U.S. Greco-Roman team receives draws for Zagreb Open Ranking Event in Croatia

The United States has entered an experienced 11-athlete Greco-Roman team in the highly competitive Zagreb Open, a UWW Ranking Series event in Zagreb, Croatia. The Greco-Roman competition will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The USA Greco-Roman roster includes three past Olympians, all who compete with the Army WCAP program, two-time Olympian Ildar Hafizov (63 kg), 2012 Olympian Ellis Coleman (63 kg) and 2020 Olympian Alejandro Sancho (67 kg). Coleman most recently won the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials at 67 kg. All three have also competed on multiple Senior World Teams for the USA.

Hafizov opens against 2024 U23 World bronze medalist Erfan Jarkani of Iran. Coleman will face 2021 U20 World champion Dinislam Bammatov, an Individual Neutral Athlete who hails from Russia. Sancho also will wrestle an Individual Neutral Athlete from Russia in his opening bout, 2024 U23 World bronze medalist Daniial Agaev.

Five others who are past Senior World Team members will be competing in Zagreb: Brady Koontz (55 kg), Dalton Roberts (60 kg), Benji Peak (72 kg), Jesse Porter (82 kg) and Spencer Woods (87 kg).

Koontz has a three-athlete round robin in Group B of his weight class, facing both 2024 U20 European bronze medalist Peter Totok of Hungary and 2024 European champion Artium Deleanu of Moldova.

Peak has a challenging first opponent in 2020 Olympic champion and two-time World medalist Mohammadreza Geraei of Iran. Roberts and Porter have drawn Individual Neutral Athletes in their opening bouts. Roberts will battle two-time World medalist Emin Sefershaev right off the bat, while Porter has drawn Ilya Bitseyeu, who does not have any medals in major events. Woods will open against Ivan Huklek of Croatia, who was fifth in the 2020 Olympics.

Two Greco-Roman weight classes will be held on Friday (63 kg, 67 kg), with two more on Saturday (77 kg, 87 kg). Sunday will feature only Greco-Roman wrestling, with six weight classes (55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg).

Ranking Series events are part of the process which determine seeds at the Olympic Games and World Championships, as well as year-end awards given by United World Wrestling.

The event is being broadcast live on FloWrestling. Brackets are available on UWW Arena. Zagreb is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone.

ZAGREB OPEN RANKING SERIES EVENT

At Zagreb, Croatia

U.S. Greco-Roman first round pairings

55 kg – Brady Koontz (Dubuque, Iowa/Titan Mercury WC)

Group B

Vs. Peter Totok (Hungary), 3^rd 2024 U20 Europeans, 2^nd 2023 U17 Europeans

Vs. Artium Deleanu (Moldova), 2024 European champion, 5^th 2023 World Championships

60 kg – Dalton Roberts (Fountain, Colo./Army WCAP)

Vs. Emin Sefershaev (Individual Neutral Athlete-RUS), 2024 World bronz medalist, 2021 World silver medalist, 2021 European champion

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

Vs. winner of Sadyk Lalaev (Individual Neutral Athlete-RUS) vs. Alisher Ganiev (Uzbekistan)

Lalaev – 2024 World bronze medalist, 3^rd 2024 European Championships

Ganiev – 2024 U23 World champion, 2023 U20 World bronze medalist, 2023 Asian U20 champion

63 kg – Otto Black (Parker, Colo./NYAC)

Vs Vitalie Eriomenco (Moldova), 2024 U23 World champion, 6^th 2024 World Championships, 3^rd 2023 U23 Worlds

63 kg – IIdar Hafizov (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP)

Vs. Erfan Jarkani (Iran), 2024 U23 World bronze medalist, 2024 U20 World bronze medalist

63 kg – Ellis Coleman (Fountain, Colo./Army WCAP)

Vs. Dinislam Bammatov (Individual Neutral Athlete-RUS) 2024 U23 World silver medalist, 2021 U20 World champion, 2024 European U23 World bronze medalist

67 kg – Alejandro Sancho (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP)

Vs. Daniial Agaev (Individual Neutral Athlete-RUS) 2024 U23 World bronze medalist, 2024 European U23 champion

72 kg – Benjamin Peak (Elkhorn, Wis./Combat WC School of Wrestling)

Vs. Mohammadreza Geraei (Iran), 2020 Olympic champion, 2023 World bronze medalist, 2022 World silver medalist, 2019 U23 World champion

82 kg – Jesse Porter (Ballston Lake, N.Y./NYAC)

Vs. Ilya Bitseyeu (Individual Neutral Athlete), 7^th 2024 Vehbi Emre (Turkey), 11^th 2023 U23 World Championships

87 kg – Spencer Woods (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP)

Vs, Ivan Huklek (Croatia) – 5^th 2020 Olympics, 3^rd 2019 U23 Europeans

130 kg – Denzel Freeman (Richlands, N.C.)

Vs. winner of Artur Sarkisjan (Czech Republic) vs. Sarkhan Mammadov (Azerbaijan)

Sarkisjan – 7^th 2024 U20 Europeans, 3^rd 2021 U17 World Championships

Mammadov – 2023 U23 World bronze medalist, 2021 U20 World silver medalist, 2018 U17 World silver medalist

Remaining Schedule (local time)

Zagreb is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone

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)