COOPER WINS BRONZE MEDAL IN GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING AT SECOND WORLD MILITARY GAMES IN ZAGREB, CROATIA, AUGUST 13-14Marcel Cooper of the U.S. Marine Corps won a bronze medal at 69 kg/152 lbs., the top U.S. performance at the Second World Military Games, held in Zagreb, Croatia, August 13-14.
The World Military Games is held every four years, and features the world's best military athletes in 24 sports. The United States participated in 21 of the featured sports.
Cooper won three of his five matches in the tournament. He defeated Ji Ya Saiyin of China, 3-0, in overtime at 7:14 in the bronze-medal match.
Opening with a pin over Nejbojsa Niksaie of Croatia in 4:08, Cooper lost his second match to Duk-Hoon Choi of Korea, 6-1. In the quarterfinals, Cooper defeated Peter-Georg Philippitsch of Austria, 6-0. In the semifinals, he was defeated by eventual champion Alexei Gluchkov of Russia, 3-0.
Cooper holds a No. 2 national ranking in the United States at his weight class and was a 1999 Armed Forces champion in Greco-Roman. He is stationed in Quantico, Va.
The only other U.S. wrestler to qualify for the medal rounds was Dan Hicks of the U.S. Marine Corps, who placed fourth at 76 kg/187.25 lbs. Hicks had a 2-3 record in the tournament.
Hicks lost his first match to Anatoli Kouzulia of Ukraine, 4-1, but followed with a pair of victories, including a clutch 5-4 decision over veteran Marek Kraszewski of Poland in the quarterfinals. Hicks lost a tight 1-0 overtime referee's decision to Thanos Konstantinos of Greece in the semifinals. In the bronze-medal match, Hicks lost to Mindaugas Eierskis of Lithuania, 3-0.
Hicks is currently ranked No. 4 in the nation at his weight class, and was a 1999 Armed Forces champion in Greco-Roman. He is also stationed at Quantico, Va.
None of the other U.S. athletes were able to advance from their pool competition, and were not eligible for medals.
Winning one match during the tournament were Aaron Sieracki of the U.S. Air Force at 85 kg/187.25 lbs. and Corey Farkas of the U.S. Air Force at 130 kg/286 lbs.
Three U.S. wrestlers were defeated twice and eliminated: Dave Nieradka of the U.S. Army at 57 kg/127.75 pounds, Scott Munsey of the U.S. Marine Corps at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and Joe Clark of the U.S. Marine Corps at 76 kg/167.5 lbs.
The U.S. wrestling teams was led by head coach Jay Antonelli of the U.S. Marine Corps and assistant coach Greg Gibson of the U.S. Marine Corps. Antonelli was the 1998 USA Wrestling Greco-Roman Coach of the Year. Gibson won a silver medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 1984 Olympic Games.
Medals were very difficult to win, as many international wrestling stars entered the competition. In many nations, the best wrestlers in the country are members of the military.
The First World Military Games were held in Rome, Italy in 1995. The event is conducted under the auspices of Counseil Internationalle du Sport Militaire (CISM), which represents military athletes from 121 nations.
The freestyle competition is set for August 17-18 in Zagreb.
1999 WORLD MILITARY GAMES GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING at Zagreb, Croatia, August 13-14
Medal matches
54 kg/119 lbs. - Gold- Yong Gyun Kong, North Korea, won by inj. dft. over Taleh Israfilov, Azerbaijian, 3:58; Bronze - Boris Ambartsoumov, Russia won by tech. fall over Krzysztof Mudlecki, Poland, 13-0, 5:22
58 kg/ 127.75 lbs. - Gold - Roustam Mambetov, Russia, dec. Kang Kyung Il, South Korea, 8-0; Bronze - Roman Vashcuk, Ukraine, dec. Pasi Huhtala, Finland, 3-2, ot, 7:43
63 kg /138.75 lbs. - Gold - Vladimir Bochakov, Russia dec. Sarkis Elgian, Greece, 3-0; Bronze - TomiVukelic, Croatia, dec. Levon Odisharia, Georgia, 3-2
69 kg/152 lbs. - Gold - Alexei Gluchkov, Russia, dec. Sergei Sologlki, Ukraine, 4-0; Bronze - Marcel Cooper, United States, dec. Ji Ya Saryin, China, 3-0, ot, 7:14
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Gold - Andrei Tcherepakhine, Russia, won by ref. dec. over Kim Jung Sun, South Korea, 1-0, 9:00; Bronze - Artur Michalkiewicz, Poland, dec. Taner Akbulut, Turkey, 4-2
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Gold - David Millien, France, dec. Igor Bugai, Ukraine, 4-2; Bronze - Seo Sang Myun, Korea, won by ref. dec. over Mourat Kardanov, Russia, 2-1, ot, 9:00
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Gold - Alexei Cheglakov, Russia, dec. Thanos Konstantinos, Greece, 6-0; Bronze - Mindaugas Eierskis, Lithuania dec. Dan Hicks, United States, 3-0
130 kg/286 lbs. - Gold - Alexei Kolesnikov, Russia, dec. Josi Pavisic, Croatia, 4-0, ot, 6:57; Bronze -Jacek Fafinski, Poland, dec. Zdenek Kocman, Czech Republic, 9-0
U.S. performances
54 kg/119 lbs. - no entry
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Dave Nieradka, U.S. Army - lost by tech. fall to Roustam Mambetov, Russia, 12-0, 2:31; lost by tech. fall to Remigijus Sukevicius, Lithuania, 10-0, 4:11
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Scott Munsey, U.S. Marine Corps - lost dec. to Tomislav Vukaliae, Croatia, 11-0, 2:06; lost dec. to Un Sik Hyon, North Korea, 8-0
69 kg/152 lbs. - Marcel Cooper, U.S. Marine Corps, 3rd place - pin Nejbojsa Niksiae, Croatia, 4:08; lost dec. to Duk-Hoon Choi, Korea, 6-1; dec. Peter-Georg Philippitsch, Austria, 6-0; lost dec. to Alexei Gluchkov, Russia, 3-0; dec. Ji Ya Saiyin, China, 3-0, ot, 7:14
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Joe Clark, U.S. Marine Corps - lost dec. to Artur Michalkiewicz, Poland, 7-0; lost dec. to Giuseppe Tedeschi, Italy, 10-4
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Aaron Sieracki, U.S. Air Force - lost by ref. dec. to Sang Mung Seo, Korea, 3-3, 9:00; won by inj. dft. over Christos Katsaros, Greece, 0:46
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Dan Hicks, U.S. Marine Corps, 4th place - lost dec. to Anatoli Kouzulia, Ukraine, 4-1; won by tech. fall over Mombo Nampe Lazare, CIV, 11-0, 1:19; dec. Marek Kraszewski, Poland, 5-4; lost by ref. dec. to Thanos Konstantinos, Greece, 1-0, ot, 9:00; lost dec. to Mindaugas Eierskis, Lithuania, 3-0
130 kg/286 lbs. - Corey Farkas, U.S. Air Force - won by ref. dec. over Omrane Ayari, Tunisia, 1-0, ot, 9:00; lost dec. to Jacek Fafinski, Poland, 3-0, ot, 8:10
Head Coach - Jay Antonelli, U.S. Marines
Assistant Coach - Greg Gibson, U.S. Marines
Team Leader - Van Stokes, U.S. Army