The country has finally learned that, despite having just secured his sixth straight spot on a United States World-level Team in June, G’Angelo Hancock is saying goodbye to his career as an active Greco-Roman competitor.
Hancock’s decision to step away comes during what has already been a transitional period for the US program in the wake of Matt Lindland’s dismissal from the National Team head coaching role last month. It was also not a secret among most coaches and athletes. Hancock’s status for the 2022 World roster first became questionable shortly after his two-match victory over Braxton Amos (97 kg, Sunkist/Wisconsin RTC) at Final X: New York, though the relative buzz surrounding the 24-year-old star’s potential plans was soon overshadowed by Ivan Ivanov assuming command of the National program as well as various other storylines emanating from camp in Colorado Springs.
Earlier this summer, Hancock was said to still be considering an appearance at the upcoming World Championships (scheduled for September in Belgrade, Serbia), which had briefly elicited hope on the part of those involved with the US Team. That optimism was quickly tempered when Hancock reportedly instructed members of the coaching staff to ensure that Amos was indeed preparing to take his place on the roster for Serbia.
Hancock currently aims to limit conversation pertaining to his next step but is expected to formally address relevant news to that effect in the near future.
A World bronze medalist last year along with having attained the same achievement as a Junior in ’16, the US program is now set to move forward without its most accomplished athlete. In addition to having made five World Teams and competing in the ’20 Tokyo Olympics, Hancock earned nearly two dozen international medals dating back to his entrance on the Senior level in ’16 and was consistently ranked in the top-10 by United World Wrestling (as of today he is still ranked #5).
Hancock Career Highlights
- 2021 World bronze
- 2016 Junior World bronze
- 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix gold
- 2018 Wladyslaw Pytlasinski Memorial gold
- 2020 Pan-American Championships gold
- 2020 US Olympian
- 5X US World Team
- 2X US Junior World Team
- 2X US U23 World Team
Grand Prix of Germany Results
Only three Senior tournaments featuring Greco-Roman wrestling remain on the calendar before the World Championships following this past weekend’s running of the German Grand Prix in Dortmund. A heavy presence of Ukrainian athletes was witnessed, which included a move up to 67 kilograms for two-time World bronze Lenur Temirov. Temirov — whose pair of medals came at 63 — had previously made appearances in the former 66-kg division, but that was years ago. In Dortmund, he faced Mamadassa Sylla of France and was turned back 3-1. Earlier in the event, Temirov scored a thrilling 7-7 criteria win over Egyptian star Mohamed Elsayed.
Interesting outcomes were available elsewhere. Young Danish monster Turpal Bisultanov took the top spot at 87, with a VSU at the expense of ’19 World silver Alex Kessids (SWE), his biggest win of the tournament. The final round saw Bisultanov score a similarly lopsided victory over Damian Von Euw (SUI), whose silver medal represented his highest placement at 87 since making the drop down from 97 last fall. Lithuanian Mantas Knystautas, one of Greco’s most underrated competitors, ran the table at heavyweight and closed the show with a decision nod over host country Germany’s Eduard Popp.
Bisultanov (blue) looks to lift Von Euw in the 87 kg gold-medal match at the 2022 Grand Prix of Germany. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)
55 kg
GOLD: Fabian Schmitt (GER)
SILVER: Koriun Sahradian (UKR)
60 kg
GOLD: Etienne Kinsinger (GER)
SILVER: Vladyslav Kuzko (UKR)
BRONZE: Viktor Petryk (UKR)
63 kg
GOLD: Abdolmohammad Papi (GER)
SILVER: Maxim Liu (UKR)
BRONZE: Oleksandr Khrushyn (UKR)
BRONZE: Deniz Meneske (GER)
67 kg
GOLD: Mamadassa Sylla (FRA)
SILVER: Lenur Temirov (UKR)
BRONZE: Tigran Galustyan (FRA)
BRONZE: Stephen Clement (FRA)
72 kg
GOLD: Andrii Kulyk (UKR)
SILVER: Maksim Yevtushenko (UKR)
BRONZE: Maximillian Schwabe (GER)
BRONZE: Yevhenii Bubovyk (UKR)
77 kg
GOLD: Ibrahim Ghanem (FRA)
SILVER: Idris Ibaev (GER)
BRONZE: Yasaf Zeinalov (UKR)
BRONZE: Artur Politaev (UKR)
82 kg
GOLD: Roland Schwarz (GER)
SILVER: Madame Mirzoyev (UKR)
BRONZE: Volodymyr Yakoliev (UKR)
BRONZE: Erik Solve (GER)
87 kg
GOLD: Turpal Bisultanov (DEN)
SILVER: Damian Von Euw (SUI)
BRONZE: Alex Kessidis (SWE)
BRONZE: Hannes Wagner (GER)
97 kg
GOLD: Daniel Gastl (AUT)
SILVER: Leon Kessidis (GRE)
BRONZE: Anton Vieweg (GER)
BRONZE: Serhii Omelin (UKR)
130 kg
GOLD: Mantas Knystautas (LTU)
SILVER: Eduard Popp (GER)
BRONZE: Roman Fridrikas (LTU)
BRONZE: Yasmani Acosta Fernandez (CHI)
67 kg US World Team
Scheduled for release this week is an engrossing and, at times, technically-infused Q&A with ’22 US World Team member/’20 Olympian Alex Sancho (67 kg, Army/WCAP). Sancho, 28, finds himself in the throes of the ongoing World Team camp in Springs; and while a few personal topics are indeed discussed, a sizable portion of the material covers his thought processes and training methodologies — not unlike the recent piece centering around Ildar Hafizov (60 kg, Army/WCAP) and Alan Vera (87 kg, NYAC).
Listen to “5PM52: Two-Time Olympian Jim Gruenwald” on Spreaker.
Listen to “5PM51: Lining up with Tanner Farmer” on Spreaker.
Listen to “5PM50: Mr. Fantastic Benji Peak” on Spreaker.
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