U20 World Championships Preview & Predictions - Men's Freestyle
U20 World Championships Preview & Predictions - Men's Freestyle
A full preview with predictions for the 2024 U20 World Wrestling Championships in the men's freestyle division.
The 2024 U20 World Championships are going down in Ponte Vedre, Spain from September 2-8 and will feature international wrestling’s future stars. Team USA is sending a loaded squad in the men’s freestyle division that will take the mats in Spain from September 6-8. Check out the below article for a full preview with predictions for USA’s men’s freestyle team at the U20 World Championships.
57 kg: Luke Lilledahl
Incoming Penn State freshman Luke Lilledahl will be competing at U20 Worlds for the second straight year and will be looking to upgrade his silver medal from last year’s U20 Worlds. Along with his performance last year, Lilledahl won a U17 World title in 2022 and finished second at U17 Worlds in 2021. At the US Open this year, Lilledahl teched his way to gold with impressive wins over Aaron Seidel and Vinny Kilkeary. Then in the World Team Trials finals, Lilledahl won two tough matches over Jax Forrest (9-4 and 7-7). Expectations are high for Lilledahl this year and he's one of the favorites to win gold at 57 kg.
Lilledahl's win over Jax Forrest to make the U20 World Team:
Lilledahl’s Toughest Competition:
- Lev Pavlov, RUS - 20204 Russian Nationals runner-up, 2024 U20 Euro Gold beat Nachyn Mongush
- Milad Valizadeh, IRI - 2023 Senior Worlds Rep for Iran
- Vasif Baghirov, ARM - U20 Euro Silver
The above three wrestlers will be Lilledahl’s biggest competition for gold in Spain and will be interesting to see where they all get drawn into the bracket. Of those 3, Pavlov is the most dangerous. His silver medal run at this year’s Russian Nationals was incredibly impressive - especially his win over 2023 U23 World Champ Nachyn Mongush. It's worth noting that Lilledahl defeated Pavlov (9-2) at last year's U20 Worlds but I expect a better version of Pavlov this year based on his more recent results.
Valizadeh is also an interesting contender at 57 kg. He was Iran's senior worlds rep at the 2023 World Championships where he won his first to matches to make the quarterfinals before losing to eventual bronze medalist Zelimkhan Abakarov. Valizadeh also notably eliminated USA's rep Zane Richards after Valizadeh defeated Aliabbas Rzazaded (8-4) who had defeated Richards the previous round (3-2). Valizadeh hasn't wrestled much since last year's world championships so I'm not sure what to expect from him but he's absolutely a contender to watch out for in Spain.
Prediction for Lilledahl - GOLD
Lilledahl's win over Pavlov from 2023 U20 Worlds:
61 kg: Marcus Blaze
Marcus Blaze is the #1 overall recruit in the class of 2025 and is coming off a gold medal at the U17 World Championships last summer. On top of that, Blaze had an outstanding performance at the 2024 Olympic Trials finishing third at 57 kg while defeating Nico Megaludis, Luke Lilledahl, and Jax Forrest - only losing to Nick Suriano (4-2). Most recently, Blaze made the U20 World Team by winning trials in June with impressive wins over Nasir Bailey (6-3) and returning U20 world team member Ben Davino (5-2 and 6-3).
One interesting note is that Blaze is entering his senior year of high school and is still uncommitted. Penn State, Ohio State, Iowa Michigan, Cornell, and Purdue were all schools he visited and listed as his top 6. If Blaze brings home gold from Spain, the anticipation for him to commit will grow even bigger upon his return.
Blaze's win over Ben Davino to make the U20 World Team:
Blaze’s Toughest Competition:
- Andrei Midlovets, RUS - 2024 U20 Euro Champ
- Jamal Abbasov, AZE - 2024 U20 Euro runner-up, 2023 U17 World Bronze. Beat Davino 5-0
- Edik Harutyunyan, ARM - 2023 U17 World Bronze, Lilledahl beat him 8-3
The above three competitors are all pretty credentialed on the age-level scene and will be tough outs for Blaze. Abbasov defeated Ben Davino last year (5-0) but most recently lost to Midlovets at U20 Euros. Harutyunyan lost to Lilledahl last year at U20 Worlds (8-3) but defeated the above-mentioned Pavlov on his way to bronze.
Prediction for Blaze - GOLD
Abbasov's win over Ben Davino at last year's U20 World Championships:
65 kg: Bo Bassett
Bo Bassett brings incredible hype with him to U20 Worlds after his summer where he defeated NCAA champ Anthony Ashnault as well as his performance at the US Open which included wins over Sergio Vega (14-12), Koy Buesgens (13-2), and Aden Valencia (5-2). Bassett is just entering his junior year of high school and will be one of the younger competitors at U20 Worlds. He has an incredibly high pace and the ability to break any opponent he wrestles. I'm interested to see how he matches up against the best in the world in Spain and if he can continue his amazing run this year.
Bassett's win over Aden Valencia to make the U20 World Team:
Bassett’s Toughest Competitors:
- Adam Arkhiev, RUS - 2024 U20 Euro Silver
- Ali Khorramdel, IRI - 2023 U20 World Bronze at 61 kg in 2023, 2021 U17 World Champ
- Abdullah Toprak, TUR - 2024 U20 Euro champ, 2024 U20 World Bronze, U23 World Bronze in 2023. Lost to Mendez 3-1
Bassett will be tested at worlds and the above three competitors will likely present the biggest challenges for him. Türkiye’s Abdullah Toprak is the most credentialed as a returning U20 and U23 World bronze and notably only lost to Jesse Mendez last year, 3-1. Iran’s Ali Khorramdel will also be an interesting test for Bassett and I’m fascinated to see if Bassett will be able to overcome the Iranian style.
Prediction for Bassett - BRONZE
Toprak's loss to Jesse Mendez in the semifinals of the 2023 U20 World Championships:
70 kg: PJ Duke
Penn State commit PJ Duke is only entering his senior year of high school but was one of the most impressive U20 wrestlers this summer. Duke made the U20 World Team by defeating Illinois freshman Kannon Webster three different times (12-1, 5-2,& 9-2) and dominated at the US Open with notable wins over Kody Routledge (10-0), Cooper Hilton (8-2), and Brennan Van Hoecke (10-0). Duke is incredibly dynamic and can score from his feet in various ways, including some slick upper-body skills and dangerous low-level attacks. Duke is young, but he’s one of the favorites in this bracket.
Duke's win over Kannon Webster to make the U20 World Team:
Duke’s Toughest Competitors:
- Magomed Baitukaev, RUS - 2024 U20 Euro Gold, 2023 U20 World Bronze, 2021 U17 World Gold
- Ali Karampour, IRI - 2024 U20 Asian Gold
- Goga Otinashvili, GEO - 2022 U17 World Bronze
This weight isn’t as deep as some of the others but Magomed Baitukaev is a legitimate threat to win gold and knock off Duke. Baitukaev notably lost to Meyer Shapiro last year at U20 worlds (8-0) but has won almost everything else he’s entered. A year later, I expect improvement from Baitukaev and hope we see Duke and Baitukaev wrestle for gold in Spain.
Iran's Ali Karampour is another wrestler to watch out for in this bracket. With Duke and Baitukaev at 70 kg, many may overlook Karampour, who had an impressive U20 Asian Championships. Karampour won gold at U20 Asians by going 3-0 with 2 techs and a pin while outscoring his opponents by a combined 29-0.
Prediction for Duke - GOLD
Baitukaev's loss to Meyer Shapiro at the 2023 U20 World Championships:
74 kg: Ladarion Lockett
Oklahoma State commit Ladarion Lockett is entering his senior year of high school and won a U17 world title last summer. Lockett made the U20 world team this year by defeating Michigan freshman Beau Mantanona in a back-and-forth best-of-three series where Lockett won matches one and three (12-3 and 13-3) but lost the second match (6-3) to a tough Mantanona At the US Open, Lockett battled through a tough bracket by defeating Joey Blaze (8-50, Grigor Cholakyan (11-0), Vince Bouzakis (9-7), and Joe Sealey (8-2). Before that, Lockett had an impressive Olympic Trials where he defeated All-American and 2023 U20 world champ Meyer Shapiro (12-1) before losing to Mitchell Mesenbrink (13-3) and Tyler Berger (6-4).
Lockett's win over Mantanona to make the U20 World Team:
Lockett’s Toughest Competitors:
- Ali Abbas Rezaei, IRI - 2023 U20 World Silver
- Ibrahim Yaprak, TUR - 2023 U20 World Bronze
- Tamir Eshinimaev, RUS - 2024 U20 Euro Bronze
- Samvel Gevorgyan, ARM - 2023 U17 World Bronze in 2023
- Vadym Tsurkan, UKR - 2024 U20 Euro Gold
74 kg is one of the deepest weights at U20s and because Lockett is still so young, it could be a tough road for him to place. Iran’s Abbas Rezaei could be the biggest challenge in the field and was a U20 World silver medalist last year where he lost only to Meyer Shapiro (11-6). Beyond that, Rezaei has had great results on the senior level defeating Turan Bayramov and senior world champ Zagir Shakhiev this year. After Rezaei, Ukraine’s Vadym Tsurkan is a competitor to watch out for - he’s not currently registered for U20 Worlds but won U20 Euros in July where he defeated Eshinimaev (3-1) and Yaprak (8-0).
Prediction for Lockett - DNP
Meyer Shapiro's win over Ali Abbas Rezaei in the finals of the 2023 U20 World Championships:
79 kg: Zack Ryder
Zack Ryder is an incoming freshman at Penn State and is coming off two bronze medal performances at the U17 World Championships in 2022 and 2023. Ryder had an impressive summer making the U20 World Team and beating Iowa’s Gabe Arnold in two straight matches in June in the world team trials finals (5-4 and 4-2). Before that, Ryder won gold in a tough bracket at the US Open with wins over Lorenzo Norman (5-2), Will Henckel (4-3), Simon Ruiz (6-1), and Noah Mulvaney (12-2). As the above scores suggest, Ryder is really strong defensively and that style should play well overseas. The flip side of that is Ryder sometimes struggles to generate his own offense and that could be a problem against some of the better wrestlers in this field.
Ryder's win over Gabe Arnold to make the U20 World Team:
Ryder’s Toughest Competition:
- Said Saidulaev, RUS - 2024 U20 Euro Champ
- Giorgi Gogritchiani, GEO - 2023 U20 World Bronze
- Ryunosuke Kamiya, JPN - 2022 U20 World Silver
The above wrestlers are the class of the field at 79 kg and will make it challenging for Ryder to bring home gold. There’s not a ton of relevant results to draw from but it’s worth noting that Japan’s Ryunosuke Kamiya won silver at U20 World’s in a bracket where Ryder’s now Nittany Lion teammate Alex Facundo failed to place. In fact, Kamiya knocked Facundo out of the bracket by defeating India’s Sagar Jaglan the round after Jaglan defeated Facundo.
Prediction for Ryder - BRONZE
Ryunosuke Kamiya's win over India's Sagar Jaglan in the semifinals of the 2022 U20 World Championships:
86 kg: Josh Barr
Penn State freshman Josh Barr made his first age-level world team this past summer when he defeated Aeoden Sinclair in a wild three-match, world team trials finals. Barr won the first match on criteria 2-2 with a takedown with just 10 seconds left in the match. Sinclair took the second match 5-3 before Barr shut the door with a 10-0 tech in match three. That result was especially significant considering Sinclair defeated Barr in the finals of the US Open just a month before, 10-0.
Barr's win over Aeoden Sinclair to make the U20 World Team:
Barr’s Toughest Competitors:
- Ibragim Kadiev, RUS - 2024 Russian Nationals champ, 2023 U20 World Champ, 2024 U20 Euro Champ
- Tornike Samkharadze, GEO - U17 World Bronze in 2021
Russia’s Ibragim Kadiev is one of the biggest favorites of any wrestler at the U20 World Championships. Kadiev was the Russian Nationals champion this year and defeated 79 kg 2023 World champ Akhmed Usmanov (8-7), 2017 World bronze medalist Vladislav Valiev (11-0), and #18 Malik Shavaev 8-7. Because of those wins, Kadiev is currently ranked #13 in the world at 86 kg and would have wrestled off #4 Artur Naifonov for the Olympic spot had Russia not been excluded from competing. Kadiev is the class of this field and it will be incredibly surprising if he doesn’t win gold in Spain.
Prediction for Barr - 5th Place
Ibragim Kadiev's 2023 U20 World Finals:
92 kg: Connor Mirasola
Connor Mirasola is a freshman entering Penn State and carries with him a ton of hype based on his accomplishments over the past year. Mirasola qualified for the Olympic Trials when he placed 4th at Senior Nationals in December 2023 while recording wins over Evan Wick and Max Dean. Then at the Olympic Trials, Mirasola defeated four-time All-American David McFadden but failed to place after losing to Aaron Brooks and Max Dean.
Mirasola made the U20 team by defeating Ryder Rogotzke twice in the finals (6-0 and 10-0) and also dominated his way through the US Open. This is Mirasola’s first age-level world team but his success against accomplished wrestlers on the senior level proves he’ll be a contender for gold at the world championships.
Mirasola's win over Ryder Rogotzke to make the U20 World Team:
Mirasola’s Toughest Competitors:
- Mustafagadzhi Malachdibirov, RUS - 2024 U20 Euro Champ, 2024 Yarygin Bronze
- Anar Jafarli, AZE - 2023 U20 World Silver
- Konstantine Petriashvili, GEO - 2024 U17 World Champ
- Musza Arsunkaev, HUN - 2022 U17 World Silver
- Kamil Kurugliyev, KAZ - 2022 U17 World Champ
The above wrestlers shine a lot on the depth of this weight that will make it challenging for Mirasola to win gold. Konstantine Petriashvili is Geno’s (the 2024 125 kg Olympic Champ) younger brother and is fresh off a U17 World Championships. However, he’s still only 16 and has a ways to go until he can compete with Mirasola and the other top guys in this weight.
Malachdibirov and Jafarli are likely the best wrestlers in this field. Malachdibirov is similar to Mirasola in that he’s already experienced success on the senior level winning a bronze medal at this year’s Yarygin. Jafarli is a returning world silver medalist and even has a 10-0 win on his ledger over the aforementioned Petriashvili. Mirasola will be tested in Spain and a match against Malachdibirov or Jafarli should be incredible.
Prediction for Mirasola - BRONZE
97 kg: Justin Rademacher
Rademacher, a 2024 national qualifier for Oregon State, is one of the more surprising world team members on this year’s squad. Rademacher finished runner-up at the US Open to Connor Mirasola at 92 kg but then bumped up to 97 kg to make the team. At World Team Trials, Rademacher defeated Soren Herzog (10-0) and Cody Merrill (2-2) before defeating 2023 U20 world bronze medalist Camden McDanel in two straight matches (4-3 & 11-1). Rademacher has made some notable jumps this summer and if he continues improving, no one should be surprised if he brings home hardware from Spain.
Rademacher's win over Cam McDanel to make the U20 World Team:
Rademacher’s Toughest Competitors:
- Shakhman Nukhaev, RUS - 2023 U20 World Silver
- Abolfazl Babaloo, IRI - 2023 U20 World Champ in 2023
- Rizabek Aitmukhan, KAZ - 2023 Senior World Gold, 2023 U20 World Silver
I can’t remember a time we’ve seen a senior world champ in men’s freestyle compete at U20s but that’s what we have with Rizabek Aitmukhan. Aitmukhan shocked everyone when he won worlds at 92 kg last year just a few months after he won silver at U20 Worlds. Aitmukhan is the favorite but Nukhaev and Babaloo are tough competitors to watch out for that will make it challenging for Rademacher to place.
Prediction for Rademacher - 5th Place
Aitmukhan's win over Osman Nurmagomedov in the 2023 World Finals:
125 kg: Ben Kueter
Iowa heavyweight Ben Kueter won a U20 World title two years ago at 97 kg and will be looking for his second title up at heavyweight this year. Splitting time between football and wrestling, Kueter didn’t have a ton of results on the mat but went 3-1 defeating national qualifiers Konner Doucet (5-1) and Bennett Tabor (5-3), while losing only to NCAA Champ Greg Kerkvliet (9-1). Now that Kueter’s sole focus is wrestling, we should expect to see some improvement from the athletic heavyweight.
At the World Team Trials, Kueter defeated Virginia Tech’s Jim Mullen in two close matches (5-4 and 5-3) to make the world team. Kueter also recorded wins over Connor Barket (10-0), Aden Attao (8-7), and Nicholas Sahakian (11-2) at the trials. Kueter is still a little undersized at heavyweight, and will need to use his speed and athleticism to defeat some of the bigger heavyweights in his bracket at U20 Worlds.
Kueter's win over Jim Mullen to make the U20 World Team:
Kueter’s Toughest Competition:
- Amirreza Masoumi, IRI - 2-time U20 Gold (2022 & 2023), 2022 U23 World Gold, 2021 U17 World Gold - beat Feldman, Mason Parris, Zillmer, U23 World Champ
- Khabib Davudgadzhiev, RUS - 2024 U20 Euro Champ
- Yusif Dursunov, AZE - U20 Euro Bronze, U17 World Champ in 2023 and bronze in 2021
Amirreza Masoumi is without a doubt the biggest gold medal favorite of any wrestler at U20 Worlds. Masoumi has already won U17 Worlds, U20 Worlds twice, and U23 Worlds. Along with those age-level accolades, Masoumi is one of the best heavyweights in the world and is currently ranked #4 at 125 kg behind only Geno Petriashvili, Amir Zare, and Taha Akgul. Masoumi has been dominant against his American counterparts with head-to-head victories over Mason Parris (11-6), Hayden Zillmer (6-1), Nick Feldman (11-1), and Jim Mullen (10-0). At 6’6” (at least) Masoumi is a giant of a heavyweight and will be an incredible challenge to Kueter.
Prediction for Kueter - SILVER
Masoumi's win over Mason Parris:
Will Team USA Win The Team Title?
My expectations are high for this team - I’m predicting 7 total medals (3 Golds, 1 Silver, and 3 Bronze). If they achieve that level of success, they should win a team title but Iran and Russia also have deep teams that will contend for a title. The team race is always one of the most exciting things to follow at worlds and regardless of who wins, it should be a fantastic tournament to watch from start to finish.