Day-by-Day Preview of 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas
The following is a day-by-day preview of the 2015 United World Wrestling (UWW) World Championships, which will be held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., Sept. 7-12.
Early-round matches (through the semis) start at 10 a.m. (PST) on a daily basis while Gold & Bronze Medal matches start daily at 6:30 p.m. (PST)
RETURN TO WIN’S COVERAGE OF THE 2015 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Monday, September 7
Greco-Roman
66K/145.5 pounds – Bryce Saddoris (U.S. Marines), Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Born: Feb. 22, 1988 (27), Spring Creek, Nev.
Worlds experience: 1-1 in one tournament (2014; pinned Loiqi Amirkhonzoda (TJK), lost to Ravaz Lashkhi (Georgia)
2014 World medalists: Gold – Davor Stefanek (Serbia); Silver – Omid Noroozi (Iran); Bronze – Tamas Loerincz (Hungary) and Edgaras Venckaitis (Lithuania)
75k/165 pounds – Andy Bisek (Minnesota Storm), Colorado Springs, Colo.
Born: Aug. 18, 1986 (29), Chaska, Minn.
Worlds experience: 6-3 in three tournaments with one bronze medal;
1-1 in 2011 at 74k, def. Aleksandr Kazakevich (Lithuania), lost to Ashkat Dilmukhamedov (Kazakhstan);
1-1 in 2013 at 74k, def. Balint Korpasi (Hungary), lost to Emrah Kus (Turkey);
4-1 (third) in 2014 at 75k, def. Petros Manoulidis (Greece), def. Roman Vlasov (Russia); lost to Neven Zugaj (Croatia), def. Veli-Karri Suominen (Finland), def. Hiroyuki Shimizu (Japan)
2014 World medalists: Gold – Arsen Julfalakyan (Armenia); Silver – Neven Zujag (Croatia); Bronze – Andrew Bisek (USA) and Elvin Mursaliev (Azerbaijan)
98k/216 pounds – Caylor Williams (U.S. Army WCAP), Colorado Springs, Colo.
Born: Jan. 7, 1991 (24), Palm Bay (Fla.)
Worlds experience: 0-2 in two tournaments;
0-1 in 2013 at 96k, lost to Cenk Ildem (Turkey);
0-1 in 2014 at 98k, lost to Marthin Nielsen (Norway)
2014 World medalists: Gold – Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia); Silver Oliver Hassler (Germany); Bronze – Cenk Ildem (Turkey) & Ghasem Rezai (Iran)
Tuesday, September 8
Greco-Roman
59k/130 pounds – Spenser Mango (U.S. Army WCAP), Colorado Springs, Colo.
Born: July 6, 1986 (29), St. Louis, Mo.
Worlds experience: 8-8 in five tournaments and placed as high as fifth, twice;
2-2 in 2009 at 55k, def. Anar Zeinalov (Estonia), lost to Hamid Soryan (Iran), def. Joaquim Martinez Abellan (Spain), lost to Erhan Karakus (Turkey);
0-1 in 2010 at 55k, lost to Nazir Mankiev (Russia);
0-1 in 2011 at 55k, lost to Arsen Eraliev (Kyrgyzstan);
3-2 in 2013 at 55k (fifth place), def. Jani Haapanmaeki (Finland), lost to Gyu-Jin (Korea), def. Fouad Fajari (Marianas), def. Kanybek Zholchubekov (Kyrgyzstan), lost to Roman Amoyan (Armenia) in bronze medal match;
3-2 in 2014 at 59k (fifth place), def. Fatih Ucuncu (Turkey), def. Peter Modos (Hungary), def. Kazuma Kuramoto (Japan), lost to Mingiyan Semenov (Russia), lost to Stig Andre Berg (Norway) in bronze medal match.
(Mango also competed in two Olympics, going 1-1 in 2008 and 1-2 in 2012, both at 55k)
2014 World medalists: Gold – Hamid Soryan (Iran); Silver – Mingiyan Semenov (Russia); Bronze – Elmurat Tasmuradov (Uzbekistan) & Stig Andre Berge (Norway)
71k/156 pounds – Justin “Harry” Lester (U.S. Army WCAP), Colorado Springs, Colo.
Born: Sept. 30, 1983 (31), Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Worlds experience: 14-6 in five tournaments with two bronze medals;
0-1 in 2005 at 66k, lost to Eduard Kratz (Germany);
4-1 in 2006 at 66k (bronze), def. Min-Chul Kim (Korea), lost to Kanatbek Begaliev (Kyrgyzstan), def. Gurbinder Singh (India), def. Nikolay Gergov (Bulgaria), def. Seref Eroglu (Turkey) for bronze;
5-1 in 2007 at 66k (bronze), def. Juha Petteri Hiltunen (Finland), def. Seref Eroglu (Turkey), def. Mayli Consuegra Panfe (Cuba), def. Ionel Puscasu (Romania), lost to Farid Mansurov (Azerbaijan), def. Tamas Loerincz (Hungary) in bronze medal match;
4-2 in 2011 at 66k (fifth), def. Aleksandar Maksimovic (Serbia), def. Angelo Mota Brea (Dominican Rep.), def. Pan Zheng (China) def. Kanatbek Begaliev (Kyrgyzstan), lost to Manukhar Tskhadaia (Georgia), lost to Pedro Mulens Herrera (Cuba) in bronze medal match;
1-1 in 2014 at 71k, def. Mindia Tsulikidze (Georgia), lost to Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan).
(Lester also competed in the 2012 Olympics, going 1-2)
2014 World medalists: Gold – Chingiz Labazanov (Russia); Silver – Yunus Oezel (Turkey); Bronze – Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan) & Afshin Byabangard (Iran)
80k/176 pounds – Patrick Martinez (U.S. Army WCAP), Colorado Springs, Colo.
Born: April 5, 1990 (25), Temecula Valley, Calif.
Worlds experience: 0-0, first tournament
2014 World medalists: Gold – Peter Basci (Hungary); Silver – Evgeni Saleev (Russia); Bronze – Jim Eric Pettersson (Sweden) & Selcuk Cebi (Turkey)
130k/286 pounds – Robby Smith (NYAC), Colorado Springs, Colo.
Born: Jan. 30, 1987 (28), Danville, Calif.
Worlds experience: 3-2 in two tournaments with high finish of fifth;
2-1 in 2013 (fifth) at 120k, def.Xiaoming Nie (China), def. Iosif Chugoshvili (Belarus), lost to Riza Kayaalp (Turkey);
1-1 in 2014 at 130k, def. Jong-Won Hwang (Korea), lost to Lyubomir Dimitrov (Bulgaria)
2014 World medalists: Gold – Mijain Lopez Nunez (Cuba); Silver – Riza Kayaalp (Turkey); Bronze – Heiki Nabi (Estonia) & Beylai Makhov (Russia)
Wednesday, September 9
Greco-Roman
85k/187 pounds – Jordan Holm (Minnesota Storm), Minneapolis, Minn.
Born: Jan. 17, 1982 (33), Northfield (Minn.)
Worlds experience: 1-2 in two tournaments;
1-1 in 2013 at 84k, def. Pedro Garcia Perez (Spain), lost to Rami Hietaniemi (Finland);
0-1 in 2014 at 85k, lost to Rustam Assakalov (Uzbekistan)
2014 World medalists: Gold –Melonin Noumonvi (France); Silver – Saman Tahmasebi (Azerbaijan); Bronze – Viktor Loerincz (Hungary) & Zhan Belenyuk (Ukraine)
Women’s Freestyle
48k/105.5 pounds — Alyssa Lampe (Sunkist Kids), Colorado Springs.
Born: March 10, 1988 (27), Tomahawk, Wisc.
Worlds experience: 10-5 in four tournaments with two bronze medals
0-1 in 2010 at 48k, lost to Iwona Matkowska (Poland);
3-1 in 2012 at 51k (bronze), def. Angela Dorogan (Azerbaijan), def. Roksana Zasina (Poland), lost to Yanan Sun (China), def. Elenora Abutalipova (Kazahkstan) in bronze medal match;
4-1 in 2013 at 48k (bronze), def. Davi Nirmala (India), lost to Eri Tosaka (Japan), def. Madalina Lingurau (Romania), def. Tatyana Amanzhol-Bakatyuk (Kazahkstan), def. Melanie LeSaffre (France) in bronze medal match;
3-2 in 2014 at 48k (fifth), def. Narangerel Erdenesukh (Mongolia), def. Hyun-Young Oh (Korea), lost to Eri Tosaka (Japan), def. Silvia Felice (Italy), lost to Hyon-Gyong Kim (North Korea) in bronze medal match.
2014 World medalists: Gold – Eri Tosaka (Japan); Silver – Iwona Matkowska (Poland); Bronze – Hyon-Gyong Kim (North Korea) & Maria Stadnyk (Azerbaijan)
53k/116.5 pounds — Whitney Conder (U.S. Army WCAP), Colorado Springs, Colo.
Born: May 6, 1988 (27) Puyallup, Wash.
Worlds experience: 3-3 in two tournaments with high of ninth place;
1-1 in 2011 at 51k, def. Estera Dobre (Romania), lost to Kum-Ok Han (North Korea);
2-2 in 2014 at 53k (ninth), def. Tatiana Debien (France), def. Sumiya Erdenechimeg (Mongolia), lost to Sofia Mattsson (Sweden), lost to Myong-Suk (North Korea)
2014 World medalists: Gold – Saori Yoshida (Japan); Silver – Sofia Mattsson (Sweden); Bronze – Myong-Suk Jong (North Korea) & Jillian Gallays (Canada)
69k/157 pounds — Elena Pirozhkova (Titan Mercury), Colorado Springs, Colo.
Born: Oct. 13, 1986 (28), Moscow, Russia/Greenfield, Mass.
Worlds experience: 23-8 in seven tournaments with five medals (one gold, two silver and two bronze);
1-1 in 2008 at 67k, def. Monika Michalik (Poland), lost to Katerina Burmistrova (Ukraine);
2-2 in 2009 at 63k (seventh), def. Aysel Can (Turkey), def. Jin-Young Hang (Korea), lost to Lyubov Volossova (Russia), lost to Justine Bouchard (Canada);
4-1 in 2010 at 63k (silver), def. Tatyana Zakharova (Kazahkstan), def. Maria Mendez Mayo (Spain), def. Katherine Vidiaux Lopez (Cuba), def. Lyubov Volossova (Russia), lost to Kaori Icho (Japan) in gold medal match;
4-2 in 2011 at 63k (fifth), def. Sandra Roa Velandi (Colombia), def. Luz Clara Vazquez (Argentina), def. Henna Johansson (Sweden); def. Laura Skujina (Lativa), lost to Kaori Icho (Japan), lost to Rui Xue Jing (China) in bronze medal match;
4-0 in 2012 at 63k (gold), def. Min-Wen Hou (TPE), def. Kayoko Kudo (Japan), def. Zhuoma Xiluo (China), def. Taybe Yusein (Bulgaria) in gold medal match;
4-1 in 2013 at 63k (bronze), def. Hayat Farag (Egypt), lost to Battsetseg Soronzonbold (Mongolia), def. Nathaly Griman Herrera (Venezuela), def. Maria Diana (Italy), def. Anastasia Bratchikova (Russia) in bronze medal match;
4-1 in 2014 at 63k (silver), def. Anastasija Grigojeva (Lativa), def. Battsetseg Soronzonbold (Mongolia), def. Danielle Lappage (Canada), def. Monika Ewa Michalik (Poland), lost to Yulia Tkach (Ukraine) in gold medal match.
(Pirozhkova also competed in 2012 Olympics; going 1-1 at 63k)
2014 World medalists: Gold – Aline Focken (Germany); Silver – Sara Dosho (Japan); Laura Skujina (Lativa) & Natalya Vorobieva (Russia)
Thursday, September 10
Women’s Freestyle
55k/121 pounds — Helen Maroulis (Sunkist Kids), Tempe, Ariz.
Born: Sept. 19, 1991 (23), Rockville, Md.
Worlds experience: 17-9 in six tournaments with three medals (one silver and two bronze);
1-2 in 2008 at 51k, def. Roksana Zasina (Poland), lost to Hitomi Sakamoto (Japan), lost to Jessica MacDonald (Canada);
4-1 in 2010 at 55k (bronze), def. Maria Gaidau (Moldova), def. Rikhangul Gukharbakiyeva (Kazahkstan), lost to Yu Horiuchi (Japan), def. Hafize Sahin (Turkey), def. Karima Ramis (Spain) in bronze medal match;
4-2 in 2011 at 55k (fifth), def. Alym Abdildina (Kazahkstan), def. Valya Tihomirova (Bulgaria), lost to Saori Yoshida (Japan), def. Emriye Musta (Turkey), def. Alma Escoto (Mexico), lost to Ida-Theres Nerell (Sweden) in bronze medal match;
3-1 in 2012 at 55k (silver), def. Nadesha Mikhalkova (Belarus), def. Maria Prevolaraki (Greece), def. Brittanee Laverdure (Canada), lost to Saori Yoshida (Japan) in gold medal match;
2-2 in 2013 at 55k (seventh), def. Kum-Ok Han (North Korea), def. Thi Hue Pham (Vietnam), lost to Sofia Mattsson (Sweden), lost to Maya Hristova (Bulgaria);
3-1 in 2014 at 55k (bronze), def. Elverina Zepeda (NCA), def. Battsetseg Altantsetseg (Mongolia), lost to Chiho Hamada (Japan), def. Katarzyna Krawczyk (Poland) in bronze medal match.
2014 World medalists: Gold – Chiho Hamada (Japan); Silver – Irina Ologonova (Russia); Bronze – Helen Maroulis (USA) & Irina Khariv (Ukraine)
58k/128 pounds — Alli Ragan (NYAC), Colorado Springs, Colo.
Born: June 16, 1992 (23), Carbondale, Ill.
Worlds experience: 3-3 in two tournaments with high finish of fifth;
1-1 in 2013 at 59k, def. Svetlana Lipatova (Russia), lost to Ayaka Ito;
2-2 in 2014 at 58k (fifth), def. Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan), lost to Kaori Icho (Japan), def. Asem Seydametova (Uzbekistan), lost to Anastassia Huchok (Belarus) in bronze medal match.
2014 World medalists: Gold – Kaori Icho (Japan); Silver – Valeria Koblova-Zholobova (Russia); Bronze – Anastassia Huchok (Belarus) & Elif Jale Yesilirmak (Turkey)
63k/138.75 pounds — Erin Clodgo (Sunkist Kids), Colorado Springs, Colo.
Born: Aug. 23, 1990 (25), Richmond, Vt.
Worlds experience: 0-0, first tournament; Clodgo did compete in the 2007 (8th) and 2010 (12th) Junior Worlds at 67 kilos
2014 World medalists: Gold – Yulia Tkach (Ukraine); Silver – Elena Pirozhkova (Russia); Bronze – Anastajia Grigojeva (Lativa) & Valeria Lazinskaya (Russia)
75k/165 pounds — Adeline Gray (NYAC), Colorado Springs, Colo.
Born: Jan. 15, 1991 (24), Chatfield, Colo.
Worlds experience: 16-4 in five tournaments with four medals (two gold, two bronze)
2-2 in 2009 at 67k (fifth), def. Maria Mueller (Germany), lost to Yulia Bartnovskaya (Russia), def. Yan Ma (China), lost to Ifeoma Iheanacho (Nigeria);
2-1 in 2011 at 67k (bronze), lost to Zhuoma Xiluo (China), def. Martine Dugrenier (Canada), def. Burcu Orskaya (Turkey) in bronze medal match;
4-0 in 2012 at 67k (gold), def. Dzhanan Manolova (Bulgaria), def. Yoshiko Inoue (Japan), def. Navjot Kaur (India), def. Dorothy Yeats (Canada) in gold medal match;
3-1 in 2013 at 72k (bronze), def. Andrea Gutierrez (Colombia), lost to Fengliu Zhang (China), def. Gouzel Manyurova (Kazahkstan), def. Yasemin Adar (Turkey) in bronze medal match;
5-0 in 2014 at 75k (gold), def. Qian Zhou (China), def. Yasemin Adar (Turkey), def. Hiroe Suzuki (Japan), def. Epp Mae (Estonia), def. Aline Ferreira (Brazil) in gold medal match.
2014 World medalists: Gold – Adeline Gray (USA); Silver – Aline Ferreira (Brazil); Bronze – Burmaa Ochirbat (Mongolia) & Qian Zhou (China)
Men’s Freestyle
65k/143 pounds — Brent Metcalf (NYAC), Iowa City, Iowa
Born: July 14, 1986 (29), Davison, Mich.
Worlds experience: 1-3 in three tournaments with no top-10 placements
0-1 in 2010 at 66k, lost to Otar Tushishvili (Georgia);
0-1 in 2013 at 66k, lost to Mehdi Taghavi Kermani (Iran);
1-1 in 2014 at 65k, def. Seong-Bum Park (Korea), lost to Mustafa Kaya (Turkey)
2014 World medalists: Gold – Soslan Ramonov (Russia); Silver – Sayed Ahmad Mohammadi (Iran); Bronze – Mihail Sava (Moldova) & Mandakhnaran Ganzorig (Mongolia)
Friday, September 11
Women’s Freestyle
60k/132 pounds — Leigh Jaynes-Provisor (US Army WCAP), Colorado Springs, Colo.
Born: Jan. 12, 1980 (35), Rancocas Valley, N.J.
Worlds experience: 0-2 in two tournaments
0-1 in 2007 at 59k, lost to Ayako Shoda (Japan);
0-1 in 2012 at 59k, lost to Munkhtuya Tungalag (Mongolia)
2014 World medalists: Gold –Tserenchimed Sukhee (Mongolia); Silver – Yulia Ratkevich (Azerbaijan); Bronze – Taybe Yusein (Bulgaria) & Natalya Golts (Russia)
Men’s Freestyle
61k/134 pounds — Reece Humphrey (NYAC), Columbus, Ohio
Born: July 31, 1986 (29), Indianapolis, Ind.
Worlds experience: 4-2 in two tournaments with high placement of 8th;
2-1 in 2011 at 60k, def. Guillermo Torres (Mexico), def. Bilel Douissa (Tunesia), lost to Didier Pais (France);
2-1 in 2013 at 60k (eighth), def. Mykola Aivazian (Ukraine), def. Erhan Bakir (Turkey), lost to Masoud Esmailpourjouybari (Iran)
2014 World medalists: Gold – Haji Aliev (Azerbaijan); Silver – Masoud Esmailpourjouybari (Iran); Bronze – Yowlys Rodriquez (Cuba) & Nyam-Ochir Enkhsaikhan (Mongolia)
86k/189 pounds — Jake Herbert (NYAC), Ann Arbor, Mich.
Born: March 6, 1985 (30), North Allegheny, Pa.
Worlds experience: 4-2 in two tournaments with one medal (silver)
4-1 in 2009 at 84k (silver), def. David Bichinashvili (Germany), def. Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan), def. Gokhan Yavaser (Turkey), def. Abdusalam Gadisov (Russia), lost to Zaurbek Sokhiev (Uzbekistan) in gold medal match;
0-1 in 2010 at 84k, lost to Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba)
(Also competed in the 2012 Olympics, finishing 1-2 and in seventh place at 84k)
2014 World medalists: Gold –Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Russia); Silver – Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba); Bronze – Mohammad Mohammadian (Iran) & Selim Yasar (Turkey)
97k/213 pounds — Kyle Snyder(Titan Mercury WC), Columbus, Ohio
Born: Nov. 20, 1995 (19), Woodbine, Md.
Worlds experience: 0-0, first tournament; Snyder, the 2015 NCAA runner-up from Ohio State, competed in two Junior Worlds, 2013 (gold) and 2014 (bronze)
2014 World medalists: Gold –Abdusalam Gadisov (Russia); Silver – Khetag Gazumov (Azerbaijan); Bronze – Valeri Andritsev (Ukraine) & Javier Cortina Lacerra (Cuba)
Saturday, September 12
Men’s Freestyle
57k/125 pounds — Tony Ramos (Titan Mercury), Iowa City, Iowa
Born: Feb. 12, 1991 (24), Glenbard, Ill.
Worlds experience: 0-1 in one tournament;
• 0-1 in 2014 at 57k; lost to Bekhbayar Erdenebat (Mongolia)
2014 World medalists: Gold – Kyong-Il Yang (North Korea); Silver – Vladimir Khinchegashvili (Georgia); Bronze – Hassan Rahimi (Iran) & Vladislav Andreev (Belarus)
70k/154 pounds — James Green (Titan Mercury), Willingboro, N.J.
Born: Dec. 19, 1992 (22), Willingboro, N.J.
Worlds experience: 0-0, first tournament; Green, the three-time NCAA All-American from Nebraska, did compete in the 2013 and ’14 World University Championships and finished second in 2014.
2014 World medalists: Gold –Khetik Tsabolov (Russia); Silver – Yakup Gor (Turkey); Bronze – Ali Shabanov (Belarus) & Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (Uzbekistan)
74k/163 pounds — Jordan Burroughs (Sunkist Kids), Lincoln, Neb.
Born: July 8, 1988 (27), WinslowTownship, N.J.
Worlds experience: 14-1 in three tournaments with three medals (two gold and one bronze)
5-0 in 2011 at 74k (gold), def. Dmitri Rochnyak (Ukraine), def. Denis Tsargush (Russia), def. Ricardo Moreno (Venezuela), def. Ashraf Aliev (Azerbaijan), def. Sadegh Goudarzi (Iran) in gold medal match;
5-0 in 2013 at 74k (gold), def. Gamid Dzhalilov (TJK), def. Narasingh Yadav (India), def. Yabrail Hasanov (Azerbaijan), def. Ali Shabanov (Belarus), def. Aliashgar Akbarizarinkolaei (Iran) in gold medal match;
4-1 in 2014 at 74k (bronze), def. Augusto Midana (GBS), def. Yun-Seok Lee (Korea), def. Rashid Kurbanov (Uzbekistan), lost to Denis Tsargush (Russia), def. Rustam Dudaev (Ukraine) in bronze medal match.
(Burroughs also competed in the 2012 Olympics and won gold medal at 74k with a 4-0 record)
2014 World medalists: Gold – Denis Tsargush (Russia); Silver – Sohsuke Takatani (Japan); Bronze – Jordan Burroughs (USA) & Livian Lopez (Cuba)
125k/275 pounds — Zach Rey, Bethlehem, Pa.
Born: March 27, 1989 (26), Hopatcong (N.J.)
Worlds experience: first World Championships; Rey is replacing two-time World bronze medalist (2009 and 2014) Tervel Dlagnev, who first earned the spot on this team, but was forced to withdraw because of injury.
Rey, the former NCAA champion from Lehigh, won the last two Pan American championships.
2014 World medalists: Gold – Taha Akguel (Turkey); Silver – Komeil Ghasemi (Iran); Bronze – Khadshimourad Gatsalov (Russia) & Tervel Dlagnev (USA).