The United States won five individual gold medals in the Gi Grappling competition, and added a fourth No-Gi title, at the FILA Grappling World Championships in Krakow, Poland on Sunday.

It was a strong weekend for the U.S. team, which won the team title in No-Gi competition, and placed second in the Gi division. Team USA finished with nine individual gold medals in both styles over the two-day event.

“Today, in the Gi competition, we did very well, getting more gold medals than any other country,” said U.S. coach Sheldon Marr. “Unfortunately, Poland beat us in the medal count to win the title. We are extremely happy with our performance. Overall, Coach Shawn Sheldon and I are thrilled with the No-Gi team title and placing second in the Gi.”

To start the action on Sunday, the finals of the men’s No-Gi Open division were held. Mario Rinaldi, (Port St. Lucia, Fla./American Top Team) captured the gold medal. He defeated an opponent from Sweden in overtime in the finals, and quickly hit a back handspring in celebration. Rinaldi was a 2009 World silver medalist in No-Gi at the Open division.

Next came the Gi division, and the U.S. had the most individual champions with five.

Capturing Gi gold medals were Rinaldi, plus Zachary Makovsky (Philadelphia, Pa./Philadelphia Fight Factory) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Brian Mahecha (Coconut Creek, Fla./American Top Team) at 65 kg/143 lbs., Scott Garcia (Mesa, Ariz./American Pankration) at 80 kg/176 lbs. and Jessica Aguilar (Coconut Creek, Fla./American Top Team) at 55 kg/121 lbs.

Mahecha and Aguilar defeated Polish rivals for their titles. Makhovsky beat a Canadian opponent for the gold. Garcia defeated a Hungarian Grappler in the finals. Rinaldi defeated a Serbian opponent in the finals.

Rinaldi and Aguilar’s won two gold medals during the weekend, winning both the No-Gi and the Gi tournaments.

The U.S. also added a pair of bronze medals in the Gi division: Jeff Funicello (Mesa, Ariz./American Pankration) at 90 kg/198 lbs. and Lisa Ward (Lacey, Wash./Victory Athletics) at 50 kg/110 lbs.

FILA announced the team champion in the No-Gi tournament at the conclusion of the Open division. The United States finished with 81 points, ahead of runner-up teams Poland and Sweden with 72 points. 

In the Gi division, Poland won the team title with 90 points, with second place United States with 66 points and third place France with 41 points.

In the three years since FILA has hosted official Grappling World Champions, the USA has won the No-Gi team title all three times. In the Gi division, the USA won the first two team titles (2008 and 2009) and placed second this year.

FILA GRAPPLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Krakow, Poland, March 28, 2010

No-Gi Men's Open
Gold - Mario Rinaldi (USA)
Silver - Eddy Bengtsson (Sweden)
Bronze - G. Tenhuendfeld (Germany)
Bronze - Istvan Kalmar (Hungary)
5th - Paolo Strazullo (Italy)
5th - Predrig Budic (Serbia)
7th - Sasa Milinkovinc (Croatia)
8th - Sascha Ernst (Germany)
9th - Srjan Rokvic (Serbia)
10th - Marcin Held (Poland)

U.S. No-Gi men's performance

Open - Mario Rinaldi, Port St. Lucia, Fla. (American Top Team), 1st
WIN Paolo Strazullo (Italy), submission
WIN Serdjan Klisaric (Serbia), submission
WIN Marcin Held (Poland), forfeit
WIN G. Tenhendfeld (Germany), 1-0
WIN Eddy Bengtsson (Sweden), 3-0 overtime

Men's Gi results

60 kg/132 lbs. 
Gold - Zach Makovsky (USA)
Silver - John Louro (Canada)
Bronze - Karol Kawiorski (Poland)
Bronze - Fabien Brochetelle (France)
5th - Asker Baragunov (Russia)
6th -  Alessio Rimella (Italy)

65 kg/143 lbs.
Gold - Brian Mahecha (USA)
Silver - Piotr Podstawczuk (Poland)
Bronze - Karim Saki (France)
Bronze - Aslan Rustamov (Azerbaijan)
5th - Marco Masura (Italy)
5th - B. Bayasgalan (Mongolia)
7th - Dmytro Baranov (Ukraine)
8th - Javier Abril (Spain)
9th - Vukoje Stesevic (Serbia)
10th - Attila Kelemen (Hungary)

70 kg/154 lbs.
Gold - Bence Szoke (Hungary)
Silver - Marcin Held (Poland)
Bronze - Yan Reznichenko (Russia)
Bronze - Ciro Ruotolo (Italy)
5th - Nurbek Kazhagaliyev (Kazakhstan)
5th - Carlos Polo (Spain)
7th - Din Thomas (USA)
8th - Yuriy Stembulyak (Ukraine)

75 kg/165 lbs.
Gold - Grzegorz Kloc (Poland)
Silver - Davor Pocijak (Croatia)
Bronze - Michel Salvadori (France)
Bronze - G.Tenhuendfeld (Germany)
5th - Mate Toth (Hungary)
5th - Maxime Poulin (Canada)
7th - Mohsen Ghasempoor (Iran)
8th - Paolo Strazzullo (Italy)
9th -  Mike Kelly (USA)

80 kg/176 lbs.
Gold - Scott Garcia (USA)
Silver - Zoltan Illes (Hungary)
Bronze - Andrey Rychin (Russia)
Bronze - David Pierre Louis (France)
5th - Nenad Latincic (Serbia)
5th - Pantelis Panagidis (Greece)
7th - Tomasz Michalowski (Poland)
8th - Jaret Evans (Canada)
9th - Bernardo Serrini (Italy)
9th -  Pantelis Panagidis (Greece)
9th - Andrey Rychin (Russia)

90 kg/198 lbs.
Gold - Takanori Kuno (Japan)
Silver â€" Raffi Lamberto (Italy)
Bronze - Piotr Baginski (Poland)
Bronze - Jeff Funicello (USA)
5th - Sergii Asnishenko (Ukraine)
5th - Balazs Havas (Hungary)
7th - Ivica Tadijanov (Croatia)
8th - Srjan Rokvic (Serbia)

110 kg/242 lbs.
Gold - Grzegorz Szatkowski (Poland)
Silver - Predrag Budic (Serbia)
Bronze - Mikael Knutsson (Sweden)
Bronze - Sascha Ernst (Germany)
5th - Sasa Milinkovic (Croatia)
5th - Gabe Barahona (USA)
7th -  Oleksandr Sitalo (Ukraine)
8th - Gyula Tarjani (Hungary)
9th - Ilker Gulcin (Turkey)

Open
Gold - Mario Rinaldi (USA)
Silver - Predras Budic (Serbia)
Bronze - Balazs Ordog (Hungary)
Bronze - Tomasz Michalowski (Poland)
5th - Nica Tadijanov (Croatia)
6th - Sridan Rokvic (Serbia)

Women’s Gi results

50 kg/110 lbs.
Gold - Anny Hammarsten (Sweden)
Silver - Marija Sola (Croatia)
Bronze - Lisa Ward (USA)
Bronze - Joanna Galka (Poland)
5th - Elena Pak (Russia)
6th - Anna Isichko (Ukraine)
7th - Bojana Jolicic (Serbia)

55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold - Jessica Aguilar (USA)
Silver - Océane Talvard (France)
Bronze - Sandra Pasziewicz (Poland)
4th - Galetin Merima (Serbia)

60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold - Sheila Bird (Canada)
Silver - L. Foullat-Cousin (France)
Bronze - A. Hadzisuljmanovic (Sweden)
Bronze - Irena Preiss (Poland)
5th - Tara LaRosa (USA)
5th - Olga Starubinska (Ukraine)
7th - Julia Klammsteiner (Italy)
8th - Andrea Balogh (Hungary)

65 kg/143 lbs.
Gold - Karolina Zawodnik (Poland)
Silver - Evelin Banyai (Hungary)
Bronze - Aleksandra Tasic (Serbia)

70 kg/154 lbs
Gold - Anna Dudek (Poland)
Silver - Aliona Martynenko (Ukraine)

U.S. Gi performances

U.S. Gi Men

60 kg/132 lbs. - Zachary Makovsky, Philadelphia, Pa. (Philadelphia Fight Factory), 1st
WIN Karol Kawiorski (Poland), submission
WIN Asker Baragunov (Russia), submission
WIN John Louro (Canada), 2-0

65 kg/143 lbs. - Brian Mahecha, Coconut Creek, Fla. (American Top Team), 1st
WIN Aslan Rustamov (Azerbaijan), submission
WIN B. Bayasgalan (Mongolia), 2-0 overtime
WIN Piotr Podstawczuk (Poland), 1-0

70 kg/154 lbs. - Din Thomas, Coconut Creek, Fla. (American Top Team), 7th
LOSS Ciro Ruotolo (Italy), 0-1

75 kg/165 lbs. - Michael Kelly, Hebron, Ill. (Gilbert Grappling), 9th
LOSS G.Tenhuendfeld (Germany), 0-1

80 kg/176 lbs. - Scott Garcia, Mesa, Ariz. (American Pankration), 1st
WIN Panatelis Panagidis (Greece), inj. dft.
WIN David Pierre Louis (France), 2-1 overtime
WIN Zoltan Illes (Hungary), 6-0

90 kg/198 lbs. - Jeff Funicello, Mesa, Ariz. (American Pankration), 3rd
LOSS Raffi Lamberto (Italy), 0-7
WIN Balasz Havas (Hungary), 2-1

10 kg/242 lbs. - Gabe Barahona, New Orleans, La. (American Top Team), 5th
LOSS G. Szatkowski (Poland), 1-5
LOSS Sascha Ernst (Germany), inj. dft.

Open - Mario Rinaldi, Port St. Lucia, Fla. (American Top Team), 1st
WIN Nico Tadijanov (Croatia), submission
WIN Tomasz Michalowski (Poland), submission
WIN Predras Budic (Serbia), 3-1

U.S. Gi Women performance

50 kg/110 lbs. - Lisa Ward, Lacey, Wash. (Victory Athletics), 3rd
WIN Anna Isichko (Ukraine), submission
LOSS Anny Hammarsten (Sweden), 0-9

55 kg/121 lbs. - Jessica Aguilar, Coconut Creek, Fla. (American Top Team), 1st
WIN Galetin Merima (Serbia), submission
WIN Oceane Talvard (France), 2-0
WIN Sandra Pasziewicz (Poland), 9-0

60 kg/132 lbs. - Tara LaRosa, Woodstown, N.J. (Philadelphia Fight Factory), 5th
WIN Andrea Balogh (Hungary), 6-0
LOSS Sheila Bird (Canada), 0-3
LOSS A. Hadzisulejmanovic (Sweden), 3-7

No-Gi Team standings
1. United States, 81 pts.; 2. Poland and Sweden 72, 4. France 56 pts., 5. Germany 24 pts., 6. Serbia, 18 pts., 7. (tie) Ukraine, Italy, Hungary, 17 pts., 10. (tie) Greece, Bulgaria 16 pts.; 12. Japan, 9 pts.; 13 (tie) Croatia, Russia, 8 pts.

Gi Team standings
1. Poland, 90 pts.; 2. United States, 66 pts.; 3. France, 41 pts.; 4. (tie) Sweden, Hungary, 36 pts.; 6. Serbia, 26 pts.; 7. Canada, 19 pts.; 8. Croatia, 18 pts.; 9. Italy, 17 pts.; 10. (tie) Russia, Germany, 16 pts.; 12. Japan, 10 pts.; 13. Ukraine, 9 pts.; 14. Azerbaijan, 8 pts.