American Kamal Bey (top) battles Halsihan Bahejiang of China at 82 kilograms in Greco-Roman competetion at the Senior world championship meet in Kazakhstan on Saturday. Bey lost the bout, 4-2. (Tony Rotundo photo courtesy USA Wrestling)
Courtesy USA Wrestling
ASTANA, Kazakhstan – Team USA’s promising day at the 2026 Senior world championships ended in disappointment on Sunday —Benji Peak saw his repechage hopes dashed in the semifinal round, and the U.S. fell outside the top 10 in all four Greco-Roman group one weight classes.
After posting a 1-1 record in the preliminary rounds at 72 kilograms on Sunday morning at Barys Arena, Peak needed Mingiian Goriaev of Russia to qualify for the finals to wrestle back for bronze. Goriaev came one win short, dropping a 9-0 semifinal to returning bronze medalist Seyed Sohrabi of Iran, ending Peak’s run in Kazakhstan.
Peak was joined by five-time world team member Cohlton Schultz (130 kg) and first-time world team member Timothy Young (97 kg) in Greco-Roman group two. Both Schultz and Young finished 0-1 but were competitive in defeat. Neither was pulled back into the tournament.
Max Nowry was the only Greco-Roman group one athlete to make the second day of competition. He came up short in the 55 kg repechage on Sunday morning, losing 7-0 to 2026 Asian silver medalist Lalit of India.
Fellow group one athletes Dalton Roberts (60 kg), Joel Adams (77 kg) and Kamal Bey (82 kg) were 0-1 and placed outside the top 10.
The last American to medal in Greco-Roman was G’Angelo Hancock, who won a 97 kg bronze medal at the 2021 world championships in Oslo, Norway.
Bey and Schultz are competing in their fifth world championship tournament for Team USA. Both Bey and Schultz are proven commodities, with age-group world titles to their names and extensive Senior-level experience. Bey was an Olympian in 2024.
Bey is one of four members of the U.S. Army WCAP who made the team. He is joined by 2024 Olympic Trials champion and three-time world team member Dalton Roberts, two-time world team member Xavier Johnson at 63 kg, and Senior worlds newcomer Timothy Young at 97 kg
Making his fourth Senior Worlds appearance is Max Nowry at 55 kg, who is another medal threat for the U.S. Nowry qualified for a bronze medal match twice (2019, 2022) but came up short of the podium both times.
The action resumes on Monday from Barys Arena at 10:30 a.m. local time with the Greco-Roman group two (72-97-130 kg) repechage and Greco-Roman group three (63-67-87 kg) qualification rounds. Xavier Johnson, Otto Black and Beka Melelashvili will take the mats for Team USA. Astana, Kazakhstan, is nine hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time.
U.S. fans can watch the Senior world championships live or on-demand at FloWrestling.org. Brackets and live results are available at uww.org.
International
GFA’s Burrell is still alive at U23 world championships
International
GFA’s Burrell is still alive at U23 world championships
