Eight Greco-Roman athletes to compete at Valamar Cup in Croatia

A strong team of eight Greco-Roman athletes will head to Poreč, Croatia, to compete at the Valamar Cup. Action begins on September 28 at 11 a.m. local time at the Sports Hall “Finida”. The athletes will stay in Poreč, Croatia, following the tournament for a training camp with many international Greco-Roman athletes.

A total of 41 countries will be competing at the event. The tournament features competition for Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle athletes.

Ildar Hafizov made the move to 63 kg for the Senior World Team Trials, where he navigated a tough bracket to earn one of four spots on the 2024 Senior World Team. Hafizov has impactful experience internationally, having competed at two Olympic Games and seven Senior World Teams between the United States and Uzbekistan.

In the 72 kg bracket, Benjamin Peak brings relevant experience, having been a member of both the Senior and U23 World Teams in 2022. As the Senior World Team Trials champion last weekend, Peak is preparing for the 2024 Senior World Championships in Tirana, Albania, at the end of October.

At 60 kg, Dalton Roberts, the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials champion, is expected to be a strong contender. Roberts’ recent success at the Olympic Trials has solidified his spot as one of the top wrestlers in his weight class in the United States.

Billy Sullivan, a 2024 U23 World Team member, is slated to compete at 55 kg. Sullivan is coming off of a strong performance at the 2024 Senior World Team Trials in Omaha, Nebraska, last weekend, and looks to prepare for the U23 World Championships in Tirana, Albania, next month.

Max Black, competing at 60 kg alongside Roberts, is another athlete to watch. As the runner-up to Hafizov at the Senior World Team Trials and a member of the Senior National Team, Black has proven his skill on the national stage. Like Sullivan, Black is preparing for the 2024 U23 World Championships in Tirana, Albania.

Beka Melelashvili, competing at 82 kg, is a member of the U23 World Team and recently participated in the Senior World Team Trials in Omaha, Nebraska. Melelashvili’s recent experience at the trials will be invaluable as he competes at the Valamar Cup, aiming to secure a top finish.

The 87 kg bracket will feature two top athletes in Payton Jacobson and Spencer Woods. Jacobson is a 2024 Paris Olympian and two-time age-group World Team member. Like Sullivan, Black and Melelashvili, Jacobson is set to compete at the U23 World Championships next month. Woods, a two-time Senior World Team member and 2024 Senior National Team member, looks to build on his international experience at the tournament in Croatia.

At Porec, Croatia, September 28

*Porec, Croatia, is six hours ahead of the U.S. Eastern time zone. All times are listed local to Porec, Croatia.

Saturday, September 28

11 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Qualification and Elimination rounds

4 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Opening ceremony

4:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. – Repechage and Final matches

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

60 kg: Dalton Roberts (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP)

63 kg: Ildar Hafizov (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP)

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

72 kg: Benjamin Peak (Elkhorn, Wis./Combat W.C. School of Wrestling)

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

87 kg: Payton Jacobson (Elkhorn, Wis./ NMU-National Training Center/Sunkist Kids WC)

87 kg: Spencer Woods (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP)

Coach: Herb House (Castle Rock, Colo.)

Coach: Shon Lewis (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

Official: Andrew Mullet (Metairie, La.)

Medical: Brooke Nania (Jeannette, Pa.)