Hafizov places fifth in Greco-Roman at CISM Military Worlds in Lithuania

KLAIPEDA, Lithuania – SPC Ildar Hafizov of the U.S. Army placed fifth in Greco-Roman at 59 kg/130 lbs., the top U.S. finish at the CISM World Military Wrestling Championships on Friday.

Hafizov was defeated in a bronze-medal match by 2014 and 2015 Junior World champion Murad Mammedov of Azerbaijan, 9-0. He was the only U.S. athlete in a medal match on Friday.

He opened with a dominant 10-0 technical fall over Vazgen Khachatryan of Armenia. In the second round, he was edged by veteran Michal Tracz of Poland, 2-1. Tracz was a 2012 University World silver medalist and a 2013 CISM Military World bronze medalist.

When Tracz reached the gold-medal finals, Hafizov was pulled back into repechage. He scored a 6-1 decision over Rakhmatsirhudo Khaibarau of Belarus to earn his spot in the bronze-medal round.

Hafizov was a member of the 2017 U.S. World Team, and was second in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. A naturalized U.S. citizen, Hafizov was a 2008 Olympian for Uzbekistan before emigrating to the USA.

Two other U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers qualified for repechage but were unable to reach the medal round, 1LT Brandon Mueller of the U.S. Air Force at 71 kg/156 lbs. and SPC Dillon Cowan of the U.S. Army at 75 kg/165 lbs.

Mueller had two close matches against high quality opponents. He lost his first bout to 2015 World bronze medalist Adam Kurak of Russia, 7-3, and Kurak went on to qualify for the finals. In his repechage bout, Mueller fell to 2008 World Military champion Afshin Biabangard of Iran, 3-0. Mueller finished 10th.

Cowan also fell to two talented rivals. In the first round, he was outscored by 2017 European Junior silver medalist Elmar Nuraliev, 13-8. When Nuraliev became a finalist, Cowan drew 2016 CISM Military World champion Tsimur Berdyieu of Belarus, who beat Cowan in an 8-0 technical fall. Cowan placed ninth in the standings.

2012 Olympian SPC Ellis Coleman of the U.S. Army dropped his only bout, falling to 2011 Junior World silver medalist Dawid Karecinski of Poland, 5-1 at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Karecinski was beaten in the quarterfinals, eliminating Coleman from the tournament.

Coleman competed in the 2013 and 2017 Senior World Championships, and is a two-time Junior World bronze medalist.

One U.S. women’s freestyle athlete competed on Friday, PV2 Katerina Lobsinger of the U.S. Army, who placed seventh at 69 kg/152 lbs. She dropped her only bout to 2014 Junior World bronze medalist Danute Domikaityte of Lithuania, 9-5.

The final five U.S. athletes will compete on Saturday. There are four Greco-Roman wrestlers, SGT Courtney Myers of the U.S. Army at 80 kg/176 lbs., SPC Lucas Sheridan of the U.S. Marine Corps at 85 kg/187 lbs., 1LT Daniel Miller of the U.S. Marine Corps at 98 kg/215 lbs. and LCPL Eric Fader of the U.S. Marine Corps at 130 kg/286 lbs. In addition, women’s freestyler PV2 Anastasia Lobsinger of the U.S. Army will wrestle at 75 kg/165 lbs.

A separate weigh in story for these five U.S. military wrestlers will be posted later today.

The U.S. has won two medals in men’s freestyle so far this year, a silver medal by SGT Ryan Mango of the U.S. Army at 61 kg/134 lbs. and a bronze medal by 2LT Matthew Brown of the U.S. Army at 74 kg/163 lbs.

A website has been set up with updated results from the CISM World Military Wrestling Championships at:
http://www.liga-db.de/Turniere/FT/2017/EE/170918_Klaipeda,Lithuania/indexENG.htm

CISM MILITARY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Klaipeda, Lithuania, September 22

Greco-Roman medalists

59 kg/130 lbs.
Gold – Nkorbaksh Mohamad (Iran)
Silver - Michal Tracz (Poland)
Bronze – Murad Memmedov (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Justas Petravicius (Lithuania)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold – Karen Aslanyan (Armenia)
Silver - Aleksei Kiiankin (Russia)
Bronze – Matid Khalili (Iran)
Bronze – Cheol Jeong (Korea)

71 kg/156 lbs.
Gold - Adam Kurak (Russia)
Silver – Armen Hakobyan (Armenia)
Bronze - Afshin Biabangard (Iran)
Bronze – Maksim Yevtushenko (Ukraine)

75 kg/165 lbs.
Gold – Giorgios Prevolarakis (Greece)
Silver - Elmar Nuraliev (Ukraine)
Bronze – Vahid Babai Jafari (Iran)
Bronze - Tsimur Berdyieu (Belarus)

U.S. Greco-Roman performance

59 kg/130 lbs. - SPC Ildar Hafizov (U.S. Army), 5th
WIN Vazgen Khachatryan (Armenia), tech. fall 10-0
LOSS Michal Tracz (Poland), 2-1
WIN Rakhmatsirhudo Khaibarau (Belarus), 6-1
LOSS Murad Memmedov (Azerbaijan), tech. fall 9-0

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - SPC Ellis Coleman (U.S. Army), dnp/11th
LOSS Dawid Karecinski (Poland), 5-1

71 kg/156 lbs. - 1LT Brandon Mueller (U.S. Air Force), 10th
LOSS Adam Kurak (Russia), 7-3
LOSS Afshin Biabangard (Iran), 3-0

75 kg/165 lbs. - SPC Dillon Cowan (U.S. Army), 9th
LOSS Elmar Nuraliev (Ukraine), 13-8
LOSS Tsimur Berdyieu (Belarus), tech. fall 8-0

Women’s freestyle medalists

69 kg/152 lbs.
Gold – Alla Belinska (Ukraine)
Silver – Wang Chunying (China)
Bronze – Danute Domikaitye (Lithuania)
Bronze – Hanna Sarkut (Belarus)

U.S. women’s freestyle performance

69 kg/152 lbs. - PV2 Katerina Lobsinger (U.S. Army), 7th
LOSS Danute Domikaityte (Lithuania), 9-5

Hafizov places fifth in Greco-Roman at CISM Military Worlds in Lithuania

Related Stories