Coleman wins Greco-Roman bronze medal at Zagreb Open Ranking Event

ZAGREB, Croatia – 2012 Olympian Ellis Coleman came from behind in his medal-round match to secure a bronze medal at 63 kg on the first day of Greco-Roman at the Zagreb Open Ranking Event on Friday.

Coleman hit a huge four-point headlock in the closing seconds to defeat 2024 European U23 champion and 2019 U17 World silver medalist Ziya Babashov of Azerbaijan, 5-3. The match was tied at 1-1 when Babashov lifted and threw Coleman for one point and a 2-1 lead. Coleman’s four-point head-and-arm in the waning seconds, with a Babashov reversal, was an exciting finish for the victory.

Coleman lost his opening match on Friday morning 8-0 to eventual champion Dinislam Bammatov, an Individual Neutral Athlete. When Bammatov reached the finals, Coleman was pulled into repechage, where he defeated Vitalie Eriomenco of Moldova in a 9-0 technical fall.

Coleman won the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials at 67 kg, but the U.S. did not qualify to compete at the 2024 Olympic Games at that weight class. Coleman has competed on three U.S. Senior World Teams. He won two U20 World bronze medals early in his career.

2020 U.S. Olympian Ildar Hafizov and U20 World silver medalist Otto Black fell in their opening matches at 63 kg and were not pulled into repechage. 2020 U.S. Olympian Alejandro Sancho fell in his 67 kg opening bout, and did not qualify for repechage.

The United States is in seventh place with 15 points after the first two Greco-Roman weight classes were completed. Iran leads the team race with 30 points.

Two more Greco-Roman weight classes will be contested 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).

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 5-9, 2025

63 kg

Gold - Dinislam Bammatov (AIN)

Silver - Mohammad Keshtkar (Iran)

Bronze - Ellis Coleman (USA)

Bronze – Antjan Khalmakhanov (Uzbekistan)

5^th - Ziya Babashov (Azerbaijan)

5^th Islomjon Bakhramov (Uzbekistan)

7^th - Hleb Makaranka (AIN)

8^th - Erfan Jarkani (Iran)

9^th - Vitalie Eriomenco (Moldova)

10^th - Corneliu Rusu (Moldova)

Gold - Dinislam Bammatov (AIN) pin Mohammad Keshtkar (Iran), 2:22

Bronze - Ellis Coleman (USA) dec. Ziya Babashov (Azerbaijan), 5-3

Bronze – Antjan Khalmakhanov (Uzbekistan) dec. Islomjon Bakhramov (Uzbekistan), 5-4

67 kg

Gold – Haavard Joergensen (Norway)

Silver - Valentin Petic (Moldova)

Bronze – Dominic Etlinger (Croatia)

Bronze – Razvan Arnaut (Romania)

5^th - Mohammadreza Gholami (Iran)

5^th - Ahmadreza Mohsen Nezhad (Iran)

7 SRB Sebastian Nad (Serbia)

8 AIN Daniial Agaev (AIN)

9 AZE Hasrat Jafarov (Azerbaijan)

10 AZE Farid Khalilov (Azerbaijan)

Gold – Haavard Joergensen (Norway) tech fall Valentin Petic (Moldova), 9-1

Bronze – Dominic Etlinger (Croatia) tech fall Mohammadreza Gholami (Iran), 10-1

Bronze – Razvan Arnaut (Romania) dec. Ahmadreza Mohsen Nezhad (Iran), 5-1

U.S. Greco-Roman results

63 kg – Otto Black (Parker, Colo./NYAC), 13^th place

LOSS Vitalie Eriomenco (Moldova), 4-0

63 kg – IIdar Hafizov (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP), 11^th place

LOSS Erfan Jarkani (Iran), 7-5

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

LOSS Dinislam Bammatov (Individual Neutral Athlete-RUS), 8-0

WIN Vitalie Eriomenco (Moldova), 9-0

WIN Ziya Babashov (Azerbaijan), 5-3

67 kg – Alejandro Sancho (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP), 12^th place

LOSS Daniial Agaev (Individual Neutral Athlete-RUS), 3-1

Greco-Roman team standings, after two weight classes

1. Iran, 30

2. Norway, 25

3. Moldova, 24

4. (tie) Croatia and Romania, 15

6. Uzbekistan, 15

7. United States, 15

8. Azerbaijan, 14

(of 18 nations, plus AIN athletes who do not score)

Remaining Event Schedule

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

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)