Sept 12 World Championships Preview

Just 23 years old, Kyle Snyder has accomplished quite a bit on the Senior level, including winning World championships in 2015 and ’17 and capturing Olympic gold in 2016. But the 97-kilo freestyler is coming off his only World-level setback when he lost to Russia’s Abdulrashid Sadulaev in last year’s World Championships final. He is looking to regain his gold-medal level again next week in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.

Meanwhile, both G’Angelo Hancock and Victoria Francis are also returning to the World Championships in Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle. Hancock is a former Junior World bronze medalist while Francis overcame a UWW suspension after competing in the 2017 Worlds.

Click here or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe to WIN Magazine, which will capture all the historic moments of the 2019 Worlds in the October 2 issue.

Men’s Freestyle

97 K / 213.75 pounds

Kyle Snyder

Competing Sept. 21-22

Kyle Snyder beat Kyven Gadson at Final X Lincoln to qualify for his fifth straight World/Olympic Team. (Tim Tushla photo)

Bio: Age 23 (born Nov. 20, 1995); native of Woodbine, Md.; resident of Columbus, Ohio; Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC; spent senior year of high school at Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs; 3-time NCAA champ and 4-time AA at Ohio State (2015-18)

International Experience: three-time World/Olympic champ; competed in three Worlds; overall record 13-1 with three medals; gold in 2015 (5-0), gold in 2017 (4-0) and silver in 2018 (4-1); also won gold medal at 2016 Olympics; also competed in 2014 Junior Worlds (bronze) and 2013 Junior Worlds (gold).

2019 Final X:defeated former NCAA champ Kyven Gadson from Iowa State in best-of-three matches, 4-0 and 12-1, in Lincoln, Neb.

Projected Top 4 Seeds by UWW: 1. Kyle Snyder (United States), 2. Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Russia), 3-time World gold (’14, ’15, ’18) and ’16 Olympic gold; 3. Ulziisaikhan Batzul (Mongolia), Asian silver; 4. Abraham Conyedo Ruano (Italy), ’18 World bronze.

Greco-Roman

97 K / 213.5 pounds

G’Angelo Hancock

Competing Sept. 15-16

G’Angelo Hancock beat Luke Sheridan at Final X Lincoln in the 97-kilogram Greco final. (Tim Tushla photo)

Bio: Age 22 (born July 27, 1997); native of Ft. Carson, Colo.; resident of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Sunkist Kids WC; attended Daymar College

International Experience:competed in 2018 Senior Worlds; did not place (0-1 record); also competed in 2016 Junior Worlds (bronze) and 2017 Junior Worlds (seventh) and the U23 Worlds in 2017 (10th).

 2019 Final X: defeated Lucas Sheridan (U.S. Army WCAP), 8-0, 5-2, at Rutgers.

Projected Top 4 Seeds at UWW:1. Musa Evloev (Russia), ’18 World gold; 2. Kiril Milov (Bulgaria), ’18 World silver; 3. G’Angelo Hancock (United States); 4. Mihail Kajala (Serbia), ’18 World bronze.

Women’s Freestyle

72 K / 158.5 pounds

Victoria Francis

Competing Sept. 17-18

Victoria Francis (top) was forced to sit out last year’s Worlds after competing at 75 kilos in the 2017 Worlds. (Justin Hoch photo)

Bio:Age 25 (born Feb. 18, 1994); native and resident of Litchfield, Ill.;Titan Mercury WC; 2-time WCWA champ at Lindenwood

International Experience: competed in one Senior Worlds; did not place in 2017 (0-1); also competed in 2014 Junior Worlds (bronze).

2019 Final X: defeated Alyvia Fiske (Titan Mercury WC) best-of-three matches, 7-2, fall, at Rutgers.

Projected Top 4 Seeds at UWW:1. Nasanburmaa Ochirbat (Mongolia), ’13 and ’14 World bronze; 2. Zhamila Bakbergenova (Kazakhstan), ’18 U23 World bronze; 3. Juan Wang (China), ’16 Olympian; 4. Alina Stadnik Makhynia (Ukraine), ’16 Olympian.

Below are WIN’s daily previews of USA at the Worlds. Click on the date to read the previews of the wrestlers located on that date.