Nowry qualifies for bronze-medal bout at World Championships, Bey is not eligible for repechage
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Max Nowry (USA) vs. Eldaniz Azizli (AZE) in World semifinals. Photo by Larry Slater
BELGRADE, Serbia – No. 4 seed Max Nowry (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP) was defeated in the 55 kg semifinals at the 2022 Senior World Championships in Stark Arena on Saturday. He will compete in a bronze-medal match on Sunday night, against an opponent to be determined.
Nowry battled No. 1 seed and 2018 World champion Eldaniz Azizli of Azerbaijan in the semifinals. Nowry was penalized for passivity to trail 1-0 and was placed in the par terre position. Azizli hit two quick turns, added another turn, then lifted and threw Nowry for a 9-0 win in 1:44.
Azizli had defeated Nowry in a bronze-medal match at the 2019 World Championships, placing Nowry fifth in the World that season. Azizli will face Nugzari Tsurtsumia of Georgia in the finals.
Nowry will face the winner of the Sunday morning repechage bout between Giovanni Freni of Italy and Yu Shiotani of Japan. Freni was a 2015 U17 World champion. Shiotani is a two-time Asian champion (2021 and 2022).
In the morning session, Nowry won both of his matches with stunning pins, in bouts which he trailed early. In his first match against 2022 Asian bronze medalist Arjun Halakurki of India nailed a four-point arm spin which he finished with a pin in 5:02. In the quarterfinals, Nowry broke a 1-1 tie against 2019 European bronze medalist Fabian Schmitt of Germany with a turn, which he adjusted into a tight pinning combination for the fall in 4:58.
Also based upon the semifinals results, Kamal Bey (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP) is not eligible for repechage at 77 kg. Bey lost a tight 4-0 match to No. 4 seed and 2017 World champion Viktor Nemes of Serbia in the first round.
Tonight, Zoltan Levai of Hungary defeated Nemes in the semifinals, 3-1. Nemes had to win this match to for Bey to be pulled back into repechage. Only losers to finalists can go into repechage.
Two U.S. wrestlers were eliminated after dropping their opening bout, then having their opponent fail to reach the semifinals, Benji Peak (Marquette, Mich./MNU-OTS/Sunkist Kids) and Alan Vera (New York, N.Y./NYC RTC/New York AC) at 87 kg.
Peak was defeated in the first round by No. 8 seed and 2022 European champion Robert Frisch of Hungary, 3-1. Vera was edged by 2019 World bronze medalist Haitao Qian of China, 5-3 in the first round. Frisch and Qian both lost their next bout.
The Greco-Roman competition continues on Sunday with the start of four weight divisions. U.S. athletes who compete for the first time at the 10:30 a.m. session are Sam Jones (Rockford, Mich./New York AC) at 63 kg, Alex Sancho (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP) at 67 kg, Spencer Woods (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP) at 82 kg and Braxton Amos (Mineral Wells, W.V./Badger RTC/Sunkist Kids) at 97 kg. The semifinals in the new weight classes begin at 4:45 p.m. local time, followed by the medal rounds in the first four weight classes at 6:00 p.m. Nowry will compete in the 6:00 p.m. session. Belgrade is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone.
All of the action is live on FloWrestling. https://flosports.link/3HwrYxD.
WORLD WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Belgrade, Serbia, September 10
Greco-Roman Finals pairings
55 kg - Eldaniz Azizli (Azerbaijan) vs. Nugzari Tsurtsumia (Georgia)
72 kg - Ali Arsalan (Serbia) vs. Ule Ganizade (Azerbaijan)
77 kg - Zoltan Levai (Hungary) vs. Azhol Magomedov (Kyrgyzstan)
87 kg - Zurabi Datunashvili (Serbia) vs. Turpal Bisultanov (Denmark)
Greco-Roman Semifinal results
55 kg
Eldaniz Azizli (Azerbaijan) tech. fall Max Nowry (USA), 9-0, 1:44
Nugzari Tsurtsumia (Georgia) dec. Amangali Bekbolatov (Kazakhstan), 5-3
72 kg
Ali Arsalan (Serbia) pin Ibrahim Ghanem (France), 2:32
Ule Ganizade (Azerbaijan) vs. Selcuk Can (Turkey), 4-3
77 kg
Zoltan Levai (Hungary) dec. Viktor Nemes (Serbia), 3-1
Azhol Magomedov (Kyrgyzstan) dec. Hyeonwoo Kim (Korea), 4-1
87 kg
Zurabi Datunashvili (Serbia) vs. David Losonczi (Hungary), 4-3
Turpal Bisultanov (Denmark) dec. Ali Cengiz (Turkey), 6-0
U.S. Greco-Roman Group 1 performances
55 kg - Max Nowry (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP)
WIN Arjun Halakurki (India), pin 5:02
WIN Fabian Schmitt (Germany), 4:58
LOSS Eldaniz Azizli (Azerbaijan), tech. fall 9-0, 1:44
Bronze medal bout – vs. winner of Giovanni Freni (Italy) and Yu Shiotani (Japan)
72 kg - Benji Peak (Marquette, Mich./MNU-OTS/Sunkist Kids), eliminated
LOSS Robert Fritsch (Hungary), 3-1
77 kg - Kamal Bey (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP), eliminated
LOSS Viktor Nemes (Serbia), 4-0
87 kg - Alan Vera (New York, N.Y./NYC RTC/New York AC) eliminated
LOSS. Haitao Qian (China), 5-3
U.S. Greco-Roman Group 2 draws for Sunday
63 kg: Sam Jones (Rockford, Mich./New York AC)
vs. No. 7 Neeraj Neeraj (India), bronze at 2022 Senior Asian Championships, gold at 2022 U23 Asian Championships
67 kg: Alex Sancho (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP)
vs. Norva Bukasa (Cote d’Ivoire), fifth at 2022 U20 Asian Championships
82 kg: Spencer Woods (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP)
vs. Chengwu Wang (China), silver at 2022 Ion Corneanu & Ladislau Simon Memorial
97 kg: Braxton Amos (Mineral Wells, W.V./Badger RTC/Sunkist Kids)
vs. Vladlen Kozliuk (Ukraine), bronze at 2022 European Championships, gold at 2017 U20 World Championships, gold at 2014 U17 World Championships