U23 World C'ships

Russia and India Send Two to Gold-Medal Matches in Tournament Finale

By Taylor Miller

BYDGOSZCZ, Poland – Two nations, Russia and India, each advanced two wrestlers to the World-title bouts in the final night of the U23 World Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, on Sunday.

Russia and India will have one head-to-head match, which will be featured at 65 kg.

Nachyn Sergeevitch KUULAR (RUS), a two-time World Military Games champion, looks for his third World title. He’ll wrestle Bajrang BAJRANG (IND), who won the 2017 Asian Indoor Games and took top prize at the 2017 Asian Championships.

India will also be represented at 70 kg, where Kumar VINOD (IND) will face Richard LEWIS (USA) for the World title. Lewis made his international debut today and landed the U.S. its first medal of the week-long event, cruising to the finals.

Russia’s second finalist is Gadzhi NABIEV, 2015 Junior World champion and 2017 Russian Championships silver medalist. He’ll go head-to-head with 2017 Junior European bronze medalist Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) in the 74 kg finals.

At 97 kg, 2016 Junior World bronze winner and 2015 Junior World runner-up Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (BLR) seeks his third World medal. Challenging him is 2017 Asian Indoor Games champion and Golden Grand Prix silver medalist Mojtaba Mohammadshafie GOLEIJ (IRI).

With no medals thus far in the tournament, USA is the only country seeking a medal at all four weights on Sunday night.

The medal matches start at 6 p.m. local time (12 p.m. ET).

Finals matchups
65 kg
Gold - Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) vs. Nachyn Sergeevitch KUULAR (RUS)
Bronze - Joseph Christopher MC KENNA (USA) vs. Heorhi KALIYEU (BLR)
Bronze - Haydar YAVUZ (TUR) vs. Yones Aliakbar EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI)

70 kg
Gold - Kumar Omprakash VINOD (IND) vs. Richard Anthony LEWIS (USA)
Bronze - Muhammet AKDENIZ (TUR) vs. Zulfikar MAKHAMATOV (KAZ)
Bronze - Mirza SKHULUKHIA (GEO) vs. Nobuyoshi TAKOJIMA (JPN)

74 kg
Gold - Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) vs. Gadzhi NABIEV (RUS)
Bronze - Isaiah Alexander MARTINEZ (USA) vs. Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO)
Bronze - Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR) vs. Engin Rashid ISMAIL (BUL)

97 kg
Gold - Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (BLR) vs. Mojtaba Mohammadshafie GOLEIJ (IRI)
Bronze - Ty Ryan Jack WALZ (USA) vs. Chaoqiang YANG (CHN)
Bronze - Rasul MAGOMEDOV (RUS) vs. Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR)

#BeachWrestling

Pan-Am Beach Wrestling: Colombia, Ecuador Win 2 Golds Each

By United World Wrestling Press

LIMA, Peru (June 17) -- Ten nations competed at the Pan-American Beach Wrestling Championships in Lima, Peru. In the men's category, Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala and Argentina won gold medals while in women's, Colombia won two golds, and Ecuador and Chile won one each.

Former Pan-Am champion Luisa VALVERDE (ECU) won the gold medal at 60kg in women's after a victory via fall over Jania DUNIGAN (PUR) in the final. She used a beautiful headlock throw for the win.

At 50kg, Natalia PERDOMO (COL) pinned Genesis RAMIREZ (PUR) to win gold and the second gold medal for Colombia came when Alexa CUERO (COL) blanked Ruth JIMENEZ (PUR), 3-0, in the 70kg final.

Chile got its gold medal at +70kg when Melanie SANCHEZ (CHI) both her bouts in round-robin. She defeated Aomi RIQUES (PER) and Gabriella REID (PUR), who finished with silver and bronze, respectively.

Ricardo GOMEZ (ARG)Ricardo GOMEZ (ARG), left, won the +90kg gold medal for Argentina. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Osvaldo Aguilar)

Jeremy PERALTA (ECU) was the first gold medal at men's 70kg as he secured a victory via fall over Alex PICHUCHO (ECU) in the final in just 55 seconds.

The second gold medal was claimed by Luis BARRIOS (HON) who blanked Sixto AUCCAPINA (PER), 3-0, in the 80kg final. He scored three different point to win the bout three seconds before the clock expired.

Three wrestlers posted three wins at 90kg but it was Cristhoper PEREZ (GUA) who emerged as the gold medalist as he had more classification points. Apart from Perez, Jesus LANDA (PER) and Carlos ESPINOZA (PER) also had three wins each. Perez managed eight classification points, Landa had seven and Espinoza had five.

In +90kg weight class, Ricardo GOMEZ (ARG) held on to a close 2-1 victory in the final over Jean ZAMBRANO (ECU) to clinch the gold medal.

RESULTS

Men's BW

70kg
GOLD: Jeremy PERALTA (ECU) df. Alex PICHUCHO (ECU), via fall

BRONZE: Arnoldo PROBOSTE (ARG) df. Caleb NEGRON (PUR), 1-0

80kg
GOLD: Luis BARRIOS (HON) df. Sixto AUCCAPINA (PER), 3-0

BRONZE: Yael PEREZ AKE (MEX) df. Adrian MAYNARD (BAR), 3-1

90kg
GOLD: Cristhoper PEREZ (GUA)
SILVER: Jesus LANDA (PER)
BRONZE: Carlos ESPINOZA (PER)

+90kg
GOLD: Ricardo GOMEZ (ARG) df. Jean ZAMBRANO (ECU), 2-1

BRONZE: Glean GONZALEZ (ECU) df. Kensil GRAJALES (PER), 3-1

Women's BW

50kg
GOLD: Natalia PERDOMO (COL) df. Genesis RAMIREZ (PUR), via fall

BRONZE: Vicky LEON (ECU) df. Nathaly HERRERA (PER), via inj. def.

60kg
GOLD: Luisa VALVERDE (ECU) df. Jania DUNIGAN (PUR), via fall

BRONZE: Meissy VALDEZ (GUA) df. Andrea AVELINO (MEX), via fall

70kg
GOLD: Alexa CUERO (COL) df. Ruth JIMENEZ (PUR), 3-0

BRONZE: Cielo FAJARDO (PER) df. Karla PAICO (PER), via fall

+70kg
GOLD: Melanie SANCHEZ (CHI)
SILVER: Aomi RIQUES (PER)
BRONZE: Gabriella REID (PUR)