Snyder wins gold, Parris silver, Welsh, Macchiavello, Aiello & Zillmer bronze in Zagreb Open men’s freestyle

ZAGREB, Croatia – The United States closed out the men’s freestyle competition on Thursday at the Zagreb Open Ranking Event with six more medals, led by a gold medal from Olympic and three-time World champion Kyle Snyder at 97 kg.

Combined with seven medals on Wednesday, Team USA finished with 13 men’s freestyle medals and won the team title in men’s freestyle at the Zagreb Open with 190 points, ahead of Iran with 182 points and Azerbaijan with 125 points.

Snyder was dominant in his finals match, securing a 12-1 technical fall over 2023 U20 World Champion Abolfazl Babaloo of Iran. Leading 2-1, Snyder scored a spin behind takedown, then turned Babaloo four times, with three tilts and a gut wrench, to finish the match in the first period.

2023 World bronze medalist and 2024 Olympian Mason Parris claimed a silver medal at 125 kg. He was defeated in the finals by six-time age-group World champion Amirreza Masoumi Valadi of Iran, 11-0. Masoumi was able to take down and turn Parris on the way to the title. To reach the finals, Parris beat two American heavyweights, Trent Hillger and Hayden Zillmer.

Claiming bronze medals in men’s freestyle for Team USA were Rocco Welsh (79 kg), Michael Macchiavello (92 kg), Jay Aiello (97 kg) and Hayden Zillmer (125 kg).

Welsh won a bronze medal in a chippy 9-3 victory over 2022 U20 World bronze medalist Otari Adeishvili of Georgia. Welsh led 2-0 at the break with two step outs. After leading 5-1 in the second, a Welsh double leg exchange was challenged by Georgia, with the score changed to 8-3 for Welsh. Adeishvili was penalized a point after unsportsmanlike action.

Macchiavello poured it on in the second period on the way to a 9-1 win in the bronze-medal round over Adlan Viskhanov of France, a 2022 U20 World bronze medalist. Leading 2-1 at the break, Macchiavello added three takedowns and a shot clock point in the dominant second period.

Aiello won by injury default over 2022 U20 World silver medalist Andro Margishvili of Georgia for his bronze medal. His only loss was 6-5 to eventual silver medalist Abolfazl Babaloo of Iran.

Zillmer defeated Hillger in a battle of U.S. heavyweights who are with the Minnesota RTC, 10-3. Zillmer led 5-2 at the break, then added two takedowns and a step out in the second period to seal the win.

Snyder was joined as U.S. men’s freestyle champions by Spencer Lee (57 kg) and Zahid Valencia (86 kg), who won their titles on Wednesday.

The competition on Thursday also featured two women’s freestyle weight classes. Results of the U.S. women will be posted in a separate article.

The tournament is streaming on FloWrestling, and the remaining schedule is below. Results and brackets are available on UWW Arena.

2025 Zagreb Open Ranking Event

At Zagreb, Croatia, February 6

Men’s freestyle results on Thursday

79 kg

Gold – Zelimkhan Khadjiev (France)

Silver - Mahdi Yousefihajivar (Iran),

Bronze – Vladimeri Gamkrelidze (Georgia)

Bronze - Rocco Welsh (USA)

5^th - Akhsarbek Gulaev (Slovakia),

5^th - Otari Adeishvili (Georgia)

7^th - Andrzej Sokalski (Poland)

8^th - Giorgi Gogritchiani (Georgia)

9^th - Evan Wick (USA)

Gold – Zelimkhan Khadjiev (France) dec. Mahdi Yousefihajivar (Iran), 5-3

Bronze – Vladimeri Gamkrelidze (Georgia) dec. Akhsarbek Gulaev (Slovakia), 7-0

Bronze - Rocco Welsh (USA) dec. Otari Adeishvili (Georgia), 9-3

92 kg

Gold – Amirhossein Firouzpourbandpei (Iran)

Silver - Osman Nurmagomedov (Azerbaijan)

Bronze –Abubakr Abakarov (Azerbaijan)

Bronze - Michael Macchiavello (USA)

5^th - Boris Makoev (Slovakia)

5^th - Adlan Viskhanov (France)

7^th - Iuza Tsertsvadze (Georgia)

8^th - Benjamin Honis (Italy)

9^th - Mohammadmobin Azimi (Iran)

10^th - Zaur Beradze (Georgia)

Gold – Amirhossein Firouzpourbandpei (Iran) dec. Osman Nurmagomedov (Azerbaijan), 11-4

Bronze –Abubakr Abakarov (Azerbaijan) dec. Boris Makoev (Slovakia), 9-2

Bronze - Michael Macchiavello (USA) dec. Adlan Viskhanov (France), 9-1

97 kg

Gold – Kyle Snyder (USA)

Silver - Abolfazl Babaloo (Iran)

Bronze – Batbyrbek Tsakulov (Slovakia)

Bronze - Jay Aiello (USA)

5^th - Richard Vegh (Hungary)

5^th - Andro Margishvili (Georgia)

7^th - Merab Suleimanishvili (Georgia)

8^th - Radu Lefter (Moldova)

Gold – Kyle Snyder (USA) tech fall Abolfazl Babaloo (Iran), 12-1

Bronze – Batbyrbek Tsakulov (Slovakia) tech fall Richard Vegh (Hungary), 10-0

Bronze - Jay Aiello (USA) inj. dft. Andro Margishvili (Georgia), 0:03

125 kg

Gold –Amirreza Masoumi Valadi (Iran)

Silver - Mason Parris (USA)

Bronze – Hayden Zillmer (USA)

Bronze – Murazi Mchedlidze (Ukraine)

5^th - Trent Hillger (USA)

5^th - Kamil Kosciolek (Poland)

7^th - Solomon Manashvili (Georgia)

8^th - Nika Berulava (Georgia)

Gold –Amirreza Masoumi Valadi (Iran) tech fall Mason Parris (USA), 11-0

Bronze – Hayden Zillmer (USA) dec. Trent Hillger (USA), 10-3

Bronze – Murazi Mchedlidze (Ukraine) dec. Kamil Kosciolek (Poland), 6-1

U.S. men's freestyle results 

79 kg – Evan Wick (San Gabriel, Calif./Titan Mercury WC), 9^th place

LOSS Rocco Welsh (USA), 6-2

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

WIN Evan Wick (USA), 6-2

LOSS Zelimkhan Khadjiev (France), 4-2

WIN Otari Adeishvili (Georgia), 9-3

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

LOSS Amirhoussein Fiouzpourbandpei (Iran), 5-0

WIN Zaur Beradze (Georgia), 12-4

WIN Adlan Viskhanov (France), 9-1

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

WIN Richard Vegh (Hungary), tech fall 11-0

WIN Batyrbek Tsakulov (Slovakia), tech fall 10-0

WIN Abolfazl Babaloo (Iran), tech fall 12-1

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

WIN Merab Suleimanishvili (Georgia), forfeit

LOSS Abolfazl Babaloo (Iran), 6-5

WIN Andro Margishvili (Georgia), inj. dft. 0:03

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

WIN Trent Hillger (USA), 13-2

WIN Hayden Zillmer (USA), 4-2

LOSS Amirreza Masoumi Valadi (Iran), tech fall 11-0

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

WIN Nika Berulava (Georgia), 17-6

LOSS Mason Parris (USA), 4-2

WIN Trent Hillger (USA), 10-3

125 kg – Trent Hillger (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota RTC), 5^th place

LOSS Mason Parris (USA), 13-2

LOSS Hayden Zillmer (USA), 10-3

Final Men’s Freestyle Standings

1. United States, 190

2. Iran, 182

3. Azerbaijan, 125

4. Georgia, 96

5. Slovakia, 60

6. France, 50

7. Ukraine, 45

8. Poland, 32

9. Moldova, 31

10. Mexico, 30

11. Hungary, 27

12. Serbia, 15

13. Israel, 10

14. (tie) Belgium and Italy, 6

16. (tie) Croatia and Ecuador, 4

Remaining Schedule

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

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)