U.S. receives men’s freestyle draws for Muhamet Malo Ranking Event in Albania
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
The United States has entered 12 men’s freestyle athletes in the second UWW Ranking Event of the year, the Muhamet Malo International in Tirana, Albania, which begins on Wednesday. The U.S. athletes have received their draw for the competition.
Among those competing this week is 2016 Olympic champion and three-time World champion Kyle Snyder, who opens up his competition at 97 kg against 2021 World bronze medalist Mojtaba Goleij of Iran. Snyder won two matches today at the Professional Wrestling League PWL 8 card in Kazakhstan, and is flying directly to Albania to compete in this tournament.
2023 World Team member Chance Marsteller is competing at 86 kg. He draws the winner of the match between 2024 Military World bronze medalist Rustem Myrzagaliyev of Kazakhstan and 2024 Pan American bronze medalist Jorge Ivan Llano of Argentina. One of the top athletes in his half bracket is past World medalist Taymuraz Friev of Spain.
Past Senior National Team member and U.S. Open champion Michael Macchiavello opens his tournament at 92 kg against 2024 Asian bronze medalist Nurdaulet Bekenov of Kazakhstan. His half bracket includes two-time age-group World champion Alan Bagaev, who is competing under the UWW flag.
The U.S. team includes a number of young stars who are expected to be in contention for future Senior World Teams as well as the 2028 U.S. Olympic Team which will compete in Los Angeles. This will be a very good test for these young talents, as many of the world’s top teams including Iran, Japan, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey as well as athletes from Russia and Belarus competing under the UWW flag.
On Wednesday, there will be six weight classes contested (57 kg, 61 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg). Competing on Wednesday are Real Woods (65 kg), Will Lewan, Yahya Thomas and James Green (70 kg), Quincy Monday (74 kg) and Chance Marsteller (86 kg).
On Thursday, the final four men’s freestyle weight classes are being held (79 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg). The U.S. wrestlers wrestling Thursday in men’s freestyle are David McFadden and Evan Wick (79 kg). Michael Macchiavello (92 kg), Kyle Snyder (97 kg) and Jordan Woods and Demetrius Thomas (125 kg).
There will be a team of U.S women’s wrestlers will compete on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There are no U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers entered in this event.
The event will be broadcast live on FloWrestling.
Brackets will be posted on UWW Arena
MUHAMET MALO RANKING SERIES EVENT
At Tirana, Albania, February 26-March 2
Men’s Freestyle first round pairings
65 kg: Real Woods, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC)
Vs. Congbao Xie (China), 9th 2023 Asian U20 Championships
70 kg: Will Lewan, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC)
Vs. Eriglent Prizreni (Albania), 10th 2024 Worlds, 9th 2018 U20 Europeans
70 kg: Yahya Thomas, Princeton, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC)
Vs. Yernur Nurgazy (Kazakhstan), 8th 2024 U23 Worlds, 2nd 2024 Grand Prix of Spain
70 kg: James Green, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska WTC)
Vs. Sanzhar Doszhanov (Kazakhstan), 2023 Asian Championships gold medalist
74 kg: Quincy Monday, Princeton, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC)
Vs. Orozobek Toktomambetov (Kyrgyzstan), 2024 U23 World silver medalist, 2024 Asian U23 champion, 3rd 2023 Asian Games, 3rd 2023 Asian Championships
79 kg: David McFadden, Ithaca, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC/Spartan RTC)
Vs. Petar Petkov (Bulgaria), 3rd 3025 Dan Kolov (Bulgaria), 5th 2020 Bulgarian Senior Championships
79 kg: Evan Wick, San Gabriel, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/SoCal RTC)
Vs. Ryunosuke Kamiya (Japan), 6th 2024 Asian Championships, 2023 Japan Senior champion, 2022 U20 World silver medalist
86 kg: Chance Marsteller, Reading, Pa. (Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC)
Vs. winner of Rustem Myrzagaliyev (Kazakhstan) and Jorge Ivan Llano (Argentina)
Myrzagaliyev – 3rd 2024 Military Worlds, 2nd 2024 U23 Asians,
Llano – 3rd 2024 Pan American Championships, 5th 2019 Pan American Games
92 kg: Michael Macchiavello, Northampton, Pa. (Titan Mercury WC/Lehigh Valley WC)
Vs. Nurdaulet Bekenov (Kazakhstan), 3rd 2024 Asian Championships, 2nd 2022 U20 Asians
97 kg: Kyle Snyder, State College, Pa. (Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC)
Vs. Mojtaba Goleij (Iran), 2021 World bronze medalist, 2020 Asian champion, 2nd 2023 Asian Games, 2019 U23 World champion
125 kg: Jordan Wood, Gilbertsville, Pa. (NYAC/Lehigh Valley WC)
Vs. Shamil Magomed Sharipov (Bahrain), 3rd 2024 Asian Championships, 2nd 2020 Russian Senior Nationals
125 kg: Demetrius Thomas, Providence, R.I. (NYAC)
Vs. Zelimkhan Khizriev (UWW), 7th 2021 Worlds, 2021 Yarygin Grand Prix champion (Russia), 3rd 2019 Russian Nationals
Event Schedule (local time)
Tirana is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time Zone
Wednesday, February 26
10:30 a.m. – Preliminaries (MFS 57 kg, 61 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg)
2:30 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 57 kg, 61 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg)
3:30 p.m. – Repechage (MFS 57 kg, 61 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg)
5:00 p.m. – Opening Ceremony
6:00 p.m. – Finals (MFS 57 kg, 61 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg)
Thursday, February 27
11:30 a.m. – Preliminaries (MFS 79 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg, WFS 50 kg, 55 kg)
2:30 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 79 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg, WFS 50 kg, 55 kg)
3:30 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 28
11:30 a.m. – Preliminaries (WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, GR 77 kg, 87 kg)
2:30 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, GR 77 kg, 87 kg)
3:30 p.m. – Repechage (WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, GR 77 kg, 87 kg)
6:00 p.m. – Finals (WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, GR 77 kg, 87 kg)
Saturday, March 1
11:00 a.m. – Preliminaries (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)
2:30 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)
3:30 p.m. – Repechage (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)
6:00 p.m. – Finals (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)
Sunday, March 2
11:00 a.m. – Preliminaries (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)
2:30 p.m. – Semifinals (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)
3:30 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)
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