U.S. Men Defeat Iran 6-4 To Win 15th Freestyle Wrestling World Cup Title In Iowa

Kyle Snyder competes during the men's freestyle 97 kg. final at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on Aug. 7, 2021 in Tokyo.

In front of a friendly home crowd in Coralville, Iowa, the U.S. men’s freestyle wrestling team put on a great show in capturing its 15th Wrestling World Cup title.
The Americans defeated Iran six matches to four Sunday night at Xtream Arena and clinched the win in the penultimate match, a premier bout between the defending Olympic silver medalist Kyle Snyder and two-time world champion Kamran Ghasempour at 97 kg. The other victorious Americans were Nathan Jackson (92 kg.), Zahid Valencia (86 kg.), Alec Pantaleo (70 kg.), Seth Gross (61 kg.) and Zane Richards (57 kg.).
The star-studded U.S. roster also included 2012 Olympic gold medalist and six-time world champion Jordan Burroughs, who lost Sunday but was a key contributor to Team USA’s undefeated run to the gold medal with wins in the two group stage matches.
The U.S. women finished fourth.
Typically an annual international dual meet competition, the Wrestling World Cup was being held for the first time since 2019. It features the top five teams in the world in men’s and women’s freestyle based on the most recent world championships, and the men and women were held at the same venue for the first time.
The U.S. and Iran men were joined by Japan, Mongolia and Georgia, plus an All-World Team made up of the top athlete in each weight class from the world championships whose nation did not qualify for the World Cup. On the women’s side, the U.S. was joined by Japan, China, Mongolia, Ukraine and the All-World Team.
The U.S. men opened up Group A play Saturday with a 7-3 victory over Mongolia, which wrestled shorthanded with entrants in just eight weight classes. The U.S. won two matches by forfeit and another by injury default. Team USA’s other four wins came by technical fall via Richards, Tyler Berger (70 kg.), Burroughs and Valencia.
Another dominant victory followed as the U.S. swept aside Georgia 10-0 to reach the gold-medal match. Nick Suriano (57 kg.), Gross, Yianni Diakomihalis (65 kg.), Pantaleo, Jason Nolf (74 kg.), Burroughs, Valencia, Jackson, Snyder and Hayden Zillmer (125 kg.) all contributed to the big win. Georgia went on to lose the third-place match to the All-World Team.
The U.S. women got off to a difficult start, losing 8-2 to China to open action in Group B. Reigning 72 kg. world champion Amit Elor got one of the U.S. wins, along with Dymond Guilford (76 kg.). The Americans then bounced back with a thrilling 6-4 win over the All-World Team. Two-time world silver medalist Kayla Miracle (62 kg.) was one of the U.S. winners, along with Erin Golston (50 kg.), Jenna Burkert (55 kg.), Alexandra Hedrick (57 kg.), Mallory Velte (65 kg.) and Yelena Makoyed (76 kg.). 
That big win put the U.S. into the bronze-medal match, where the Americans fell 7-3 to Mongolia. Hedrick, Solin Piearcy and Guilford all won their matches as the deep Mongolia lineup overcame the rest of the U.S. roster. Ukraine topped China for the gold medal, 6-4.