Wrestlers, coaches and leaders from the United States and Iran pose together in solidarity at the conclusion of the Freestyle World Cup. Photo by Amir Pourmand/ISNA.

TEHRAN, Iran – The United States won both of its dual meets on Friday, and finished a strong third at the 2013 Freestyle World Cup with a 4-1 record. The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, one of the most important events in wrestling each year.

In the final Group B match on Friday morning, the United States shut out Bulgaria, 7-0. Scoring technical falls for Team USA in the dual meet were Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb,/Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and 2007 World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

The win over Bulgaria put the United States in the bronze-medal match with a 3-1 record in their pool. They drew Belarus, which placed second in Group A. The only U.S. loss in their pool was to Iran on Thursday, and Iran won the pool, advancing to the first-place match.

The USA had another strong effort in defeating Belarus 6-1 in the third-place dual meet. The USA ran off five straight wins to clinch the victory. Max Askren (Hartland, Wis./New York AC) scored a pin for the USA at 84 kg/185 lbs.

“We bounced back today. I’m glad we were able to do it after how we wrestled last night,” said National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones. “We’re wrestling at 70% right now. After a long layoff, most of our guys are competing for the first or second time this season. Iran showed us where we are right now so we have some work to do.”

Iran defended its World Cup title, defeating Russia in the finals, 6-1. Placing fifth was Turkey, a 6-1 winner over Georgia. Winning the seventh-place dual meet was Japan, which edged Kazakhstan, 4-3. Placing ninth was Azerbaijan, who beat Bulgaria, 7-0.

Leading the way for the USA was Burroughs, who went 5-0 and will earn the World Cup individual gold medal for the second straight year. On Thursday, he beat Jakob Makarashvili of Georgia, 3-0, 2-1, Sohsuke Takatani of Japan, 2-0, 7-1 and Ezzatollah Akbarizarinkolaei of Iran, 4-0, 2-0. On Friday, Burroughs scored a technical fall over Stefanov Kirov of Bulgaria, 7-0, 6-0, then beat Ali Shabanau of Belarus, 1-1. 5-0.

Burroughs now has a 43-0 record on the Senior level in men’s freestyle since emerging on the international scene in the spring of 2011.

U.S. wrestlers with four victories during the Freestyle World Cup were 2009 World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. and 2010 U.S. World Team member Brent Metcalf (Iowa City, Iowa/New York AC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.

A number of the athletes on the U.S. World Cup roster will travel on to compete at the Alexander Medved International in Minsk, Belarus, March 1-2.

FREESTYLE WORLD CUP
At Tehran, Iran, February 21-22, 2013

RESULTS FOR THE UNITED STATES

Group B results for the USA

USA 5, GEORGIA 2
55 kg – Obe Blanc (USA) dec. Givi Davidori (Georgia), 1-0, 1-0
60 kg – Malkaz Kurdiani (Georgia) dec. Coleman Scott (USA), 1-1, 1-2
66 kg – Brent Metcalf (USA) dec. Malkhaz Zarkua (Georgia), 2-0, 1-0
74 kg – Jordan Burroughs (USA) dec. Jakob Makarashvili (Georgia), 3-0, 2-1
84 kg – Max Askren (USA) dec. Nodar Egadze (Georgia),1-1, 5-4
96 kg – Tedore Ebanoidze (Georgia) dec. J.D. Bergman (USA) 6-4, 5-2
120 kg – Tervel Dlagnev (USA) dec. Tornike Khidesheli (Georgia), 2-1, 1-0

USA 5, JAPAN 2
55 kg –Fumitaka Morishita (Japan) dec. Obe Blanc (USA), 4-0, 1-0
60 kg –Shogo Maeda (Japan) dec.  Jimmy Kennedy (USA), 1-0, 1-0
66 kg – Brent Metcalf (USA) dec. Toshinori Ishida (Japan), 0-1, 2-0, 3-0
74 kg – Jordan Burroughs (USA) dec. Sohsuke Takatani (Japan), 2-0, 7-1
84 kg – Phillip Keddy (USA) dec. Shinya Matsumoto (Japan), 1-2, 1-0, 2-0
96 kg –J.D. Bergman (USA) dec. Takeshi Yamaguchi (Japan), 7-0, 3-0
120 kg – Tervel Dlagnev (USA) pin Tomoyuki Oka (Japan)

IRAN 6, USA 1
55 kg –Hassan Rahimi (Iran) tech. fall Zach Sanders (USA), 6-0, 8-0
60 kg – Masoud Esmailpoorjoybari (Iran) dec. Coleman Scott (USA), 2-0, 3-1
66 kg –Mehdi Taghavi (Iran) dec. Brent Metcalf (USA), 5-0, 2-0
74 kg – Jordan Burroughs (USA) dec. Ezzatollah Akbarizarinkolaei (Iran), 4-0, 2-0
84 kg – Ehsan Lashgari (Iran) dec. Max Askren (USA), 6-0, 5-2
96 kg –Hamed Tatari (Iran) dec. J.D. Bergman (USA), 3-0, 4-0
120 kg – Khomeil Ghasemi (Iran) dec. Tervel Dlagnev (USA), 1-0, 0-1, 2-0

USA 7, BULGARIA 0
55 kg –Obe Blanc (USA) dec. Mehmed Feraim (Bulgaria), 1-0, 6-0
60 kg – Jimmy Kennedy (USA) dec. Stefan Ivanov (Bulgaria), 6-0, 9-2
66 kg –Brent Metcalf (USA) dec. Nikolay Kurtev (Bulgaria), 1-0, 3-0
74 kg – Jordan Burroughs (USA) tech. fall Stefanov Kirov (Bulgaria), 7-0, 6-0
84 kg –Max Askren (USA) won by forfeit
96 kg –J.D. Bergman (USA) won by forfeit
120 kg –Tervel Dlagnev (USA) tech. fall Dragomir Stoychev (Bulgaria), 6-0, 6-0

THIRD PLACE MATCH
USA 6, BELARUS 1
55 kg –Obe Blanc (USA) dec. Vladizlav Andreyeu (Belarus), 1-0, 1-0
60 kg – Jimmy Kennedy (USA) dec. Sergey Ermankov (Belarus), 3-0, 6-0
66 kg –Brent Metcalf (USA) dec. Alexandr Kontoyev (Belarus), 0-1, 3-0, 6-0
74 kg – Jordan Burroughs (USA) dec. Ali Shabanau (Belarus), 1-1, 5-0
84 kg –Max Askren (USA) pin Amir Mahamedov (Belarus), 2-4, pin in 2nd
96 kg –Ivan Yankouski (Belarus) dec. J.D. Bergman (USA), 1-0, 1-0
120 kg –Tervel Dlagnev (USA) dec. Vadzim Shvedau (Belarus), 1-0, 6-0

OTHER MEDAL MATCHES

FIRST PLACE MATCH
Iran 6, Russia 1
55 kg/121 lbs. – Hassan Rahimi (Iran) dec. Nariman Israpilov (Russia)
60 kg/132 lbs. – Masoud Esmaeilpoorjouybari (Iran) dec. Alexander Bogomoev (Russia)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Alan Gogaev (Russia) dec. Mehdi Taghavi (Iran)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Sadegh Goudarzi (Iran) dec. Kakhaber Khubezhty (Russia)
84 kg/185 lbs. – Ehsan Lashgari (Iran) dec. Magomed Ibragimov (Russia)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Hamed Tatari (Iran) dec. Yury Belonovskiy (Russia)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Komeil Ghasemi (Iran) dec. Feliks Tsarikaev (Russia)

FIFTH PLACE MATCH
Turkey 6, Georgia 1
55 kg/121 lbs. – Sezar Akgul (Turkey) dec. Givi Davidovi (Georgia)
60 kg/132 lbs. – Munir Aktas (Turkey) dec. Malkhaz Kurdiani (Georgia)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Yakup Gor (Turkey) dec. Malkhaz Karkua (Georgia) 
74 kg/163 lbs. – Jakob Markarashvili (Georgia) dec. Mahommed Ilkhan (Turkey)
84 kg/185 lbs. – Hakki Ceylan (Turkey) dec. Nodar Egadze (Georgia) 
96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Ibrahim Bolukbasi (Turkey) pin Tedore Ebanoidze (Georgia) 
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Taha Akgul (Turkey) dec. Tornike Khidesheli (Georgia)

SEVENTH PLACE MATCH
Japan 4, Kazakhstan 3
55 kg/121 lbs. – Fumitaka Morishita (Japan) dec. Shokan Shingissov (Kazakhstan)
60 kg/132 lbs. – Shogo Maeda (Japan) dec. Sayatbek Okassov (Kazakhstan) 
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Toshinori Ishida (Japan) dec. Dauren Zhumagazyyev (Kazakhstan)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Nurlan Bekzhanov (Kazakhstan) pin Sohsuke Takatani (Japan)
84 kg/185 lbs. – Aslan Kakhidze (Kazakhstan) dec. Shinya Matsumoto (Japan) 
96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Takeshi Yamaguchi (Japan) pin Seymon Semyonov (Kazakhstan)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Dmitry Popov (Kazakhstan) pin. Tomoyuki Oka (Japan)

NINTH PLACE MATCH
Azerbaijan 7, Bulgaria 0
55 kg/121 lbs. – Makmud Magomedov (Azerbaijan) tech fall Mehmed Feraim (Bulgaria)
60 kg/132 lbs. – Aghahuseyn Mustafayev (Azerbaijan) tech fall Stefan Ivanov (Bulgaria)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Ruslan Dibirgadzhiyev (Azerbaijan) dec. Nikolay Kurtev (Bulgaria)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Ashraf Aliyev (Azerbaijan) dec. Miroslav Kirov
84 kg/185 lbs. – Ilya Khamikoyev (Azerbaijan) by forfeit
96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Aslanbek Alborov (Azerbaijan) by forfeit
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Aslan Dzebisov (Azerbaijan) by forfeit

OTHER GROUP B DUALS
Iran 6, Bulgaria 1
Iran 7, Japan 2
Iran 7, Georgia 0
Japan 6, Bulgaria 1
Georgia 6, Bulgaria 1
Georgia 4, Japan 3

GROUP A DUALS
Russia 6, Azerbaijan 1
Belarus 4, Turkey 3
Russia 7, Kazakhstan 0
Azerbaijan 4, Belarus 3
Russia 4, Turkey 3
Kazakhstan 5, Azerbaijan 2
Russia 6, Belarus 1
Turkey 6, Kazakhstan 1
Turkey 5, Azerbaijan 2
Belarus 4, Kazakhstan 3