FORT DIX, N.J.– Two American Greco-Roman wrestlers won silver medals at
the CISM World Military Wrestling Championships at Joint Base McGuire –
Dix – Lakehurst, in New Jersey on Saturday.
Coming home with silvers were 1stLt Bryce Saddoris of the U.S. Marine
Corps at 66 kg and CPT Jon Anderson of the U.S. Army at 75 kg
Saddoris lost by fall to Gevorg Sahakyan of Armenia in 1:33 in the
gold-medal finals. Sahakyan, a 2013 CISM Military World silver medalist,
scored first, and then was able to put Saddoris to his back and secure
the first-period pin.
“I wasn’t able to get my stuff going. I didn’t control the tempo of the
match. All day long, I controlled the tempo and the tieups. You can’t
get them all. You have to learn and come back even stronger. At the end
of the day, I am happy with the way I wrestled,” said Saddoris.
A member of the 2014 U.S. World Team, Saddoris won his first two matches
of the tournament to reach the finals. He opened with a 3-1
quarterfinal win at 66 kg over Anil Kumar of India, scoring on a gut
wrench and a pushout. Saddoris was in control in the semifinals, scoring
the only takedown for a 2-0 win over 2005 CISM World bronze medalist
Ruslan Israfilov of Ukraine.
“I am feeling a lot more comfortable in my Greco-Roman,” said Saddoris, a
U.S. Naval Academy grad who has been on the international scene for
just a few seasons. “I have great coaching and have been able to travel
internationally. I am getting good looks against some of the best
Greco-Roman wrestlers in the world. In the last few months, I have made
tons of gains,” said Saddoris.
Anderson was edged in the gold-medal finals by 2013 Junior World
champion Karapet Chalyan of Armenia, 4-3. Chalyan scored a first-period
takedown and added a pushout and a penalty point, jumping to a 4-1 lead.
Anderson back with a late pushout and penalty point, but could not
close the gap completely.
“I had a good game plan that I executed. I fell a point short in the
finals. I have to get better every day. It’s a process. I am overall
happy, proud to represent the U.S., the World Class Athlete Program, my
family and my faith,” said Anderson.
A West Point graduate, Anderson had an impressive 5-1 win over Yevhen
Pyshkov of Ukraine in the semifinals. Trailing 0-1 at the break,
Anderson dominated the second period, scoring a takedown, a point on
Pyshkov’s passivity and a turn on the mat.
Anderson opened with an impressive second period pin against Ahmed Abdou
Omar Abdou of Egypt in 3:37. Trailing 4-0, Anderson tied it at 4-4 at
break, and countered a throw to score the pin in the second period.
Like Saddoris, he came into Greco-Roman after college and is still
learning the sport and expanding his experience. Anderson is known for
his intensity on the mat.
“You have to have heart. Nobody is going to give it to you. Everybody
want to win out there. It takes another level. You have to dig deep. I
think I do that consistently. Just keep adding technique and strategy
and put together an Olympic gold,” he said.
Two-time Olympian SGT Spenser Mango of the U.S. Army placed fifth at 59
kg. He was defeated in the bronze-medal round, when 2013 CISM World
Military bronze medalist Korlan Zhakansha of Kazakhstan pinned him in
4:37. Mango led 3-2 at the break, fighting off his back for a two-point
reversal at the end of the period. In the second period, Zhakansha threw
Mango and pressed him for the fall.
Mango opened with an 8-2 win over two-time CISM World Military medalist
Vugar Ragyumov of Ukraine. In his second match, Mango was beaten by
Haitham Ma Ahmed of Egypt, 0-6. Ahmed reached the gold-medal match,
pulling Mango back into repechage. Mango advanced to the bronze-medal
match after a dominant 10-0 technical fall over Fouad Fajari of Morocco.
Mango, who placed fifth at the World Championships in both 2013 and
2014, is competing in his first CISM Military World Championships.
At 71 kg, Sgt Joseph Foreman of the U.S. Marine Corps finished with a
1-2 record. He opened with an impressive 14-3 technical fall in the
first period over Angelo Rafael Marques Moreira of Brazil. Foreman
dropped his second match to Akrem Boudjenline of Algeria by technical
fall, 0-8. When Boudjenline made the finals, Foreman earned a repechage
bout, losing to Jakus Vijtech of Slovakia, 0-10. Foreman was a late
replacement for Justin Lester, who could not wrestle due to injury.
Monday is the final day of wrestling at the CISM World Military Championships, with the last four Greco-Roman weight classes.
CISM WORLD MILITARY CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Joint Base McGuire – Dix – Lakehurst, N.J.
U.S. Greco-Roman results
59 kg – SGT Spenser Mango, U.S. Army, 5th place
WIN Vugar Ragymov (Ukraine), 8-2
LOSS Haitham Ma Ahmed (Egypt), 0-6
WIN Fouad Fajari (Morocco), tech. fall 10-0, 5:50
LOSS Korlan Zhakansha (Kazakhstan), pin 4:37
66 kg – 1stLt Bryce Saddoris, U.S. Marine Corps, silver medal
WIN Anil Kumar (India), 3-1
WIN Ruslan Israfilov (Ukraine), 2-0
LOSS Gevorg Sahakyan (Armenia), pin 1:33
71 kg – Sgt Joseph Foreman, U.S. Marine Corps
WIN Angelo Rafael Marques Moreira (Brazil), tech. fall 14-3, 2:50
LOSS Akrem Boudjenline (Algeria), tech. fall, 0-8, 1:20
LOSS Jakus Vijtech (Slovakia), tech. fall, 2-13, 3:17
75 kg – CPT Jon Anderson, U.S. Army, silver medal
WIN Ahmed Abdou Omar Abdou (Egypt), pin 3:37
WIN Yevhen Pyshkov (Ukraine), 5-1
LOSS Karapet Chalyan (Armenia), 4-3
Greco-Roman results
59 kg
Gold – Haitham Ma Ahmed (Egypt)
Silver – Gaurav Sharma (India)
Bronze - Robert Kirakosyan (Armenia)
Bronze - Korlan Zhankasha (Kazakhstan)
5th - Diego Ribeiro Romanelli (Brazil)
5th – Spenser Mango (USA)
Gold - Haitham Ma Ahmed (Egypt) dec. Gaurav Sharma (India), 8-1
Bronze - Robert Kirakosyan (Armenia) tech. fall Diego Ribeiro Romanelli (Brazil), 8-0, 3:20
Bronze - Korlan Zhankasha (Kazakhstan) pin Spenser Mango (USA), 4:37
66 kg
Gold - Gevorg Sahakyan (Armenia)
Silver - Bryce Saddoris (USA)
Bronze - Anil Kumar (India)
Bronze - Deniz Menekse (Germany)
5th - Ruslan Israfilov (Ukraine)
5th - Sayed Abde Sayed (Egypt)
Gold - Gevorg Sahakyan (Armenia) pin Bryce Saddoris (USA), 1:33
Bronze - Anil Kumar (India) won by disq. over Ruslan Israfilov (Ukraine), 5:27
Bronze - Deniz Menekse (Germany) dec. Sayed Abde Sayed (Egypt), 8-7
71 kg
Gold - Mykola Savchenko (Ukraine)
Silver - Akrem Boudjeline (Algeria)
Bronze - Rafael Aleksanyan (Armenia)
Bronze - Nadyrov Nurzhan (Kazakhstan)
5th – Benjamin Hofman (Germany)
5th - Jakus Vijtech (Slovakia)
Gold - Mykola Savchenko (Ukraine) tech. fall Akrem Boudjeline (Algeria), 10-0
Bronze - Rafael Aleksanyan (Armenia) dec. Benjamin Hofman (Germany), 6-1
Bronze - Nadyrov Nurzhan azakhstan) dec. Jakus Vijtech (Slovakia), 6-4
75 kg
Gold – Karapat Chalyan (Armenia)
Silver - Jon Anderson (USA)
Bronze - Valdemaras Venckaitis (Lithuania)
Bronze – Abdou Omar Ahmed (Egypt)
5th - Abdekrim Oukali (Algeria)
5th - Yevhen Pyshkov (Ukraine)
Gold - Karapat Chalyan (Armenia) dec. Jon Anderson (USA), 4-3
Bronze - Valdemaras Venckaitis (Lithuania) tech. fall Abdekrim Oukali (Algeria), 9-0
Bronze –Abdou Omar Ahmed (Egypt) dec. Yevhen Pyshkov (Ukraine), 6-1