By Richard Immel
USA Wrestling

ZAGREB, Croatia – Eight Americans moved to the medal rounds on day one of the 2026 Zagreb Open, which serves as the first United World Wrestling Ranking Series event of the new season.

2024 Olympic silver medalist Spencer Lee (57 kg), 2025 World Team member David Carr (74 kg) and international newcomer Parker Keckeisen (86 kg) went undefeated on Wednesday morning at Arena Zagreb to qualify for a gold medal match.

Lee picked up a pair of decision wins, 4-0 over Azamat Tuskaev of Serbia and 10-2 over Fuga Sasaki of Japan, to set up an enticing matchup against Mexico’s Roman Bravo Young, who was a 2024 Olympian, fifth place at the 2025 World Championships and a two-time NCAA champion for Penn State.

Carr was untested in his first three bouts, which were highlighted by a pin over two-time age-group World medalist Aliakbar Fazlikhalili of Iran and a technical fall on 2022 U23 World champion Giorgi Elbakidze of Georgia. The gold medal finals are a step up in competition—2025 World champion Yoshinosuke Aoyagi of Japan awaits.

Keckeisen emerged with a stellar 3-0 record for the session, including a 9-5 win against 2021 U23 World bronze medalist Ali Savadkouhi of Iran in the semifinals. The gold medal is on the line against 2023 World silver medalist and 2024 Olympian Vladimeri Gamkrelidze of Georgia. Notably, Gamkrelidze notched an 11-0 technical fall on reigning World champion Zahid Valencia in the quarterfinals.

Valencia dropped into the bronze medal match for Team USA. He is joined by four teammates in search of a medal—Joey McKenna (65 kg), Ian Parker (70 kg), Caleb Henson (70 kg) and James Green (74 kg).

Coming off gold medal wins at the Bill Farrell Memorial International and Henri Deglane Grand Prix, Austin DeSanto wrapped up a 3-1 day in round robin play at 61 kg. He will finish with a third international medal in as many months. The color of medal to be determined based on the final set of round robin matches in the weight.  

The action from Zagreb continues at 6 p.m. local time / Noon (ET) from Arena Zagreb with the men’s freestyle group one (57-61-65-70-74-86 kg) medal matches.

A live broadcast of the event is available to the U.S. market through FloWrestling.

Brackets and match-by-match results can be found on UWW Arena.

2026 Zagreb Open 

At Zagreb, Croatia, February 4 

Reference Links 

• Live stream

• Brackets

• Event schedule
  

Men’s Freestyle Results 

Medal Match Pairings 

57 kg 

Gold – Spencer Lee (United States) vs. Roman Bravo Young (Mexico)

Bronze – Fuga Sasaki (Japan) vs. Azamat Tuskaev (Serbia)

Bronze – Milad Valizadeh (Iran) vs. Atish Todkar (India)

61 kg 

Round 5 – Aman (India) vs. Ali Aburumaila (Palestine)

Round 5 – Reza Momenijoujadeh (Iran) vs. Giorgi Goniashvili (Georgia)

65 kg 

Gold – Sujeet (India) vs. Peyman Nemati (Iran)

Bronze – Joey McKenna (United States) vs. Khamzat Arsamerzouev (France)

Bronze – Gamzatgadzhi Khalidov (Hungary) Vs. Nika Zakashvili (Georgia)

70 kg 

Gold – Sina Khalili (Iran) vs. Akaki Kemertelidze (Georgia)

Bronze – Ian Parker (United States) vs. Abhimanyou (India)

Bronze – Caleb Henson (United States) vs. Ismail Musukaev (Hungary)

74 kg 

Gold – Yoshinosuke Aoyagi (Japan) vs. David Carr (United States)

Bronze – Seyfulla Itaev (France) vs. James Green (United States)

Bronze – Giorgi Elbakidze (Georgia) vs. Aliakbar Fazlikhalili (Iran)

86 kg 

Gold – Vladimeri Gamkrelidze (Georgia) vs. Parker Keckeisen (United States)

Bronze – Abolfazl Shamsipour Hajivand (Iran) vs. Zahid Valencia (United States)

Bronze – Ali Savadkouhi (Iran) vs. Mukul Dahiya (India)

U.S. Men’s Freestyle Results 

57 kg – Liam Cronin (Lincoln, Neb./Nebraska Wrestling Training Center/Titan Mercury WC), eliminated 

LOSS Milad Valizadeh (Iran), 9-3

57 kg – Anthony Knox (Freehold, N.J.), eliminated 

LOSS Roman Bravo Young (Mexico), tech. fall, 12-2

LOSS Atish Todkar (India), 14-6

57 kg – Spencer Lee (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC), gold medal match 

WIN Azamat Tuskaev (Serbia), 4-0

WIN Fuga Sasaki (Japan), 10-2

VS Roman Bravo Young (Mexico)

61 kg – Austin DeSanto (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC), round robin 

LOSS Reza Momenijoujadeh (Iran), 11-11

WIN Ali Aburumaila (Palestine), forfeit

WIN Giorgi Goniashvili (Georgia), tech. fall, 12-2

WIN Aman (India), fall, 2:36

65 kg – Joey McKenna (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC), bronze medal match 

WIN Takara Suda (Japan), 7-0

LOSS Sujeet (India), tech. fall, 11-0

VS Khamzat Arsamerzouev (France)

70 kg – Caleb Henson (Cartersville, Ga./Southeast RTC/Titan Mercury WC), bronze medal match 

WIN Ebrahim Elahichouran (Iran), 5-5

WIN Muhammad Abdurachmanov (Belgium), tech. fall, 11-1

LOSS Akaki Kemertelidze (Georgia), 6-4

VS Ismail Musukaev (Hungary)

70 kg – Ian Parker (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Panther Wrestling Club RTC/Titan Mercury WC), bronze medal match 

LOSS Sina Khalili (Iran), 9-3

WIN Patryk Olenczyn (Poland), tech. fall, 14-2

VS Abhimanyou (India)

70 kg – Tyler Kasak (Lemont, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC), eliminated 

WIN Alexander Seiwald (Austria), tech. fall, 11-0

LOSS Abhimanyou (India), tech. fall, 10-0

74 kg – Jarrett Jacques (Columbia, Mo./Tiger Style WC), eliminated 

WIN Alfred Daniel (Sierra Leone), tech. fall, 11-0

LOSS David Carr (United States), 9-2

LOSS Aliakbar Fazlikhalili (Iran), 8-7

74 kg – David Carr (Ames, Iowa/Cyclone RTC/Titan Mercury WC), gold medal match 

WIN Aliakbar Fazlikhalili (Iran), fall, 5:47

WIN Jarrett Jacques (United States), 9-2

WIN Giorgi Elbakidze (Georgia), tech. fall, 12-1

VS Yoshinosuke Aoyagi (Japan)

74 kg – James Green (Lincoln, Neb./Nebraska Wrestling Training Center/Titan Mercury WC), bronze medal match 

LOSS Yoshinosuke Aoyagi (Japan), 6-1

WIN Kamil Rybicki (Poland), tech. fall, 10-0

VS Seyfulla Itaev (France)

86 kg – Zahid Valencia (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC), bronze medal match 

WIN Sandeep Mann (India), tech. fall, 11-0

LOSS Vladimeri Gamkrelidze (Georgia), tech. fall, 11-0

VS Abolfazl Shamsipour Hajivand (Iran)

86 kg – Parker Keckeisen (Glendale, Wis./Panther Wrestling Club RTC), gold medal match 

WIN Mukul Dahiya (India), tech. fall, 11-0

WIN Gabriel McDuffie (Sierra Leone), fall, 1:04

WIN Ali Savadkouhi (Iran), 9-5

VS Vladimeri Gamkrelidze (Georgia)