Koontz wins Greco-Roman bronze medal on final day of Zagreb Open Ranking Event

ZAGREB, Croatia – The United States closed out the Zagreb Open Ranking Event on Sunday with a Greco-Roman bronze medal by two-time Senior World Team member Brady Koontz at 55 kg.

Koontz was powerful in his 9-1 technical fall victory over 2024 European champion Artium Deleanu of Moldova in the bronze medal match. He jumped to a 4-1 lead in the first period. After being hit for passivity and trailing 1-0, Koontz countered a lift attempt by Deleanu for a two-point reversal with exposure, then followed with a gut wrench. In the second period, after Deleanu was penalized for passivity, Koontz turned Deleanu with two slick gut wrenches to close out the victory.

Koontz avenged a loss earlier in the day in Group B to Deleanu, who stopped Koontz, 6-1. Koontz opened the event with a pin of three-time age-group World team member Peter Totok of Hungary at 6:00. His loss to Deleanu gave him second in Group B, which advanced him to the semifinals, where he was defeated by two-time age-group World medalist Elmir Aliyev of Azerbaijan, 5-0.

Five other U.S. Greco-Roman athletes wrestled in the morning session and lost their opening match. Among those who did not advance to the repechage were past Senior World Team members Dalton Roberts (60 kg), Benji Peak (72 kg) and Jesse Porter (82 kg).

Roberts dropped his opening match to 2021 World silver medalist Emin Sefershaev, a Individual Neutral Athlete, 11-0. Peak lost an 11-0 decision to 2020 Olympic champion and two-time World medalist Mohammadreza Geraei of Iran. Porter fell to Individual Neutral Athlete Ilya Bitseyeu, 3-1

At 60 kg, Max Black was the only U.S. wrestler to qualify for repechage on Sunday. He fell in his opening match by technical fall to Alisher Ganiev of Uzbekistan, 9-0. After Ganiev advanced to the finals, Black was pulled into repechage where he lost to 2024 Senior World bronze medalist Sadyk Lalaev, an Individual Neutral Athlete, by an 8-0 technical fall.

In the 130 kg quarterfinals, Denzel Freeman dropped a hard-fought 3-1 match to Sarkhan Mammadov of Azerbaijan, a three-time age-group World medalist. Freeman was called for passivity and Mammadov turned him once, taking a 3-0 lead. When Mammadov failed to reach the finals, Freeman was eliminated.

Koontz’ bronze medal gave Team USA two Greco-Roman medals in the event, as 2012 Olympian Ellis Coleman claimed a bronze medal at 63 kg on Friday.

The United States finished 11^th in the Greco-Roman team standings with 30 points. Iran won the team title with 147 points, with Azerbaijan in second with 134 points and Hungary in third with 119 points.

2025 Zagreb Open Ranking Event

At Zagreb, Croatia, February 5-9, 2025

Greco-Roman results

55 kg

Gold – Elmir Aliyev (Azerbaijan)

Silver - Madi Ahadi Zenab (Iran)

Bronze - Brady Koontz (USA)

4^th - Artium Deleanu (Moldova)

5^th - Jasurbek Ortikboev (Uzbekistan)

6^th - Peter Tokok (Hungary)

7^th - Alexander Shafiq Cuevas (Singapore)

Gold – Elmir Aliyev (Azerbaijan) dec. Madi Ahadi Zenab (Iran), 7-3

Bronze - Brady Koontz (USA) tech fall Artium Deleanu (Moldova), 9-1

60 kg

Gold – Georgij Tibilov (Serbia)

Silver - Alisher Ganiev (Uzbekistan)

Bronze –Saydk Lalaev (AIN)

Bronze – Poya Naserpour (Iran)

5^th - Mehroj Bakhramov (Uzbekistan)

5^th - Huseyn Garibov (Azerbaijan)

7^th - Nihat Zahid Mammadli (Azerbaijan)

8^th - Emin Sefershaev (AIN)

9^th - Melkamu Fetene (Israel)

10^th - Abere Fetene (Israel)

Gold – Georgij Tibilov (Serbia) dec. Alisher Ganiev (Uzbekistan), 6-4

Bronze –Saydk Lalaev (AIN) tech fall Mehroj Bakhramov (Uzbekistan), 9-0

Bronze – Poya Naserpour (Iran) tech fall Huseyn Garibov (Azerbaijan), 9-1

72 kg

Gold – Levente Levai (Hungary)

Silver - Sayed Sohrabi (Iran)

Bronze –Ruslan Nurallayev (Azerbaijan)

Bronze – Kristztian Vancza (Hungary)

5^th - Mohammadreza Geraie (Iran)

5^th - Ulvi Ganizade (Azerbaijan)

6^th - Abdullo Aliev (Uzbekistan)

7^th - Iman Hossein Khoon Mohammadi (Iran)

8^th - Matias Lipasti (Finland)

9^th - Mikko Peltokangas (Finland)

10^th - Denis Mertl (Czechia)

Gold – Levente Levai (Hungary) dec. Sayed Sohrabi (Iran), 4-3

Bronze –Ruslan Nurallayev (Azerbaijan) inj. dft Mohammadreza Geraie (Iran)

Bronze – Kristztian Vancza (Hungary) forfeit Ulvi Ganizade (Azerbaijan)

82 kg

Gold – Gholamreza Farokhisenjani (Iran)

Silver - Erik Szilvassy (Hungary)

Bronze – Mihail Bradu (Moldova)

Bronze – Gurban Gurbanov (Azerbaijan)

5^th - Karlo Kodric (Croatia)

5^th - Vasile Cojoc (Romania)

7^th - Ilya Bitseueu (AIN)

8^th - Marek Vrba (Czechia)

9^th - Samandar Bobonazarov (Uzbekistan)

10^th - Peter Dormoek (Hungary)

Gold – Gholamreza Farokhisenjani (Iran) dec. Erik Szilvassy (Hungary), 6-2

Bronze – Mihail Bradu (Moldova) dec. Karlo Kodric (Croatia), 2-1

Bronze – Gurban Gurbanov (Azerbaijan) tech. fall Vasile Cojoc (Romania), 9-0

97 kg

Gold – Artur Sargsian (AIN)

Silver - Abubakar Khaslakhanau (AIN)

Bronze –Murad Ahmadiyev (Azerbaijan)

Bronze – Alex Szoke (Hungary)

5^th - Shayan Habibzare (Iran)

5^th - Arvi Savolainen (Finland)

7^th - Nicu Ojog (Romania)

8^th - Tomislav Brkan (Croatia)

9^th - Hamidreza Abbas Badkan (Iran)

10^th - Kristian Lukac (Croatia)

Gold – Artur Sargsian (AIN) dec. Abubakar Khaslakhanau (AIN), 5-2

Bronze –Murad Ahmadiyev (Azerbaijan) dec. Shayan Habibzare (Iran), 6-3

Bronze – Alex Szoke (Hungary) dec. Arvi Savolainen (Finland), 7-1

130 kg

Gold – Aliakbar Yousofiahmadchali (Iran)

Silver - Konsta Maeenpaeae (Finland)

Bronze – Marat Kamparov (AIN)

Bronze – Sarkhan Mammadov (Azerbaijan)

5^th - Beka Kandelaki (Azerbaijan)

5^th - Koppany Laszlo (Hungary)

7^th - Dzmitry Zarubski (AIN)

8^th - Sergey Semenov (AIN)

9^th - Temurbek Nasimov (Uzbekistan)

10^th - Laszlo Darabos (Hungary)

Gold – Aliakbar Yousofiahmadchali (Iran) tech fall Konsta Maeenpaeae (Finland), 9-1

Bronze – Marat Kamparov (AIN) dec. Beka Kandelaki (Azerbaijan), 3-2

Bronze – Sarkhan Mammadov (Azerbaijan) pin Koppany Laszlo (Hungary), 1:02

U.S. Greco-Roman results

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

WIN Peter Totok (Hungary), fall 6:00

LOSS Artium Deleanu (Moldova), 6-1

LOSS Elmir Aliyev (Azerbaijan), 5-0

WIN Artium Deleanu (Moldova), tech fall 9-0

60 kg – Dalton Roberts (Fountain, Colo./Army WCAP), 13^th place

LOSS Emin Sefershaev (AIN), tech fall 11-0

60 kg – Max Black (Castle Rock, Colo./NYAC/NMU National Training Center), 14^th place

LOSS Alisher Ganiev (Uzbekistan), tech fall 9-0

LOSS Sadyk Lalaev (AIN), tech fall 8-0

72 kg – Benjamin Peak (Elkhorn, Wis./Combat WC School of Wrestling), 14^th place

LOSS Mohammadreza Geraei (Iran), tech fall 11-0

82 kg – Jesse Porter (Ballston Lake, N.Y./NYAC), 11^th place

LOSS Ilya Bitseyeu (Individual Neutral Athlete), 3-1

130 kg – Denzel Freeman (Richlands, N.C.), 11^th place

LOSS Sarkhan Mammadov (Azerbaijan), 3-1

Final Greco-Roman standings

1. Iran, 147

2. Azerbaijan, 134

3. Hungary, 119

4. Uzbekistan, 72

5. Moldova, 66

6. Serbia, 43

7. Norway, 40

8. Croatia, 39

9. Finland, 36

10. Romania, 33

11. United States, 30

(of 18 nations, plus Individual Neutral Athletes who do not score)