UPDATED: Three U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers eliminated on first day of FILA Junior World Championships in Guatemala

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
08/29/2006


The three U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers who were entered in the first day of the FILA Junior World Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala dropped matches and were eliminated from medal contention. The Junior World Championships feature the top 17-20 year old wrestlers in the world.

Wrestling for the United States on Tuesday were  Eric Grajales (Brandon, Fla.) at 50 kg/110 lbs., Andrew Bisek (Chaska, Minn./USOEC/Minnesota Storm) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Robbie Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.

In order to advance to the wrestleback rounds in an international tournament, an athlete must lose to a wrestler who qualifies for the gold-medal finals. In the case of all three U.S. wrestler, the opponent who defeated did not make it to the gold-medal round, eliminating them from a chance at winning a bronze medal.

Smith placed ninth in his weight class, and Grajales and Bisek did not place in the top 10 of their divisions.

Bisek and Smith had 1-1 records in the tournament.

Bisek opened with a 4-0, 3-0 win over Avi Youkhanov of Israel. In his second match, Bisek was defeated by Eerik Aps of Estonia, 3-5, 1-2. When Aps was defeated in the quarterfinals, Bisek was not eligible for the wrestlebacks.

Smith won his first match, defeating Alexis Rodrigez of Puerto Rico, 3-0, 6-0. In the quarterfinals, Smith was beaten by Yuri Dabko of Belarus, 2-2, 0-5, 3-3. When Dabko was defeated in semifinals. Smith was not eligible for the wrestlebacks.

Grajales lost his opening round match to Igor Zagorodnyuk of Ukraine, 1-7, 2-6 and was eliminated after Zagorodnyuk was beaten 

The Greco-Roman competition completes on Wednesday with action in four weight classes: (55 kg, 66 kg, 64 kg, 120 kg). 

Two wrestlers who won medals at the 2006 University World Championships will be wrestling at the FILA Junior World Championships on Wednesday. 2006 University World champion Spenser Mango (Flourissant, Mo./USOEC/Gator WC) will be competing at 55 kg/121 lbs. and 2006 University World silver medalist Chas Betts (St. Michael, Minn./USOEC/Minnesota Storm) will wrestle at 84 kg/185 lbs.

Mango will face  Antero Perez-Juntunen of Finland in his first match, while Betts will battle Cho Hyo-Chul of Korea in his opening bout.

Other U.S. wrestlers in action Wednesday will be Jason Robbins (Orlando, Fla./Sunkist Kids) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Erik Nye ( Red Bluff, Calif.) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Robbins opens with Hector Diaz Moreno of Guatemala, and Nye faces Esmail Nazari of Iran in his first match.

The coaches for the U.S. team are Gary Mayabb (Kansas City, Mo.), Mark Halvorson (Brentwood, Calif.) and National Greco-Roman Developmental Coach  Ike Anderson (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

FILA has set up a website with results, pairings and information about the Junior World Championships, at:
http://www.fila-wrestling.com/gestion_competition/internet/home/accueil.php?num_compet=562

All three international styles of wrestling will be contested at the FILA Junior World Championships. The Greco-Roman event will be followed by women's freestyle on Thursday and Friday and men's freestyle on Saturday and Sunday.

U.S. GRECO-ROMAN TEAM RESULTS FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 29
50 kg/110 lbs. - Eric Grajales, Brandon, Fla., dnp/11th
LOSS  Igor Zagorodnyuk (Ukraine), 1-7, 2-6

74 kg/163 lbs. - Andrew Bisek, Chaska, Minn. (USOEC/Minnesota Storm), dnp/14th
WIN Avi Youkhanov (Israel), 4-0, 3-0
LOSS Eerik Aps (Estonia), 3-5, 1-2

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Robbie Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC), 9th
WIN Alexis Rodrigez (Puerto Rico), 3-0, 6-0
LOSS Yuri Dabko (Belarus), 2-2, 0-5, 3-3

FINAL PLACEMENTS FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 29

50 kg/110 lbs.
1 RUS AKHMEDZIANOV DAMIR 
2 KAZ KUDAYBERGENOV ASHRAT 
3  HUN MODOS PETER 
3  GEO GOGITADZE LASHA 
5  TUR BOZOGLU HARUN 
5  VEN RAMIREZ JOSE 
7 KOR NAM-HOON LEE 
8 UKR ZAGORODNYUK IGOR 
9 ISR ROITMAN ABTEM 
10 JPN KAJI MASAHARU 
11 USA GRAJALES ERIC 
12 IRI REZA ASSAD DPOUR 
13 CHI GONZALEZ MANUEL 
14 GUA ABNER ELER 

60 kg/132 lbs.
1 RUS ALBIEV ISLAM BEKA 
2 TUR SUCU SONER 
3  FIN PASANEN VILLE 
3  KOR HAN-SU RYU 
5  KAZ ZHARBOLOV BEKZHAN 
5  CUB MARTINES SERGIO RODRIGUE 
7 JPN MATSUMOTO RYUTARO 
8 UKR KOSMYNA YEVGEN 
9 SCG MAKSIMOVIC ALEKSANDAR 
10 IRI FARSHINNEJAD SABER 
11 HUN SZAKOKCZI HUNOR 
12 ISR VESMEV YURI 
13 GEO MEKVABISHVILI KAKHABERI 
14 BLR ALENSKI DZMITRY 
15 NOR RONNINGEN ANDERS 
16 SWE DANESHVAR VAHAB 
17 POR ALMEIDA MANUEL 
18 ROM MIRON CATALIN 
19 CRO SOKOL TONIMIR 
20 PER PEDRAZA RAMOS NELSON 
21 SUI STACELMANN PATRICK 
22 ARG VITAL CRISTIAN 
22 CHI CORREA FREDY 
24 GUA MARTINEZ MARCOS DAVID 

74 kg/163 lbs. 
1 TUR BEDEL UMIT 
2 IRI ABEDINZADEH DAVOOD 
3  UKR PYSHKOV DMYTRO 
3  RUS POPOV EVGENI 
5  EST APS EERIK 
5  KOR HYUN-HA CHO 
7 NOR AARDALEN JOACHIM 
8 KAZ SAYIDOV ALIMZHAN 
9 CRO MICUDA TOMISLAV 
10 BLR SHUBIN MAKSIM 
11 LAT VISWAKOVS ALEKSANDRS 
12 SCG BAJLOVIC MIHAJLO 
13 GEO SHAVADZE ZAZA 
14 USA BISEK ANDREW 
15 SWE NYBERG JONAS 
16 JPN KURAYA SHUHEI 
17 MEX ESCOBAR J.ANGEL 
18 HUN KUN RCNATO 
19 FIN HAKALA ANTTI 
20 ISR YOUKHANOV AVI 
21 SVK VARGA ATTILA 
21 VEN MARTINEZ LEVDOMAR 
21 ECU MINA MARCELLO 
21 GUA DUARTE DAVID 
25 CHI SEGUEL DONIAN 
26 GRE MBAMBATSIAS EVANGELOS 

96 kg/211.5 lbs.  
1 HUN NEMETH IVAN 
2 UKR KRYOKA OLEG 
3  KAZ TYNALIEV LURMAKHAN 
3  RUS MARCHENKO ROMAN 
5  BLR DABKO YURY 
5  IRI GHIL NIRANGH DAVOUD 
7 LTU BUDRIS ROBERTAS 
8 GER ARAS KASIM MEHMET 
9 USA SMITH ROBBIE 
10 NOR HESTDALEN HAVARD 
11 GEO JIKIA MZECHABUKI 
12 LAT MACULEVICS ALEKSANDRS 
13 CRO HOGAC SINISA 
14 POL OLEJNICZAK MARCIN 
15 ISR SHAROVTSKY BRONILAS 
16 TUR KAYAALP RIZA 
17 SLO DEJAN SERNEK 
18 VEN ZAMORA MANUEL 
19 PUR RODRIGEZ ALEXIS 
20 JPN YAMAMOTO YUSUKE 
21 DOM GARCIA RAMON 

U.S GRECO-ROMAN TEAM PAIRINGS FOR WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30

55 kg/121 lbs. - Spenser Mango, Flourissant, Mo. (USOEC/Gator WC)
vs. Antero Perez-Juntunen (Finland)

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Jason Robbins, Orlando, Fla. (Sunkist Kids)
vs. Hector Diaz Moreno (Guatemala)

84 kg/185 lbs. - Chas Betts, St. Michael, Minn. (USOEC/Minnesota Storm)
vs. Cho Hyo-Chul (Korea)

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Erik Nye, Red Bluff, Calif.
vs. Esmail Nazari (Iran)