Ota Knocks off Fifth-Ranked Tuo, Wins First Career Ranking Series Gold
Saturday, February 23, 2019 - 20:04 By Eric Olanowski
GYOR, Hungary (February 23) - Shinobu OTA (JPN) shutout China’s fifth-ranked TUO Erbatu in the 63kg Hungarian Grand Prix gold-medal bout and seized his first career Ranking Series event title.
In the finals, the Rio Olympic runner-up grabbed the 2-0 advantage with a slick duck under, then scored back-to-back front head pinches, extending his lead to 6-0. Ota held onto the shutout and bagged his first career Ranking Series gold medal.
In addition to his finals win over a top-five opponent, Japan's 2018 Asian Games champion scored his second career win over Rio Olympic bronze medalist Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR), outscoring the Norwegian wrestler 6-1.
Meanwhile, Tracy HANCOCK (USA) used a late takedown to pick up the 3-3 come-from-behind criteria victory over Turkey’s Fatih BASKOY in the 97kg gold medal bout.
Hancock’s Hungarian Grand Prix gold-medal win was only the third time an American Greco-Roman wrestler had reached the top of the podium at a Ranking Series event. Dalton ROBERTS and Kamal BEY were the first American's to win a Ranking Series event when they captured gold medals at the 2018 Granma y Cerro Pelado.
In the 87kg finals, reigning U23 world champion Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) rolled Rajbek BISULTANOV (DEN) three times with a trio of gut wrenches and won the gold medal with a 7-1 victory.
Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) won the 72kg gold medal after Sachino DAVITAIA (GEO) injury defaulted out of the finals, and Ilkhom BAKHROMOV (UZB) grabbed the 55kg gold medal with a 4-0 record in the round-robin competition.
SCHEDULE
Sunday (February 24)
8.30 - Medical examination & Weigh-in for GR cat. 60, 67, 77, 87, 130kg
10.00 - Qualification rounds and repechage for GR cat. 60, 67, 77, 87, 130kg
16.00 - Finals for GR cat. 60, 67, 77, 87, 130kg and Award ceremonies
Team Scores
GOLD - Iran (59 points)
SILVER - Turkey (56 points)
BRONZE - Georgia (50 points)
Fourth - China (43 points)
Fifth - United States (35 points)
RESULTS
55kg (Round-Robin)
GOLD - Ilkhom BAKHROMOV (UZB)
SILVER - Reza Kheirollah KHEDRI (IRI)
BRONZE - Javokhir MIRAKHMEDOV (UZB)
63kg
GOLD - Shinobu OTA (JPN) df. Erbatu TUO (CHN), 6-0
BRONZE - Meysam Karamali DALKHANI (IRI) df. Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR), 5 - 2
BRONZE - Sailike WALIHAN (CHN) df. Travis Michael RICE (USA), 9-0
72kg
GOLD - Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Sachino DAVITAIA (GEO), via inj. def.
BRONZE - Selcuk CAN (TUR) df. Michael Felix WIDMAYER (GER), 4 - 2
BRONZE - Martin TOTH (HUN) df. Istvan KOZAK (HUN), 4-1
82kg
GOLD - Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Rajbek BISULTANOV (DEN), 7-1
BRONZE - Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR) df. Jamal Yadollah ESMAEILIKHATOONABAD (IRI), 3-1
BRONZE - Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) df. Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB), 7-6
97kg
GOLD – Tracy Gangelo HANCOCK (USA) df. Fatih BASKOY (TUR), 3-3
BRONZE - Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) df. Pontus Johan LUND (SWE), 10-0
BRONZE - Abudourexiti ALIMUJIANG (CHN) df. Hassan Ali ARYANEZHAD (IRI), 6-3
Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ, the 2017 world bronze medalists, moved up to No. 3 in this months world rankings after his bronze-medal performance at the first Greco-Roman Ranking Series event, the Zagreb Open. (Photo: Tony Rotundo ) 
Heiki NABI, the two-time world champion is set to make his 2019 Ranking Series debut at the Hungarian Grand Prix. (Photo: Martin Gabor )
Rio Olympic silver medalist Shinobu OTA (JPN) will compete at 63kg at the Hungarian Grand Prix. (Photo: Martin Gabor )
Viktor NEMES, the 2017 world champion confirmed that he'll be wrestling in Hungary next weekend. (Photo: Tony Rotundo) 
Kamal BEY, the United States' 2017 junior world champion, is looking to rebound after being disqualified from the Zagreb Open. (Photo: Kadir Kaliskan)
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