Khosravy, Aslikyan, Sahakian lead U.S. Greco-Roman team at U17 World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey

Arvin Khosravy tosses an opponent at the 2023 U17 Greco-Roman Nationals in Las Vegas. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors.

The United States will look to kick off the 2023 U17 World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey next week with a strong performance in Greco-Roman, the first discipline to hit the mat from July 31 – August 2.

The U.S. team was determined based upon the results of the U17 National Championships held in Las Vegas, Nev. in late April.

Returning to the U17 World Championships in Greco-Roman is California star Arvin Khosravy, who placed fifth at the 2022 U17 World Championships at 71 kg. Khosravy won the U17 National championships at 71 kg for the last two seasons. He also won a 2022 16U Nationals title in Greco-Roman and was third in the 2023 U20 Nationals in Greco-Roman.

Two other members of the 2023 U17 World Team in Greco-Roman recently claimed gold medals at the 2023 Pan American U17 Championships in Mexico City, Mexico in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, Henry Aslikyan of California at 45 kg and Nicholas Sahakian of California at 110 kg.

Aslikyan has some additional international experience, winning gold medals in both styles at the 2022 Pan American U15 Championships in Apartado, Colombia. Sahakian, who was a California state high school champion as a sophomore this year, was also a 2022 16U Nationals champion in Greco-Roman.

Three other 2023 U17 World Team members were double medalists at the 2023 Pan American U17 Championships, Sam Herring of Pennsylvania at 60 kg, Adam Waters of Pennsylvania at 80 kg and Aiden Cooley of Texas at 92 kg. Herring won a silver medal in freestyle and a bronze medal in Greco-Roman, while Waters won a gold medal in freestyle and a silver medal in Greco-Roman and Cooley won silver medals in both freestyle and Greco-Roman.

The other four U.S. U17 team members in Greco-Roman have extensive resumes within USA Wrestling, but will representing the USA for the first time internationally. They earned this opportunity with their victories at the 2023 U17 Nationals in Las Vegas.

Ezekiel Witt of Kansas will compete at 48 kg and is coming off a second-place finish at the 16U Nationals in Greco-Roman in Fargo, N.D. this past weekend. Hudson Loges of Nebraska will wrestle at 51 kg and was a 16U Nationals runner-up in Greco-Roman in 2022.

Jordyn Raney of Kentucky, a 2022 16U Nationals Greco-Roman champion, will compete at 55 kg. Billy Greenwood of Colorado, also a 2022 16U Nationals champion in Greco-Roman, is competing at 65 kg.

U17 Greco-Roman World Team biographies

The USA had an improved performance at the 2022 U17 World Championships in Greco-Roman with an eighth-place team finish, led by World champion Joel Adams and World bronze medalist Cody Merrill. This year’s team is looking to build from the momentum of the 2022 U.S. team effort.

The event will be broadcast live by FloWrestling.

Istanbul is seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone.

2023 U17 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Istanbul, Turkey

U.S. Greco-Roman roster
45 kg: Henry Aslikyan, Panorama City, Califormia (Birmingham Community Charter School)
48 kg: Ezekiel Witt, Junction City, Kansas (Manhattan Wrestling)
51 kg: Hudson Loges, Blair, Nebraska (MWC Wrestling Academy)
55 kg: Jordyn Raney, Sturgis, Kentucky (Union County High School)
60 kg: Sam Herring, Sidman, Pennsylvania (Bishop McCort High School)
65 kg: William Greenwood. Livermore, Colo. (GRIT Athletics WC)
71 kg: Arvin Khosravy, Woodland Hills, Calif.
80 kg: Adam Waters, Stowe, Pennsylvania (Steller Trained Wrestling)
92 kg: Aiden Cooley, Allen, Texas (Best Trained Wrestling)
110 kg: Nicholas Sahakian, Sherman Oaks, California (St. John Bosco High School)

National Greco-Roman Developmental Coach: Cheney Haight, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Coach: Zac Dominguez, Papillion, Nebraska
Coach: Martin Hauck, Rolla, Missouri

Personal Coach: Shervin Khosravy, Woodland Hills, California
Personal Coach: James Medeiros, Granada Hills, California
Personal Coach: Scott Raney, Sturgis, Kentucky
Personal Coach: Job Greenwood, Livermore, Colorado

Athletic Trainer - Jon Duplessis, Wilmington, North Carolina
Doctor - Ryan Hadden, Warren, Rhode Island

Officials
Danny Blackshear, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Cody Hesser, Gonzales, Louisiana
William Harper, Drexel, Missouri

USA Wrestling Executive Director - Richard Bender, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Team Leader - Kelli Shuffler, Stillwater, Oklahoma
NF Delegate - Darryl Colbert, Bowie, Maryland
NF Delegate - Tim Manning, Eden Prairie, Minnesota
USA Wrestling Communications Director- Gary Abbott, Colorado Springs, Colo.

U17 World Championships Schedule
(local time in Istanbul, 7 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone)

Monday, July 31
11:00 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (GR 48-55-65-80-110 kg)
5:15 p.m. – Opening Ceremonies
6:00 p.m. – Semifinals (GR 48-55-65-80-110 kg)

Tuesday, August 1
11:00 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (GR 45-51-60-71-92 kg), Repechage (GR 48-55-65-80-110 kg)
5:00 p.m. - Semifinals (GR 45-51-60-71-92 kg)
6:00 p.m. – Championship Finals (GR 48-55-65-80-110 kg)

Wednesday, August 2
11:00 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (WFS 43-49-57-65-73 kg), Repechage (GR 45-51-60-71-92 kg)
5:00 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 43-49-57-65-73 kg)
6:00 p.m. – Championship Finals (GR 45-51-60-71-92 kg)

Thursday, August 3
11:00 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (WFS 40-46-53-61-69 kg), Repechage (WFS 43-49-57-65-73 kg)
5:00 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 40-46-53-61-69 kg)
6:00 p.m. – Championship Finals (WFS 43-49-57-65-73 kg)

Friday, August 4
11:00 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (MFS 48-55-65-80-110 kg), Repechage (WFS 40-46-53-61-69 kg)
5:00 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 48-55-65-80-110 kg)
6:00 p.m. – Championship Finals (WFS 40-46-53-61-69 kg)

Saturday, August 5
11:00 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (MFS 45-51-60-71-92 kg), Repechage (MFS 48-55-65-80-110 kg)
5:00 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 45-51-60-71-92 kg)
6:00 p.m. – Championship Finals (MFS 48-55-65-80-110 kg)

Sunday, August 6
4:30 p.m. – Repechage (MFS 45-51-60-71-92 kg)
6:00 p.m. – Championship Finals (MFS 45-51-60-71-92 kg)