KOLAT QUALIFIES FOR FINALS AT WORLD FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN KRASNOYARSK, RUSSIACary Kolat (Lock Haven, Pa./Dave Schultz WC) won two matches and qualified for the finals at 138.75 pounds at the World Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
Kolat won his first match of the morning, stopping Gursel Unzunca of Turkey, in a 1-0 overtime referee's decision in the quarterfinals. Kolat scored the lone point on a takedown at 7:41, with just 19 seconds left in the overtime period.
In the semifinals, Kolat defeated 1991 World Champion and 1992 Olympic silver medalist Sergei Smal of Belarus, 4-2. Kolat scored an explosive takedown for three-points. Smal countered for two points, but Kolat came out of the scramble for another one-point takedown and the 4-2 victory.
Kolat is competing in his first World Championships. He will face Abbas Haji Kenari of Iran in the gold-medal finals on Saturday. Kolat has never faced Haji-Kenari before.
Melvin Douglas (Mesa, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) continued in his quest for a bronze medal, with a 5-1 decision over Victor Serbin of Belarus in the consolation rounds. The key move for Douglas was a three-point double leg midway through the match. Douglas continues his wrestle-back action on Friday night.
Douglas has won four career World medals - a gold in 1993, a silver in 1989 and bronze medals in 1994 and 1995. Douglas also placed seventh in the 1996 Olympic Games.
1991 World Champion Zeke Jones (Chandler, Ariz. /Sunkist Kids) dropped his second match at 119 pounds, and was eliminated from medal contention. He was defeated in a tight overtime battle by veteran Ivan Tzonov of Bulgaria, 6-4 in 5:57. The bout was tied at 4-4 in the regulation period, and Tzonov scored a two-point counter tilt on a Jones leg attack for the victory 57 seconds into overtime.
Jones was a silver medalist in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain and a bronze medalist at the 1995 World Championships.
The second set of U.S. wrestlers started their competition on Friday morning.
Three U.S. wrestlers won their first match, Lincoln McIlravy (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye) at 153 pounds, Les Gutches of Corvallis, Ore./Sunkist Kids) at 187.25 pounds and Tom Erikson (W. Lafayette, Ind./Sunkist Kids) at 275.5 pounds.
McIlravy scored a strong 7-1 victory over Salvatore Rinella of Italy, scoring six different takedowns in the match. McIlravy is competing in his first World Championships.
Gutches, who was seventh in the 1996 Olympics, shut out Tatsuo Kawaii of Japan, 8-0 in the first round. Gutches dominated the entire bout.
Erikson came out with a passion, pinning 1995 World silver medalist Sven Thiele of Germany in 3:04. Erikson led 3-1, when he threw Thiele to his back with a three-point throw, then pinned him.
U.S. results - Morning Session, Friday
Group One
119 lbs. - Zeke Jones, Chandler, Ariz. - lost dec. to Ivan Tzonov, Bulgaria, 6-4, ot, 5:57
138.75 lbs. - Cary Kolat, Rices Landing, Pa. - won by ref. dec. over Gurzel Unzunca, Turkey, 1-0, ot, 8:00; dec. Sergei Smal, Belarus, 4-2
213.75 lbs. - Melvin Douglas, Mesa, Ariz. - dec. Victor Serbin, Belarus, 5-1
Group Two
1127.75 lbs. - Tony Purler, Norman, Okla. - lost by tech. fall to Saban Trstena, Macedonia, 12-0, 2:07
152 lbs. - Lincoln McIlravy, Iowa City, Iowa - dec. Salvatore Rinella, Italy, 7-1
187.25 lbs. - Les Gutches, Corvallis, Ore.- dec. Tatsuo Kawai, Japan, 8-0
275.5 lbs. - Tom Erikson, W. Lafayette, Ind. - pin Sven Thiele, Germany, 3:04
U.S. Play by plays - First Session, Friday
119 lbs.
Ivan Tzonov, Bulgaria, dec. Zeke Jones, Chandler, Ariz., 6-4, ot, 5:57
Passivity against Tzonov, 1:19; Tzonov, two-point takedown, at 2:09, 2-0; Jones, one-point reversal, at 2:19, 2-1; Jones, one-point low single takedown, 2-2; Tzonov, two-point counter tilt at 4:06, 4-2; Jones, one-point takedown at 4:08, 4-3; Jones, one-point ankle lace turn, at 4:25, 4-4; Regulation ends with 4-4 tie, bout goes into overtime; Tzonov, two-point counter tilt at 5:57, 6-4
127.75 lbs.
Saban Trstena, Macedonia, won by tech. fall over Tony Purler, Norman, Okla., 12-0, 2:07
Trstena, one-point takedown at 0:25, 1-0; Trstena, two-point tilt at 0:29, 3-0; Trstena, three-point lift at 0:35, 6-0; Trstena, two-point tilt at 0:39, 8-0; Trstena, one additional backpoint at 0:44, 9-0; Trstena, two-point tilt at 1:34, 11-0; Trstena, one additional backpoint at 2:07, 12-0
138.75 lbs.
Cary Kolat, Lock Haven, Pa. won by ref. dec. over Gursel Unzunca, Turkey, 1-0, ot, 8:00
Passivity against Unzunca, 1:21; Passivity against Kolat at 2:53; Passivity against Unzunca at 3:53; Regulation ends with no score, and goes into overtime; Passivity agains Kolat at 5:34; Passivity against Unzunca at 6:48; Kolat, one-point takedown at 7:41, 1-0
Cary Kolat, Lock Haven, Pa., dec. Sergei Smal, Belarus, 4-2
Passivity against Kolat at 1:12; Passivity against Kolat at 3:00; Kolat, three-point takedown at 4:15, 3-0; Smal, two-point counter exposure at 4:16, 3-2; Kolat, one-point takedown at 4:18, 4-2
152 lbs. -
Lincoln McIlravy, Iowa City, Iowa dec. Salvatore Rinella, Italy, 7-1
McIlravy, one-point takedown at 0:38, 1-0; McIlravy, one-point gut wrench at 0:45, 2-0; McIlravy, one-point takedown at 1:10, 3-0; McIlravy, one-point takedown at 2:30, 4-0; McIlravy, one-point takedown at 3:06, 5-0; Rinella, one-point takedown at 3:20, 5-1; McIlravy, one-point takedown at 3:54, 6-1; McIlravy, one-point spin behind takedown at 4:49, 7-1
187.25 lbs.
Les Gutches, Corvallis, Ore. dec. Tatsuo Kawaii, Japan, 8-0
Gutches, one-point high crotch takedown, at 0:54, 1-0; Gutches, spin behind takedown at 1:37, 2-0; Gutches, one-point bodylock takedown at 2:17, 3-0; Gutches, two-point gutwrench at 2:20, 5-0; Gutches, three-point double leg takedown at 4:37, 8-0
213.75 lbs.
Melvin Douglas, Mesa, Ariz. dec. Victor Serbin, Belarus, 5-1
Douglas, one-point bodylock takedown at 1:10, 1-0; Douglas, three-point double leg takedown at 2:28, 4-0; Passivity against Serbin, at 3:28; Serbin, one-point takedown at 4:30, 4-1; Douglas, one-point reversal at 4:32, 5-1
275.5 lbs.
Tom Erikson, W. Lafayette, Ind., pin Sven Thiele, Germany, 3:04
Erikson, one-point takedown at 0:35, 1-0; Erikson, two-point gut wrench at 0:54, 3-0; Thiele, one point takedown at 1:16, 3-1; Erikson, three-point throw at 2:58, 6-0; Erikson pins Thiele at 3:04
Quotes -
Cary Kolat - "The key was positioning. (Smal) was very good at scrambling. I didn't want to get into any bad positions. I wanted to keep good position and score when I had the opportunity. I got in deep and didn't hesitate. If I hesitated, it may have gone the other way.
I wrestled well, but after seeing the guy I have in the finals, I have to wrestle better. I have to be more explosive and more active. I'll do some scouting tonight. This has been everything I expected. I can't think about everything until tomorrow.I have been focusing on one match at a time, and I didn't want to chnage that now."
Coach Lee Roy Smith - "Cary is wrestling with maturity, poise and confidence. I've seen that in him as long as he has been wrestling and he carried that right into this tournament. It was poise against Smal that made a difference. The situation that produced all the points ocurred late. Fatigue set in a bit for Smal. Cary selected the right shot to get the three-point takedown, and although he was countered for two, Cary came out with the other takedown. He has a big match tomorrow and a bright future.
"When Zeke got into overtime, I think he shot so that he would be the most aggressive if there was a tie. He got caught underneath and the guy tilted him."
"We are taking it one round at a time with these guys. Overall, you are looking at a transitional time for the U.S. team. This quadrennium will be like that. We haven't had this kind of transition for many years. That is what is going on here."