Robby Smith (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)"I made a decision to try to stand up and he wrapped his arms around me, and my hips were up," said Smith. "Once he gets going it's hard to stop. But other than, come back tonight and get a bronze medal. That's what it's all about now."
Smith's opponent in the bronze-medal match is three-time World freestyle champion Bilyal Makhov of Russia. By reaching a medal match, Smith qualified the United States for the Olympic Games at 130 kilos.
"My first job was to qualify the weight class for the Olympics," said Smith. "I did that. Now just get my medal, and me and the Cowboy can hang out later, have those things around our neck."
Smith overcame a slow start to beat Muminjon Abdullaev of Uzbekistan in his first match. Smith was thrown for points and trailed 4-0 after the opening period. Smith inched closer at 4-2 in the second period before hitting three consecutive front headlock rolls to go up 8-4. He added a pushout point to make it 9-4. Then in the closing 15 seconds Abdullaev attempted a desperation throw, and Smith countered and picked up the fall with 10 seconds remaining in the match.
Smith advanced to the quarterfinals with a controlled 6-2 victory over Germany's Eduard Popp. Smith scored an early takedown to go up 2-0. An attempted throw by Smith resulted in Popp getting a takedown and tying the match at 2-2. After a passivity warning against Popp, Smith tried a front headlock roll and Popp was called for a defensive leg foul, which resulted in Smith getting two points at the end of the first period to take a 4-2 lead. Smith built on his lead with a takedown just over a minute into the second period to make the score 6-2, which is how the match would finish.
In the quarterfinals, Smith edged Murat Ramonov of Kazakhstan 1-1, in a match that saw no offensive points scored. Both points scored in the match came in the second period from passivity calls, with Smith's point coming last, giving him the criteria victory.
The three other U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers competing on Tuesday, Spenser Mango (59 kilos), Justin Lester (71 kilos) and Patrick Martinez (80 kilos) all qualified for repechage matches, but Smith was the lone U.S. wrestler to earn a spot in a medal match.
"We've got a great group of guys that could show the world … do big things," said Smith.
Mango, competing at 59 kilos, went 1-2 on the day.
Spenser Mango (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Mango was pulled back into repechage when the Cuban reached the gold-medal match. Mango, who wrestled his first match just after 10 a.m. PT, had to watch and wait for over five hours to see whether he would compete in repechage.
"It's tough sitting around on the edge of the seat in the back watching the guy who beat me compete all day, just sitting there waiting and then getting back brought in," said Mango. "But it's a situation that we've trained. We have a match in the morning, and then you come back in the evening and wrestle, so it's something we prepared for."
Mango came out on top in his first repechage match over Germany's Deniz Menekse 4-4 on criteria. In the first period Mango scored with a two-point turn before Menekse picked up a point off a reversal. In the second period Menekse picked up a takedown -- and earned another point off an unsuccessful challenge -- to go up 4-2. However, Mango would respond with a takedown of his own to make the score 4-4, and earned the criteria victory by scoring last.
Mango was knocked out of the tournament in his next match when he was blanked 8-0 against Soslan Daurov of Belarus in his second repechage match.
"I kind of got caught flat-footed out there in my last match," said Mango. "Again, with the Cuban I gave up some big points early. Having to come back every match isn't the way to go out there. You want to be competitive from the first whistle to the last whistle."
Justin Lester (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)"I just wanted to have fun," said Lester. "I put a lot of pressure on my back in other World championships to make sure I get on that medal stand. Today I just came out and just wanted to have fun wrestling. I have usually done my best when I just go out and wrestle and try to put points on the board."
Lester, who will turn 32 years old later this month, was dominant in his first match, earning a technical fall over Hungary's Balint Korpasi, who entered the event ranked No. 3 in the world. Lester used a headlock in the first period to jump out to a 4-0 lead. In the second period he executed another four-point throw to seal the victory.
Next Lester faced returning World silver medalist Yanus Ozel of Turkey, and overcame a 4-0 deficit to win 8-6. Ozel hit a four-point throw in the first period, and Lester responded with a four-point throw of his own in the second period to knot the score at 4-4. Lester then took the lead with a pushout and added a takedown, which the Turkey coaches challenged. The call was upheld, giving Lester an additional point to make it 8-4. Ozel would inch closer on the strength of pushout and passivity point, but Lester held on for the victory.
In the quarterfinals Lester was paired with Azerbaijan's Rasul Chunayev, who is ranked No. 1 in the world. Chumanyez proved to be too much for Lester. After a scoreless first period, Chunayez broke the match open, using five-point throw, followed up by a couple two-point moves to earn a 9-0 technical fall.
In the repechage, Lester faced Russia's Adam Kurak and lost a wild 10-9 match. All 19 points were scored in the first period. Lester hit two four-point moves, while Kurak had one.
Lester competes at a non-Olympic weight class, so if he wants to compete for an Olympic spot next year he will have to either move down to 66 kilos or up to 74 kilos.
"It's going to suck either way," Lester said of the decision. "You have Andy Bisek, who is a two-time medalist now. Then you have 66, which has been like my nemesis my whole life, cutting weight. Either or it's going to be a real bad situation, but we're going to sit down and talk with the coaches and figure out what's going to be best."
Martinez, making his World Championships debut, fell in his first match to Belarus' Viktar Sasunouski, who is ranked No. 5 in the world. Sasunouski hit a headlock in the first minute of the match and nearly pinned Martinez, but the American wrestler fought hard to get off his back and eventually earned a one-point reversal. Martinez added a pushout with seven seconds remaining in the match, but it wasn't enough.
Martinez was pulled back into repechage when Sasunouski came through to reach the finals.
Martinez earned a 5-0 shutout in his first repechage match over Lithuania's Julius Matuzevicius. He used a four-point throw in the second period to help propel him to victory.
"The victory felt good," said Martinez. "I've wrestled that guy in practice before ... a couple months back and he was kind of kicking my butt. I'm improving, so that's good."
He was then knocked out of the tournament after losing 4-0 to Askhat Dilmukhamedov of Kazakhstan.
"I wanted to leave with a medal," said Martinez. "I was pretty set on leaving with a medal. Not accomplishing that goal is just going to drive me more for next year and years to come."
Tonight's medal matches are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. PT.
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