#DanKolov2019

United States and Ukraine Grab Lead Heading into Final Day

Saturday, March 2, 2019 - 19:26 By Eric Olanowski

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RUSE, Bulgaria (March 2) - The United States, on the back of their four-time world and Olympic champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA), gained the 20 point advantage over the Russian Federation heading into the fourth and final day of competition at the Dan Kolov.  

Burroughs outlasted Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB) in the battle of reigning world bronze medalists and won the 74kg title. 

The American put the first points on the board, countering a shot attempt from Abdurakhmonov and gained control of the 2-0 lead. Burroughs surrendered a takedown but closed out the first period with a step out of his own, and led 3-2. In the second period, the Olympic champion scored an early step out and increased his lead to 4-2.  Burroughs gave up a fleeing the hold call with under 10 seconds left, but his one-point advantage was enough to give the United States their second Dan Kolov freestyle gold medal.   

The United States also had a second finalist in Jordan OLIVER. Oliver took on India’s returning world finalist Bajrang PUNIA in the 65kg gold-medal bout. The pair were even after the first period, but the Indian wrestler erupted for nine unanswered points in the final period to win the match, 12-3. 

Georgia’s Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO) won the last freestyle gold medal of the day. In the 57kg finals, Bujiashvili upset returning world medalist and third-ranked Suleyman ATLI (TUR), 6-4.

In women's wrestling, Ukraine gained the 16 point lead over Turkey, thanks to reigning world bronze medalist Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK's gold-medal performance in the 62kg finals. 

In the finals, the 2014 world champion prevailed over reigning world champion Taybe YUSEIN (BUL), 4-2, and captured her third Ranking Series title in the past two seasons. She also won the last year’s Poland and China Open’s, while also finishing in second place at the Klippan Lady Open. 

Tkach Ostapchuk, the four-time world medalist, led 3-0 after collecting an inactivity point in the first and high crotch in the second. But, she found herself fighting off a late flurry of attacks - one of which Yusein capitalized on and closed the gap to 3-2. A failed Bulgarian challenge with under 10 second left gave Tkach Ostapchuk a two-point cushion, and ultimately, the 4-2 victory. 

Turkey sits in second place heading into the final day of wrestling in Ruse. Yasemin ADAR, Turkey's 2017 world champion, scored a fall over China's Paliha PALIHA (CHN) in the 76kg gold-medal bout and handed Turkey their second gold medal of the Dan Kolov. 

Tamyra MENSAH-Stock (USA) was the second American Day Three champion, but her title-winning performance came in women’s wrestling. Mensah-Stock won her second consecutive Ranking Series title in dominant fashion, toppling Uzbekistan’s Bakhtigul BALTANIYAZOVA, 11-1, in the 68kg gold-medal bout. 

Mensah Stock led 7-1 after the first, then tacked on a quick takedown and exposure to reach the top of the podium at her second straight Ranking Series event. 

Wrestling resumes tomorrow in Ruse at 10:30 (local time). The Day Four finals will begin right after the completion of the repechages matches.

For news, highlights, interviews, and behind the scenes clips, make sure you’re following United World Wrestling on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

Schedule

March 3 (Sunday) 
8:00 - Weigh-in 2 - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR (+ 2 kg) - 60, 67, 77kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg
10:30 - Repechages - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR (+ 2 kg) - 60, 67, 77 kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg
10:30 - Final matches and awarding ceremony - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR - 60, 67, 77 kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg

RESULTS

Freestyle 

Team Scores 
GOLD - United States (110 points)
SILVER - Russia (90 points)
BRONZE - Turkey (80 points)
Fourth - Georgia (64 points)
Fifth - Uzbekistan (50 points)

57kg 
GOLD - Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO) df. Suleyman ATLI (TUR), 6-4
BRONZE - Georgi Valentinov VANGELOV (BUL) df. Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), 6 - 5
BRONZE - Armen ARAKELIAN (UKR) df. Zoheir EL OUARRAQE (FRA), 12-8 

65kg
GOLD - Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) vs. Jordan OLIVER (USA), 12-3 
BRONZE - Bernard FUTRELL (USA) df. Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR), 16-6
BRONZE - Niurhun SKRABIN (BLR) df. Eduard GRIGOREV (RUS), 11-0 

74kg
GOLD -  Jordan Ernest BURROUGHS (USA) df. Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB), 4-3 
BRONZE - Yakup GOR (TUR)  df. Mostafa HOSSEINKHANI (IRI), via fall
BRONZE - Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) df. Ali UMARPASHAEV (BUL), 13-2 

Women’s Wrestling 

Team Scores 
GOLD - Ukraine (76 points)
SILVER - Turkey (60 points)
BRONZE - China (56 points)
Fourth - India (45 points)
Fifth - Sweden  (43 points)

62kg 
GOLD - Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR) df. Taybe YUSEIN (BUL), 4-2
BRONZE -  PEI  Xingru (CHN) vs. Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), 4-0 
BRONZE - Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) df. Malin MATTSSON (SWE), 4-1 

68kg 
GOLD -  Tamyra Mariama MENSAH (USA) df. Bakhtigul BALTANIYAZOVA (UZB), 11-1 
BRONZE - Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) df. Agnieszka WIESZCZEK KORDUS (POL), 5-1 
BRONZE - Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) df. Danute DOMIKAITYTE (LTU), 8-1 

76kg
GOLD - Yasemin ADAR (TUR) df. Paliha PALIHA (CHN), via fall 
BRONZE - Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER) df. WANG Juan (CHN), 7-2 
BRONZE - Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) df. Iselin Maria Moen SOLHEIM (NOR), 8-2 

#WrestleZagreb

Lee strikes gold as U.S., Iran shine at Zagreb Open

Thursday, February 6, 2025 - 01:15 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (February 5) -- Spencer LEE (USA) did not compete internationally, for circumstances beyond his control, for eight years after winning his U20 world title in 2016. But in a year since he came back in February 2024, Lee has competed in six tournaments in less than a year.

Lee competed at the Henri Deglane Grand Prix in January and won gold. Two weeks later he won the Zagreb Open gold medal at 57kg on Wednesday, marking his debut at a Ranking Series event.

The Paris Olympic silver medalist led a strong performance of the wrestlers from United States as they won two gold medals as six weight classes concluded on day one of the Zagreb Open at Arena Zagreb.

Lee did not look as dominant as he did in Paris before the final but still managed to pull out a good defensive game and win the gold medal with rather ease.

In the final, Lee defeated Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE), 6-2, after a similar win over Roman BRAVO YOUNG (MEX) in the semifinals. He opened the day with an 11-0 drubbing of Luka GVINJILIA (GEO).

"It's good to get competition right now," Lee said. "[It] showed that I'm really not ready yet."

Though Lee was not convinced about his readiness, his coach Dan DENNIS kept pushing Lee and reminded him of the progress he is making bout after bout.

"I think it [progress] comes from being more successful early and then I was in on three shots, kicked out of all three of them," he said. "He's (Dan Dennis) just saying that you just kind of kept progressing. You even got taken down, good counter from him, got to keep wrestling, keep moving."

In the final, Lee scored two takedowns, first one a double-leg and second a counter, as his scoring actions to beat Bazarganov, a bronze medalist at the European Championships last year.

The win takes second-ranked Lee to 43000 ranking points, same as top ranked Rei HIGUCHI (JPN), the gold medalist from Paris Olympics. If Lee can finish top eight at any other Ranking Series or Pan-Am Championships, he will move to the top. However, Lee was not sure if he will be in action internationally before the World Championships.

"I think that ranking tournaments are awesome because good guys come," he said. "The points are obviously a nice bonus to that just because you can get seeded in the bracket. I love competing. Obviously I need more of it. So maybe. This tournament was tough. So good for me."

Zahid VALENCIA (USA)Zahid VALENCIA (USA) won the 86kg gold medal in Zagreb. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Zahid VALENCIA (USA) was the second gold medalist for the U.S. as he won gold medal at 86kg after beating Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE), 8-0, in the final. Valencia was good with his counters and after building a 4-0 lead at the break, he scored two more takedown in the second period to win the gold medal.

The two bronze medals at this weight class went to Nathan JACKSON (USA) and Trent HIDLAY (USA), making sure all three U.S. wrestlers finish on the podium at the weight class.

Ahmad JAVAN (IRI)Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) defeated Ibrahim KHARI (IRI) 10-0 in the 61kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Iran wins 2 golds

Iran also won two gold medals but the tournament left it with more questions than answers for the Asian Championships team.

At 61kg, Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) defeated Ebrahim KHARI (IRI) 10-0 to confirm his spot for the Asian Championships. Khari, who won silver at the U20 World Championships last year, failed to give Javan a fight in the final.

Prior to the final, Javan defeated Nashon GARRETT (USA) 7-2 in the quarterfinals and Giorgi GONIASHVILI (GEO) 9-3 in the semifinals.

Abbas EBRAHIM (IRI)Abbas EBRAHIM (IRI) defeated Joseph MC KENNA (USA) 8-6 in the 65kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Abbas EBRAHIM (IRI) undoubtedly gave Iran its biggest win of the day as he came back to beat Joseph MC KENNA (USA) 8-6 in the 65kg final.

McKenna got the first two takedowns to lead 4-0 before Ebrahim answered with his own to lead 4-4 at the break. Ebrahim began the second period with another takedown to go ahead 6-4 but with less than a minute to go, McKenna hit ankle pick and transitioned into a leg-attack. He scored a takedown to lead 6-6 on criteria.

In the dying seconds of the bout, Ebrahim  tried a front headpinch but McKenna defended it as he had Ebrahim's one leg locked. However, the Iranian managed to get his leg out of McKenna's hands, he tried to circle back and complete a takedown but McKenna held his knee pad which was penalized as one point, giving the win to Ebrahim 7-6.

The United States challenged that call but it remained and McKenna was docked one more point for lost challenge, making the score 8-6.

Both Iran and the U.S. had two silver medalists as well after Sina KHALILI (IRI) lost the final at 70kg and David CARR (USA) dropped the final at 74kg.

Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE), a former U20 world champion, gave no chance to Sina KHALILI (IRI) in the final and shut him down for a 12-1 win victory.

The weight class also had Paris Olympian and 2023 world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) who was stunned in the first bout of the day by Jarrett JACKQUES (USA) who scored a takedown in his 3-2 win Muszukajev.

Carr ran into three-time world medalist Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) in the final and finished with a silver medal at 74kg.

Salkazanov scored a takedown on each side of the break to complete a 4-0 win.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Spencer LEE (USA) df. Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE), 6-2

BRONZE: Roman BRAVO YOUNG (MEX) df. Luka GVINJILIA (GEO), 11-2 
BRONZE: Azamat TUSKAEV (SRB) df. Ahora KHATERI (IRI), 11-0

61kg
GOLD: Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) df. Ebrahim KHARI (IRI), 10-0

BRONZE: Nahshon GARRETT (USA) df. Giorgi GONIASHVILI (GEO), 16-11
BRONZE: Nuraddin NOVRUZOV (AZE) df. Reza MOMENI (IRI), 8-4

65kg
GOLD: Abbas EBRAHIM (IRI) df. Joseph MC KENNA (USA), 8-6

BRONZE: Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA) df. Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR), 2-2
BRONZE: Ali RAHIMZADA (AZE) df. Goga OTINASHVILI (GEO), 6-0

70kg
GOLD: Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) df. Sina KHALILI (IRI), 12-1

BRONZE: Austin GOMEZ (MEX) df. Ebrahim ELAHI (IRI), 9-3
BRONZE: Vasile DIACON (MDA) df. James GREEN (USA), via inj. def.

74kg
GOLD: Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) df. David CARR (USA), 4-0

BRONZE: Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN) df. Kamil RYBICKI (POL), 10-0
BRONZE: Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO) df. Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE), 3-2

86kg
GOLD: Zahid VALENCIA (USA) df. Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE), 8-0

BRONZE: Nathan JACKSON (USA) df. Matthew FINESILVER (ISR), 12-2
BRONZE: Trent HIDLAY (USA) df. Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO), 10-4