Byers loses, Greco takes third place at Worlds
By TheMat.com
The United States saw its two-day lead in the Greco-Roman team race come to an end Wednesday morning. The American squad ended up finishing third in the team race with 32 points after heavyweight Dremiel Byers dropped a controversial decision to Turkey’s Ismael Guzel in the second round at 120 kg/264.5 pounds. Byers was eliminated when Guzel lost in the quarterfinals.
The third-place finish for the U.S. matched its best showing ever. The Americans also were third in 2001. Turkey won the Greco-Roman team title with 39 points after Guzel finished third. Russia finished second with 34 points.
Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) won the first period 3-0 over Guzel, hitting a reverse body lock and turn for two points. Just a few seconds into the second period, Byers was penalized for catching Guzel in the head while pummeling for position. That controversial point turned out to be the difference in the match as neither wrestler could turn the other. Guzel won the coin flip in the final period and Byers nearly turned him in the closing seconds, but couldn’t quite finish.
“I was just wrestling,” Byers said. “I was snapping him down and he worked into a position and got caught. I didn’t throw punches, or anything. There wasn’t a warning. They just jumped to giving him a point. I didn’t like that call. But I should have used it in my favor.”
The United States saw its two-day lead in the Greco-Roman team race come to an end Wednesday morning. The American squad ended up finishing third in the team race with 32 points after heavyweight Dremiel Byers dropped a controversial decision to Turkey’s Ismael Guzel in the second round at 120 kg/264.5 pounds. Byers was eliminated when Guzel lost in the quarterfinals.
The third-place finish for the U.S. matched its best showing ever. The Americans also were third in 2001. Turkey won the Greco-Roman team title with 39 points after Guzel finished third. Russia finished second with 34 points.
Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) won the first period 3-0 over Guzel, hitting a reverse body lock and turn for two points. Just a few seconds into the second period, Byers was penalized for catching Guzel in the head while pummeling for position. That controversial point turned out to be the difference in the match as neither wrestler could turn the other. Guzel won the coin flip in the final period and Byers nearly turned him in the closing seconds, but couldn’t quite finish.
“I was just wrestling,” Byers said. “I was snapping him down and he worked into a position and got caught. I didn’t throw punches, or anything. There wasn’t a warning. They just jumped to giving him a point. I didn’t like that call. But I should have used it in my favor.”