#BudaWrestle2018

Dake, Cox Add to USA's Gold-Medal Haul in Budapest

By Andrew Hipps

BUDAPEST, Hungary (October 22) -- A day after the United States of America captured its first gold medal in Budapest, Kyle DAKE and J'den COX added to the gold-medal haul for USA by winning world titles.

Dake won the gold medal at 79kg and did so without surrendering a point throughout the competition. The 27-year-old American outscored his opponents 37-0. 

"I definitely put the work in to get to where I needed to be," said Dake. "I've always been pretty stingy with points. Giving up points is not something I like to do."

In the gold-medal match, Dake won 2-0 over 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE). 

He scored his first point off the shot clock in the first period before adding another point off a step out in the second period. 

Like his USA teammate David TAYLOR who won gold on Sunday at 86kg, Dake claimed a gold medal in his first Senior World Championships. 

Cox, a bronze medalist at the Rio Olympics and Paris World Championships while competing at 86kg, topped Ivan YANKOUSKI (BLR) 4-1 in the gold-medal match at 92kg. 

Cox scored two of his points off step outs in each of the two periods. Holding a 2-1 lead late in the match, Cox shot a single leg and secured a takedown in the closing seconds to clinch the victory.

"I wish I could have scored more points, but it seemed like my opponent didn't really want to wrestle that much," Cox said. 

Russia claimed a gold medal at 57kg as Zavur UGUEV (RUS) edged Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ) 4-3 in a back-and-forth match. The victory gave Russia its second gold medal in Budapest and clinched the freestyle team title. 

Uguev, a two-time cadet world champion, struck first with a takedown midway through the first period, but Sanayev responded a short time later with a takedown off a leg attack to grab the lead. 

In the second period, Uguev retook the lead off a step out, but like in the first period, Sanayev responded, taking the lead off a step out of his own. With Sanayev leading on criteria late in the match, he was hit with a caution and one for grabbing the singlet, giving the match to Ugaev, 4-3. 

In an action-filled, high-scoring match, 19-year-old Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) won the gold medal at 65kg with a 16-9 victory over Bajrang BAJRANG (IND). 

Otoguro, a 2015 cadet world champion, jumped out to a 5-0 lead early on the strength of a four-point takedown. But Bajrang came back with two takedowns to cut the deficit to 5-4. The two traded two-point takedowns again, and the first period ended 7-6 in favor of Otoguro. 

Otoguro built his lead to 12-6 in the second period, but Bajrang continued to battle. He climbed back his back into the match with a takedown and points off cautions, but Orogoru was able to score when he needed to and claim a seven-point victory.  

2017 world champion Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) rebounded from a semifinal loss to Uguev to win a bronze medal at 57kg with a 5-4 win over Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB). The other bronze medal at 57kg went to Suleyman ATLI (TUR), who topped 2017 world silver medalist Thomas GILMAN (USA) 5-4.

Alejandro VALDES TOBIER (CUB) earned a world bronze medal at 65kg for the second consecutive year. He cruised to a 10-0 technical fall over Seungchul LEE (KOR) in the bronze-medal match. Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) won his second bronze medal in three years with a 9-4 win over George BUCUR (ROU).

The bronze medals at 79kg were won by Ali SHABANAU (BLR) and Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS). For Shabanau, it was his fourth world bronze medal.

At 92kg, Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI) won his second world bronze medal. The other bronze at 92kg was won by Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN), who edged Turtogtokh LUVSANDORJ (MGL) 6-5. 

Finals Results

Freestyle

57kg
GOLD: Zavur UGUEV (RUS) df. Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ) by VPO1, 4-3
BRONZE: Suleyman ATLI (TUR) df. Thomas GILMAN (USA) by VPO1, 5-4
BRONZE: Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) df. Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) by VPO1, 5-4

65kg
GOLD: Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) df. Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) by VPO1, 16-9
BRONZE: Alejandro VALDES TOBIER (CUB) df. Seungchul LEE (KOR) by VSU, 10-0
BRONZE: Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) df. George BUCUR (ROU) by VPO1, 9-4

79kg
GOLD: Kyle DAKE (USA) df. Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE) by VPO, 2-0
BRONZE: Ali SHABANAU (BLR) df. Ezzatollah Abbas AKBARIZARINKOLAEI (IRI) by VPO1, 8-8
BRONZE: Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Davit KHUTSISHVILI (GEO) by VSU, 10-0

92kg
GOLD: J'den COX (USA) df. Ivan YANKOUSKI (BLR) by VPO1, 4-1
BRONZE: Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI) df. Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO) by VSU1, 12-1
BRONZE: Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN) df. Turtogtokh LUVSANDORJ (MGL) by VPO1, 6-5
 

#WrestleZagreb

Maroulis returns to Worlds final after three years

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 16) -- Helen MAROULIS (USA) wrestled three bout on Tuesday at the World Championships and secured three pins. She spent only 6 minutes and 28 seconds in those three pins to reach the 57kg final at the World Championships on Tuesday in Zagreb.

Maroulis, a two-time world champion, will now wrestle for gold against Il Sim SON (PRK), one of the two wrestlers from the DPR Korea to make it to the final on Tuesday.

In all three of her pins, Maroulis used the iconic foot-sweep to get the fall. The first victim was Emine CAKMAK (TUR) who was pinned in a minute. Japan's world U23 champion Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) held her fort for some time but Tokuhara missed a shot and Maroulis got the two-on-one before sweeping her for the fall in 2 minutes and 17 seconds.

In the semifinals, Maroulis wrestled European champion Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW) and took a 1-0 lead for the latter's inactivity. But as soon as the second period began, Maroulis went straight to work and hit the sweep to get the fall and a place in the final.

She will face an unfamiliar challenge in the final as  Il Sim SON (PRK) who defeated Olympic bronze medalist Kexin HONG (CHN), 12-2, in the other semifinal. Son was one of the two finalist for the DPR Korea, a country which won its gold at 55kg on Tuesday.

The other wrestler from the DPR Korea to reach the final was Asian bronze medalist Myonggyong WON (PRK) who handed 2021 world champion Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) her first international loss.

Yoshimoto, Asian champion in 2025, had it under control for the most the match before conceding a takedown with just 23 seconds left on the clock. Won was relentless in her attacks to break Yoshimoto in the final 20 seconds.

For the gold, she will face 2024 world U20 champion Yu ZHANG (CHN) who secured a fall over Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL) after taking a 9-0 lead.

At 65kg, former world champion Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) defeated another world champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) in the semifinal, 10-0. Morikawa impressed with her attacks and scored five different takedowns to finish the match via technical superiority.

World U23 silver medalist Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) will look to stop Morikawa from winning her second world title after a dream run to the final at 65kg. She defeated two-time world bronze medalist Macey KILTY (USA) in the morning session and completed a 13-3 technical superiority Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL) in the semifinals.

Asian champion Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) booked a final against Genesis REASCO (ECU) after she handed a 10-5 defeat to European champion Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) in the semifinals.

In an all South American semifinal, Reasco scored a takedown in the last minute to stun Milaimy MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), 5-3. Potrille was leading 3-3 on criteria with a minute left but Reasco scored the two-point takedown and held on to her lead for the win, becoming the first Ecuadorian wrestler to reach a World Championships final.

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Myonggyong WON (PRK) vs. Yu ZHANG (CHN)

SF 1: Yu ZHANG (CHN) df. Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL), via fall (9-0)
SF 2: Myonggyong WON (PRK) df. Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN), 3-2

57kg
GOLD: Helen MAROULIS (USA) vs. Il Sim SON (PRK)

SF 1: Il Sim SON (PRK) df. Kexin HONG (CHN), 12-2
SF 2: Helen MAROULIS (USA) df. Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW), via fall (5-0)

65kg
GOLD: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) vs. Alina KASABIEVA (UWW)

SF 1: Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) df. Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL), 13-3
SF 2: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Irina RINGACI (MDA), 10-0

76kg
GOLD: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) vs. Genesis REASCO (ECU)

SF 1: Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) df. Milaimy MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), 5-3
SF 2: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR), 10-5