#BudaWrestle2018

Gray Defeats Wiebe, Canada Advances 2 to Finals

By Andrew Hipps

BUDAPEST, Hungary (October 23) -- Three-time world champion Adeline GRAY (USA) is back in the finals of the World Championships for the first time in three years.

The 27-year-old American advanced to the gold-medal match at 76kg by defeating Olympic champion Erica WIEBE (CAN) 3-1 in the semifinals of the World Championships on Tuesday in Budapest, Hungary. 

After giving up a shot clock point to go down 1-0, Gray shot a double leg late in the first period to score a takedown and grab a 2-1 lead at the break. She would add a point off the shot clock in the second period and hold off Wiebe for the victory.

Gray will meet reigning world champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR) on Wednesday in the gold-medal match.

Adar was dominant in her semifinal match, beating Zsanett NEMETH (HUN) 9-1. 

Canada went 2-for-3 in the semifinals, advancing Danielle LAPPAGE and Justina DI STASIO to the finals. 

LAPPAGE (CAN), a past junior world champion, rolled to a dominant 11-0 victory over Iryna NETREBA (AZE) in the semifinals at 65kg. In the first period she scored off the shot clock and with a takedown to grab a 3-0 lead at the break. She then used a takedown and lace to go up 9-0 and ended the match a short time later. 

Her finals opponent will be top-seeded Petra OLLI (FIN), a 2015 world silver medalist. Olli came from behind, scoring a takedown with three seconds remaining to defeat Ayana GEMPEI (JPN) 6-6 on criteria. 

Olli jumped out to a 4-0 lead early in the match after scoring with a throw. Gempei mounted a comeback in the second period, scoring two step outs and a takedown to take a criteria lead. She then built her lead with another step out, which was challenged unsuccessfully. Trailing 6-4 late in the match, Olli took a shot and scored a takedown in the closing seconds to earn the victory.

Di Stasio shut out Samar HAMZA (EGY) 6-0 in the semifinals. She led 2-0 at the break after scoring off the shot clock and with a step out and added two takedowns in the final period. Her finals opponent will be Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL), who advanced to the final after earning a fall over Juan WANG (CHN). The Mongolian led 2-0 at the break. Late in the match she used a counterattack to score a takedown and put Wang to her back for the fall.  

Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) will wrestle for her first senior world gold medal after edging Tamyra MENSAH (USA) 2-1 in the semifinals at 68kg. All the points scored in the match came from the shot clock. Larroque scored first off the shot clock and took a 1-0 lead into the break. Mensah took the lead in the second period off the shot. With just over 20 seconds remaining, Larroque scored the go-ahead point off the shot clock and held on for the victory. 

Larroque has won world gold medals at the U23, junior and cadet championships.

Larroque will wrestle for the gold medal against Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR), who defeated Feng ZHOU (CHN) 12-8 in a back-and-forth semifinal battle. 

Semifinal Results

Women's Wrestling

65kg
Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) df. Ayana GEMPEI (JPN) by VPO1, 6-6
Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN) df. Iryna NETREBA (AZE) by VSU, 11-0

68kg
Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) df. Feng ZHOU (CHN) by VPO1, 12-8
Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) df. Tamyra MENSAH (USA) by VPO1, 2-1

72kg
Justina DI STASIO (CAN) df. Samar HAMZA (EGY) by VPO, 6-0
Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) df. Juan WANG (CHN) by VFA, 6-0

76kg
Yasemin ADAR (TUR) df. Zsanett NEMETH (HUN) by VPO1, 9-1
Adeline GRAY (USA) df. Erica WIEBE (CAN) by VPO1, 3-1

#WrestleBudapest

Tosun triumphant, Godinez clinches gold at Budapest Ranking Series

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (June 8) -- World champion Buse TOSUN (TUR) sent a stern warning to her competitors two months before the Paris Games by winning the 68kg gold medal at the Ranking Series in Budapest, Hungary.

In her three bouts, Tosun blanked Firuza ESENBAEVA (UZB) 10-0, pinned Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) in the rematch of the World Championships final and held on to her 2-0 lead to beat Soleymi CARABALLO (VEN) in the final.

Tosun won the World Championships in Belgrade last year to become only the second female wrestler to win the gold at the marquee event. She will now enter the Paris Olympics as the top-seeded wrestler at 68kg.

PodiumAna GODINEZ (CAN), center, with the other medalists at 62kg in Budapest. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 62kg, Ana GODINEZ (CAN) came on top of a packed bracket, winning the gold medal after world bronze medalist Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) pulled out of the final due to injury.

But before the walkover in the final, Godinez was solid on the mat beating Lais NUNES (BRA) 6-2 before humbling European champion Grace BULLEN (NOR) 11-7 in the semifinal. Bullen was leading the semifinal before Godinez continued her relentless attacks and broke Bullen down. Trailing on 7-7 criteria, Godinez scored two takedowns to win the bout.

"Even though I didn't wrestle my final, it feels good. I did want to wrestle Iryna [Koliadenko]. It's a little disappointing," Godinez said. "I am satisfied with the two matches I had. I did want to wrestle at least three, maybe four.  We came here to see what's good, what's bad, what's new."

Godinez expressed her satisfaction with her performance in Budapest but said that she could perform better on any other given day.

"I come with the same mindset every time. I want to win obviously, but it's every position," she said. "I did not feel my greatest today but it's nice to know that I can perform when I don't feel great. I have to be able to perform even when I don't feel great and that can happen any day, even at the Olympics."

World Championships bronze medalist Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) clinched the gold medal at 76kg with three wins in four matches. World U23 champion REETIKA (IND) also had three wins from four bouts but Renteria clinched the gold as she defeated Reetika in their direct clash in the group.

Reetika and Renteria clashed in the second round and it was the Indian who had a 2-1 lead going into the last minute of the match. Both wrestlers were struggling with their breath but the Colombian continued her attacks and eventually got a takedown over Reetika to win 3-2.

She suffered a loss to Justina DI STASIO (CAN) while beating Genesis REASCO (ECU) and Zainab SGHAIER (TUN) in the other group stage bouts. Reetika defeated Di Stasio, Reasco and Sghaier for her three wins.

sdfgd

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) df. Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN), 5-2

BRONZE: Amanda MARTINEZ (USA) df. Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA), 11-2

62kg
GOLD: Ana GODINEZ (CAN) df. Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Grace BULLEN (NOR) df. Lais NUNES (BRA), via fall
BRONZE: Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) df. Alina KASABIEVA (AIN), 8-2

65kg
GOLD: Iryna BONDAR (UKR) df. Nesrin BAS (TUR), 10-4

BRONZE: Miki ROWBOTTOM (CAN) df. Eniko ELEKES (HUN), via inj. def.

68kg
GOLD: Buse TOSUN (TUR) df. Soleymi CARABALLO (VEN), 2-0

BRONZE: Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) df. Firuza ESENBAEVA (UZB), 13-4
BRONZE: Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) df. Kseniia BURAKOVA (AIN), 7-2

76kg
GOLD: Tatiana RENTERIA (COL)
SILVER: REETIKA (IND)
BRONZE: Genesis REASCO (ECU)