#GC2018

Vinesh Gives India Fifth Commonwealth Games Gold

By Eric Olanowski

GOLD COAST, Australia (April 13) - Vinesh VINESH (IND) gave India their fifth gold medal of the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Although four of India's five golds came in freestyle, Vinesh captured the lone, yet much needed top spot in women’s wrestling. 

In her fourth and final bout of the day, the defending champion had hopes of taking out 2012 world champion Jessica Anne Marie MACDONALD (CAN). The No. 2 ranked wrestler in the world struck first with a feet to back double leg for four points, facing MacDonald with her first deficit of the tournament. 

The Indian sat on a comfortable 8-0 lead after a second aggressive four-point double leg. The African runner-up used a MacDonald double leg attack to get her hips committed and picked up a counter two points, but not before MacDonald came out in the top position with a reversal.

Vinesh’s final leg attack came with 90 seconds left, as she picked up her second Commonwealth Games gold medal in as many tries. 

At 86kg, 2010 Commonwealth Champion Muhammad INAM (PAK) upended 41-year-old 2018 African champion Melvin BIBO (NGR), 6-0. 

In the finals, Inam took the lead midway through the first period after Bibo failed to score when he was placed on the activity clock. Shortly after, Inam turned defense into an attack with a crotch lift off Bibo’s attack, taking the 3-0 lead. An additional takedown and an unnecessary hands to the face call would make Inam switch to defensive mode as he had a six-point buffer.  The Pakistani closed the match out intelligently and found ways to stay off the activity clock to keep the shutout intact, winning 6-0. 

This victory at 86kg gave Pakistan their first Commonwealth Games gold medal since Azhar HUSSAIN (PAK) won the 55kg gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. 

Meanwhile, the 62kg gold-medal bout between Aminat ADENIYI (NGR) and Michelle FAZZARI (CAN) was halted after the first five seconds due to an apparent right knee injury to the Canadian wrestler. 

Adeniyi, the 24-year-old Olympian and three-time African champion snatched an early single leg, only to have the 2017 world bronze medalist, Fazzari stop wrestling and begin to favor the already padded right knee. For the third straight international competition, Fazzari would have to pull out due to this apparent right knee injury. 

The African defended her title from four years ago and joined fellow Nigerian’s Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) and Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) as 2018 Commonwealth Games women’s wrestling champions. 

Sumit SUMIT (IND) was awarded the 125kg gold medal after knocking off defending champion Korey JARVIS (CAN) and finishing the day with a 4-0 record. Jarvis ended the day with one loss and took home the silver medal, and Tayab RAZA (PAK) had a pair of wins and losses and departed with Commonwealth Games bronze. 

RESULTS: 
Women's Wrestling 
50kg - Nordic Tournament (4 Participants)
GOLD -  Vinesh VINESH (IND) df. Jessica Anne Marie MACDONALD (CAN), 13-3. 

BRONZE - Miesinnei GENESIS (NGR) df. Rupinder KAUR (AUS), 10-0.

62kg - Nordic Tournament (4 Participants)
GOLD - Aminat ADENIYI (NGR) df. Michelle FAZZARI (CAN), via inj. def.

BRONZE - Sakshi MALIK (IND) df. Tayla FORD (NZL), 6-5. 

Freestyle
86kg 

GOLD - Muhammad INAM (PAK) df. Melvin BIBO (NGR). 6-0. 

BRONZE - Somveer SOMVEER (IND) df. Alexander MOORE (CAN), 7-3
BRONZE - Syerus ESLAMI (ENG) df. David CONTEH (SLE), 11-0.

125kg - Nordic Tournament (5 Participants)
GOLD –  Sumit SUMIT (IND) (4-0)
SILVER - Korey JARVIS (CAN)  (3-1)
BRONZE - Tayab RAZA (PAK) (2-2)

#WrestleBelgrade

2023 World Championships FS 65kg, 97kg; WW 55kg, 59kg semis set

By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 18) -- The third day of the World Championships and women's wrestling is being introduced. The final two Freestyle weights, 65kg and 97kg, will be in action along with WW 55kg and 59kg in action. Remember that Olympic weight classes offer 5 Paris Olympic quotas, four to the medal winners and one to the winner of the playoff which has the bronze-losing wrestlers.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

15:24: What a finish to the morning session! After Kyle SNYDER (USA) was unceremoniously ousted by Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) in the 97kg quarterfinals, Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) was on the verge of slaying the other half of the Snyderlaev beast when Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) pulled off a miracle victory in the final seconds. Asian champion Tazhudinov scored two 4-point moves off counter lifts, the second giving him an 11-0 victory over Snyder at 2:52. Meanwhile, Goleij had gone ahead of Sadulaev 4-2 with a lift-and-dump takedown, only for the five-time world champion to gain a reverse headlock and put Goleij onto his back for a fall with just seconds remaining.

15:10: Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) appears to be cruising into the 65kg semifinals with a seven-point lead in the second period when Nicholas LEE (USA) comes to life and pancakes him to his back. But it is too little, too late as the Iranian fights out of it and holds on for a 7-4 victory.

15:00: Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) has taken out another hammer. He scored two takedowns in his 5-4 win over Shamil MAMMEDOV (AIN). On Mat D, Sebastian RIVERIA (PUR) rolls to a 15-4 win over Maxim SACULTAN (MDA) to reach the semifinals against Vagzen TEVANYAN (ARM)

14:43: A takedown in each period and veteran Yullia TKACH (UKR) is into the 59kg semifinals with a 5-0 victory over Othelie HOEIE. Tkach is pursuing her fifth world medal and first since 2018. She's nine years removed from her lone title won in 2014.

14:18: Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) earns a shot at Sadulaev in the quarterfinals, overwhelming Takashi ISHIGURO (JPN) 11-1.

14:15: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) gives up a late takedown to Vladislav BAITCAEV (HUN) but the Olympic champ wins 4-2 at 97kg and sets up a bout with Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI)

14:12: One thing is for sure, Kyle SNYDER (USA) doesn't like to waste time. He scores a stepout four seconds into his match against Radu LEFTER (MDA) and then it's off to the races. A run of takedowns and he's a 12-1 winner with 30 seconds to spare in the first period. Lefter got his point with a stepout, but the fact that he got Snyder's leg in the air and only came out with 1 point shows the tenacity of the American.

14:00: Iszmail MUSZUKAJAEV (HUN) pins Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN)! A bodylock controlled by Muszukajaev and Otoguro, who isn't aware of the fall, is in disbelief.

13:54: Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) remains on track to defend his 65kg title with a silky smooth 12-0 rout of Stefan COMAN (ROU) to advance to the quarterfinals. He starts with three stepouts, then gets a takedown with a barrel roll. Another stepout, another takedown, then he stops a counter lift for 4 and the bout is over with seven seconds to go in the first period.

13:39: Haruna OKUNO (JPN) takes the mat at 55kg with tape wrapped around her face after suffering a gash on her nose in her previous match. She shows obvious discomfort, especially when Otgontuya CHINBOLD delivers a forearm to the face. Okuno gets only an activity point in the first period, but turns it on in the second, scoring a takedown-gut wrench combination and two more takedowns for a 9-2 win and a place in the quarterfinals. 

13:23: 2014 world champion Yuliia TKACH (UKR) comes back from 4-0 down to pin Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (AIN) at 59kg. The arm bar to use. In the same weight class, Qi ZHANG (CHN) 12-0 over Tamara DOLLAK (HUN)

13:19: Iran is dealt a setback in the freestyle team race as Yones EMAMI (IRI), a bronze medalist a year ago, falls to former world champion Hetik CABOLOV (SRB) in the repechage at 74kg. That not only means one less medal for Iran, but it will also miss out on the Paris Olympic berth in the weight class -- although that will likely be acquired at the Asian qualifying tournament.

13:10: Sae NANJO (JPN), chasing her first senior world title, gets her first bout against Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) underway with a takedown to lead 2-0 at the break. He adds another takedown in the second period to win 4-0

12:26: Haji ALIYEV (AZE), back on the mat with little turnaround time after a tough win over Shaohua YUAN (CHN), breaks open a close match with Georgii OKOROKOVV (AUS) to stay alive at 65kg. Aliyez leads 2-2 by criteria, but scores a takedown and gut wrench, then another takedown in the final two minutes for an 8-2 win. 

12:10: Defending champion Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) warms up for the journey ahead at 65kg with a carefree 10-0 win over Yanisse MADI (COM). Amouzad expends little effort in scoring a takedown and lace lock, then reeling off three takedowns to end it at 2:46.

11:57: Otoguro has no problem putting away Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR). He scores a takedown and a pair of gut wrenches to go up 6-0. Another takedown, another gut wrench, and it's all over at 10-0 with 12 seconds left in the first period. Next up for Otoguro could be Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), who he beat in the quarterfinals at the Tokyo Olympics to avenge a loss in the bronze-medal match at the 2019 worlds.

11:45: Three-time world champion and Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Haji ALIYEV (AZE) had to take an extended medical break as he wrestles Shaohua YUAN (CHN). Aliyev leads 3-2 at the break as he answered Yuan's takedown with an underhook throw of his own. Another takedown for Aliyev to start the second period and he calls bleeding time instantly. Yuan tried challenging but Aliyev with a 10-4 win

11:32: Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN), wrestling in his first international match since his triumph in Tokyo, meets some resistance from Islam DUDAEV (ALB) in his opener at 65kg, but scores three takedowns in the second period to secure a 9-2 win.

11:12: Two-time former world champion Haruna OKUNO (JPN), back at women's 55kg because of Japan's depth at 53kg, gets a 4-pointer off a late scramble to clinch an 8-2 victory over world U20 champion Aryna MARTYNAVA (AIN). Okuno, who won her third world U23 gold last year, is making her first senior world appearance since 2018.

11:00: Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL) hit a monster five-pointer on Krystsina SAZYKINA (POL) and secured the fall to start the day at 59kg.

10:30: Another day and we got two more Olympic weight classes going on the mat. Perhaps the deepest weight class in wrestling, 65kg, and 97kg will be on today in Freestyle. Women's Wrestling will see non-Olympic weight classes 55kg and 59kg