Spencer Woods (87 kg, Army/WCAP) put forth a strong effort on Friday but wound up falling short of the medal stand at the 2024 CISM Military World Championships in Yerevan, Armenia.
Woods — the two-time World Team member and ’24 Olympic Trials runner-up known stateside as the “Alaskan Assassin” — trounced Kolo Marjan (ALB) in the opening round and got off to another good start in the quarterfinal against ’21 Military World silver Jamal Esmaeili (IRI). Woods was awarded the bout’s first passivity/par terre chance and from top worked to achieve a reverse lift before switching to a body wrap; he then attempted to throw Esmaeili over his shoulder — but the Iranian countered the hold and reversed to put Woods on his back. The US corner (led by Army coach Spenser Mango) had tossed the challenge brick for a leg foul even before Woods was in danger. The position thus matured, with Esmaeili holding Woods in place to pick up the fall. Following the signal, the officials reviewed the challenge sequence but to no avail for the US.
Esmaeili did advance to the final, which pulled Woods into the repechage opposed by ’23 co-World champ Ali Cengiz (TUR). Cengiz prevailed over Woods by a score of 3-2.
Young & Imonode
’22 Final X runner-up Timothy Young (97 kg, Army/WCAP) was downed in his lone match on Friday by Muhtidin Saricicek (TUR) 7-4. Saricicek was defeated by Magomed Murtzaliev (RUS) in the semifinal to cut short Young’s performance.
At heavyweight, Jeremiah Imonode (130 kg, Army/WCAP) did not compete in his round-robin bracket but instead opted for the freestyle portion where he placed 5th.
It was a strong beginning for the USA/Army contingent in Yerevan with Ildar Hafizov (63 kg) earning silver on Wednesday after advancing to the final following three wins. Hafizov was defeated in the gold-medal match by Turkiye’s Kerim Kamal. Yesterday, Kamal Bey (82 kg) lost in his opening bout to Burhan Akbudak (TUR) but went on to defeat both Rahul Rahul (IND) and Shahin Bodaghi (IRI) en-route to bronze.
Note: Below are full results for Team USA including individual match scores from all three days of the 2024 CISM Military World Championships. Results were provided courtesy of Jay Antonelli.
2024 CISM Military World Championships
November 20-22 — Yerevan, ARM
TEAM USA DAY FULL RESULTS
55 kg: Billy Sullivan (Army/WCAP) — 10th
LOSS Shamshiri Kiyanoush (IRI) 8-0, TF
60 kg: Dalton Roberts (Army/WCAP) — 9th
LOSS Aidos Sultangali (KAZ) 12-0, TF
63 kg: Ildar Hafizov (Army/WCAP) — SILVER
WON Rayan Hawsawi (KSA) via fall
WON Hrachya Poghosyan (ARM) 5-5 (criteria)
WON Oscar Ramirez Lazzo (COL) via fall
LOSS Kerim Kamal (TUR) 4-0
67 kg: Xavier Johnson (Army/WCAP) — 7th
WON Faisal Aldossory (KSA) 15-4, TF
LOSS Maksim Skuratov (RUS) 4-2
72 kg: Alex Sancho (Army/WCAP) — 8th
WON Jose Ortiz Carrasquilla (COL) 9-0, TF
LOSS Shant Khachatryan (ARM) 9-0, TF
77 kg: Justus Scott (Army/WCAP) — 10th
LOSS Yunus Basar (TUR) 9-0, TF
82 kg: Kamal Bey (Army/WCAP) — BRONZE
LOSS Burhan Akbudak (TUR) 9-0, TF
WON Rahul Rahul (IND) 9-0, TF
WON Shahin Bodaghi (IRI) 4-1
87 kg: Spencer Woods (Army/WCAP) — 7th
WON Kolo Marjan (ALB) 8-0, TF
LOSS Jamal Esmaeili (IRI) via fall
LOSS Ali Cengiz (TUR) 3-2
97 kg: Timothy Young (Army/WCAP) — 7th
LOSS Muhtidin Saricicek (TUR) 7-4
