The final day of men’s freestyle at the senior world championships in Oslo, Norway is complete. The team race was historic between Russia, Iran, and the United States. Check out how it concluded.

Sadulaev Wins It For Russia

Like in the 2017 World Championships and the 2020 Olympics, the team race came down to Kyle Snyder vs Abuldrashid Sadulaev in the finals at 97kg. The team implications, along with the legendary rivalry, made the excitement and tension in the arena beyond any moment in the tournament. Like at the Olympics, Sadulaev proved to be a small step ahead of Snyder and prevailed to win his fifth world gold with a 6-0 win over Snyder. The win also clinched the title for Russia and second place for the United States. Check out the final top 10 below.

7 Medals Is Not A Disappointment

Team USA won 7 medals at the world championships: 3 golds, 3 silvers, and 1 bronze. Those 7 medals tie 2018 worlds for the most medals won by a US men's freestyle team since the team in 1987 won 8. Couple this performance with the historic one at the Tokyo Olympics and it's clear men's freestyle wrestling in the USA is close to the best it's ever been. While these types of performances continue to raise expectations for the future, USA's performances at Cadet and Junior Worlds this year show signs of continued success for years to come. It's a wonderful time to be a USA Wrestling fan!

For full match results and updated brackets, check out FloArena here. 

Read old team race updates below:

Day 4, Session 1 Update

Team USA Takes Lead Into Final Round

Team USA has a 5 point lead over Russia going into the final medal matches of men's freestyle at the world championships. They secured the lead after James Green's 7th place points (8 points) were added after the repechage rounds. Also, Iran is mathematically out of contention to win the team title after Arman Andreasyan (ARM) defeated Erfan Elahi (IRI) in a repechage match at 70kg. Take a look at the current top 10 going into the last round:

Snyder vs Sadulaev For Team Title - AGAIN?!

Team USA has 2 different ways to win the team title while Russia only has one path to victory. For Russia to win, they need both Evgheni Zherbaev and Abdulrashid Sadulaev to win their medal matches. That means Team USA can win if Arman Andreasyan beats Evgheni Zherbaev OR if Kyle Snyder defeats Abdulrashid Sadulaev. If the team title comes down to Snyder vs Sadulaev, it would be the third time the scenario played out in the last 4 years. Snyder won in 2017 for Team USA while Sadulaev won in 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics for Russia. 

This year's team race has been one of the best in history and is sure to end in dramatic fashion. The medal round starts at Noon (EST) only on FloWrestling.

For full match results and updated brackets, check out FloArena here. 

Read old team race updates below:

Day 3, Session 2 Update

USA, Russia, And Iran All Still Alive For Team Title

Only medal matches remain at 70kg and 97kg entering the final day of wrestling at the world championships. The team race has been a roller coaster all tournament and USA, Russia, and Iran all have realistic scenarios in which they can win the team title. Before we outline a few of the scenarios, take a look at the current standings for the top 10 countries:

Scenarios For Each Team

Iran has two wrestlers competing tomorrow with the opportunity to win bronze - Erfan Elahi (70kg) and Mojtaba Goleij (97kg). For Iran to win, they need both Elahi and Goleij to win their bronze medal match and Sadulaev to beat Kyle Snyder. If that happens, here's how the final team scores would look: Iran 171, USA 168, Russia 168.

Russia also has two wrestlers competing tomorrow - Evgheni Zherbaev (70kg) and Abdulrashid Sadulaev (97kg). For Russia to win, they need both Zherbaev and Sadulaev to win their medal matches. If that scenario plays out, the final team scores would be: Russia 173, USA 168, Iran 166.

Finally, Team USA has the most "ways to win" the team title. Only Kyle Snyder is in the gold medal match against Abdulrashid Sadulaev. Simply put, a Snyder win over Sadulaev automatically clinches the team title for the USA. A Zherbaev win at 70kg is likely, but if Snyder beats Sadulaev, the final team score would be: USA 173, Russia 168, Iran 166.

However, there are a few ways the title could be clinched for Team USA before Snyder and Sadulaev even wrestle. The first is Arman Andresyan (ARM) winning the bronze medal at 70kg. In order to do so, he would have to defeat both Elahi (IRI) and Zherbaev (RUS). Those wins would clinch the title for USA. The second scenario involves Elahi defeating Zherbaev for bronze but Goleij losing in the bronze medal match at 97kg. 

Out of all the scenarios, the most likely to occur is Zherbaev and Goleij winning bronze, thus forcing the Snyder vs Sadulaev match to decide the team title. Their gold medal match decided the world team title in 2017 when Snyder defeated Sadulaev in the gold medal match - 6-5. This year at the Olympics, Sadulaev's win over Snyder won Russia the "unofficial" team title for Russia. Whatever happens this year, the team race will go down in history as one of the most exciting of all time!

For full match results and updated brackets, check out FloArena here. 

Read old team race updates below:

Day 3, Session 1 Update

Russia Overtakes USA, Iran Still Leading

Entering the last full day of men's freestyle, Iran held an 11 point lead over Team USA and a 33 point lead over Russia. Iran held the lead over Team USA but Russia now only trails Iran by 3 points. Russia made up ground when Mutaliev (57kg) and Valiev (79kg) won their matches in repechage and Zherbaev (70kg) and Sadulaev (97kg) made the semi-finals. Both Iran and USA had their 70kg wrestlers lose in the quarter-finals in close matches. James Green fell 6-5 to Turan Bayramov (AZE) while Iran's Erfan Elahi lost 8-8 to Ernazar Akmataliev (KGZ). Iran and USA also matched results at 97kg - Kyle Snyder and Mojtaba Goleij both made the semi-finals and will meet later this session for a chance to make the world finals. Take a look at the current team standings:

Can USA Still Win?

There is still a path to victory for Team USA but there is no margin of error moving forward for American wrestlers. First, Jordan Burroughs, Thomas Gilman, and J'den Cox need to win their medal matches later this evening. Next, James Green needs Turan Bayramov to make the finals to pull him back into repechage, then Green needs to wrestle back for bronze. On top of that, Team USA needs Russia to lose at 70kg in the semi-finals and at 65kg and 92kg in the finals. And finally, Kyle Snyder needs to beat Abdulrashid Sadulaev for gold. The above scenario also takes into account Iran's points if they win gold at 65 and 92, and bronze at 97.

Put simply, USA needs everything to go right for American wrestlers and almost everything to go wrong for Russia and Iran. While it's unlikely for Team USA to win at this point, we've seen spectacular events all week and the team race is sure to be exciting until the end.

Read old team race updates below

Day 2, Session 2 Update

Iran Goes Undefeated

As Iranian fans roared, their wrestlers had a historic day at the World Championships. All 6 of Iran's wrestlers in the competition went undefeated today - four wrestlers made the finals and two won golds. At 86kg, Hassan Yazdani finally defeated David Taylor after he had lost 3 previous matches to the American. Then at 125kg, Amir Zare took out 3-time world champion Geno Petriashvili - who Zare lost to in the Olympic semi-final. On top of that, Daton Fix fell to Russia's Abasgadzhi Magomedov while J'den Cox lost to Iran's Kamran Ghasempour. Because of those performances, Iran surged into first place in the team standings ahead of USA and Russia. Take a look below at the current top 10:

Still Hope For USA

It wasn't all bad news for Team USA. Thomas Gilman and Jordan Burroughs both dominantly made the world finals and look to be the best wrestlers in the bracket. They will both be heavy favorites in their finals matches against Iranian opponents. Along with the finalists, the highlight of the day for Team USA was Kyle Dake taking home his third world title when he impressively defeated Tajmuraz Salkazanov (SVK). Though Team USA is trailing, they can still overtake Iran with James Green and Kyle Snyder wrestling tomorrow (Monday). Should Snyder and Green make the finals, and Iran falter at one of the weights, USA will be in great position to win a team title. It certainly won't be easy, and Russia is still within striking distance, but the final two days of wrestling in men's freestyle should produce one of the best team race finishes of all time!

Read old team race updates below

Day 2, Session 1 Update

Burroughs, Cox, and Gilman Keep USA In Front

For the second day in a row, Team USA put 3 of 4 wrestlers into the semi-finals. Thomas Gilman, Jordan Burroughs, and J’den Cox performed dominantly to earn 10 team points apiece for the USA. Beyond the semi-finalists, Nick Gwiazdowski won his repechage match to make the bronze medal match and earn 10 team points. Iran, however, had the best round of the tournament by advancing all 4 of their wrestlers to the semi-finals and moving ahead of Russian into second place. Take a look at the current top 10 standings:

Can Anyone Pass Team USA?

While Team USA is in the driver’s seat, Russia and Iran are more than capable of winning the title. Russia only has 1 wrestler in the finals and two in the semis, but the two wrestlers who lost today are still capable of winning bronze. That means Russia is not getting credit for 2 wrestlers who could score 30 points combined. After Russia, Iran currently has 6 wrestlers all alive to win gold. It might seem obvious, but a huge quantity of potential points have not been added to Iran and Russia at only halfway through the tournament.

Along with the potential points, today's medal matches and semi-finals will have a tremendous influence on the team score. Daton Fix has a match-up with Russia's Abasgadzhi Magomedov and David Taylor faces off against Hassan Yazdani for gold. Those head to head matches are crucial for the country looking to come away with the team title. Take a look at the matches yet to be wrestled today:

Semi-finals:

57kg - Thomas Gilman (USA) vs Horst Lehr (GER)

57kg - Suleyman Atli (TUR) vs Alireza Sarlak (IRI)

65kg - Amir Yazdani (IRI) vs Alibek Osmonov (KGZ)

65kg - Zagir Shakhiev (RUS) vs Tulga Tumur-Ochir (MGL)

79kg - Jordan Burroughs (USA) vs Ryuki Yoshida (JPN)

79kg - Nika Kentchadze (GEO) vs Mohammad Nokhodi (IRI)

92kg - Magomed Kurbanov (RUS) vs Osman Nurmagomedov (AZE)

92kg - J'den Cox (USA) vs Kamran Ghasempour (IRI)

Gold:

61kg - Daton Fix (USA) vs Abasgadzhi Magomedov

74kg - Kyle Dake (USA) vs Tajmuraz Salkazanov (SVK)

86kg - David Taylor (USA) vs Hassan Yazdani (IRI)

125kg - Amir Zare (IRI) vs Geno Petriashvili (GEO)

Bronze:

61kg - Ravinder Dahiya (IND) vs Arsen Harutyunyan (ARM)

61kg - Tuvshintulga Tumenbileg (MGL) vs Toshihiro Hasegawa (JPN)

74kg - Fazil Eryilmaz (TUR) vs Azamat Nurykau (BLR)

74kg - Timur Bizhoev (RUS) vs Avtandil Kentchadze (GEO)

86kg - Boris Makoev (SVK) vs Abubakar Abakarov (AZE)

86kg - Azamat Dauletbekov (AZE) vs Artur Naifonov (RUS)

125kg - Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur (MGL) vs Oleg Boltin (KAZ)

125kg - Nick Gwiazdowski (USA) vs Taha Akgul (TUR)

For full match results and updated brackets, check out FloArena here. There’s a long way left to the completion of the team race but we’ll continue to update you every step of the way.

Read old team race updates below

Day 1, Session 2 Update

Fix, Dake, And Taylor Lead Team USA To First Place

After the first day of wrestling, Team USA has 3 world finalists - Daton Fix, Kyle Dake, and David Taylor. Those three finalists put Team USA in the driver’s seat in the team race and 20 points ahead of Iran and 30 ahead of Russia and Georgia. Nick Gwiazdowski is now in the consolations and, should he defeat Dzianis Khramiankou (BLR), he would earn 10 team points and the opportunity to wrestle Taha Akgul for bronze. Take a look below to see the full team standings after the first day of wrestling: 

USA - Russia Will Go Head To Head In Day 2

Day 2 at the World Championships will feature Thomas Gilman, Yianni Diakomihalis, Jordan Burroughs, and J’den Cox. All but Cox have Russia in their half of the bracket. Gilman will face Mutaliev in the first round, Burroughs will likely face Valiev in the quarters, and Yianni could face Shakhiev if the two both make the semi-finals. The outcome of those match-ups could shape the team race drastically for or against Team USA.

For full match results and updated brackets, check out FloArena here. There’s a long way left until a team champion is crowned but we’ll continue to update you every step of the way.

Read old team race updates below

Day 1-Session 1 Update:

Team USA Takes The Early Lead

Daton Fix, Kyle Dake, and David Taylor are all sitting in the semi-finals giving USA 30 points. At three total semi-finalists, USA has the most over Russia, Iran, and Georgia all at 2. While making the semi-finals is worth 10 points, wrestlers earn another 10 for their country with a win in the semis. That means another 30 points are on the table for Team USA in the next round. Take a look below at the updated standings through the first session:

Rough Round For Russia

Abasgadzhi Magomedov and Artur Naifonov did what was expected of them, but Russia faltered at 74kg and 125kg. Russia’s heavyweight, Zelimkhan Khizriev had a challenging draw against World and Olympic champion Taha Akgul in the quarters - ultimately losing 5-0. At 74kg, Timur Bizhoev was winning 2-1 over Tajmuraz Salkazanov before he gave up a step-out with less than 2 seconds to lose on criteria - 2-2. 

An Entire Tournament To Wrestle

USA and Russia should pull away from the rest of the countries and there are still over 2 days remaining in the men’s freestyle tournament. As mentioned, USA can earn another 30 points but the Russian athletes at 74kg and 125kg could either be eliminated completely or pulled back into repechage (the consolation rounds). At 74kg, Russia needs Tajmuraz Salkazanov to defeat Avtandil Kentchadze for Bizhoev to stay alive for a bronze medal. At 125kg, team points are on the line for both USA and Russia. Should Zare defeat Akgul, Nick Gwiazdowski would be pulled back into repechage and alive for bronze (also eliminating Khizriev). However, if Akgul beats Zare, Khizriev becomes alive for a bronze medal and Gwiz is eliminated. Take a look below at all of the first day’s semi-final matches.

Semi-Final Matches - Starting Saturday, October 2nd at 10:30 am (EST)

61kg

Arsen Harutyunyan (ARM) vs Daton Fix (USA)

Toshihiro Hasegawa (JPN) vs Abasgadzhi Magomedov (RUS)

74kg

Kyle Dake (USA) vs Azamat Nurykau (BLR)

Tajmuraz Salkazanov (SVK) vs Avtandil Kentchadze (GEO)

86kg

David Taylor (USA) vs Abubakr Abakarov (AZE)

Artur Naifonov (RUS) vs Hassan Yazdani (IRI)

125kg

Geno Petriashvili (GEO) vs Oleg Boltin (KAZ)

Amir Zare (IRI) vs Taha Akgul (TUR)