Bisek Medals Again!

The talk of the 75kg weight class was the ridiculous depth it contained meaning that some very good wrestlers were going to be left off the podium at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas. That wasn't good news for USA Greco fans as their representative Andy Bisek, who ended the US Greco medal drought last year with a bronze, was facing a very tough challenge. Instead, Bisek prevailed defeating the Iranian wrestler in the bronze medal match. 

The success wasn't all Bisek for the Americans as Bryce Saddoris & Caylor Williams helped USA open the tournament with five straight wins. After a tough loss to eventual champion Frank Staebler (Germany), Saddoris appeared to be the better wrestler against Benaissa (Algeria). However, a couple head butts forced Saddoris to take injury time and he didn't appear the same wrestler afterwards. He fell one win shy of the bronze medal match and immediately went to the hospital afterwards for examination. 

Caylor Williams (US Army...woot!) was competing in his first World Championships and looked good. He avenged a loss over Brazil from the Pan Am Games with a nice come from behind win that ended up with a pin that blew up social media. In the 2nd round he lost a controversial criteria loss 4-4 to Guri (Bulgaria) when a mysterious 2 was awarded on a failed gut wrench that Williams countered. Guri then lost in the semis meaning Williams would not be pulled in to repechage. 

All in all it was a fantasitc opening day for Coach Matt Lindland and the US Greco team after a somewhat lackluster Pan Am Games. Another medal (after the drought) in the deepest weight of the tournament and two young guys who proved they were world class. There is a lot to be excited about and it's only day 1!!!!

2015 World Championships
Sept. 7-12
Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Medal winners

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold – Frank Staebler (Germany)
Silver – Hansu Ryu (Korea)
Bronze – Davor Stefanek (Serbia)
Bronze – Artem Surkov (Russia)

75 kg/165 lbs.
Gold – Roman Vlasov (Russia)
Silver – Mark Madsen (Denmark)
Bronze – Andy Bisek (USA)
Bronze – Doszhan Kartikov (Kazakhstan)

98 kg/216 lbs.
Gold – Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia)
Silver – Ghasem Rezaei (Iran)
Bronze – Islam Magomedov (Russia)
Bronze – Dimitriy Timchenko (Ukraine)

Finals matchups

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Frank Staebler (Germany) dec. Hansu Ryu (Korea), 5-1

75 kg/165 lbs.
Roman Vlasov (Russia) dec. Mark Madsen (Denmark), 6-0

98 kg/216 lbs.
Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia) dec. Ghasem Rezaei (Iran), 3-0

U.S. results

66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Bryce Saddoris, Sneads Ferry, N.C. (U.S. Marines)
WIN Hugo da Silva (Portugal), 3-0
WIN Konstantin Stas (Bulgaria), 6-1
LOSS Frank Staebler (Germany), 0-5
LOSS Tarek Aziz Benaissa (Algeria), 4-5

75 kg/165 lbs. – Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm) – BRONZE MEDAL
WIN Luis Avendano (Venezuela), 5-2
WIN Gurpreet Singh (India), 6-4
LOSS Mark Madsen (Denmark), tech fall 0-9
WIN Yavor Yanakiev (Bulgaria), 1-0
WIN Saeid Morad Abdvali (Iran), 2-0

98 kg/216 lbs. – Caylor Williams, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
WIN Davi Albino (Brazil), fall 4:30
LOSS Elis Guri (Bulgaria), 4-4