Snyder, Parris to wrestle for gold, five to go for bronze in men’s freestyle at Zagreb Open Ranking Event in Croatia

ZAGREB, Croatia – The United States continued men’s freestyle action on Thursday, with two athletes advancing to the gold medal match. Five athletes are set to wrestle for bronze in the afternoon session at the 2025 Zagreb Open Ranking Event, the first ranking event of the year.

2016 Olympic champion and three-time World champion Kyle Snyder wasted no time with an 11-0 technical fall over 2022 U23 European bronze medalist Richard Vegh of Hungary in his opening match at 97 kg. In the semifinals, Snyder picked up a 10-0 win over Batyrbek Tsakulov of Slovakia. Snyder controlled the match from start to finish, scoring on two passivity points, five step outs and a lost challenge from Georgia’s corner.

In the gold medal match, Snyder matches up against Abolfazl Babaloo of Iran, a 2023 U20 World Champion. Babaloo defeated Jay Aiello in the semifinals to advance.

Mason Parris, a 2024 Olympian and 2023 Senior World bronze medalist, sees Amirreza Masoumi Valadi of Iran in the 125 kg finals. Masoumi Valadi is a six-time age-group World Champion.

Parris’ path to the gold medal match saw him defeat Americans Trent Hillger and Hayden Zillmer. The semifinal matchup between Zillmer and Parris was a rematch of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, in which Parris won in two matches, both 7-0 decisions.

Zillmer opened his tournament with a 17-6 technical fall over Nika Berulava of Georgia, and will face off against Hillger in the bronze medal match at 125 kg.

Jay Aiello, competing at 97 kg, won his first match of the day by injury default. Aiello fell in a close match to Babaloo of Iran, 6-5, in the semifinals. Babaloo took a 3-0 lead early, but Aiello cut the deficit to 3-2 before adding a point on a step out. A takedown and step out added three to the score for Babaloo, who took a 6-3 lead. A pair of step outs put Aiello down by just one point, but Babaloo held on for the 6-5 win.

Aiello will wrestle Andro Margishvili of Georgia for bronze, a 2022 U20 World silver medalist at 92 kg.

At 79 kg, Rocco Welsh defeated Evan Wick in a 6-2 decision to start of the day. With the score at 2-2, a four-point move from Welsh pushed him ahead 6-2, and he advanced to the semifinals.

In the semifinals, Welsh dropped a close match to Zelimkhan Khadjiev of France, 4-2. Welsh initially led 1-0 with a passivity point, but Khadjiev scored a takedown and a gut wrench, making it 4-1 by the break. Welsh forced Khadjiev out of bounds, narrowing the gap to 4-2. Welsh is set to wrestle 2022 U20 World bronze medalist Otari Adeishvili of Georgia for bronze later today.

Michael Macchiavello, competing at 92 kg, fell in his first match of the day to Amirhoussein Fiouzpourbandpei of Iran, 5-0. Fiouzpourbandpei advanced to the finals, pulling Macchiavello in to repechage where he dominated Zaur Beradze of Georgia, winning 12-4.

Macchiavello goes for bronze this afternoon against Adlan Viskhanov of France, a 2022 U20 World bronze medalist.

The action continues at noon EST with the men’s freestyle and women’s freestyle medal matches. For live updates, follow USA Wrestling on X and Threads. The tournament is streaming on FloWrestling, and the full schedule is below. Results and brackets are available on UWW Arena.

At Zagreb, Croatia, February 5-9, 2025

79 kg – Evan Wick (San Gabriel, Calif./Titan Mercury WC)

LOSS Rocco Welsh (USA), 6-2

79 kg – Rocco Welsh (Fredericktown, Pa./Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC), in bronze medal match

WIN Evan Wick (USA), 6-2

LOSS Zelimkhan Khadjiev (France), 4-2

Vs. Otari Adeishvili (Georgia)

92 kg – Michael Macchiavello (Northampton, Pa./Lehigh Valley WC/Titan Mercury WC), in bronze medal match

LOSS Amirhoussein Fiouzpourbandpei (Iran), 5-0

WIN Zaur Beradze (Georgia), 12-4

Vs. Adlan Viskhanov (France)

97 kg – Kyle Snyder (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC), in gold medal match

WIN Richard Vegh (Hungary), 11-0

WIN Batyrbek Tsakulov (Slovakia), 10-0

Vs. Abolfazl Babaloo (Iran)

97 kg – Jay Aiello (Centreville, Va./Penn RTC/Titan Mercury WC), in bronze medal match

WIN Merab Suleimanishvili (Georgia), forfeit

LOSS Abolfazl Babaloo (Iran), 6-5

Vs. Andro Margishvili (Georgia)

125 kg – Mason Parris (Lawrenceburg, Ind./Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC), in gold medal match

WIN Trent Hillger (USA), 13-2

WIN Hayden Zillmer (USA),

Vs. Amirreza Masoumi Valadi (Iran)

125 kg – Hayden Zillmer (Crosby, Minn./Minnesota RTC), in bronze medal match

WIN Nika Berulava (Georgia), 17-6

LOSS Mason Parris (USA)

Vs. Trent Hillger (USA)

125 kg – Trent Hillger (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota RTC), in bronze medal match

LOSS Mason Parris (USA), 13-2

Vs. Hayden Zillmer (USA)

*all times listed local to Zagreb, Croatia, which is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time

Thursday, February 6

10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (MFS 79 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg, WFS 50 kg, 55 kg)

12:30 p.m. – Semifinal Rounds (MFS 79 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg, WFS 50 kg, 55 kg)

1:30 p.m. – Repechage (MFS 79 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg, WFS 50 kg, 55 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals (MFS 79 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg, WFS 50 kg, 55 kg)

Friday, February 7

10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)

12:30 p.m. – Semifinal Rounds (WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)

1:30 p.m. – Repechage (WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals (WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)

Saturday, February 8

10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 77 kg, 87 kg)

12:30 p.m. – Semifinal Rounds (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 77 kg, 87 kg)

1:30 p.m. – Repechage (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 77 kg, 87 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 77 kg, 87 kg)

Sunday, February 9

10:00 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)

12:30 p.m. – Semifinal Rounds (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)

1:30 p.m. – Repechage (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)