Billy Sullivan (55 kg, Army/WCAP) and Dalton Roberts (60 kg, Army/WCAP) both earned silvers as the highest American placewinners and Team USA as a whole finished third at Croatia’s new star-studded Senior tournament.
The final round of the 2024 Valamar Cup in Porec, Croatia began at 8:00pm local time (2:00pm ET) and streamed live on YouTube.
Sullivan — who along with three others on Saturday from the US is a U23 World Team member — had to wait around all day just to get on the mat. 55 kilograms at the Valamar Cup was limited only to two competitors, Sullivan and Koryun Sahradyan (UKR). Sahradyan, long in experience, defeated two-time World Team member Brady Koontz (TMWC/Dubuque RTC) for gold at Thor Masters in ’20, and so it had seemed that Sullivan would have his work cut out for him, which he did.
Sahradyan jumped out in front after a takedown-gut combo, thus quickly making the score 4-0. This would be the only legitimate offensive sequence of the match. Sahradyan attempted to turn Sullivan once more whilst keeping the same lock, but the Nevadan defended to get a restart. Sahradyan received the bout’s first passivity/par terre chance — and for the second time in a row, Sullivan avoided being turned. Later in the opening period, Sahradyan was able to score a step-out point to increase his lead to 6-0 prior to intermission.
Not long into the second period, the officials deemed Sullivan passive. Down 7-0, he could not surrender any more points or the match would be over. And yet again, Sullivan held firm from bottom par terre, his third defend from the position. Back standing and they jousted in the ties. The deck was stacked against Sullivan in more ways than one. Not only was he behind on the scoreboard, but Sahradyan also did not have to do much other than ward off last-gasp attacks. The clock eventually hit all zeroes and the Ukrainian had prevailed, though Sullivan’s vast improvement from par terre bottom was certainly a sign of encouragement as he prepares for the U23 Worlds next month. Saturday also marked the second medal-winning showing at an international event for Sullivan in ’24. This past August, he earned bronze at the Druskinikai Cup in Lithuania.
One match later, it was Max Black (60 kg, NMU/NTS) taking on reigning U23 World champ Giorgi Tokhadze (GEO). Earlier in the day, Black had edged Roberts via criteria and Roberts had stormed back to hand Tokhadze a crushing loss. The implications were thus: if Black could defeat Tokhadze, he would garner gold; if he lost, his placing would be bronze.
Black had the right idea when the match began as he tried to challenge Tokhadze in the trenches and fling for position in the tie-ups. One energetic exchange gave forth to the Georgian scoring a step-out, and soon after there was another. Black was trailing 2-0 within a minute but there was plenty of time for him to see if he could take a page out of Roberts’ book and escort Tokhadze into the same type of deep water that did him in during the morning session. Unfortunately for Black, he did not get the chance. After a reset, Tokhadze snared a front headlock and yanked it over for four points before repeating the maneuver for another four to end the match prematurely. Black, however, did exit the tournament with his third international medal of the calendar year following a third-place performance at Thor Masters and a silver from the aforementioned Druskinikai Cup. As for Roberts, he officially finished with silver due to his victory over Tokhadze.
Earlier Results
The United States had three bronze medalists in addition to Black on Saturday — Benji Peak (72 kg, Combat WC), Beka Melelashvili (82 kg, NYAC), and Payton Jacobson (87 kg, NMU/NTS).
Peak defeated Alessio Paolo (ITA) ahead of coming up just short against ’19 Euro bronze Dominik Etlinger (CRO). Peak then handed Andreas Vetsch of Switzerland a 3-2 loss in the bronze round. In his third international tournament as an American competitor, Melelashvili delivered a beatdown on Elmar Nuraliev (UKR) before dropping a contentious decision to ’17 World bronze Pascal Eisele (GER). With bronze on the line, Melelashvili handily defeated Sebastian Aak of Norway 11-3. Jacobson was doing quite well against Ivan Huklek (CRO) in his first first bout until a throw attempt that Huklek countered led to a multi-point swing in the other direction. The ’24 USA Olympian bounced back and then some in the third-place match by coming up with a clutch headlock to down ’22 U23 World Champion Exauce Mukubu (NOR) 5-2.
Five-time US World Team member Ildar Hafizov (63 kg, Army/WCAP) endured a pair of tough, close losses, first to Aleksandr Jurkjans (LAT) and then to Viktor Petryk (UKR). Hafizov was clipped 4-3 by Jurkjans and 2-0 by Petryk, respectively.
Valamar Cup Notes
— The US finished third in the team standings at the Valamar Cup behind Georgia and Ukraine.
— The US finished with a combined individual record of 7-8. Only one of the Team’s seven wins was earned via technical fall (Melelashvili over Aak for bronze).
— As mentioned, the Valamar Cup served for the US as a preparation tournament for both the U23 and Senior Worlds scheduled for next month in Tirana, Albania. Sullivan, Black, Melelashvili, and Jacobson are on the U23 roster; Hafizov and Peak are on the Senior squad.
— The US delegation will stay in Porec through the week for a multi-national training camp before returning home.
2024 Valamar Cup
September 28 — Porec, CRO
TEAM USA RESULTS
55 kg: Billy Sullivan (Army/WCAP) — SILVER
LOSS Koryun Sahradyan (UKR) 7-0
60 kg: Max Black (NMU/NTS) — BRONZE
WON Dalton Roberts (Army/WCAP) 2-2 (criteria)
LOSS Giorgi Tokhadze (GEO) 10-0, TF
60 kg: Dalton Roberts (Army/WCAP) — SILVER
LOSS Max Black (NMU/NTS) 2-2 (criteria)
WON Giorgi Tokhadze (GEO) 13-10
63 kg: Ildar Hafizov (Army/WCAP) — 4th
LOSS Aleksandr Jurkjans (LAT) 3-2
LOSS Viktor Petryk (UKR) 2-0
72 kg: Benji Peak (Combat WC) — BRONZE
WON Paolo Alessio (ITA) 8-5
LOSS Dominik Etlinger (CRO) 3-2
WON Andreas Vetsch (SUI) 3-2
82 kg: Beka Melelashvili (NYAC) — BRONZE
WON Elmar Nuraliev (UKR) 8-1
LOSS Pascal Eisele (GER) 6-2
WON Sebastian Aak (NOR) 11-3, TF
87 kg: Payton Jacobson (NMU/NTS) — BRONZE
LOSS Ivan Huklek (CRO) 3-2
WON Exauce Mukubu (NOR) 5-2
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