#WrestleAcapulco

Gilman adds Pan-Am title to growing resume

By Vinay Siwach

ACAPULCO, Mexico (May 8) -- Over the last year, Thomas GILMAN (USA) has managed to check a few things off his bucket list. He has won an Olympic medal and a world title.

On Sunday, he checked off another item by winning his first Pan-Am title, helping the USA clean sweep the team titles in Acapulco, Mexico.

The USA won eight of the 10 gold medals at the tournament to finish first with 229 points in the team race. They were way clear of second-placer Canada which had 138 points. Puerto Rico finished third with 120 points.

Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) and J'den COX (USA) had won the 79kg and 92kg gold medals on Saturday.

Sunday began with Gilman living up to the reputation of being the favorite to win the gold. He outscored his opponents 34-2 in three bouts. His two wins were via fall while the final was settled with the score of 11-0 against Darian CRUZ (CUB).

Now an experienced wrestler on the US team, the 27-year-old stuck to the basics and managed to capture the gold, four years after he finished with a bronze medal at the same tournament.

"I knew I was ready to go," Gilman said about his final. "I wanted to move my feet quickly and get on top. [In the final], I stayed where I am good."

Using his strong underhooks and collar tie, Gilman produced a takedown masterclass throughout the tournament. Even in the final, he had four takedowns and a gut-wrench as he sailed through for a first-period finish against Cruz.

Gilman's game plan on the day was similar to what he did in the final and later explained that it is his go-to for all bouts.

"That's pretty much the game plan every time regardless [who the opponent is]," he said. "Being aware of the tricks I can do from there. Just being patient in my positions and nothing changes with the opponent and make him wrestle where I am good."

His growth since the silver medal at the 2017 World Championships has also resulted in maturity on the mat. After winning the World title in Oslo last year, Gilman had said that he is learning to win and be consistent.

"I'm starting to learn how to win as a competitor," Gilman had said in Oslo. "I think I'm a pretty decent wrestler. But I don't know if I know how to really win on a consistent basis yet."

One of the areas of his game in which Gilman has been continuously working is having more room to score via gut wrenches after completing a takedown.

"It's been a focus of mine getting a takedown in the middle of the mat, get it on top and work on my turns," he said. "Our points are either pushouts or takedowns on the edge so trying to focus on getting the guy in the middle of the mat so there is more room to work on top."

"The Cuba match was a good example. A couple of sticky situations but I did not really hesitate," he said referring to his semifinal against Alexei ALVAREZ BLANCO (CUB). "I wrestled through, let my body take over. So there are improvements, room for growth."

That will be put to use when Gilman wrestles for the spot on the USA's world team. He will appear for Final X next month against a yet-to-be-known opponent and try to win a best-of-three series to claim the spot.

In Belgrade, he has a chance to win back-to-back titles and while the participation of an RWF wrestler is still unlikely, Gilman has kept a close look on his other opponents as well. One of them is Olympic silver medalist Ravi KUMAR (IND) who, Gilman says, has a similar style of wrestling.

"There are a couple of guys on my mind but I am getting ready for everybody," he said. "Ravi KUMAR (IND) is a brawler like me. I'd like to wrestle him. I have never wrestled him. It will be fun for the fans because we are not holding back. We are not the most technical or tactical so it will potentially be a fistfight and may the best man win."

Another world champion who had a successful outing Sunday was Kyle DAKE (USA) as he defended his 74kg Pan-Am title.

The three-time world champion quickly got to business in Acapulco by beating Diego SANDOVAL ZARCO (MEX), 12-1 in the quarterfinals before taking out Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB), 10-0 in the semifinals.

In a surprise call, he was put on the activity clock in the final against Franklin GOMEZ (PUR) but it did not bother him much as he went on to score quick points and close out the final 10-1.

"Nice to get back on the mat and I am glad to be part of the process," Dake said.

Like Gilman, he will be trying to make the USA team next month. Dake seemed satisfied with his performance in Acapulco but said that he can work on his attacks.

"[I have to] just keep scoring points and be more creative with my attacks," he said. "Like put a couple together, move forward and go get them."

fixDaton FIX (USA), red, won his first Pan-Am title. (Photo: UWW / Osvaldo Aguilar)

Two World Championships silver medalists from Oslo were the gold medalist for the USA in Acapulco as Daton FIX (USA) picked up the 61kg title while Kyle SNYDER (USA) won the 97kg gold.

At 61kg, Fix wrestled in a Nordic-system bracket and destroyed all of his opponents in the process of claiming the gold medal. This was Fix's first Pan-Am Championships gold to go with his Games gold from 2019.

A big name in folkstyle domestically, the USA wrestler expressed his happiness to wrestle freestyle again.

"It's good to wrestle freestyle again as it's my favorite style," Fix said.

SnyderKyle SNYDER (USA) defended his 97kg Pan-Am title. (Photo: UWW / Osvaldo Aguilar)

Snyder was equally dominant at 97kg and defeated Arturo SILOT TORRES (CUB), 12-1 in the final. He outscored his opponents 33-1 and was satisfied with how he wrestled at the tournament.

"I wrestled the way I have been practicing and compete up to that standard," he said. "I feel I did a really good job. I am happy about."

The two-time Olympic medalist was aware of the lack of competition at the Pan-Ams but he said it was more about his own wrestling than the opponents.

"I am looking to wrestle on a certain day, that's what I am focused on," he said. "It's not much about the competition at an event like this. I want to wrestle the way I have been training and how I know I can compete. I look forward to wrestling Cuba. At Worlds, obviously, it's RWF, Iran, Azerbaijan."

To reclaim the world title he last won in 2017 in Paris after beating Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RWF) in the final, he will have to win the spot on the USA team before flying to Belgrade. Snyder said that there isn't much to change for the trials in the USA.

"I just want to keep working on what I've been working on," he said. "Stay focused and recover. I think I am on a pretty good track."

The remaining two gold medals for the USA came at 65kg and 86kg. Joseph McKENNA (USA) won the 65kg gold while Zahid VALENCIA (USA) won the 86kg.

McKenna wrestled Sebastian RIVERA (PUR) in the final and comfortably beat him 10-0. He began with a big four before getting three rolls to finish the bout.

More than the final, McKenna fashed a tougher challenge from Tokyo Olympian Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG) in the semifinals. McKenna was comfortably leading 4-1 when Destribats hit a four but McKenna in the same motion to get two points. He hit a four as well to lead 10-5 at the break.

But that was all Destribats had as McKenna added three more points in the second period to win 13-5.

ValenciaZahid VALENCIA (USA) calimed the gold medal at 86kg. (Photo: UWW / Osvaldo Aguilar)

Valencia did not get a technical superiority win in the 86kg final but did enough to beat Lazaro HERNANDEZ LUIS (CUB), 4-1. He scored two non-action points in the first period while a takedown in the second period made it four.

Canada wins 2 gold

USA would have had a perfect day if not for Amarveer DHESI (CAN) and Emmanuel OLAPADE (CAN) as they won Pan-Am titles for their country.

DhesiAmarveer DHESI (CAN) pulled off a late exposure to win the 125kg gold. (Photo: UWW / Osvaldo Aguilar)

Dhesi, a former junior world champion, wrestled two-time World bronze medalist Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) and came out on top 5-3 at 125kg. The result gave him his first Pan-Am title and the first for Canada in six years.

The two wrestlers exchanged activity points on either side of the break but Dhesi scored a takedown to lead 3-1. Gwiazdowski responded with his own with 46 seconds remaining to lead 3-3 on criteria.

But Dhesi rallied to get another two points via exposure with 11 seconds remaining on the clock to win the 125kg gold.

"I am pretty confident in that position," Dhesi said. "There was no way it was not two. But you never know. I wore him down, it worked in my favor. It was pretty nice."

The Pan-Am title is just the start of a busy calendar for Dhesi who will compete at the Canada Nationals in two weeks before heading to the Ranking Series event in Rome, Italy. He also plans to compete at the Commonwealth Games in August before heading to the Worlds.

In a weight class full of studs, Dhesi hopes he can make his mark soon.

"I wrestled Taha [AKGUL] at the Olympics, the first bout," he said. "I looked up to these athletes when I was young. I feel like I am in the middle of the pack somewhere. I feel that I want to break through and get to the higher pack. Hopefully get some medals at the World Championships."

"For that, I need to be confident myself and I always felt that I have the ability to wrestle well. Sometimes it doesn't show on the mat so I am trying to get better at producing that wrestling on the mat."

Emmanuel OLAPADE (CAN)Emmanuel OLAPADE (CAN), blue, was crowned the Pan-Am champ at 70kg. (Photo: UWW / Osvaldo Aguilar)

At 70kg, Zain RETHERFORD (USA) was the favorite to win the gold but had to pull out moments before his first bout due to illness.

That gave others in the bracket to claim their first Pan-Am title and Olapade was not wasting it giving Canada the first gold of the tournament after two silver-medal finishes Saturday.

Wrestling a Nordic bracket, he defeated Vinicius DA SILVA JOAQUIM (BRA) via fall in Round 1. He was given a walkover for the bout against Rutherford to qualify for the semifinals. 

Jhon CHUNGA CARRENO (PER) was all over the place as Olapade wasted no time in winning the semifinal 12-1 to set up a gold-medal bout against Da Silva Joaquim.

While he could not be as dominant as the Round 1 win, Olapade was still too much for the Brazil wrestler.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Thomas GILMAN (USA) df. Darian CRUZ (PUR), 11-0

BRONZE: Alexei ALVAREZ BLANCO (CUB) df. Enrique HERRERA HUACRE (PER), 10-0
BRONZE: Oscar TIGREROS URBANO (COL) df. Darthe CAPELLAN (CAN), 4-3

61kg
GOLD: Daton FIX (USA)
SILVER: Joseph SILVA (PUR)
BRONZE: Pedro FLORES SALAZAR (MEX)

65kg
GOLD: Joseph MC KENNA (USA) df. Sebastian RIVERA (PUR), 10-0

BRONZE: Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG) df. Andre QUISPE FAJARDO (CHI), 10-0
BRONZE: Albaro RUDECINDO CAMACHO (DOM) df. Jacob ALEXANDER TORRES (CAN), 10-0

70kg
GOLD: Emmanuel OLAPADE (CAN) df. Vinicius DA SILVA JOAQUIM (BRA), 4-1

BRONZE: Alexis OLVERA MAGALLANES (MEX) df. Jhon CHUNGA CARRENO (PER), 10-0

74kg
GOLD: Kyle DAKE (USA) df. Franklin GOMEZ (PUR), 10-1

BRONZE: Cesar BORDEAUX REGO ALVAN (BRA) df. Leon PERALTA LANAS (CHI), 10-0 
BRONZE: Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB) df Diego SANDOVAL ZARCO (MEX), 8-1

86kg
GOLD: Zahid VALENCIA (USA) df. Lazaro HERNANDEZ LUIS (CUB), 4-1

BRONZE: Carlos IZQUIERDO MENDEZ (COL) df. Christian ANGUIANO FLORES (MEX), 4-1
BRONZE: Ethan RAMOS (PUR) df. Jorge LLANO (ARG), 11-0

97kg
GOLD: Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Arturo SILOT TORRES (CUB), 12-1

BRONZE: Maxwell LACEY GARITA (CRC) df. Esdras LOPEZ PEREZ (MEX), via fall
BRONZE: Luis PEREZ SOSA (DOM) df. Nishanpreet Singh RANDHAWA (CAN), 10-0

125kg
GOLD: Amarveer DHESI (CAN) df. Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA), 5-3 

BRONZE: Catriel MURIEL (ARG) df. Gabriel DE SOUSA SILVA (BRA), via fall
BRONZE: Jose DIAZ ROBERTTI (VEN) df. Charles MERRILL (PUR), 2-1

#WrestleTirana

World Championships: Sadulaev caps golden return with 92kg title

By Ken Marantz

TIRANA, Albania (October 31)--After a long absence from the mat forced by a combination of injuries and extenuating circumstances beyond his control, two-time Olympic champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) returned in triumph.

It wasn't at his usual weight class and he has no plans to remain there, but for now the Russian great can be satisfied with adding yet another global gold medal to his formidable collection.

Sadulaev won his sixth world title in a third different weight class when he defeated Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) 6-0 in the final at freestyle 92kg on Thursday, the final day of the Non-Olympic Weight Categories in Tirana.

"I can’t express what I feel yet," Sadulaev said. "I am very happy to be back on the top place of the podium of the world championships. This time it was a bit more difficult than the previous ones. There were many things that didn’t depend on me. I am glad."

Meanwhile, up-and-coming Masanosuke ONO (JPN), following up on Japan's success in the lightest weights at the Paris Olympics, completed a dominant run to the 61kg gold, while Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) and Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) ended long waits to return to the medal podium by making it to the top step at 70kg and 79kg, respectively.

Sadulaev, wrestling at 92kg for the first time in his career and down from 97kg for the first time since winning the 86kg gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, put up his usual granite wall of defense, while also showing the combination of speed, power and agility on the attack that sets him apart from his peers.

"I was about 98kg when I started the preparation," Sadulaev said. "The weight cut was not so difficult. I stopped eating flour and sweets, and the weight started to go down. Only the last two kilograms were a bit difficult to cut.

"The only problem was that I had the weigh-ins at 8 a.m. in the morning, then we arrived at the venue and I started wrestling in 30 minutes, I didn’t even have any time to rest. All the matches were just happening one by one with no rest. That’s why I got a bit tired in the semifinal match."

In the final, Sadulaev was on the activity clock in the first period when he scored a takedown, then added a pair of gut wrenches to build a 6-0 lead. From there, he held off everything that Maisuradze threw at him to add to the five world titles he won starting in 2014.

The last time the world saw Sadulaev, he suffered a serious neck injury and was beaten in the semifinals at the 2023 World Championships in Belgrade by Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN), a former member of Sadulaev's wrestling school in Dagestan now competing for Bahrain who won the gold in Paris.

Sadulaev was declared ineligible to defend his Olympic 97kg title in Paris as part of sanctions on Russia and Belarus, and skipped what would have been his return at this year's European Championships in February due to injury.

"I found out that I will be wrestling at 92kg at the worlds only at the end of September," Sadulaev said. "I talked to the president of the federation. I was preparing to compete at the Olympic Games, but unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to enter, that’s why I decided to give it a try here...One and a half months was enough for me to prepare."

But as he showed over the two days in Tirana, he could be as competitive as ever. He started by handily defeating fellow superstar David TAYLOR (USA) in a classic matchup in the first round, then showed that his fire for success still burned bright within him when he scraped together a 4-point takedown in the final seconds to edge Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) 5-3 in the semifinals.

"It didn’t really matter if I had to wrestle Taylor in the final match or in the qualification round," Sadulaev said. "It would have been more interesting if it was a final match. It would have been very spectacular if we wrestled in the final.

"In the semifinal match, I missed an attack, and in the end, I had to get a last-second score. I think it made the match even more interesting."

Looking ahead, Sadulaev said he will be heading back up to 97kg. "This was the only one time for me wrestling at 92kg. This is not my weight class, I will be back at 97kg again. I just used this opportunity not to lose another year. I had to make history to win the world championships in three different weight classes."

The dynamic Ono, who won the world U20 gold in September, never let up on the gas in storming to a quick 10-0 victory in the 61kg final over Ahmet DUMAN (TUR).

As he did throughout the tournament, Ono transitioned immediately to a gut wrench from a takedown, scoring six quick points before Duman knew what hit him. Ono then used a snap-down to a low ankle for another takedown, then a gut wrench to finish the rout in 1:22.

Ono, who started his golden run with a 10-2 win over Tokyo Olympic and former two-time world champion Zavur UGUEV (AIN), reeled off 12-0, 11-0 and 12-0 victories to advance to the final.

The senior Asian bronze medalist this year at 65kg, he later revealed that an injury had hampered his preparations. "One month ago, I broke my ankle and I couldn't practice at all," Ono said. "The Uguev match was my first live wrestling after the fracture, and I was very unsure how I would do."

For Ono, currently a student at Yamanashi Gakuin University, the school that produced Tokyo Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN), the question is where does he go from here?

Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN), who followed Otoguro by winning the 65kg gold in Paris, beat Ono in the final at the 2023 All-Japan Championships during the Olympic qualifying process. Going down to 57kg, where Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) won the Paris gold, seems unlikely.

Wherever he ends up, he will go with confidence. "I don't know if I'll go to 65kg and face him [Kiyooka]," Ono said. "If I do, I'm definitely going to win."

As for celebrating his triumph in Tirana, that will have to wait. "In five days, I have the Japan University championships," he said.

In the 70kg final, Kaipanov scored all of his points in the second period to defeat Asian silver medalist Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) 5-3 and add the gold to the world silver he won in 2019 and become just the second world freestyle champion in Kazakhstan history -- and second in two years.

Kaipanov, a two-time former Asian champion, twice scored 2-point exposures by stopping body-lock throw attempts by Aoyagi, a former teammate of Ono's at Yamanashi Gakuin who was coming off a bronze-medal finish at the World U23 Championships held a week ago in the same venue.

Kaipanov's victory came a year after Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) captured the 92kg title in Belgrade to become their country's first-ever freestyle gold medalist.

Kentchadze, a four-time European bronze medalist whose only previous world medal was a 74kg silver won in 2015, scored six takedowns in a 13-4 victory over 2023 world U23 champion Magomed MAGOMAEV (AIN) to take the 79kg gold.

Kentchadze, who was fifth at the 74kg at last year's worlds in Belgrade, gave up an opening takedown, but responded by scoring two himself to go ahead. After the second, however, he got stuffed attempting a roll to go behind 4-4, but righted the ship and added two more takedowns before the break to lead 8-4.

In the second period, Kentchadze sandwiched two more takedowns around a stepout to pull away and emerge victorious in the tournament's most crowded weight class with 33 entries.

Taylor claims emotional bronze

Taylor didn't get the gold that he came out of retirement to get in Tirana, but he did show a bit of his old magic in claiming a bronze medal at 92kg with an impressive 6-2 comeback victory over Ghasempour.

"When you're good for so long, you never know when it's time to be done," said an emotional Taylor, the Tokyo Olympic and three-time world champion at 86kg. "I just got an opportunity to go out the way I wanted to."

Ghasempour, the 2021 and 2022 world champion at 92kg, opened the scoring with a takedown while on the activity clock to lead 2-0 at the break. In the second period, Taylor went on the offensive and scored three takedowns against the tough Iranian, the last coming with two seconds left to preserve the victory.

After the match, Taylor remained on the mat for a short while, drinking in the atmosphere and the applause of the crowd. Later, he smile broadly on the medal podium and posed for photo together with Sadulaev.

The 33-year-old had retired after failing to make the U.S. team to the Paris Olympics and took the head coaching job at powerhouse Oklahoma State University. But the chance to face Sadulaev for the first time and possibly add to his gold medal collection was incentive enough to bring him back to the mat. The luck of the draw saw him face Sadulaev in the first round, where he lost 7-0.

"It was a tough decision to wrestle, but I didn't want it to end the way it did in April," Taylor said. "Going into this, I was hyperfocused on wrestling Sadulaev. The game script didn't go as I thought. I should have wrestled [him] like I did [against Ghasempour]. [The bronze-medal match] was a match of redemption. It was a world-final caliber match."

Although they met just that one time, Sadulaev had kind parting words for Taylor. "I want to congratulate Taylor on an amazing career," he said. "He was one of the best wrestlers of the modern time. I wish him good luck. Sooner or later, I will retire as well. But not now."

In the other 92kg bronze-medal match, Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) gave Slovakia a second bronze of the night when he rode a six-point lead to an 8-6 victory over a spirited Benjamin HONIS (ITA), who had been aiming to become Italy's first world medalist not named Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) since 2018.

Vito ARUJAU (USA), denied the chance to defend his world 61kg title by Ono in the semifinals, came away with a bronze medal by taking one of the biggest scalps of his career, beating Ugaev 8-3.

Arujau, shaking off a painful finger injury that caused him to need treatment during the second period, scored four takedowns in toppling the normally 57kg Uguev, who had obvious trouble handling the extra weight.

The other 61kg bronze went to Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL), who came up with a big move to defeat Nuraddin NOVRUZOV (AZE) by fall. Tseveensuren started with a 4-point pancake that Norvuzov reversed for 2, then countered a takedown attempt by locking the Azeri in a cradle and securing the fall at 2:30.

Russian-born Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK) ended Tajikistan's 17-wait for a second world medal when he broke open a tight match with a 10-point flurry in the second period to defeat Akaki KEMERTELIDZE (GEO) 13-2 in a 70kg bronze-medal match.

Kudiev, a bronze medalist at this year's Antalya Ranking Series at 65kg, followed in the footsteps of another native Russian, Yusup ABDUSALOMOV (TJK), who won a silver at freestyle 84kg in 2007.

European U23 champion Inalbek SHERIEV (AIN), last year's world U23 gold medalist, claimed his first senior world medal with a 10-0 victory in the other 70kg bronze-medal match over Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR). Sheriev scored three takedowns in the second period to end the match with :08 left.

At 79kg, Asian champion Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI), who knocked off six-time world champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) before losing to Kentchadze in the semifinals, overwhelmed young Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) 10-0 to take home a world medal for the third consecutive year.

Takahashi, the world U23 champion at 74kg a week ago in Tirana, did a remarkable job of making it to the bronze-medal match, having come back from massive deficits in both of his repechage matches just a few hours earlier.

Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK), the 2021 European champion, scored a 2-point exposure on a counter in the second period to edge Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL) 2-1 for the other 79kg bronze.

Freestyle Results

61kg (27 entries)
GOLD: Masanosuke ONO (JPN) df. Ahmet DUMAN (TUR) by TF, 10-0, 1:22

BRONZE: Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL) df Nuraddin NOVRUZOV (AZE) by Fall, 2:30 (8-2)
BRONZE: Vito ARUJAU (USA) df. Zavur UGUEV (AIN), 8-3

70kg (25 entries)
GOLD: Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) df. Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN), 5-3

BRONZE: Inalbek SHERIEV (AIN) df. Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) by TF, 10-0, 5:52
BRONZE: Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK) df. Akaki KEMERTELIDZE (GEO) by TF, 13-2, 4:39

79kg (33 entries)
GOLD: Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) df. Magomed MAGOMAEV (AIN), 13-4

BRONZE: Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) df. Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) by TF, 10-0, 3:49
BRONZE: Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) df. Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL), 2-1

92kg (29 entries)
GOLD: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) df. Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), 6-0

BRONZE: David TAYLOR (USA) df. Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI), 6-2
BRONZE: Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) df. Benjamin HONIS (ITA), 8-6