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

Monday, October 22, 2018 - 19:26 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

#WrestleBaku, #WrestleParis

With Paris 2024 quotas on offer, Women's Wrestling stalwarts head to Baku

Monday, April 1, 2024 - 13:42 By Vinay Siwach

BAKU, Azerbaijan (April 2) -- A four-time Olympic medalist, an Olympic history-maker for Turkiye and two Olympic medalists in the same weight class. The European OG Qualifier in Baku from April 5 is going to be a huge test for some of the wrestling stars such as Mariya STADNIK (AZE), Yasemin ADAR (TUR), Iryna KURACHKINA (AIN) and Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) who take the mat in a bid to qualify for Paris Olympics.

Kurachkina and Nikolova were 57kg medalists at the Tokyo Olympics, winning silver and bronze respectively. The two wrestlers met in the European Championships final in February with Kurachkina beating Nikolova to win the gold medal.

However, the qualifiers will not be the same. Apart from the two in-form wrestlers, former European champion and world bronze medalist Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR) returns to the mat after nursing an injury that kept her away for 10 months.

Hrushyna missed the World Championships and will be unseeded for the tournament. While it is unknown if she will return to her top level in Baku, if she does, Hrushyna's opponents will find it difficult to stop her.

Kurachkina and Nikolova will not meet in Baku as they will be drawn on opposite sides of the bracket. The former will be seeded second while the latter at number four.

World fifth-place finisher Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR), who came in striking distance to win the Olympic spot at the World Championships, is seeded number one and Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE), a bronze medalist at the European Championships, takes the number three spot.

Tokyo Olympian Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (AIN), U20 world champion Aurora RUSSO (ITA), world bronze medalist at 59kg Othelie HOEIE (NOR) and Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU) are also entered in the draw.

Mariya STADNIK (AZE) has a perfect record over Oksana LIVACH (UKR). (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

This may be a little easier for four-time Olympic medalist Stadnik who won her 10th European title in February. She will be the top seed at 50kg in Baku and has past wins over most of her opponents. Stadnik should sail if her performance in Bucharest is anything to go by.

Oksana LIVACH (UKR) will have the best chance to halt Stadnik as she will be seeded fourth and likely to meet her in the semifinals. The winner will earn a Paris 2024 spot. Their latest clash was at the European Championships semifinal which Stadnik won 6-0.

Kseniya STANKEVICH (AIN) and former European champion Miglena SELISHKA (BUL) will be on the other side of the bracket as seeded two and three respectively.

Yasemin ADAR (TUR) is the reigning European champion at 76kg. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Turkiye's first-ever Olympic medalist in Women's Wrestling Adar returned to the mat in February after a year's absence and won the European title at 76kg. That makes her the favorite to win a Paris Olympic quota in Baku.

Adar will be unseeded and drawn randomly in the bracket which has Catalina AXENTE (ROU) as the top seed, Rita TALISMANOVA (AIN) as the second seed, Anastasiia OSNIACH SHUSTOVA (UKR) as third and Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (AIN) as the fourth seed.

Others in the bracket include Martina KUENZ (AUT), former European champion Epp MAE (EST), Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA), Francy RAEDELT (GER), 2024 European bronze medalists Bernadett NAGY (HUN) and Enrica RINALDI (ITA).

Andreea ANA (ROU) will be dropping to 53kg in a bid to win an Paris 2024 quota. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

At 53kg, European champion at 55kg and Tokyo Olympian Andreea ANA (ROU), world medalist and Tokyo Olympian Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE), former Euro silver medalist Sztalvira ORSUS (HUN), 2024 Euro bronze medalist Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) are the few stars among others.

Orsus will be seeded number one for the qualifier with Prevolaraki getting the second seed. Natalia MALYSHEVA (AIN), who Prevolaraki pinned to win the 2024 Euro bronze, is at number three while Ana is fourth.

Yetgil will be without a seed and so are Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA), Jowita WRZESIEN (POL), Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) and Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE), all of whom can upset any of their opponents on the day.

Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) will be the top seed at 62kg in Baku. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Former world champion Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) perhaps has the best chance to earn a Paris spot at 62kg from Baku after missing out at the World Championships. As the top seed, Dudova will be a favorite. She was stunned by Johanna LINDBORG (SWE) at the European Championships and will have to forget that loss as Lindborg can be drawn in her bracket.

Veranika IVANOVA (AIN) is the second seed with Mariana CHERDIVARA (MDA) taking the third spot and Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE) fourth.

But a few others can also go all the way. That line-up includes Alina KASABIEVA (AIN), Lydia PEREZ (ESP), Viktoria VESSO (EST) and Kriszta INCZE (ROU).

Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE), left, and Khanum VELIEVA (AIN) are two of the five past Olympians at 68kg. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Five past Olympians will try to be at the Paris Olympics at 68kg but only two will be able to confirm that in Baku. Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL), Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE), Ilana KRATYSH (ISR) and Khanum VELIEVA (AIN) have been to the Olympics either in Rio or Tokyo. But can they return?

Former European champion at 72kg Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU), age-group European and world medalist Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) and young star from Ukraine Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR) are a few of the challengers. Skobelska was a late replacement for European silver medalist Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR).

Hanzlickova, winner of bronze at the 2024 Europeans, is seeded number one with other bronze medalist Hristova getting the second seed. Noemi SZABADOS (HUN) is number three and Danute DOMIKAITYTE (LTU) is fourth.

With Manolova and Velieva unseeded, the path to Paris may not be the easiest for others in the bracket.

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

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With Paris 2024 quotas on offer, Women's Wrestling stalwarts head to Baku