Four Medals on Day 1 at German GP

This was supposed to be the final tune-up for our men’s freestyle Olympians, but they’re still bringing home some hardware. Jordan Burroughs led the way with a gold medal, as well as a silver for Frank Molinaro and two bronzes between J’Den Cox and Kyle Snyder.

Burroughs was taken down in his semis match and did not score a takedown in the finals, but that did not deter him from his winning ways. He has 48 days left to peak for the scheduled 74kg day.

After running through his first two opponents 10-0, he beat former Clarion star Bekzod Abdurakhmonov 9-3. While he did get taken down in this match, he also unleashed an incredible blast double in the first 10 seconds for four points. He beat Obst of Germany in the finals on the strength of three pushouts in the second period.

Pushouts were the theme in the second half of Frank Molinaro’s final as well. Molinaro was put on the shot clock in the first period against 2012 Olympic champ Togrul Asgarov, but right as time was about to expire he finished a double leg for four.

But in the second period, Asgarov continued to dig underhooks, hold center and force Frank into the zone multiple times. While the stream made it hard to tell, it appears Asgarov forced as many as five pushout points. Molinaro was put on the clock several times, but it did not appear any cautions were given on the scoreboard. With just four seconds remaining, Asgarov got a final stepout to win 5-4.

In typical Molinaro fashion, his 9-2 semifinals win featured several finger wags from the mat chairman and a gratuitous point for getting punched in the head by the Ukrainian.

The youngest world champ in American history lost a tight 2-1 semifinals to wily veteran and seven-time world/Olympic medalist Khetag Gazyumov. The Azeri took down Kyle Snyder early in the match and held on for the win despite Snyder getting a shot clock in the second. Gazyumov’s straight stance and head/hands blocking prevented Kyle from scoring when he did pull the trigger on leg attacks.

In his first two matches, Snyder defeated the No. 14 and No. 18 wrestlers in the UWW rankings. Snyder beat Nicole Ceban of Moldova 9-4 and Jose Daniel Diaz Robertti of Venezuela 9-1.

J’Den Cox lost in the quarters to 2012 Olympic champ Sharif Sharifov of Azerbaijan. We do not have video of that match, but the final score was 6-2. After he pinned Voelk of Germany in the repechage, he showed off a little leg lace action in his bronze medal win.

On the Greco side, Jayshon Wilson was in the bronze medal match at 75kg. He lost in the semis to Rafig Huseynov of Azerbaijan, currently ranked No. 4 in the world at 80kg.

65 kg/143 lbs. – Frank Molinaro, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), SILVER
WIN William STtier (GER), 11-0
WIN Tital Dzhafarian (UKR), 9-2
LOSS Togrul Asgarov (AZE), 5-4

74 kg/163 lbs. – Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC), GOLD
WIN Markus Knobel (GER), 10-0
WIN Andrzej Sokalski (POL), 10-0
WIN Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (UZB), 9-3
WIN Martin Obst (GER), 3-1

86 kg/189 lbs. – J’Den Cox, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri Wrestling Foundation/Titan Mercury WC), BRONZE
WIN Kanat Berdiyev (KAZ), 10-0
LOSS Sharif Sharifov (AZE), 6-2
WIN Konstantin Voelk (GER), Fall
WIN Adilet Davlumayev (KAZ), 10-5

97 kg/213 lbs. – Kyle Snyder, Woodbine, Md. (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC), BRONZE
WIN Nicolai Ceban (MDA), 9-4
WIN Jose Daniel Diaz Robertti (VEN), 9-1
LOSS Khetag Gazyumov (AZE), 2-1
WIN Bone Serdar (TUR), Fall

75 kg/165 lbs. – Jayshon Wilson, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps)
WIN Rabbia Khalil (PLE), 11-1
LOSS Rafik Huseynov (AZE), 12-1
LOSS Oldrich Varga (CZE), 8-0

98 kg/215 lbs. – Daniel Miller, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps)
LOSS Cenk Ilden (TUR), 2-0

Dan Dennis Gold on Day 2 in Germany 

On the final day of competition in Germany, Dan Dennis brought ensured the United States' Olympians would go five for five by winning a gold medal Sunday. 

In round one, The Wild Man (Episode 1, Episode 2) downed Roman Walter of Germany, 10-0, then Baris Kaya of Turkey, 11-0. In the finals Dennis took out Mirjalal Hasan-Zada of Azerbaijan, 3-2. Hasan-Zada and Kaya are both past Junior World medalists. Hasan-Zada (who actually is a two-time Junior World medalist) also qualified the weight for Azerbaijan for the Olympic Games. There is a possibility we see him in Rio if Haji Aliev doesn't cut down.

57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Daniel Dennis, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC), GOLD
WIN Roman Walter (Germany), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Baris Kaya (Turkey), tech. fall 11-0
WIN Mirjalal Hasan-Zada (Azerbaijan), 3-2