On Monday, Beka Melelashvili (82 kg, NYAC) guaranteed that the United States would, for the first time, depart from a U23 World tournament with a minimum of one medalist and he concluded his mission with a silver medal.
Day 2 of the 2024 U23 World Championships began at 10:00am local time from Tirana, Albania (4:00am ET) and streamed live on FLOWrestling.
Melelashvili, who in ’22 finished 5th in this same tournament for his home country Georgia, won four matches on Monday — including a nailbiting decision in the semifinal — to advance to Tuesday’s gold-medal round opposite Mohammad Naghousi (IRI).
The first period saw Naghousi benefit from the passivity call and from top par terre he locked for a lift. Melelashvili adjusted well amid being hoisted — but Naghousi still managed to execute the maneuver and garner two points for a correct hold at the edge. When Melelashvili’s own par terre chance arrived in the second, his quick prelude lock over Naghousi’s head immediately came loose, thus opening the door for the Iranian to reverse position and score his fourth point of the contest. Naghousi then went for another lift, only this time Melelashvili scrambled out of the hold and soon scampered around back for a takedown. Trailing 4-3 with just under 1:30 to go, Melelashvili sought various potential entries in the ties — but Naghousi defended and deflected each overture, and survived by the same 4-3 margin.
Melelashvili’s outing in Tirana resulted in the most productive finish for an American competitor since the U23 World Championships was introduced in ’17. He became Team USA’s first finalist — and guaranteed medalist — on Monday. He also owns the most U23 World individual match victories for an American — both from the perspective of one single performance as well as more than any other US athlete who has made multiple appearances in the event.
USA with Three In Repechage
Sullivan & Jacobson
Billy Sullivan (55 kg, Army/WCAP) found himself in an entertaining shootout with Dieymer Amundaray (VEN) in the qualification round as he racked up 18 points en-route to an 18-10 technical fall. Sullivan had his moments in the next round against ’24 U23 Euro bronze Rashad Mammadov (AZE), particularly in the first period, but Mammadov ultimately triumphed 12-4. The Azer ran the table from then on, which provides for Sullivan a new lease on life in Wednesday’s repechage.
In the first repechage round, Sullivan is paired with Cristopher Aguilar (COL), whom Sullivan defeated in the U23 Pan-Am Championships this past June. If Sullivan is successful against Aguilar on Wednesday, he will have Kohei Yamigawa of Japan for bronze.
’24 US Olympian Payton Jacobson (87 kg, NMU/NTS) was mired in a tight battle against Tomislav Brkan (CRO) in the qualification round but his blend of consistent pressure and stubborn positioning helped him overcome an early 1-0 deficit and turn it into a 3-1 win. The Croatian was game throughout the first period but Jacobson’s pace simply proved too much for Brkan to handle, whose 1-0 passive lead was negated when Jacobson got the call in the second. Despite holding a 1-1 criteria advantage, Jacobson kept his foot on the pedal and a late takedown following a desperation leap from Brkan iced the proceedings at 3-1.
Jacobson required a mere :59 to get past Yudai Kobori (JPN) in the round-of-16. After the preamble, Kobori attempted to snap Jacobson into a front headlock — but Jacobson ducked-under, wrapped a bodylock, and hipped the hold over to net four big points. A reset, and in short order Kobori had briefly looked over the top of Jacobson yet again; and, yet again, Jacobson was ready with a body attack that was finished with a high leg out of bounds. The call was four more points for Jacobson and the match had become a memory.
In the quarterfinal resided reigning U23 World Champion/’23 Senior bronze Aues Gonibov (AIN). Passivity went against Jacobson in the first period. Gonibov — who was given an exorbitant amount of time to work — tried to achieve meaningful traction with his lock as Jacobson defended from bottom. The Russian eventually elevated Jacobson enough to score a correct hold off the edge and assume a 3-0 lead heading into Period 2. Jacobson did have his own shot from top par terre in the second period, but his try at a turn was stymied by Gonibov, who eventually moved onto the semifinals following a 3-1 decision.
Gonibov ousted fellow ’23 U23 World gold Asan Zhanyshov (KGZ) in that semifinal with the victory pulling Jacobson back into the tournament for tomorrow’s repechage. In the first repechage round, Jacobson will face Ilya Mialeshchyk (AIN). Should he prevail, Zhanyshov already occupies one half of the bronze-medal match-up.
Miley
In his World Championships debut, Keith Miley (Arkansas RTC) made a statement by unfurling a beautiful arm throw against Tomasz Wawrzynczyk (POL) that delivered to him four points. A highlight-reel type throw. Miley received a passivity/par terre chance later in the first period to go up 5-0. Wawrzynczyk took advantage of his own passive/PT in the second to turn Miley with a gutwrench, but the American held strong the rest of the way and advanced on the strength of a 5-3 decision. Dmitri Baboryko (AIN) defeated Miley in the next round — but Baboryko made the final, which means that Miley is back in the mix via repechage. He will first stare down Giorgi Tsopurashvili (GEO); a win over Tsopurashvili would put Miley in the bronze-medal match opposite Albert Vardanyan (ARM).
Gurule & Garvin
’22 U20 World Team member Jonathan Gurule (63 kg, NYAC/NTS) was felled by Mairbek Salimov (POL) in his qualification-round contest. Salimov was gifted the passivity and executed a lift and two turns to end their match prematurely. Salimov lost in the quarterfinal to Komei Sowada (JPN), which eliminated Gurule from the tournament.
Hunter Garvin (77 kg, IA) started off his first Greco World tournament by starching Karan Karan (IND) via technical fall. A tough test arrived in the next round courtesy of U23 Asian gold Doniyorkhon Nakibov (UZB), and Nakibov held off Garvin to the tune of a 7-1 decision. Well-established Alexandrin Gutu (MDA) defeated Nakibov in the semifinal to keep Garvin out of re-appearing in the event through the repechage system.
Wednesday’s Schedule
The repechage round on Wednesday is scheduled to begin at 10:30am local time (4:30am ET) and will stream live in the US on FLOWrestling. The medal rounds will follow at 6:00pm local time (12:00pm ET).
2024 U23 World Championships
October 21-23 — Tirana, ALB
DAY 2 TEAM USA RESULTS
82 kg: Beka Melelashvili (NYAC) — SILVER
LOSS Mohammad Naghousi (IRI) 4-3
55 kg: Billy Sullivan (Army/WCAP)
WON Dieymer Amundaray (VEN) 18-10, TF
LOSS Rashad Mammadov (AZE) 12-4, TF
63 kg: Jonathan Gurule (NYAC/NTS)
LOSS Mairbek Salimov (POL) 9-0, TF
77 kg: Hunter Garvin (IA)
WON Karan Karan (IND) 9-1, TF
LOSS Doniyorkhon Nakibov (UZB) 7-1
87 kg: Payton Jacobson (NMU/NTS)
WON Tomislav Brkan (CRO) 3-1
WON Yudai Kobori (JPN) 8-0, TF
LOSS Aues Gonibov (AIN) 3-1
130 kg: Keith Miley (Arkansas RTC)
WON Tomasz Wawrzynczyk (POL) 5-3
LOSS Dmitri Baboryko (AIN) 8-0, TF
DAY 1 TEAM USA RESULTS
60 kg: Max Black (NMU/NTS) — 16th
LOSS Nihad Guluzade (AZE) 9-0, TF
67 kg: Robert Perez (NYAC) — 16th
WON Nestor Almanza Truyol (CHI) 3-3 (criteria)
LOSS Haruto Yabe (JPN) 8-0, TF
72 kg: Justus Scott (Army/WCAP) — 25th
LOSS Seyed Shamsollah Sohrabi (IRI) 10-1, TF
82 kg: Beka Melelashvili (NYAC) — SILVER
WON Daniel Bello Vega (VEN) 9-0, TF
WON Vadzim Paleyenka (AIN) 12-7
WON Data Chkhaidze (GEO) 5-2
WON Elmin Aliyev (AZE) 3-3 (criteria)
LOSS Mohammad Naghousi (IRI) 4-3
97 kg: Wyatt Voelker (Panther WC RTC) — 16th
LOSS Christos Chatsatourov (GRE) 6-4
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