvili etched his name in Team USA history by winning his 82 kg semifinal, becoming the first American to clinch a Greco-Roman medal in the history of the U23 World Championships, an event that dates back to 2017.

Melelashvili posted a 3-0 record during the Monday morning session, and carried this momentum into a 3-3 criteria decision over Elmin Aliyev of Azerbaijan in the semifinals.

Aliyev initially took a 3-0 lead by countering a Melelashvili front headlock attempt and adding a passivity point. Melelashvili made a remarkable comeback in the second period, scoring on a passivity point and converting a gut wrench. The sequence was initially scored as no points for Melelashvili, but a successful U.S. challenge reversed the call, and he secured his place in the gold medal match.

Melelashvili, who earned a fifth-place finish at this event in 2022 while competing for Georgia, faced Mohammad Naghousi of Iran in the finals on Tuesday. Naghousi is a three-time age-group World medalist and past U20 World Champion.

The finals match between Melelashvili and Naghousi was decided by just one point. In the first period, Naghousi took an early 3-0 lead with a passivity point and a correct throw without exposure. Melelashvili responded in the second period with a passivity point of his own. Both wrestlers then exchanged two-point moves from par terre. In the final minute, Naghousi’s strong defense secured a 4-3 victory.

Prior to Melelashvili’s groundbreaking performance, the highest Greco-Roman finish by an American at the U23 World Championships was Taylor LaMont’s fifth-place finish at 55 kg in 2021. LaMont was the only American to have ever wrestled in a Greco-Roman semifinal or medal match at this event before Melelashvili’s run.

Melelashvili’s silver medal at 82 kg made him the lone U.S. Greco-Roman medalist in Albania. This achievement not only marked the first time an American had medaled at the U23 World Championships but also highlighted the best Greco-Roman performance for Team USA at the U23 World Championships to date as the team finished 10^th overall in the team standings.

To nominate a wrestler for this honor please email the athlete's name, wrestling program, weekly accomplishments, and career accolades to communications@usawrestling.org.