COZART, AHMADI WIN GOLD MEDALS AT VETERANS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MARTIGNY, SWITZERLAND, AUGUST 2-3A pair of U.S. wrestlers, Russ Cozart of Brandon, Fla. and Shirzad Ahmadi of Coventry, R.I., won gold medals at the Sixth Veterans World Wrestling Championships, held in Martigny, Switzerland, Aug. 2-3.
The competition features athletes 35 years old and above, competing in freestyle wrestling.
Cozart won the gold medal at 150 pounds in Div. B (42-48 years). It was the third career World gold medal for Cozart, who is the most successful Veterans wrestler in U.S. history.
Cozart was dominant in the tournament, winning five straight matches without allowing a point. He defeated Jaszaki of Hungary, 3-0 in the gold-medal match.
His other bouts included an 8-0 win over Doldde of Germany, a 10-0 technical fall over Pirodu of Italy, a 45 second pin over Minguzzi of Italy and a 5-0 victory over Antipov of Russia.
Cozart won Veterans World titles in 1992 and 1993, and added Veterans World silver medals in 1994 and 1995.
Ahmadi won his second career Veterans World title, claiming a gold medal at 132 pounds in Div. C (49-55 years). Ahmadi was also a Veterans World Champion in 1992.
He had a 4-0 record in the tournament, including a 50 second fall over Javadi of Iran in the gold medal finals. His other victories included a 5-2 win over Onaldi of Germany, a 10-0 win over Khader of Iran and a 13-3 win over Khoilogdorj of Mongolia.
Two other U.S. wrestlers claimed bronze medals in their weight classes, Mike Clark of Midwest City, Okla. and Curtis Shearer of Clayton, N.J.
Clark claimed the bronze medal at 168 pounds in Div. A (35-41 years), with an impressive 5-1 record in the tournament. Clark stopped Jonas of Lithuania, 7-2 in the bronze-medal match.
Shearer, a 1992 Veterans World Champion, won the bronze medal at 168 pounds in Div. D (56-60+ years). Shearer, who had a 1-1 record in the meet, stopped 1995 Veterans World Champion Mansour Hornarvar of Laguna Hills, Calif., 8-1 in the bronze-medal match.
The U.S. had four wrestlers who claimed fourth place: Hornarvar, plus Scott Naylor of Dallastown, Pa., Dwain Burkholder of Woodland Park, Colo. and Donald Moore of Williamsburg, Va.
Naylor was fourth at 132 pounds in Div. A (35-41 years). He had a 2-2 record, falling to Fahti of Iran in the bronze-medal match, 10-0.
Burkholder was fourth at 132 pounds in Div. B (42-48 years), with a 3-2 record. He lost to Djanketov of Russia in the third-place match, 3-1.
Moore had an impressive 5-2 record at 150 pounds in Div. B. (42-48 years). He was defeated by injury default by Antipov of Russia in the bronze-medal match.
A total of 22 wrestlers from the United States entered the competition, and 15 of them placed in the top 10 of their weight classes.
It was one of the most successful Veterans World Championships in history, with 328 athletes from 33 countries in the field.
There were four age divisions at the 1997 Veterans World Championships: Div. A (35-41 years); Div. B (42-48 years); Div. C (49-55 years); and Div. D (56-60+ years). There are six weight divisions at the Veterans World Championships: 55-60 kg, 68 kg, 76 kg, 84 kg, 92 kg, 100-130 kg. Medals were be presented to the top three placewinners in each weight division.
In 1997, USA Wrestling hosted its first Veterans National Championships in Las Vegas, Nev., May 30-31. Nine of the champions from the 1997 Veterans Nationals competed at the World Championships.
Leading the list of 1997 Veterans National champions who competed in Martigny were Cozart, Ahmadi, Clark and Honarvar.
Other 1997 Veterans National champions who are wrestled at the World Championships in Martigny were Lou Lazzari of Dunedin, Fla., who did not place at 150 pounds in Div. A., Ronald Cole of Enumclaw, Wash., who did not place at 203 pounds in Div. B, Jack Hornbuckle of Poteau, Okla., who was fifth at 132 pounds in Div. C, Joe Reasbeck of Superior, Wis., who did not place at 203 pounds in Div. C, and Mahmoud Bassiri of Raleigh, N.C., who was sixth at 185 pounds in Div. D.
Previous sites for the Masters World Championships were Cali, Colombia (1992), Toronto, Canada (1993), Rome, Italy, (1994), Sofia, Bulgaria (1995) and Varna, Bulgaria (1996).
U.S. COMPETITORS AT THE 1997 VETERANS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Div. A (35-41 years)
60 kg /132 lbs. - Scott Naylor, Dallastown, Pa., 4th, 2-2 record
60 kg /132 lbs. - Jeff Wright, Chandler, Ariz., 10th, 0-2 record
68 kg/150 lbs. - Lou Lazzari, Dunedin, Fla., dnp, 1-2 record
76 kg/168 lbs. - Mike Clark, Midwest City, Okla., 3rd, 5-1 record
92 kg/203 lbs. - David Arment, Stevens, Pa., dnp, 0-2 record
Div. B (42-48 years)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Dwain Burkholder, Woodland Park, Colo., 4th, 3-2 record
60 kg/132 lbs. - Tommy Reyna, Midwest City, Okla., 6th, 2-3 record
68 kg/150 lbs. - Russ Cozart, Brandon, Fla., 1st, 5-0 record
68 kg/150 lbs. - Donald Moore, Williamburg, Va., 4th, 5-2 record
68 kg/150 lbs. - Jim Lucas, Santa Cruz, Calif., dnp, 0-2 record
76 kg/168 lbs. - Bud Sines, Brookfield, Wis., dnp, 0-2 record
84 kg/185 lbs. - Steve Contarino, Palmetto, Fla., 9th, 1-2 record
92 kg/203 lbs. - Ronald Cole, Enumclaw, Wash., dnp, 0-2 record
Div. C (49-55 years)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Shirzad Ahmadi, Coventry, R.I., 1st, 4-0 record
60 kg/132 lbs. - Jack Hornbuckle, Poteau, Okla., 5th, 4-2 record
68 kg/150 lbs. - Wayne Eric Boyd, Palm Springs, Calif., 5th, 3-2 record
68 kg/150 lbs. - Michael Long, Hartland, Mich., dnp, 1-2 record
92 kg/203 lbs. - Joe Reasbeck, Superior, Wis., dnp, 0-2 record
Div. D (56 years and over)
76 kg/168 lbs. - Curtis Shearer, Clayton, N.J., 3rd, 1-1 record
76 kg/168 lbs. - Mansour Honarvar, Laguna Hills, Calif., 4th, 1-2 record
84 kg/185 lbs. - Mahmoud Bassiri, Raleigh, N.C., 6th, 1-3 record
84 kg/185 lbs. - Charles Boyd, Roanoke, Calif., 7th, 0-2 record