On Saturday night in Las Vegas, the 2026 United States Greco-Roman World Team Trials reached its conclusion with four champions shining in the spotlight: Kamal Bey (82 kg, Army/WCAP), Beka Melelashvili (87 kg, NYAC), Timothy Young (97 kg, Army/WCAP), and Cohlton Schultz (130 kg, Atreus WC).
Bey and Schultz — both of whom are holdovers from last year’s World roster — swept their respective best-of-three series. Bey got past Fritz Schierl (NYAC/Minnesota Storm) via fall and 4-1 decision; Schultz defeated ’18 World silver Adam Coon (NYAC/Cliff Keen) 4-3 in Match 1 and closed out the series with a 6-0 blanking.
The tandem of Melelashvili and Young had different, longer paths to gain their titles. Melelashvili ousted top seed Payton Jacobson (NYAC/NTS) but it was a grueling affair that required 18 full minutes of wrestling. The Georgian native had earned a 3-1 decision in Match 1 but was edged by Jacobson in the next round 4-3. In the third clash, Melelashvili managed to execute a first-period headlock that yielded four points, which represented the sum of his offensive output in what became for him a 5-2 series-clinching victory.
It was not all smooth-sailing for Young. If anything, his series versus prospect Arian Khosravy (CA) delivered the most drama of the finals. Khosravy had assumed a 5-2 first-period lead in Match 1 but, just prior to intermission, Young stepped over a gutwrench attempt and pinned Khosravy to take a 1-0 series lead. Match 2 belonged to Khosravy, who emerged victorious 8-2 to set up the winner-take-all third bout. The sporting aspect of the match was straightforward. Young received the first passivity/par terre opportunity, lifted Khosravy for four, and Khosravy was penalized for a leg caution resulting in two points and another chance from top for the Army athlete. On the reset, Young wrested a trapped-arm gutwrench, scored one more turn, and the whole thing was history. However, Khosravy vehemently argued against the outcome in the aftermath, this despite video replay of the leg foul having confirmed the infraction.
Additional Context
The main story surrounding Bey’s participation and subsequent triumph was his weight class, as ’26 was the first time he entered a Senior selection tournament above 75/77 kg. For Schultz, it was centered around engaging in a sixth best-of-three opposite Coon, and third in three years (though that topic was not brought up to him by reporters).
The key items pertaining to Melelashvili were his weight class, as he had bypassed familiar 82 kg in favor of 87. There was also the matter of his opposition. Melelashvili survived a tough test courtesy of ’23 World Team member Zac Braunagel (NYAC/Navy WC) in the semifinal before meeting up with the popular Jacobson. Both 87 kg finalists were recent U23 World medalists (Melelashvili earned silver ’24, Jacobson claimed bronze this past fall) as well as two of the top young wrestlers in the US program.
When it comes to Young, it has been a journey. Towards the end of pandemia in the fall of ’20, he had begun easing into the Senior circuit and performing well. By the spring of ’22, he was one of the last two remaining at 87 along with the late Alan Vera, who defeated Young at Final X: New York. Young eventually joined Army’s World Class Athlete Program and has remained a consistent contender ever since with this weekend having brought forth the biggest achievement of his Senior career thus far.
Athlete Quotes
All four World Team Trials champs from Saturday night spoke to the media following their series victories. Below are highlights from each athlete.
Bey
“It feels great. It’s another opportunity to go out there and accomplish your goal. 82 kilos is feeling good. I feel great out there at 82 kilos. I feel like I looked good in this tournament. It’s a good stepping stone. Next, we’ve got Coralville, Iowa and getting ready for the Pan-American Championships, so we’re going to win that, as well.”
Regarding going 82 kg in 2026
“I don’t know if I’ll establish myself (at 82) because it’s not an Olympic weight. I think for this year, mostly, it’s just about getting bigger and stronger, and then I’ll probably make the descent back down to 77. I knew that when I was going 82 kilos that I would have to put the work in. I didn’t want to come in undersized. I’ve been in the weight room and working out with the bigger guys getting stronger, getting faster.”
On training for the Worlds
“What I like most about it is that I’ll be going 82, so I can eat a little more on these trips and actually get to experience the culture a little bit more. On past trips, I like those, too, but it is hard, gritty work. But if you’re with the right guys, it doesn’t feel like hard times, it feels like great times.”
Melelashvili
“We worked really hard and I want to thank the Olympic Training Center trainers who helped me during my preparation. I had a shoulder injury and they are the best, and I just want to say ‘thank you’ to them for their support.”
On going 87 kg instead of 82
“I needed to get a little stronger. I was already walking around at 87, 88 kilograms because I was cutting a lot. Now I feel great. It’s the best when you’re not cutting weight, when you can get some food and some recovery, when you’re not thirsty… It really helped my performance and I felt amazing throughout this competition.”
On the series versus Jacobson
“I had a strategy which I was following, but for the second match it didn’t go well because sometimes stuff happens. I had to refocus, get some rest real quick, and do whatever I had planned. ”
Young
“I’m feeling more than ecstatic. Words will fail me right now. I’m so happy I could do this. Firstly, I want to thank God and just my community, my family for believing in me more than I believed in myself for as long as I can remember, and they’re really the fuel that keeps me going.”
On coming back from his Match 2 loss
“I just was thinking, I’ve gotta reset. I can’t let that let last loss affect me. Try to start new, clear my head, get back to what I know: hold center, try to dig these underhooks, and stay in there and fight with him.”
On having been through adversity to make the World Team
“It really feels like things have come full-circle. Sometimes it’s disheartening. There’s such a long life of wrestling if you want it, going through injuries, battling losses, up’s and down’s. I remember going D1 and Old Dominion, losing my first seven matches, and my coach is like, ‘Tim, you gotta get one. Get one and you’ll turn this whole thing around.’ I want to thank him, Steve Martin. Old Dominion was a great program, and he kind of helped me refocus. But I knew my time wasn’t done there. I was like, As long as I want to keep wrestling, I’ll keep doing it. And after COVID, I kind of quit. I started coaching a little bit at East Aurora, and I was like, I don’t think I’m done yet, so I hopped back in.”
On the support from Army/WCAP
My coaches were like, ‘Hey Tim, I don’t really care. Win or lose, we’re going to love you either way — but go out there and get this thing done.’ And I was like, Alright, shake off that last one and let’s get it.”
Schultz
“It feels good, run it back. I just have to keep it going, make a habit of winning these and then do it on the next level. The expectation was to make the Team. This is just the first part. I have to start expanding the gap further with all of these guys. I should not be letting people have close matches. I need to be blowing them out, but I feel good.”
On the training plan for the World Championships
“Some moments it feels like we’re doing too much, but if we mix in enough rest it’ll be okay. My body feels great and I just want to keep it that way. The rest is good and I just have to keep getting better. When it comes to the prep, that’s above my pay grade. That is for the coaches. I have the best coach in the world and they are going to do what it takes to get me there. One step at a time and I’ll put my best effort in everyday.”
On being considered a veteran on the World Team despite being 25 years of age
“It’s funny. I always thought that I was one of the young guys in the room everywhere I went. Then you look around and suddenly you’re one of the old guys. It happens fast. But we’ve got a loaded Team. I’m excited about it. It’s always a good time with these guys.”
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