Takedown Report

U.S. Men’s freestyle wins team title, Trumble gets gold, Hardy earns Bronze, Jimenez, Blades to finals

OCT. 25, 2023, 04:13 P.M. (ET)
BY SAVANNAH ASMANN, USA WRESTLING
The United States locked up the team title in men’s freestyle Wednesday night at the 2023 U23 World Championships in Tirana, Albania. Team USA had six medalists for men’s freestyle, a new record for the U23 age group. Women’s freestyle began competition on Wednesday and saw Audrey Jimenez (50 kg) and Kennedy Blades (76 kg) reach the finals.
The United States men’s freestyle team has its fourth World champion of the tournament. Isaac Trumble (97 kg) bested Radu Lefter of Moldova in a 12-2 dominating technical fall. Trumble led early, taking Lefter down twice, forcing him out of bounds, and adding a takedown to lead 8-0 through the first three minutes. Lefter responded with a takedown, but it wasn’t enough as Trumble locked in the victory with two more takedowns. The Nebraska native, who wrestles for NC State, captured gold in his first international competition.
Cooper Flynn’s tournament came to an end in the repechage match at 57 kg. Flynn led early on a passivity call after Germany’s Niklas Stechele was put on the shot clock. In period two, Stechele scored on a step out, then added a point after Flynn was put on the clock. The match was back-and-forth, with Stechele getting the 3-2 win on a late step out point.
At 65 kg, Brock Hardy won his repechage match 7-4 over Moldova’s Pavel Grauer, advancing to the bronze medal match. Hardy, who wrestles for Nebraska, is heading home with a World bronze medal as he defeated Georgia’s Goga Otinashvili in a rough 8-5 decision. The Georgian was first on the board with a throw that scored four. Hardy fired back with a takedown but there was debate about Otinashvili’s knee to the mat, so the United States challenged the call. The officials ruled in favor of Georgia, and it was a 5-2 match. Hardy responded with three gritty takedowns to capture the bronze.
Doug Zapf fell in a close bronze medal match at 70 kg. Kanan Heybatov … rest of story at … Themat.com/U-S-men-s-freestyle-wins-team-title-trumble-gets-gold-hardy-earns-bronze-jimenez-blades-to-finals

October 27, 2023 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized