#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open: Gray, Nichita lose; Jafarov pinned

Saturday, January 13, 2024 - 09:50 By United World Wrestling Press

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ZAGREB, Croatia (January 13) -- More Women's Wrestling action on day four of the Zagreb Open. 53kg, 57kg, 72kg and 76kg wrestlers will be on the mat. In Greco-Roman, wrestlers from 63kg and 67kg will be in action.

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14:50: A top semifinal to session the morning session as Parviz NASIBOV (UKR) pins world silver medalist Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE). Jafarov failed to score from par terre and challenged for leg foul. It was called clean, giving Nasibov a 1-1 criteria lead. Jafarov scored a stepout to lead 2-1 at the break. Nasibov gets the criteria back in the second period as Jafarov is called passive. Nasibov was happy to hold the criteria but referee calls for third passivity and Nasibov is put in par terre. As Jafarov tries the guy wrench, Nasibov stopped him and held to secure the pin

14:35: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) into the final at 76kg. She will take on Juan WANG (CHN) for the gold medal. At 53kg, Qianyu PANG (CHN) with a superb arm throw and then pins Min ZHANG (CHN).

14:30: Not to be for Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)! The world silver medalist at 57kg falls to Asian Games bronze medalist Kexin HONG in a close 3-2 semifinal. Leading 1-1 on criteria, Nichita wasn't able to stop Hong from a late takedown.

14:20: 63kg world champion Leri ABULADZE (GEO) survives a tough semifinal against TIBILOV (SRB). Abuladze led 5-1 after two turns from par terre but was cautioned for blocking and a stepout from Tibilov made it 5-3. Tibilov scored a takedown with a second left to make it 5-5 but Abuladze had the criteria.

14:15: Juan WANG (CHN) upsets another American wrestler! Kennedy BLADES (USA) was leading 3-1 with 20 seconds left on the clock but Wang sprung into action and scored a takedown to win 3-3 at 76kg.

14:00: Adeline GRAY (USA) and Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) coming out on Mat B for their quarterfinal at 76kg. Medet Kyzy on a single and trips Gray for four! Another single-leg attack for a takedown. Medet Kyzy makes it look so easy. A 10-0 technical superiority for the world silver medalist over the bronze medalist

13:45: Juan WANG (CHN) with a top win over Kylie WELKER (USA). She built an early lead and scored a takedown late in the match to rule out Welker who scored five points. Wang moves into the semis with an 8-5 win.

13:30: Qianyu PANG (CHN) has been on a roll today. She is into the 53kg semifinals with an 8-0 win over Annika WENDLE (GER). Up next is Min ZHANG (CHN) who, incidentally, also defeated a German wrestler, Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER), via fall to reach the semis. 

13:05: Gagik SNJOYAN (FRA) with a 10-0 win over NEERAJ (UWW). That match is followed by Danial SOHRABI (IRI) falling to Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU) 7-1. He failed to score from two par terre advantages he got. Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) blanks Niklas OEHLEN (SWE) 9-0.

12:45: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) with another fall. She moves into the quarterfinals after pinning Justina DI STASIO (CAN). Next up is Adeline GRAY (USA).

12:35: Adeline GRAY (USA) looks like returning to her best since her comeback at the World Championships. She holds off Yuanyuan HUANG (CHN) 4-0 to move into the quarterfinals at 76kg.  

12:15: Karla GODINEZ (CAN) and Dominique PARRISH (USA) moving on at 53kg. Godinez with a win over Haley AUGELLO (USA) while Parrish gets a walkover from Lucia YEPEZ (ECU)

WW - 53 kg1/8 Final455(SRI) Nethmi Ahinsa Fernando PORUTHOTAGE (18)(CHN) Min ZHANG (19)

11:50: U20 world champion Moustafa ALAMELDIN (EGY) with a big throw in the second period to beat Morten THORESEN (NOR) 4-1 at 67kg and move to the next round

11:45: Parviz NASIBOV (UKR) and Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) get going with easy wins. Nasibov got the better of HUSIYUETU (CHN) while Jafarov beat Alejandro SANCHO (USA) at 67kg. 

11:10: Danial SOHRABI (IRI) has made it a habit of living on the edge. Put in par terre, he gave up three turns as Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR) led 7-1 at the break. Sohrabi didn't score any points when Joergensen was put in par terre but the Norweigen's conditioning was not up to the mark for the six minutes as Sohrabi five stepouts in the last 90 seconds to win 8-7.

10:45: Samar HAMZA (EGY) suffers a shock 3-2 loss to Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU) at 76kg. Just could not get going in her attacks. World silver medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) with a fall over Rita TALISMANOVAAA (AIN)

10:30: Down goes the European champion Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) as Min ZHANG (CHN) builds a strong 8-2 lead before winning 12-6. On Mat C, young prodigy Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR) with a 10-6 win over Ekaterina VERBINA (AIN).

10:15: Electric start to the day as world bronze medalist Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) and Nina HEMMER (GER) put on a show. Yepez pulls off an 11-9 win at 53kg. Little later, Qianyu PANG (CHN) pins Christianah OGUNSANYA (NGR).

10:00: Welcome to the fourth day of the Zagreb Open Ranking Series. Adelaine GRAY (USA), 

#WrestleMonterrey

Blades, Godinez sisters cruise to Pan-Am golds

Saturday, May 10, 2025 - 07:02 By Vinay Siwach

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MONTERREY, Mexico (May 9) -- Olympic silver medalist Kennedy BLADES (USA) made a golden debut at Pan-American Championships, winning gold medal at 68kg in Monterrey, Mexico.

Blades, who won silver medal in Paris at 76kg, led a spirited performance from the United States which claimed three gold medals out of the six Women's Wrestling weight classes in action on Friday.

Apart from Blades, Audrey JIMINEZ (USA) and Tiffani BAUBLITZ (USA) won gold medals at 50kg and 72kg respectively. Canada won two other gold medals through the Godinez sister -- Karla and Ana -- at 55kg and 62kg, respectively. Cuba won the remaining gold at 57kg through Yaynelis SANZ (CUB).

Blades wrestled in a Nelson bracket and after dominating her way to the final, she faced Nathali GRIMAN (VEN) for the gold medal. It was Griman who opened the scoring with a stepout but Blades blasted a double-leg attack for a takedown to take a 2-1 lead. On restart, Griman was on her heels and Blades hit another double-leg, this time for four points.

The big moves continued as Blades used her strength for another double-leg takedown for four points and lead 10-1. Griman countered a Blades move and flung her for four points on the edge to cut the lead to 10-5.

In the second period, Blades got a two-point takedown and moved closer to victory with a 12-5 lead. Griman gave her the perfect opportunity when she missed a deep shot and Blades scored a go-behind for a 14-5 victory.

Jiminez downed Paris Olympic silver medalist Yusneylis GUZMAN (CUB), 18-8, in the 50kg semifinal before pinning Madison PARKS (CAN) in the final.

Parks got a point as Jimiez was put on the 30-second activity clock. But she answered with a two-pointer to lead 2-1 at the break. Parks scored a stepout in the second period before Jiminez launched a cradle and kept Parks' back on the mat to secure the fall with two minutes remaining in the match.

In the semifinal, Guzman led with a takedown before a clumsy ankle-pick and throw made it 6-0. Jiminez got on the board with a takedown but the joy was short-lived as Guzman countered a low attack and scored two more points to lead 8-2 at the break.

The second period was all about Jiminez as she snapped Guzman and scored a go-behind. She transitioned into a leg-lace and turned Guzman four times to pull off an unprecedented, 18-8, win and enter the final.

The third gold medal came through Tiffani BAUBLITZ (USA) who won both her bouts in round-robin system. Baublitz faced off Nyla BURGESS (CAN) in the second round and the winner would win gold.

Baublitz scored takedown in the opening 10 seconds to lead 2-0. Burgess got a stepout to cut the lead to 2-1 but Baubtiz got a stepout to make it 3-1 at the break.

Burgess turned the tide in her favour with two clutch takedowns in the second period to lead 5-3. Baubtiz managed to get a single-leg attack to exposure for two points but a reversal added one point to Burgess' score and she led 6-5.

Baubtiz never gave up to get the lead back. As the two wrestlers engaged, she flung Burgess and got a stepout to take a 6-6 criteria lead with 57 seconds remaining. She defended her lead and clinched the gold at 72kg.

Godinez Sisters Golden

Karla and Ana GODINEZ (CAN) claimed gold medals to give Canada two champions in Women's Wrestling. Karla, wrestling at 55kg, outscored her opponents 31-0 in three bouts. She was in a four-wrestler round-robin bracket and won her matches 10-0, 11-0 and 10-0 for the gold medal.

The elder Godinez, Ana, returning to competition for the first time since finishing a heartbreaking fifth at the Paris Olympics, secured a fall in the 62kg final against Astrid MONTERO (VEN) to win gold medal.

She won her first two bouts via technical superiority and the semifinal via fall before Montero challenged her in the final. Montero built a 3-0 lead at the break and Godinez needed something special in the second period.

After giving up another stepout, Godinez got a takedown and then cradled Montero for the fall with 1:50 remaining on the clock to win the gold medal.

Cuba won the gold medal at 57kg as Yaynelis SANZ (CUB) denied home favorite Bertha ROJAS (MEX), 6-0, in the final.

Sanz was put on the activity clock in the first period but she used a duckunder to get behind Rojas. She elevated Rojas's leg and the Mexican tried to hit a cut-back which Sanz defended and fell forward with Rojas on the mat for two points. It became 4-0 when Sanz scored a takedown before the break.

In the second period, Rojas missed an attack and Sanz was quick to go behind but Rojas defended for a while before the scramble resulted in Sanz getting the takedown and a 6-0 lead. Sanz defended that lead and won gold.

U.S. claims Greco title

The United States claimed the Greco-Roman team title with 209 points. After winning five gold medals on Thursday, it added one more as two Greco weight classes were in action on Friday. Mexico finished second with 143 points and Venezuela was third with 90 points. Cuba, which only had three wrestlers entered, finished fourth with 75 points as all three of them won gold medals.

Alejandro SANCHO (USA), who won the gold at 67kg last year, won the gold medal with ease at 72kg this year after beating Nilton SOTO (PER) 8-0 in the final.

Sancho was clearly the aggressor from the word go and scored a stepout. When he got the par terre advantage, he scored two points from a correct throw to lead 4-0.

He kept the pressure in the second period as well and scored a stepout before adding two more stepout and a point for caution against Soto helped him win 8-0, his fourth technical superiority win of the day.

At 97kg, world champion and Paris Olympics bronze medalist Gabriel ROSILLO (CUB) defeated Paris Olympian Kevin MEJIA (HON), 5-1, in the final.

Mejia got the par terre but as he tried a turn, Rosillo slipped out and tried a reverse lift. He failed to execute it and Mejia landed with no exposure. Mejia quickly scored a go-behind for a 3-0 lead. However, Cuba challenged the decision and won on review, reverting the lead to 1-0.

In the second period, Rosillo got the par terre and after a little battle as Mejia defended the position, Rosillo scored a body slam and got four points to lead 5-1 which he defended till the end.

The gold medal was Rosillo's only second at the Pan-Am Championships, the first coming back in 2019.

RESULTS

Women's Wrestling

50kg
GOLD: Audrey JIMENEZ (USA) df. Madison PARKS (CAN), via fall (4-2)

BRONZE: Nohalis LOYO (VEN) df. Kamila BARBOSA (BRA), 4-1
BRONZE: Yusneylis GUZMAN (CUB) df. Yorlenis MORAN (PAN), 12-2

55kg
GOLD: Karla GODINEZ (CAN)
SILVER: Louisa SCHWAB (USA)
BRONZE: Andrea AVELINO (MEX)

57kg
GOLD: Yaynelis SANZ (CUB) df. Bertha ROJAS (MEX), 6-0

BRONZE: Luisa VALVERDE (ECU) df. Ana PEREIRA (BRA), 10-0
BRONZE: Amanda MARTINEZ (USA) df. Mia FRIESEN (CAN), 12-2

62kg
GOLD: Ana GODINEZ (CAN) df. Astrid MONTERO (VEN), via fall (4-4)

BRONZE: Melanie JIMENEZ (MEX) df. Savannah COSME (USA), 3-0

68kg
GOLD: Kennedy BLADES (USA) df. Nathali GRIMAN (VEN), 14-5

BRONZE: Virginia JIMENEZ (CHI) df. Debanhi TAPIA (MEX), 4-4

72kg
GOLD: Tiffani BAUBLITZ (USA)
SILVER: Nyla BURGESS (CAN)
BRONZE: Michelle OLEA (MEX)

Greco-Roman

72kg
GOLD: Alejandro SANCHO (USA) df. Nilton SOTO (PER), 8-0

SILVER: Irving SALAZAR (MEX) df. Cristian MEJIA (GUA), 9-0

97kg
GOLD: Gabriel ROSILLO (CUB) df. Kevin MEJIA (HON), 5-1

BRONZE: Michial FOY (USA) df. Dorian TREJO (MEX), 9-0