In a tournament that offered the chance for top Greco-Roman wrestlers from across the globe to test their skills prior to two World Championship events, the United States made a splash by coming away with three bronze and more medals are on the way.
The 2024 Valamar Cup began at 10:00am local time from Porec, Croatia and streamed live on YouTube.
The US thus far has three bronze medalists — Benji Peak (72 kg, Combat WC), Beka Melelashvili (82 kg, NYAC), and Payton Jacobson (87 kg, NMU/NTS).
Peak — who was a US World Team member for the first time in ’22 before making his second such squad two weeks ago — started off with a tough decision win over Alessio Paolo of Italy. Peak had been in control throughout but Paolo struck for two points plus a step-out late in the second period to narrow the gap. A takedown from Peak would soon secure the package as he moved on by a score of 8-5. In the semifinal, Peak and ’19 European Championships bronze Dominik Etlinger (CRO) both required a couple of ketchup time-outs, both before and after Peak had inched ahead on the scoreboard 2-0, with one of those points coming from passivity. The second period saw Etlinger get his own chance from top par terre and rake one gutwrench to steal a 3-2 lead. Peak fought valiantly till the end but could not gain another score, thus resulting in his opportunity to wrestle for bronze.
Taking on Andreas Vetsch of Switzerland — who had defeated Ellis Coleman (Army/WCAP) in the second round of the World OG Qualifier this past May — Peak was able to score from passivity/PT with a gutwrench in the first period en-route to an eventual 3-2 decision that came attached to bronze.
Freshly-minted Olympian and current U23 World Teamer Payton Jacobson (NMU/NTS) wanted tough competition and he got in the form of Tokyo Olympian Ivan Huklek (CRO). Jacobson and Huklek battled hard in the ties and the American had an early 2-0 lead towards the end of the first period. Looking to score again, Jacobson arched for a throw attempt, but Huklek landed on top to collect the points in what became a 3-2 decision loss. Jacobson rebounded in impressive style, and against a very impressive opponent. Standing across with bronze hanging in the balance was ’22 U23 World Champion Exauce Mukubu of Norway. The pair know one another well, for Jacobson had trained with Mukubu previously in Norway — and then Mukubu made his way stateside during the summer to help Jacobson prepare for Paris.
Mukubu was clinging to a 1-1 criteria advantage with :22 remaining in the match when Jacobson managed to rope a headlock (of sorts) that put four on the board. Mukubu reversed nearly immediately following impact, but Jacobson had jumped to a 5-2 lead that he would not relinquish. The bronze is Jacobson’s second Senior international medal and first earned in an overseas tournament. Last year, the Ringers Wisconsin product came away with gold at the Bill Farrell Memorial.
A roaring start it was for Beka Melelashvili (82 kg, NYAC), who entered action on Saturday as one of four ’24 USA U23 World Team members in the tournament. Melelashvili got behind for a takedown on Elmar Nuraliev (UKR) and quickly followed with a crash gut and two additional conventional rotations to build an 8-1 margin, which would represent the final score. A caution-influenced loss to ’17 World bronze Pascal Eisele (GER) came next in the semifinal; in the bronze round, Melelashvili overwhelmed Norway’s Sebastian Aak via 11-3 technical fall to pick up his first piece of Senior hardware as an American competitor.
Tough Day for Ildar
Ildar Hafizov (Army/WCAP) — who two weeks ago made his sixth USA World-level Team — had two very close (and likely for him, frustrating) losses in the 63 kg weight division. Hafizov was behind on the scoreboard to Aleksandr Jurkjans (LAT) via criteria (3-3) but did receive a chance to score from top par terre late in the second period. However, Hafizov’s normally-dependable high-lock fell apart and Jurkjans reversed to nab a 4-3 decision. The next round provided Hafizov with familiar Viktor Petryk (UKR), who was favored for passivity by the officials and survived for a 2-0 win that ultimately ended Hafizov’s day at the office.
Placings TBD
Billy Sullivan (Army/WCAP) is guaranteed a medal due to 55 kilograms only boasting one other competitor — Koryun Sahradyan (UKR). That match will take place in the day’s second session scheduled for 8:00pm local time (2:00pm ET).
’24 U23 World Team member Max Black (NMU/NTS) and multi-time Senior World rep Dalton Roberts (Army/WCAP) are both in the mix for medals in the small 60 kg bracket. But though the bracket is short on bodies, the stories surrounding the American duo were of high interest.
The pair collided in the opening round and was essentially a rematch from the Olympic Trials semifinal which had gone to Roberts. This time around, Roberts held a 2-0 lead all the way until the last minute of the match when the officials determined that Black was deserving a chance from top par terre. Black was indeed able to achieve his lock — and he subsequently executed a gutwrench to nudge ahead via criteria. Roberts, try as he might, could not negotiate a score in the waning stages of the bout and Black had garnered for himself his first victory over the highly-established Roberts.
With Black still waiting for his second match of the day, Roberts was back at it in relatively shorter order against reigning U23 World Champion Giorgi Tokhadze (GEO). It was a reckoning for Tokhadze, who had skyrocketed to a 7-1 lead in the first period. But that in no way deterred or daunted Mr. Roberts. Pressure, pressure, pressure. Roberts would score, and then Tokhadze would score again, but the latter could not keep pace. It was 9-4 for Tokhadze and the switch fully flipped. Throughout the entirety of the second period, Roberts brought the heat on a continual basis scoring step-outs, a takedown, and in general making life on the mat awfully difficult for Tokhadze, who repeatedly required extra time between restarts to ingest enough oxygen to keep his feet. In the end, Roberts prevailed 13-10 to add yet one more example his superior drive and conditioning to his sparkling resume.
Black has yet to wrestle his second match and will face Tokhadze in the final session at 8:00pm local time. Order of placings will hinge on that result. The stream to watch the finals live can be found right here.
2024 Valamar Cup
September 28 — Porec, CRO
TEAM USA RESULTS
60 kg: Max Black (NMU/NTS)
WON Dalton Roberts (Army/WCAP) 2-2 (criteria)
60 kg: Dalton Roberts (Army/WCAP)
LOSS Max Black (NMU/NTS) 2-2 (criteria)
WON Giorgi Tokhadze (GEO) 13-10
63 kg: Ildar Hafizov (Army/WCAP)
LOSS Aleksandr Jurkjans (LAT) 3-2
LOSS Viktor Petryk (UKR) 2-0
72 kg: Benji Peak (Combat WC) — BRONZE
WON Paolo Alessio (ITA) 8-5
LOSS Dominik Etlinger (CRO) 3-2
WON Andreas Vetsch (SUI) 3-2
82 kg: Beka Melelashvili (NYAC) — BRONZE
WON Elmar Nuraliev (UKR) 8-1
LOSS Pascal Eisele (GER) 6-2
WON Sebastian Aak (NOR) 11-3, TF
87 kg: Payton Jacobson (NMU/NTS) — BRONZE
LOSS Ivan Huklek (CRO) 3-2
WON Exauce Mukubu (NOR) 5-2
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