By Richard Immel
USA Wrestling
TIRANA, Albania – After a stellar four-win outing on Monday that propelled him to tonight’s gold medal match, Beka Melelashvili dropped a tight final to Iran’s Mohammad Naghousi to finish with a momentous silver medal at 82 kg. Melelashvili became the first Greco-Roman medalist for the U.S. in the history of the U23 World Championships.

The bout between Melelashvili and Naghousi was decided by a single point. The first period saw Naghousi jump out to a 3-0 lead by way of passivity point and a correct throw without exposure. Melelashvili fought back in the second frame with a passivity point of his own. The duo traded a pair of two-point maneuvers with action stemming from par terre. Melelashvili had the final minute from neutral to find a score, but Naghousi held strong defensively to secure the win, 4-3.

Melelashvili improved upon a fifth-place finish from the 2022 U23 Worlds where he competed for Georgia. He is just the second American to wrestle for a medal at the event, which dates back to 2017. Taylor LaMont, who finished in fifth place at 55 kg in 2021, being the other.

No U.S. athlete, save Melelashvili, in Greco-Roman group one qualified for a medal match. However, three Americans in Greco-Roman group two were pulled into tomorrow morning’s repechage round and are still in the mix for a bronze medal— Billy Sullivan at 55 kg, Payton Jacobson at 87 kg and KJ Miley at 130 kg.

The U23 World Championships continue tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. local time with the Greco-Roman group two (55-63-77-87-130 kg) repechage and the qualification rounds for women’s freestyle group one (50-55-59-68-76 kg). For those following along live, Tirana, Albania, is located six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time.

Updated brackets and match-by-match results are available on UWW Arena. A live broadcast of the event is available for the U.S. market at FloWrestling.com.

Revisit the details of each match from today in our day two match notes article.

2024 U23 World Championships | At Tirana, Albania, October 22

Greco-Roman Results

Final Results (Group One)

60 kg

Gold – Alisher Ganiev (Uzbekistan)

Silver – Dinislam Bammatov (Individual Neutral Athlete)

Bronze – Nihad Guluzade (Azerbaijan)

Bronze – Pridon Abuladze (Georgia)

5th – Denis Mihai (Romania)

5th – Suraj Suraj (India)

7th – Suren Aghajanyan (Armenia)

8th – Doszhan Utepkaliyev (Kazakhstan)

9th – Mohammadmehdi Gholampour (Iran)

10th – Bohdan Hryshyn (Ukraine)

Gold – Alisher Ganiev (Uzbekistan) dec. Dinislam Bammatov (Individual Neutral Athlete), 8-4

Bronze – Nihad Guluzade (Azerbaijan) tech. fall Denis Mihai (Romania), 9-0

Bronze – Pridon Abuladze (Georgia) tech. fall Suraj Suraj (India), 9-1

67 kg

Gold – Razzak Beishekeev (Kyrgyzstan)

Silver – Diego Chkhikvadze (Georgia)

Bronze – Arslanbek Salimov (Poland)

Bronze – Daniial Agaev (Individual Neutral Athlete)

5th – Farid Khalilov (Azerbaijan)

5th – Yanis Guendez Nifri (France)

7th – Oleh Khalilov (Ukraine)

8th – Sahak Hovhannisyan (Armenia)

9th – Shon Nadorgin (Israel)

10th – Alexandr Gurali (Moldova)

Gold – Razzak Beishekeev (Kyrgyzstan) dec. Diego Chkhikvadze (Georgia), 6-1

Bronze – Arslanbek Salimov (Poland) dec. Farid Khalilov (Azerbaijan), 8-4

Bronze – Daniial Agaev (Individual Neutral Athlete) dec. Yanis Guendez Nifri (France), 2-1

72 kg

Gold – Giorgi Chkhikvadze (Georgia)

Silver – Shant Khachatryan (Armenia)

Bronze – Seyed Sohrabi (Iran)

Bronze – Imran Aliev (Individual Neutral Athlete)

5th – Georgios Barbanos (Sweden)

5th – Adilkhan Nurlanbekov (Kyrgyzstan)

7th – Abror Atabaev (Uzbekistan)

8th – Gagik Snjoyan (France)

9th – Arionas Kolitsopoulos (Greece)

10th – Krisztofer Klanyi (Hungary)

Gold – Giorgi Chkhikvadze (Georgia) dec. Shant Khachatryan (Armenia), 3-1

Bronze – Seyed Sohrabi (Iran) tech. fall Georgios Barbanos (Sweden), 9-0

Bronze – Imran Aliev (Individual Neutral Athlete) fall Adilkhan Nurlanbekov (Kyrgyzstan), 4:49

82 kg

Gold – Mohammad Naghousi (Iran)

Silver – Beka Melelashvili (United States)

Bronze – Deni Nakaev (Germany)

Bronze – Data Chkhaidze (Georgia)

5th – Emad Abouelatta (Egypt)

5th – Elmin Aliyev (Azerbaijan)

7th – Samvel Grigoryan (Armenia)

8th – Kun Huang (China)

9th – Vadzim Paleyenka (Individual Neutral Athlete)

10th – Samandar Bobonazarov (Uzbekistan)

Gold – Mohammad Naghousi (Iran) dec. Beka Melelashvili (United States), 4-3

Bronze – Deni Nakaev (Germany) dec. Emad Abouelatta (Egypt), 5-1

Bronze – Data Chkhaidze (Georgia) tech. fall Elmin Aliyev (Azerbaijan), 9-1

97 kg

Gold – Hayk Khloyan (Armenia)

Silver – Abubakar Khaslakhanau (Individual Neutral Athlete)

Bronze – Magomed Murtazaliev (Individual Neutral Athlete)

Bronze – Shayan Habibzare (Iran)

5th – Anton Vieweg (Germany)

5th – Richard Karelson (Estonia)

7th – Igor Shepetun (Poland)

8th – Mustafa Olgun (Turkey)

9th – Nitesh Nitesh (India)

10th – Murad Ahmadiyev (Azerbaijan)

Gold – Hayk Khloyan (Armenia) dec. Abubakar Khaslakhanau (Individual Neutral Athlete), 11-6

Bronze – Magomed Murtazaliev (Individual Neutral Athlete) tech. fall Anton Vieweg (Germany), 11-0

Bronze – Shayan Habibzare (Iran) dec. Richard Karelson (Estonia), 8-5

Gold Medal Match Pairings (Group Two)

55 kg

Rashad Mammadov (Azerbaijan) vs. Ali Ahmadi Vafa (Iran)

63 kg

Komei Sawada (Japan) vs. Vitalie Eriomenco (Moldova)

77 kg

Alexandrin Gutu (Moldova) vs. Samuel Bellscheidt (Germany)

87 kg

Marcel Sterkenburg (Netherlands) vs. Aues Gonibov (Individual Neutral Athlete)

130 kg

Fardin Hedayati (Iran) vs. Dmitrii Baboryko (Individual Neutral Athlete)

Semifinal Results (Group Two)

55 kg

Rashad Mammadov (Azerbaijan) tech. fall Kohei Yamagiwa (Japan), 12-2

Ali Ahmadi Vafa (Iran) tech. fall Vishvajit More (India), 14-5

63 kg

Komei Sawada (Japan) dec. Bekir Ates (Turkey), 7-0

Vitalie Eriomenco (Moldova) tech. fall Arman Vardanyan (Armenia), 14-5

77 kg

Alexandrin Gutu (Moldova) dec. Doniyorkhon Nakibov (Uzbekistan), 6-1

Samuel Bellscheidt (Germany) dec. Temuri Orjonikidze (Georgia), 2-1

87 kg

Marcel Sterkenburg (Netherlands) dec. Yasin Yazdi (Iran), 3-1

Aues Gonibov (Individual Neutral Athlete) dec. Asan Zhanyshov (Kyrgyzstan), 3-1

130 kg

Fardin Hedayati (Iran) tech. fall Koppany Laszlo (Hungary), 9-0

Dmitrii Baboryko (Individual Neutral Athlete) fall Albert Vardanyan (Armenia), 4:17

U.S. Greco-Roman Results (Group One)

60 kg – Max Black (Castle Rock, Colo./ NMU-National Training Center), 16th place

LOSS Nihad Guluzade (Azerbaijan), tech. fall, 9-0

67 kg – Robert Perez III (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), 16th place

WIN Nestor Almanza Truyol (Chile), 3-3

LOSS Haruto Yabe (Japan), tech. fall, 8-0

72 kg – Justus Scott (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP), 25th place

LOSS Seyed Sohrabi (Iran), tech. fall, 10-1

82 kg – Beka Melelashvili (Philadelphia, Pa./New York AC), silver medal

WIN Daniel Bello Vega (Venezuela), tech. fall, 9-0

WIN Vadzim Paleyenka (Individual Neutral Athlete), 12-7

WIN Data Chkhaidze (Georgia), 5-2

WIN Elmin Aliyev (Azerbaijan), 3-3

LOSS Mohammad Naghousi (Iran), 4-3

97 kg – Wyatt Voelker (Manchester, Iowa/Panther WC-RTC), 16th place

LOSS Christos Chatsatourov (Greece), 6-4

U.S. Greco-Roman Results (Group Two)

55 kg – Billy Sullivan (Las Vegas, Nev./Army WCAP), repechage

WIN Dieymer Rosal Amundaray (Venezuela), tech. fall, 18-10

LOSS Rashad Mammadov (Azerbaijan), tech. fall, 12-4

VS Cristopher Verastegui Aguilar (Colombia)

63 kg – Jonathan Gurule (Peralta, N.M./NMU-National Training Center), eliminated

LOSS Mairbek Salimov (Poland), tech. fall, 9-0

77 kg – Hunter Garvin (North Liberty, Iowa/California RTC), eliminated

WIN Karan Karan (India), tech. fall, 9-1

LOSS Doniyorkhon Nakibov (Uzbekistan), 7-1

87 kg – Payton Jacobson (Elkhorn, Wis./ NMU-National Training Center/Sunkist Kids WC), repechage

WIN Tomislav Brkan (Croatia), 3-1

WIN Yudai Kobori (Japan), tech. fall, 8-0

LOSS Aues Gonibov (Individual Neutral Athlete), 3-1

VS Ilya Mialeshchyk (Individual Neutral Athlete)

130 kg – KJ Miley (Little Rock, Ark./Arkansas RTC), repechage

WIN Tomasz Wawrzynczyk (Poland), 5-3

LOSS Dmitrii Baboryko (Individual Neutral Athlete), tech. fall, 8-0

VS Giorgi Tsopurashvili (Georgia)