FILA WORLD CUP
I’m getting closer and closer to my goal every day. I just have to keep working hard. The opportunity was presented to me and I tried to take advantage of it.” - Clayton Foster, on 4-0 finish
Strong showing sparks U.S. to third-place finish
By Craig Sesker
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Angel Escobedo and Jimmy Kennedy supplied the spark.
Brent Metcalf, Jordan Burroughs and Clayton Foster provided the exclamation point. Team USA put on a dominating display to roll past Ukraine 7- 1 in the World Cup third-place match on March 16 before 3,000 fans at the Forum. “We talked about getting off to a fast start,” U.S. Coach Zeke Jones said. “We knew those first five matches were critical for the team score. We showed great effort out there today and we wrestled well.”
Iran downed Russia 6-2 in the World Cup finals, winning this event for the third straight year. The Iranians, backed by a bois- terous crowd of fans, also won the team title at the 2013 World Championships in freestyle wrestling.
Burroughs capped a dominating weekend by earning a 15-4 technical fall over Ukraine’s Giya Chykladze at 74 kg/163 lbs. Burroughs is now 15-0 in his career in the World Cup. Burroughs, an Olympic gold medalist and two-time World champion, went 5-0 in the event for the third straight year. He scored three pins, a technical fall and a 7-1 win this weekend. Foster scored an impressive 7-2 win over two-time World champion Ibragim Aldatov at 86 kg/189 lbs. Foster came out aggressively in capping a strong weekend of his own. Foster went 4-0 on the weekend. He earned a win over Olympic and World bronze medalist Ehsan Lashgari of Iran on Saturday night.
“My conditioning, staying low in my stance and being disci- plined – that was the difference,” Foster said of the win against Aldatov. “I try to treat every match the same. I’m getting closer and closer to my goal every day. I just have to keep working hard. The opportunity was presented to me and I tried to take advantage of it.”
Escobedo delivered an early spark by using a strong second period to earn an 11-1 technical fall over the Ukraine’s Sergiy Continued on page 13
12 USA Wrestler
Angel Escobedo takes control during his win over Ukraine’s Sergiy Ratushny. John Sachs photo.
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