Day 2 Bracket Draws For Men's Freestyle
The goal for day two is straightforward, but by no means simple: win a team title. Team USA will need to bring everything to the table tomorrow if they want to carry the big trophy home from Tbilisi. America enters the day with 38 points, ahead of Russia with 37 and Iran with 35 in third.
The action will kick off on Sunday, September 18th, at 1AM CDT, and every mat will be LIVE on FloWrestling.
Schedule | FloArena Brackets | Foreign Hammers | Best Moments of Day 1
46kg
Malik Heinselman lands on the bottom side in his second worlds appearance. He starts off with Rustambek Juraev (UZB), the Asian runner-up last year and Asian champ this year. If Heinselman can take out the Uzbek, he’ll have the person Juraev beat in this year’s Asian finals in Nurymbet Atabekuly (KAZ). Looking at it from a team perspective, Iran is on the bottom side with Heiselman, while Azerbaijan and Russia are in top half. Zagir Shakhiev (RUS) is a legitimate gold medal contender.
54kg
Roman Bravo-Young sits in the bottom half in his world debut. It took the Arizona stud three years to make the team, but he looks as ready as ever to make a run for a title. His draw is crucial for the team race. He’ll start off with Stefan Coman (ROU), who is making his third world championship appearance but has never scored team points.
The importance comes in the second round, because Armenia meets Iran in round one. Arsen Harutyunyan (ARM) was the Euro champ last year at 46kg and runner-up in July at 54kg. That Armenian has a solid shot to beat the Iranian, which would create an optimal team point situation if RBY takes out Armenia and leaves Iran out of repechage.
Rashidkhan Timirbekov (RUS) is the likely favorite to be the top side finalist. Bravo-Young may have to get through Asian champ Abzal Okenov (KAZ) to make the gold medal match.
63kg
Yianni Diakomihalis is one of two defending world champs in the field; the other is Gable Steveson. He is attempting to become the fifth wrestler since Cadet worlds was re-instated in 2011 to win back-to-back titles. Steveson and/or Diakomihalis could be the first Americans to go back-to-back ever, including the old cadet worlds prior to 2000.
He has a very favorable road to the finals, starting with Switzerland and Georgia. The quarters will be either Kazakhstan or Poland, with Russia looming in the semifinals. That Russian has a similar name to one of those four repeat champs, a guy by the name of Abdulrashid Sadulaev. The Russian in Yianni’s weight tomorrow is Muslim Saidulaev.
76kg
Travis Wittlake is very important to the team race tomorrow. This young man has been on the radar of American fans for years, as he went up through the ranks winning USA Wrestling triple crowns and dominating all three styles as he got older. It’s time to prove how much of a contender he can be on the world level.
His draw to the semis is Iran, then Russia, then Azerbaijan. A Wittlake run to the finals ensures that only one of those countries trying to catch us will get a shot at a medal.
100kg
As mentioned above, Gable Steveson is trying to become a back-to-back cadet champ. He’ll see Armenia and Turkey to start out; wins there put him in the semis. Turkey’s entry is different than the one that won Euros at Stockholm in July.
As far as the team race, Iran will be left out to dry at this weight as they drew Israel in the first round. Since Iran does not recognize Israel as a country, their athletes are forbidden from competing against Israelis. Russia is on the opposite side and is Steveson’s likely finals opponent.