USA Team Trials

United States to Finalize Olympic Team Saturday, Cox Ineligible to Compete

Saturday, April 3, 2021 - 14:57 By United World Wrestling Press

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FORT WORTH, United States (April 3) – The first day of the United States Olympic Team Trials was filled with on-mat theatrics from young stars, and an off-the-mat drama suitable for a daytime television.

Before the first whistle blew, J’Den Cox – a favorite to win the 97kg weight category -- was deemed ineligible to compete having not weighed-in on time. The two-time world champion and Olympic bronze medalist appealed the decision, but did not compete at the championships

Friday’s action was the first part of the two-day process to select the United States’ Olympic team for Tokyo 2021. Wrestlers who won a medal at an Olympic weight at the Senior Wrestling World Championships in 2019 were granted a pass to Saturday night’s finals where they wait to meet the winner of the challenge tournament (i.e. Adeline Gray, Jordan Burroughs, Tamyrah Mensah-Stock, Kyle Snyder). Additionally, wrestlers in women’s wrestling and Greco-Roman who qualified their weight category in Ottawa were also given a pass to the best-of-three finals (i.e. Helen Maroulis, Joe Rau).

Wrestling will start at 6:30pm CT/7:30pm ET and air on NBCSports.com and NBC Sports app.

Ronna Heaton after winning her semifinal match. Photo: Tony Rotundo

Women’s Wrestling

50kg: Sarah Hildebrandt* v. Victoria Anthony

Sarah Hildebrandt, who was runner-up in the 2018 world championships and also qualified the weight in Ottawa last March, will face Victoria Anthony in the best of three finals. Anthony beat her longtime rival Alyssa Lampe, 6-6 via criteria in the semifinals before topping Amy Fearnside in the final. Anthony recently won the 2021 Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series tournament in Rome, beat 2019 world silver medalist Alina Vuc, 10-0 en route to her gold medal finish.

53kg: Jacarra Winchester* v. Ronna Heaton

Defending world champion Jacarra Winchester will look to make her first Olympic team on Saturday. The top-ranked Winchester will face 2016 cadet world champion Ronna Heaton in the best-of-three finals.

57kg: Helen Maroulis* v. Jenna Burkert

Jenna Burkert hit a beautiful head and arm throw in the challenge tournament finals to pin two-time world silver medalist Ali Ragan and punch her ticket to the finals. Burkert will face world and Olympic champion Helen Maroulis in the best of three finals.

62kg: Kayla Miracle* v. Macey Kilty

Kayla Miracle, a U23 world silver medalist, qualified the weight category for the United States in Ottawa, and will face four-time world age group medalist Macey Kilty in the finals.

68kg: Tamyrah Mensah-Stock* v. Kennedy Blades

Defending world champion Tamyrah Mensah-Stock will look to make her first Olympic team on Saturday, but to do so will have to beat the most impressive young wrestler in the United States. Kennedy Blades, who is only 17 years old, rolled through Friday’s challenge tournament, earning an 11-1 technical fall against two-time world team member Forrest Molinari in the challenge tournament finals.

76kg: Adeline Gray* v. Kylie Welker

Five-time world champion Adeline Gray will look to make her second Olympic team versus 17-year-old Kylie Welker. The youngster defeated world team member Victoria Francis 6-3 in the finals of the challenge tournament.

David Taylor faces longtime teammate Bo Nickal in Saturday's best-of-three finals. Photo Tony Rotundo

Men’s Freestyle

57kg: Vito Aruja v. Thomas Gilman

Thomas Gilman, who took silver at the 2017 world championships at 57kg, is looking to make his first Olympic team. Vito Arajau

65kg: Jordan Oliver v. Joey McKenna

Jordan Oliver upset three-time age group world champion Yianni Diakomihalis in the semifinals, 4-4 via criteria. The victory put Oliver into the Saturday night finals against Joey McKenna who upset 2019 world team member Zain Retherford in Friday’s other semifinal. The United States has yet to qualify the weight category for the Tokyo Olympic Games and will be sending Saturday night’s winner to the Last Chance Qualifier in Sofia, Bulgaria.

74kg: Jordan Burroughs* v. Kyla Dake

The most anticipated matchup of the tournament will happen. Kyle Dake breezed through the challenge tournament on Friday outscoring his two opponents 20-0 en route to Saturday night’s best-of-three final. Burroughs sat out the challenge tournament after earning bronze at the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.

86kg: David Taylor v. Bo Nickal

David Taylor and Bo Nickal will clash Saturday night after the duo made their respective ways through the challenge tournament. Nickal is a U23 world champion and was runner-up to J’Den Cox at 92kg in 2019. A 2018 senior-level world champion, Taylor is looking to make his first Olympic team. The pair have been in the same club for several years.

97kg: Kyle Snyder* v. Kollin Moore

World and Olympic champion Kyle Snyder had expected to meet J’Den Cox, but will instead face former teammate Kollin Moore, who won four matches on Friday to make the Saturday finals. Should Snyder prevail he’ll be looking to repeat his Olympic gold medal performance from 2016, but will need to go through Abdulrashid Sadualev of Russia to once again climb to the top of the Olympic podium.

125kg: Gable Steveson v. Nick Gwiazdowski

Two-time world bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski will face three-time age level world champion Gable Steveson in the Saturday night finals. Steveson recently beat Gwiazdowski 4-1 in competition and won his first two matches by a combined 22-0.

Ryan Mango looks to launch himself to his first Olympic team. Photo: Tony Rotundo

Greco-Roman

60kg: ldar Hafizov* v. Ryan Mango

A longtime member of Team USA, Ryan Mango will face newcomer ldar Hafizov in the Saturday finals. Both are looking to make their first Olympic team.

67kg: Alejandro Sancho* v. Ellis Coleman

Alejandro Sancho qualified the weight in Ottawa and sat out the challenge tournament. He will face two-time world bronze medalist and 2016 Olympic team member Ellis Coleman in the best -of-three finals.

77kg: Peyton Walsh v. Jesse Porter

This will be both wrestlers first attempt at making a world or Olympic team. The winner will also be tasked with qualifying the weight at the Last Chance Tournament in Bulgaria.

87kg: Joe Rau* v. John Stefanowicz

Two-time world team member Joe Rau qualified the weight in Ottawa and will face John Stefanowicz in the best of three finals. Neither wrestler has made an Olympic team.

97kg: G'Angelo Hancock* v. Braxton Amos

Three-time world team member and junior world bronze medalist G’Angelo Hancock will look to make his first Olympic team. He’ll face Braxton Amos who won his weight category in Greco-Roman while also competing in freestyle.

130kg: Adam Coon v. Colton Schulz

World silver medalist Adam Coon will take on cadet world champion and junior world silver medalist Colton Schultz in Saturday night’s final. The winner will also need to travel to Bulgaria in order to qualify the weight category.

#WrestleBelgrade

Micic beats Olympic, world champs to set up Higuchi final; Dake takes on Sidakov

Sunday, September 17, 2023 - 15:55 By Vinay Siwach

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BELGRADE, Serbia (September 17) -- All eyes were on the Olympic and world champions at 57kg with Zavur UGUEV (AIN), Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB) and Rei HIGUCHI (JPN).

But Stevan MICIC (SRB) defeated two of the three, Uguev and Abakarov, in back-to-back matches and will face the third, Higuchi, for the gold medal at the World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

Micic, a bronze medalist at 61kg from 2022, stunned Uguev 9-7 in the quarterfinals and then took out Abakarov 6-2 in the semifinals not only booking a place in the final but also earning a Paris Olympic quota for Serbia at 57kg.

Higuchi, the world champion at 61kg in 2022, returned to the World Championships final, this year at 57kg, an Olympic weight class as he continues his journey towards the Olympic gold medal he missed in 2016 after finishing second to Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO).

He will now have to return Monday to wrestle Micic, who will undoubtedly be backed by the fans present in the Stark Arena.

At 74kg, two-time defending world champion Kyle DAKE (USA) set up a dream final against Olympic champion Zaurbek SIDAKOV (AIN) and both wrestlers received a Paris Olympic spot.

However, both took the tough road to the gold-medal bout.

Dake opened his day against Magomet EVLOEV (TJK) and won 12-2 before Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) tested him in the 9-4 win. Dake looked a little uncomfortable and Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) confirmed it as he pushed Dake, who won 6-4 but had to dig deep to avoid some tough attacks from the Japanese.

In the semifinals, Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) chest-wrapped Dake on multiple occasions but failed to score. Dake came out on top 4-1 to reach the final.

Sidakov, returning to the World Championships for the first time since winning his second title in 2019, opened the day with a thrilling 8-7 win over Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO), a wrestler Sidakov beat to win his first world title in 2018.

Kentchadze hit a four-pointer but Sidakov managed to come back with two takedowns in the second period to win the bout. He then went on to beat Bekzod ABDURAKHAMANOV (UZB) 3-0 in the quarterfinals. Returning bronze medalist Yones EMAMI (IRI) was blanked 6-0 and Hetik CABOLOV (SRB) lost 6-4.

In the semifinals, Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) was no match for Sidakov as the AIN wrestler won 4-1 and booked his place against Dake.

A long-awaited bout between Dake and Sidakov has been looked at as the contender for the real dominant wrestler at 74kg.

The loss of Takatani means that Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) will have to earn a quota from other qualifiers while the loss of Kougioumtsidis meant that Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Magomedkhabib KADIMAGOMEDOV (AIN) and Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) will have to find another tournament to earn a quota for Paris.

Micic, however, will in all likelihood be Serbia's representative in Paris after booking the ticket.

He gave the first glimpse of how the day would look like with an 11-0 win over Gukhyeon KIM (KOR) and then a 7-2 win over Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) put him against Uguev in the quarterfinals. Both went back-and-forth with Uguev opening the scoring with a takedown. But Micic came back with a takedown. His 2-2 criteria live was short-lived as Uguev made it 5-2 and later 7-2.

Micic, however, did not give up, mounting an incredible comeback with two takedowns. The Serbian, trailing 7-6 with 40 seconds remaining, got Uguev for two points with seven seconds remaining to get the win.

If that was not enough, Abakarov was his next victim in the semifinal. Micic was trailing 2-1 and Abakarov was happy to hold the lead but Micic managed to hit a four-pointer and take a 5-2 lead. Abakarov challenged the call but the four points were upheld, giving Micic the win and Olympic quota.

To crown Serbia's first-ever Freestyle world champion, Micic will have to beat Higuchi who survived a barn burner against Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM).

The European champion at 61kg, Harutyunyan hit a four-pointer to start the match. But Higuchi used his arm-bar offense and leg lace to win 16-14 in the quarterfinals. He blanked Meirambek KARTBAY (KAZ) 11-0 in the semifinals.

Higuchi missed the Tokyo Olympics after his bid to return to 57kg was cut short, first by a missed weight at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers and later by Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN), who won a playoff against Higuchi to represent Japan at the home Olympics.

In the non-Olympic weight classes, In the non-Olympic weight classes, Akhmed USMANOV (AIN) defeated two-time returning silver medalist Mohamad NOKHODI (IRI) in the semifinal and will face U23 world champion Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) for the gold at 79kg.

At 92kg, returning bronze medalist Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) made short work of Asian champion and 19-year-old Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) by beating him 11-0 in the semifinal. Yoshida had earlier defeated Vladislav VALIEV (AIN) in the opening bout of his debut World Championships.

He will face another 19-year-old, Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ), for the gold medal. Aitmukhan defeated returning bronze medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) to enter his first World Championships final. Aitmukhan was second to Yoshida in the Asian Championships final in April.