On Saturday, Croatia will launch the Valamar Cup in Porec, an event that arrives with impeccable timing for athletes who are preparing for either (or both) of the World Championships set to occur next month in Albania.
The Croatian Wrestling Federation envisions the Valamar Cup as an eventual cornerstone tournament for the sport to accompany their already-longstanding showcase, the Grand Prix of Zagreb. Held each winter, the Zagreb GP has become a stable for United World Wrestling’s “Ranking Series”, and the event will function with that very same distinction once again in January. The Valamar Cup, as it were, may very well provide a bridge between the dawn of each new season and the winter should it occur each autumn, though the Croatian Federation has not yet committed to such an idea.
Nevertheless, the Valamar Cup is set to unfold with just weeks to go before both the U23 and Senior Non-Olympic Worlds, thus rendering the competition this weekend as an excellent opportunity for top Greco-Roman wrestlers to test their skills and make last-minute adjustments as the training cycle reaches its conclusion.
USA Roster
The United States has four members of their U23 World squad and two who will compete in the non-Olympic Worlds.
U23 WT
Billy Sullivan (55 kg, Army/WCAP)
Max Black (60 kg, NMU/NTS)
Beka Melelashvili (82 kg, NYAC)
Payton Jacobson (87 kg, NMU/NTS)
SR WT
Ildar Hafizov (63 kg, Army/WCAP)
Benji Peak (72 kg, Combat WC)
The US delegation arrived in Porec earlier this week and will stay in-country following the event in order to participate in a multi-national training camp.
Streaming Info & Schedule
The 2024 Valamar Cup will observe the traditional one-day format with each weight category being contested through the final round. There is a later start than is the usual. Wrestling begins at 11:00am local time (5:00am ET). The second session of the day includes both the repechage round and finals (i.e., there is no break between repechage and medal matches) and is scheduled to start at 4:30 pm (10:30am ET).
Valamar Cup
Saturday, September 28
11:00am-2:00pm — Qualification rounds
4:30pm-8:00pm — Repechage, finals, bronze rounds
The live stream for the event is being hosted on the Croatian Wrestling Federation’s official website and can be viewed here.
2024 Valamar Cup Entries
2024 Valamar Cup
September 28 — Porec, CRO
FULL ENTRIES
55 kg
Ermal Agaj (ALB)
Koryun Sahradyan (UKR)
Billy Sullivan (USA)
60 kg
Max Black (USA)
Tommaso Bosi (ITA)
Dalton Roberts (USA)
Giorgi Tokhadze (GEO) — ’23 U23 World Champion, ’22 U23 World silver
63 kg
Pridon Abuladze (GEO) — ’21 U23 World bronze
Romeo Beridze (GEO) — ’23 U23 World silver
Ildar Hafizov (Army/WCAP) — 2X Olympian
Aleksandrs Jurkjans (LAT)
Viktor Petryk (UKR)
Andrey Semenchuk (UKR)
67 kg
Leri Abuladze (GEO) — ’23 World Champion, ’22 World silver, ’21 U23 World Champion
Adomas Grigaliunas (GRE)
Aleksandr Hrushyn (UKR) — ’18 U23 World bronze, ’17 Junior World silver
Maksim Liu (UKR)
Steve Momilia (ITA)
72 kg
Otar Abuladze (GEO)
Shmagi Bolkvadze (GEO) — ’16 Olympic bronze, ’17 U23 World Champion
Dominik Etlinger (CRO) — ’19 European Championships bronze
Harvaard Joergensen (NOR) — ’23 European Championships bronze
Kristo Merilain (EST)
Parviz Nasibov (UKR) — 2X Olympic silver
Alessio Paolo (ITA)
Benji Peak (USA)
Michael Portmann (SUI)
Vilius Savickas (LTU)
Andreas Vetsch (SUI)
Michael Widmayer (GER)
Maurus Zogg (SUI)
77 kg
Igor Bychkov (UKR)
Giorgi Chkhivadze (GEO) — ’21 U20 World silver
Robert Fritsch (HUN) — ’22 European Championships gold
Ludvig-Herman Gunheim (NOR)
Benjamin Hansen (NOR)
Antonio Kamenjasevic (CRO)
Andrey Kulyk (UKR) — ’22 World bronze
Eeke Kou Leitham (EST)
David Loher (SUI)
Temuri Orjinikidze (GEO)
Artur Politaev (UKR) — ’19 U23 World bronze
82 kg
Sebastian Aak (NOR)
Ruslan Abdiiev (UKR)
Ramon Betschart (SUI)
Data Chkhaidze (GEO) — ’23 U20 World bronze
Pascal Eisele (GER) — ’17 World bronze
Per Anders Kure (NOR)
Antonio Lukac (CRO)
Beka Melelashvili (USA)
Kelsi Nelaj (ALB)
Elmar Nuraliev (UKR)
Filip Sacic (CRO)
Volodymyr Yakovliev (UKR)
87 kg
Gela Bolkvadze (GEO) — ’18 U23 World Champion, ’17 U23 World silver, ’24 European Championships bronze
Tomislav Brkan (CRO)
Yaroslav Filchakov (UKR) — 2X World bronze, ’23 European Championships silver, ’24 European Championships bronze
Emeal Hajdini (ALB)
Ivan Huklek (CRO) — ’20 Olympian
Payton Jacobson (USA) — ’24 Olympian
Ruslan Koniev (UKR)
Exauce Mukubu (NOR) — ’22 U23 World Champion, ’21 U20 World silver
Erik Szilvassy (HUN) — ’17 U23 World Champion, ’19 European Championships bronze
Istvan Takacs (HUN) — ’22 U23 World Champion, ’19 Junior World Champion
Damian Von Euw (SUI)
Spencer Woods (Army/WCAP)
97 kg
Mathias Bak (DEN)
Jonas Johansen (DEN)
Richard Karelson (EST)
Ilya Klasner (GER)
Vladlen Kozliuk (UKR) — ’22 European Championships bronze, ’17 Junior World Champion
Kristijan Lukac (CRO)
Sergei Omelin (UKR)
Evgeni Saveta (UKR)
Fidelbo Simone (ITA)
Filip Smetko (CRO)|
Alex Szoeke (HUN) — ’21 World silver, ’22 U23 World Champion, ’20 Olympian
Robin Uspenski (EST)
130 kg
Vladyslav Kovalenko (UKR)
Mantas Knystautas (LTU) — ’22 World bronze, ’24 Olympian
Marko Milanovic (CRO)
Eerik Pank (EST)
Giorgi Tsopurashvili (GEO)
Lasha Tvildiani (GEO)
