MCILRAVY WINS BRONZE MEDAL AT FREESTYLE WORLD WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS IN TEHRAN, IRAN, SEPT. 11; UNITED STATES PLACES THIRD IN THE FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
Lincoln McIlravy (Iowa City, Iowa/Gateway) won a bronze medal at 152 pounds on the final day of the World Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Sept. 11.
He defeated Daniel Igali of Canada in the bronze-medal match, 6-0. Igali, who was born in Nigeria, is a two-time NAIA national wrestling champion from Simon Fraser Univ.
McIlravy won three consolation matches against talented opponents in the Friday morning session to qualify for the bronze medal bout. He stopped Kim Eun You of Korea, 3-0, beat Velikhan Alahkvediev of Russia, 3-1 and defeated Igor Kupeev of Uzbekistan, 4-3.
McIlravy was the 1998 World Cup champion and the 1998 Goodwill Games champion. McIlravy, 23, was a three-time NCAA champion for the Univ. of Iowa, and hails from Philip, S.D.
UNITED STATES PLACES THIRD IN TEAM STANDINGS
The United States placed third in the final team standings at the 1998 Freestyle World Championships, held at the Azadi Sports Arena in Tehran, Iran, Sept 8-11.
Host Iran won the team title with 64 points, including three champions and six medalists. Russia placed second with 54 points, led by one champion and three medalists. The United States was third with 43 points, with one champion and three medalists. Ukraine was fourth with 37 points and Korea was fifth with 28 points.
The U.S. team was led by head coach John Smith of Stillwater, Okla., assistant coach Donnie McPherson of Portland, Ore. and National Freestyle Coach Bruce Burnett of Colorado Springs, Colo.
McCOY PLACES FOURTH AT 286 POUNDS
Kerry McCoy (State College, Pa./New York AC) placed fourth at 286 pounds, just falling short of winning a medal.
He was beaten in the bronze-medal match by 1998 Goodwill Games champion Andrei Shumilin of Russia, 4-0. It was a rematch of a second round match, won by McCoy on a 1-1 referee¹s decision. Shumilin was a 1993 World bronze medalist and placed fourth in the 1996 Olympic Games.
McCoy defeated 1998 European Champion Aydin Polatci of Turkey during the Friday morning session, 3-2, to qualify for the bronze-medal match.
McCoy¹s hopes of winning a gold medal were haulted in the semifinals on Thursday. After claiming a 1-1 referee¹s decision over Alexis Rodriguez of Cuba in the semifinals, the match was protested by the Cuban team. FILA, the international wrestling federation, overturned the decision, giving Rodriguez a 4-1 win. Rodriguez went on to claim the gold medal on Friday.
McCoy, 23, was a two-time NCAA champion for Penn State Univ. He was a Junior World Champion in 1992, and has also won a silver medal at the 1998 Goodwill Games. He is originally from Middle Island, N.Y.
GUTCHES PLACES SEVENTH AT 187.25 POUNDS
1997 World Champion Les Gutches (Corvallis, Ore./Sunkist Kids) placed seventh in the final standings at 187.25 pounds.
In his first match of the day, Gutches defeated 1996 Olympic silver medalist Yan Hyung-Mo of Korea, in a 1-1 referee¹s decision. He was eliminated from medal contention in 4-3 loss to Magomed Kurguliev of Kazakhstan.
Gutches claimed a gold medal at the 1998 Goodwill Games. He was seventh at the 1996 Olympic Games. He has won the U.S. Nationals three straight years, and was third in the 1998 World Cup. Gutches, 25, was a two-time NCAA champion for Oregon State Univ., and hails from Medford, Ore.
SIX U.S. WRESTLERS PLACE IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Six of the eight U.S. wrestlers at the 1998 World Freestyle Wrestling Championship claimed a placing in the top 10 of their weight division.
Sam Henson (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) claimed a gold medal at 119 pounds. Winning bronze medals for the U.S. were Cary Kolat (Lock Haven, Pa./Dave Schultz WC) at 138.75 pounds and Lincoln McIlravy (Iowa City, Iowa/Gateway) at 152 pounds.
Placing fourth was Kerry McCoy (State College, Pa./New York AC) at 286 pounds. Melvin Douglas (Mesa, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) was fifth at 213.75 pounds. Les Gutches (Corvallis, Ore./Sunkist Kids) placed seventh at 187.25 pounds.
CHAMPIONS CROWNED IN FINAL FOUR WEIGHT DIVISIONS
Champions were crowned in the final four weight classes contested at the Freestyle World Championships. Host Iran won two more titles, when Ali Reza Dabier captured the gold medal at 127.75 pounds and Ali Reza Heidari won the crown at 187.25 pounds. Both won their first World gold medals. Iran had the most champions with three.
Araik Gevorgyan of Armenia won the title at 152 pounds, his third career World gold medal. He was also a World Champion in 1995 and 1997. Winning his first World title was Alexis Rodriguez of Cuba at 286 pounds, after placing second in 1997.
1998 WORLD FREESTYLE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS at Tehran, Iran, Sept. 11
U.S. athletes, Group 2 results
69 kg/152 lbs. - Lincoln McIlravy, Iowa City, Iowa (Gateway) - dec. Kim Eun You (Korea), 3-0; dec. Velikhan Alahkvediev (Russia), 3-1; dec. Igor Kupeev (Uzbekistan), 4-3; dec. Daniel Igali (Canada), 6-0
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Les Gutches, Corvallis, Ore. (Sunkist Kids) - won by ref. dec. over Yang Hyun Mo (Korea), 1-1, ot, 8:00; lost dec. to Magomed Kurguliev (Kazakhstan), 4-3
130 kg/286 lbs. - Kerry McCoy, State College, Pa. (New York AC) - dec. Aydin Polatci (Turkey), 3-2; lost dec. to Andrei Shumilin (Russia), 4-0
Medalists for Group 2 weight classes
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Ali Reza Dabir (Iran); Silver - Harun Dogan (Turkey); Bronze - Giuvi Sissaouri (Canada)
69 kg/152 lbs. - Gold - Araik Gevorgyan (Armenia); Silver - Zaza Zazirov (Ukraine); Bronze - Lincoln McIlravy (USA)
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Gold - Ali Reza Heidari (Iran); Silver - Magomed Ibrachimov (Macedonia); Bronze - Yoel Romero (Cuba)
130 kg/286 lbs. - Gold - Alexis Rodriguez (Cuba); Silver - Rasul Khadem (Iran); Bronze - Andrei Shumilin (Russia)
Top 10 teams
1. Iran, 63 pts.; 2. Russia, 54 pts.; 3. United States, 43 pts.; 4. Ukraine, 37 pts.; 5. Korea, 28 pts.; 6. Armenia and Poland, 22 pts.; 8. Germany and Cuba, 18 pts.; 10. Canada and Turkey, 15 pts.