Worlds Greco Recap: Lindland will build off Bisek bronze medal

Updated: September 15, 2014

On paper and the mat, it appears that the United States Greco-Roman wrestling got similar results at this year’s World Championships as it had in 2013. For on the final three days of competition — Sept. 12-14 — at this year’s event in the Gymnastics Palace, the Americans finished 12th with an overall record of 10-9 in eight weights classes. A year ago in Budapest, Hungary, that United States squad claimed 10^th place and a 9-8 record in seven weights.

But the United States Greco-Roman program finally can brag about a medal winner again in 165-pound bronze medalist Andy Bisek. The last time an American reached the medal podium on the World stage was 2009 when heavyweight Dremiel Byers claimed a silver medal.

“It’s a big improvement over last year,” first-year U.S. National Team coach Matt Lindland told TheMat.com. “We got a medal and start from there. We have something to build off. I’m looking forward to a whole year with my team and get them to a level where we will win three or more medals next year.”

The U.S. also nearly had another medal winner in 2014 at 130 pounds, but Spenser Mango was forced to settle for a fifth-place finish for a second consecutive year when he lost 1-0 on a passivity call against Stig Andre Berge (Norway) in the bronze-medal bout. (There’s two bronze-medal matches, so the losers of those bouts automatically tie for fifth.)

Scoring points proved to be a problem for several of the Americans as 145.5-pound Bryce Saddoris also lost a match 1-0 when he was called for passivity, while teammates Jordan Holm (187 pounds), Caylor Williams (216) and heavyweight Robby Smith were eliminated from the tournament when they were shut out in matches.

“There are no excuses,” said Lindland. “We have to score points.”

Overall, Iran won the title with 42 points, Russia was second with 36 points and Turkey claimed third with 34.

Andy Bisek won four matches in Uzbekistan, including this second-round win over 2012 Olympic champ Ramon Vlasov of Russia. (Bob Mayeri image)

U.S. results in Greco-Roman for Sept. 12

75 kg/165 lbs. – Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm), bronze medalist
Defeated Petros Maoulidis (Greece), 5-0
Defeated Ramon Vlasov (Russia), 6-6 criteria
Lost to Neven Zugaj (Croatia), 0-1
Defeated Veli-Karri Suominen (Finland), 6-5
Defeated Hiroyuki Shimizu (Japan) in bronze-medal match

Jordan Holm (top) is now 1-2 in the past two Worlds. (Bob Mayeri image)

85 kg/187 lbs. – Jordan Holm, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm), dnp
Lost to Rustam Assakalov (Uzbekistan), 5-0
U.S. Greco-Roman results on Sept. 13

66 kg/145.5 pounds – Bryce Saddoris, Camp Lejeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines), dnp
Pinned Loiqi Amirkhanzode (Tajikistan), 1:26
Lost to Revaz Lashkhi (Georgia), 1-0

Bryce Saddoris (right) scored a fall in his first Worlds match. (Bob Mayeri image)

Joe Rau was leading his match before getting pinned. (Bob Mayeri image)

80 kg/176 pounds – Joe Rau, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), dnp
Lost by fall to Jonas Bossert (Switzerland), fall 4:11

130 kg/286 pounds – Robby Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), dnp
Defeated Jon Won Hwang (Korea), 8-2
Lost by TF to Lyubomir Dimitrov (Bulgaria), 9-0

Robby Smith went 1-1 in 2014 after placing fifth in 2013 Worlds. (Bob Mayeri image)

U.S. Greco-Roman results from Sept. 14

59 kg/130 pounds – Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP), 5^th place

Spencer Mango (left) is now 10-11 overall in seven World/Olympic tournaments. (Bob Mayeri image)

Defeated Fatih Ucuncu (Turkey), 2-2 criteria
Defeated Peter Modos (Hungary), 4-0
Won by TF over Kazuma Kuramoto (Japan), 10-0
Lost to Mingiyan Semenov (Russia), tech. fall 1-9
Lost to Stig Andre Berge (Norway), 1-0, in bronze-medal match

Justin Lester has not competed in six World Championships at three different weight classes. (Bob Mayeri image)

71 kg/156.5 pounds – Justin Lester, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP), dnp
Defeated Mindia Tursumia (Georgia), 5-0
Lost to Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan), 9-7

98 kg/216 pounds – Caylor Williams, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP), dnp
Lost to Marthin Nielsen (Norway), 3-0