#BudaWrestle2018

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

Monday, October 22, 2018 - 19:26 By Andrew Hipps

Share this article

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
 

#WrestleTirana

Vynnyk Wins First Career Gold Amid Ukraine Gold Rush

Friday, April 24, 2026 - 10:05 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

TIRANA, Albania (April 23) -- Eight years. 23 competitions. Three silver medals. Nine bronze medals. 11 medalless tournaments.

Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) spent all these years watching others win the gold medals at various tournaments. She was close to winning a few herself but never could

She reached her first final in 2022 at the Ranking Series in Rome, then at the U23 European Championships in 2024. She fell short both times. Then in 2025, she reached the final of the World Championships in Zagreb before dropping the final 17-8 against Sakura ONISHI (JPN).

 

UWW Plus

But Vynnyk ended her wait for a gold medal in Tirana on Thursday by winning her career's first-ever gold medal at the European Championships.

"It’s actually been a very tough road to this victory," Vynnyk said. "I’ve been training since I was eight and I’ve always pictured myself on the podium with a gold medal. Today that dream came true. I’m absolutely delighted. I was certain I’d win. And it happened."

Vynnyk was one of the three Ukraine wrestlers who won gold medals in Tirana. Defending champion Oksana LIVACH (UKR) at 50kg and Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) at 76kg successfully managed to retain their titles.

Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU) denied Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) and Ukraine a fourth gold medal after beating her 10-0 in the 55kg final and winning her fourth gold European gold medal.

At 68kg, Nesrin BAS (TUR) won gold after defending champion Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW) withdrew due to an injury, giving Bas her second European title.

Mariia VYNNYK (UKR)Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) at the medal ceremony for 59kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Vynnyk won two matches on Wednesday to reach the final in which she faced veteran Jowita WRZESIEN (POL). Both wrestlers began on a slow note and Wrzesien was put on the activity clock first. Vynnyk hit a low single as soon as the clock start and scored a takedown. A powerful gut-wrench added two more points to score before the activity clock finished and Vynnyk led 5-0.

The next takedown came in the second period when Wrzesein hit a half-hearted attack and Vynnyk easily brought her down to the mat for two points and extend her lead to 7-0. Wrzesien managed to get a takedown to cut the lead to 7-2 and later Vynnyk was cautioned one point for blocking action.

Wrzesien tried a desperate throw but Vynnyk fell on top of her, earning herself two points. But Poland challenged the call and won it. The score was reset to 7-3 with four seconds remaining. Wrzesien got a point for Vynnyk's fleeing but failed to score any takedown in the final seconds. Poland challenged again but lost it this time, giving Vynnyk a 8-4 win and finally, a golden celebration for the first time in eight years.

"The most important thing, in my opinion, is mental preparation," she said about what changes she made to finally win the gold medal. "I’m sure it plays the most crucial role in this."

Mariia VYNNYK (UKR)Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) hits an attack on Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) during the 59kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Born in Chernivtsi, a city in south-west Ukraine close to the Romanian border, Vynnyk was introduced to wrestling, along with her other siblings, by her mother. While her brothers stopped wrestling, the Vynnyk sisters, Mariia and Solomiia, continued.

"My two older brothers used to wrestle, but they gave it up, whilst my sister and I carried on, striving for results and winning gold medals together," she said.

The two sisters couldn't win gold together but Mariia will cheer for Solomiia, who also doubles up as her friend and training partner, when she takes the mat for her bronze-medal bout on Friday at 57kg.

"I can’t imagine my journey without her, and I only want to win alongside her," Mariia said. "I was really upset that she lost. It was really hard for me to get in the right frame of mind for this final, but I’m sure my sister and I have a bright future ahead of us, and that there are plenty of gold medals in store for us. We never compete against each other, because I couldn’t bring myself to compete against my sister. But in training, we don’t let each other off the hook."

Oksana LIVACH (UKR)Oksana LIVACH (UKR) won her third European title at 50kg on Thursday. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Ukraine's Gold Rush

Livach began the mini gold rush for Ukraine by defending her 50kg gold medal against Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) in what was a rematch of the final from last year.

While last year Livach did not complete a technical superiority victory over Demirhan, she managed to dominate the final in Tirana on Thursday, winning her final 11-0.

At 76kg, Alpyeyeva controlled her final against Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU) to post a 6-2 victory and defend her title. She scored three different takedowns while giving up one in the final.

Andreea ANA (ROU)Andreea ANA (ROU) celebrates winning the 55kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Ukraine could have won four gold medals but three-time European champion Ana denied Malanchuk, 10-0, in the 55kg final.

Ana had a slow start and but was the first to get a point when Malanchuk was warned for pulling hair. Ana's lead went 2-0 when Malanchuk failed to score in the 30-second activity period. Just before the break, Ana snapped Malanchuk and scored a takedown and a turn to make it 6-0.

In the last 20 seconds, Ana caught Malanchuk's leg and brought her down for a takedown and two more points for exposure to finish the bout 10-0 just before time expired. Ana's gold is her sixth European medal -- four golds, one silver and one bronze.

Defending champion at 68kg Shauchuk gave the final against Bas a miss due to an injury, giving a walkover to Bas, who is now a two-time European champion.

Photo

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Oksana LIVACH (UKR) df. Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR), 11-0

BRONZE: Elizaveta SMIRNOVA (UWW) df. Svenja JUNGO (SUI), 4-0
BRONZE: Emilia GRIGORE VUC (ROU) df. Agata GOLUCHOWSKA WALERZAK (POL), 11-8

55kg
GOLD: Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU) df. Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR), 10-0

BRONZE: Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER) df. Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA), 4-3
BRONZE: Tuba DEMIR (TUR) df. Veronika KONSEVICH (MKD), 5-2

59kg
GOLD: Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) df. Jowita WRZESIEN (POL), 8-4

BRONZE: Svetlana LIPATOVA (UWW) df. Othelie HOEIE (NOR), via fall (6-1)
BRONZE: Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) df. Marta HETMANAVA (UWW), 7-5

68kg
GOLD: Nesrin BAS (TUR) df. Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Tindra SJOEBERG (SWE) df. Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW), 10-0
BRONZE: Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU) df. Noemi SZABADOS (HUN), 5-4

76kg
GOLD: Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) df. Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU), 6-2

BRONZE: Martina KUENZ (AUT) df. Valeriia TRIFONOVA (UWW), 4-0
BRONZE: Kendra DACHER (FRA) df. Enrica RINALDI (ITA), 9-8

Semifinals

53kg
SF 1: Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR) df. Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (UWW), 9-3
SF 2: Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) df. Roksana ZASINA (POL), 6-6

57kg
SF 1: Magdalena GLODEK LISZEWSKA (POL) df. Evelina HULTHEN (SWE), 3-3
SF 2: Elvira SULEYMAN (TUR) df. Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE), 6-2

62kg
SF 1: Amina TANDELOVA (UWW) df. Naemi LEISTNER (GER), 9-0
SF 2: Grace BULLEN (NOR) df. Johanna LINDBORG (SWE), 7-6

65kg
SF 1: Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) vs. Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE), 11-10
SF 2: Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) df. Natalia KUBATY (POL), 11-01

72kg
SF 1: Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR) df. Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (UWW), via fall (8-0)
SF 2: Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) df. Buse TOSUN (TUR), 8-2