HAPARANDA, Sweden – Two U.S. wrestlers claimed gold medals at the Haparanda Cup of Greco-Roman wrestling, Jermaine Hodge (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and 2007 U.S. World Team member Joe Betterman (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 60 kg/132 lbs.

Betterman won all five of his matches in a six-athlete round robin, winning three bouts on Saturday and two on Sunday. Key wins were over eventual silver medalist Ruslan Israfilov of Ukraine, 0-1, 1-1, 2-0, and eventual bronze medalist Oleg Drozdov of Russia, 1-0, 2-0.

It was Betterman’s third gold medal of the new international season, to go with titles at the Sunkist Kids International Open and New York AC International.

All three athletes competing at 55 kg/121 lbs. finished the tournament with 1-1 records. Hodge won the tie-breaking procedure based on points scored to bring home the gold. He defeated silver medalist Ivan Blattsev of Russia but lost to bronze medalist Jevgeni Miagkyi of Ukraine.

R.C. Johnson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) won a silver medal at 96 kg/211.5 lbs., with a 4-1 record in his six-athlete round-robin. Johnson won his first four matches, then was defeated in his final bout by champion Artur Shakbanov of Russia, 0-2, 0-2.

Winning bronze medals were Robbie Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Tim Taylor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Smith went 2-2 in a six-athlete round robin, while Taylor was 1-2 in a four-athlete round robin.

The competition was not conducted in the current FILA format. The tournament was conducted in a double-elimination vertical pairing format. There were single pools at 55 kg, 60 kg, 96 kg and 120 kg, and two pools at 66 kg, 74 kg and 84 kg.

Champions in each weight class with more than five entries earned $1,000.

HAPARANDA CUP
At Haparanda, Sweden, Dec. 4

55 kg/121 lbs. 
Gold - Jermaine Hodge (USA)
Silver - Ivan Blattsev (Russia)
Bronze - Jevgeni Miagkyi (Ukraine)

60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold - Joe Betterman (USA)
Silver - Ruslan Israfilov (Ukraine)
Bronze – Oleg Drozdov (Russia)
4th - Chad Vandiver (USA)
5th - Maksim Miagkyi (Ukraine)
6th - Artem Kduk (Ukraine)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold – Youri Denisov (Russia – St. Petersburg)
Silver – Sharur Vardanyan (Sweden)
Bronze – Chingiz Lebazanov (Russia)
4th – Alan Dzakiaiev (Ukraine)
5th – Mika Oikarinen (Finland)
8th – Tapio Helminen (Finland)

74 kg/163 lbs.
Gold – Roman Vlasov (Russia)
Silver – Eldar Botashev (Russia – St. Petersburg)
Bronze – Robert Rosengren (Sweden)
4th – Sergiy Proskura (Ukraine)
5th – Andrew Bisek (USA)
6th – Anton Gottfredson (USA)

84 kg/185 lbs.
Gold – Rami Hietami (Finland)
Silver – Anatoli Polkin (Russia)
Bronze – Christoffer Ljungback (Sweden)
4th – Azamat Bikbalev (Russia)
5th – Kristofer Johansson (Sweden)
6th – Tobias Kvarnmark (Sweden)

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Gold – Artur Shakbanov (Russia)
Silver - R.C. Johnson (USA)
Bronze - Robbie Smith (USA)
4th – Ismo Pieilainen (Finland)
5th - Pete Gounaridis (USA)
6th - Tuomas Lathi (Finland)

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Gold - Johan Euren (Sweden)
Silver - Aleksandr Ekimov (Russia)
Bronze - Tim Taylor (USA)
4th - Oleksandr Petrenko (Ukraine)

U.S. Greco-Roman performances

55 kg/121 lbs. - Jermaine Hodge, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 1st
WIN Ivan Blattsev (Russia), 2-0, 4-3
LOSS Jevgeni Miagkyi (Ukraine), 2-0, 0-2, 2-0

60 kg/132 lbs. - Chad Vandiver, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 4th
WIN Maksim Miagkyi (Ukraine), 0-1, 1-0, 1-0
LOSS Oleg Drozdov (Russia), 1-0, 0-5, 2-8
LOSS Joe Betterman (USA), 0-3
LOSS Ruslan Israfilov (Ukraine), 0-3
WIN Artem Kduk (Ukraine), 2-0, 1-0

60 kg/132 lbs. - Joe Betterman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 1st 
WIN Ruslan Israfilov (Ukraine), 0-1, 1-1, 2-0
WIN Artem Kduk (Ukraine), 1-0, 5-0
WIN Chad Vandiver (USA), 3-0
WIN Oleg Drozdov (Russia), 1-0, 2-0
WIN Maksim Miagkyi (Ukraine), 1-1, 1-0

74 kg/163 lbs. - Andrew Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm), 5th
LOSS Eldar Botashev (Russia – St. Petersburg), 0-1, 0-1
WIN Jusso Ukkola (Finland), 0-2, 6-0, 7-0
WIN Veli-Karri Suominen (Finland), 1-0, 0-1, 7-0
LOSS Robert Rosengren (Sweden), -0-2, 1-0, 0-1

74 kg/163 lbs. – Anton Gottredson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 6th
WIN Henri Palomaki (Finland), 1-0, 1-2, 3-0
LOSS Roman Vlasov (Russia), 0-6, 0-6
WIN Riku Tolkkinen (Finland), 1-0, 2-0
LOSS Sergiy Proskura (Ukraine), 0-2, 0-1

84 kg/185 lbs. - Ben Provisor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 10th
LOSS Dmitro Pihkov (Ukraine), 3-0, 0-2, 0-1
LOSS Kritofer Johansson (Sweden), 0-5, 2-1, 0-4

84 kg/185 lbs. – Cameron Duckworth, Portland, Ore. (OTC), dnp/13th
LOSS Chrstoffer Ljunback (Sweden), 0-3, 0-3
LOSS Jonne Ukkola (Finland), 0-1, 0-8

84 kg/185 lbs. – Talan Knox, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), dnp/12th
LOSS Tobias Kvarnmark (Sweden), 1-0, 0-7, 0-4
LOSS Jim Pettersson (Sweden), 0-2, 0-5

84 kg/185 lbs. - Chas Betts, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm)., dnp, 11th
LOSS Azamat Bikbalev (Russia), 1-0, 0-4, 0-1
LOSS Rami Hietami (Finland), 0-2, 1-0, 0-2

96 kg/211.5 lbs. – R.C. Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 2nd
WIN Ismo Pieilainen (Finland) 1-0, 5-0
WIN Pete Gounaridis (USA), 1-0, 1-0
WIN Tuomas Lathi (Finland), 2-0, 1-0
WIN Robbie Smith (USA), 2-0, 1-0
LOSS Artur Shakbanov (Russia), 0-2, 0-2

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Pete Gounaridis, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 5th
WIN Tuomas Lathi (Finland), 1-0, 1-0
LOSS R.C. Johnson (USA), 0-1, 0-1
LOSS Robbie Smith (USA), 0-1, 0-1
LOSS Artur Shakbanov (Russia), 0-5, 0-4
LOSS Ismo Pieilainen (Finland), 1-0, 0-1, 0-1

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Robbie Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 3rd
LOSS Artur Shakbanov (Russia), 0-6, 0-2
WIN Ismo Pietilainen (Finland), 1-0, 0-2, 1-0
WIN Pete Gounaridis (USA), 1-0, 1-0
LOSS R.C. Johnson (USA), 0-2, 0-1
WIN Tuomas Lathi (Finland), 6-0, 4-1

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Tim Taylor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 3rd
LOSS Johan Euren (Sweden), 0-2, 0-1
LOSS Aleksandr Ekimov (Russia), 0-1, 0-3
WIN Oleksandr Petrenko (Ukraine), 2-0, 2-0