Abounader, Coon to Take Part in 2018 World Championships
10/18/2018 4:40:00 PM | Wrestling
2018 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Sat-Sun., Oct. 20-28
Papp Laszlo Arena • Budapest, Hungary
• Live Video/Results | USA Wrestling | Tournament Site | Flowrestling
Two recent University of Michigan graduates will vie for world gold at the 2018 UWW Senior World Championships over the next week (Sat-Sun., Oct. 20-28) at Papp Laszlo Arena in Budapest, Hungary. Domenic Abounader will wrestle for Lebanon in the 86kg/189-pound freestyle division, while Adam Coon will compete for the United States in the 130kg/286-pound Greco-Roman division. Both also represent the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club.
Michigan senior/junior Stevan Micic also qualified to represent Serbia at the World Championships after claiming bronze in his senior-level debut at the European Championships and most recently capturing gold at the Poland Open, but he was forced to withdraw due to an injury suffered at the latter event.
The world championships feature 30 total weight classes -- 10 each in the three Olympic styles (men's freestyle, men's Greco-Roman, women's freestyle), which is up from eight weight classes per style at the 2017 World Championships. This year's worlds also will feature new weight categories, including the Olympic weights for 2020, and the new two-day competition format.
When to Catch Them
Each day will feature two sessions. Preliminary and quarterfinal rounds will commence at 10:30 a.m. local time (4:30 a.m. EDT) each day. Budapest is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time; all times listed below are EDT.
SATURDAY, OCT. 20
Men's freestyle: 61Kg, 74kg, 86kg, 125kg
Qualification Rounds: 4:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Semifinals: 10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
SUNDAY, OCT. 21
Men's freestyle: 61Kg, 74kg, 86kg, 125kg
Repechage: 4:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Finals: 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, OCT. 27
Men's Greco-Roman: 77kg, 97kg, 130kg
Qualification Rounds: 4:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Semifinals: 11 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
SUNDAY, OCT. 28
Men's Greco-Roman: 77kg, 97kg, 130kg
Repechage: 7:30 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.
Finals: 9:30 a.m. - noon
How to Catch the Action
Live video, live results and bracket updates will be available through Trackwrestling.com across desktops, mobile devices, tablets and connected televisions.
NBC Olympics will also air the World Championships with nearly 30 hours of coverage, including more than 20 hours of live coverage on Olympic Channel. Event coverage begins with men's freestyle finals this Sunday, Oct. 21, at 1 p.m. EDT on Olympic Channel. NBC Sports Network will provide same-day encore coverage of most of the events throughout the tournament.
The Michigan Representatives
Domenic Abounader -- Abounader posted a breakthrough year in his senior season at Michigan, earning a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships to earn his first All-America citation at 184 pounds. A four-time NCAA qualifier and a Big Ten champion, Abounader will look to carry his momentum into a post-collegiate freestyle career. Wrestling for his father's home country of Lebanon, Abounader captured silver in an impressive senior-level debut at the Asian Games in August. He is making his first-ever appearance at the World Championships. [ USA Wrestling 86kg Freestyle Preview ]
Adam Coon -- A three-time heavyweight All-American at Michigan, Coon brings a vast amount of international success into his first ever Senior World Championships. A former Cadet world champion (2011) and double Junior world bronze medalist in freestyle and Greco-Roman (2014), Coon made the U.S. Greco team after sweeping the best-of-three final against Olympian and four-time world team member Robby Smith at the trials in June. He was one step shy of making the freestyle world team as well, falling to world bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski at Final X just a day later. [ USA Wrestling 130kg Greco Preview ]
Dave Habat (65kg) of Cliff Keen Wrestling Club will also compete.
