2021 Junior World Championships

LIVE From Russia: Day 3 Junior Worlds Updates

LIVE From Russia: Day 3 Junior Worlds Updates

Get updates live updates from the Junior Worlds in Ufa, Russia.

Aug 18, 2021 by Kyle Klingman
LIVE From Russia: Day 3 Junior Worlds Updates

Follow along here for the latest happenings from the 2021 Junior World Championships in Ufa, Russia. Day 3 features the first five wrestlers in the women's freestyle competition.

Four men's freestyle wrestlers are alive for a medal, with Missouri stars Keegan O'Toole (74 kg) and Rocky Elam (92 kg) going for gold and Air Force star Wyatt Hendrickson (125 kg) going for bronze. 

Braxton Amos (97 kg) won the first gold medal for the United States while Beau Bartlett (65 kg) and Bryce Andonian (70 kg) won bronze. 

Competition begins at 1 a.m. Central with prelims and quarterfinals with semifinals beginning at 6:45 a.m. and medal matches beginning at 8 a.m.

Click here for detailed information about the women's freestyle team
Click here for detailed information about the men's freestyle team

Click here for Day 1 updates
Click here for Day 2 updates


Round of 16 (50 kg): Emily Shilson over Natallia Varakina (BLR), 6-3

Off the whistle, Shilson fires off a shot a scored a two-point takedown. She broke out her headlock later in the match for another two points but gave up a reversal for a 4-1 lead at the break. 

Shilson got extended on a shot and gave up a takedown halfway through the second period, making her lead 4-3. A scramble at the end of the period results in a two-point exposure for Shilson and a 6-3 win. 

Round of 16: Kylie Welker (76 kg): over Laura KUEHN (GER), 10-0

Welker came out fast with a snatch single and four consecutive leg laces to end the match in less than a minute.

Round of 16 (55 kg): Payton Stroud over Antonia Valdez Arriagada (CHI), 5-2

Arria scored the first takedown when Stroud attempted a headlock and she caught her shot. Stroud retaliated late in the first with a four-point throw for a 4-2.

Stroud scored the first and only point of the second period off an activity clock violation, which led to a 5-2 win.

Quarterfinals (68 kg): Amit Elor over Arju Arju (IND), 10-0

Elor scored a pair of step-outs to start the match. She hit a four-point throw, locked up a cradle for two then transitioned into a leg lace turn for a 10-0 technical superiority win.

Round of 16 (59 kg): Ebru Dagbasi over (TUR) Mia Macaluso, FALL

Dagbasi hoisted Macaluso off the ground with a feet-to-back double for four points before securing a fall. 

Macaluso was eliminated from the tournament after Dagbasi was defeated in the next round. 

Quarterfinals (50 kg): Emily Shilson over Viktoriia Aleksandrova (RUS), 10-7

Aleksandrova scored twice off crotch lifts following a shot by Shilson.

Shilson whipped Aleksandrova to her back for two points then picked up a turn for a 4-4 criteria lead. Aleksandrova scores a takedown in a flurry but Shilson stepped over, ends up on top, and pulled out a 10-7 win after a wild exchange. 

Quarterfinals (55 kg): Kalmira Bilimbek Kyzy (KGZ) over Payton Stroud, 10-0

Stroud attempted a headlock but Bilimbek Kyzy caught the throw attempt and scored a two-point takedown. Stroud attempted another headlock later in the period but it was ruled a slip throw. Biimbek Kyz powered through Stroud for a two-point exposure and nearly had the fall then powered through again for another two-point exposure to take a 6-9 lead into the break. 

Kyzy spun behind Stroud a minute into the period to extend her lead to 8-0. Kyzy stepped over for a two-point exposure and a 10-0 technical superiority. 

Quarterfinals (76 kg): Kylie Welker over Mariia Silina (RUS), 11-0

Welker scored the first point after an activity clock violation by Silina then picked up two more after she scored a takedown off of Silina’s shot. Welker powered through for a second takedown at the end of the period for a 5-0 lead at the break. 

Welker countered another shot for her third takedown. She countered her fourth shot and picked up an immediate turn for an 11-0 technical superiority. 

Semifinals (50 kg): Emily Shilson over Simran Simran (IND), 10-0

Shilson strikes with a two-point takedown off the whistle that eventually led to a tilt for a 4-0 lead. Shilson used pressure off her front headlock to spin behind and score another takedown for a 6-0 lead. Add two more points off a takedown and turn for a 10-0 technical superiority win. Shilson moves into the 50-kg gold medal finals. 

Semifinals (68 kg): Amit Elor over Zsuzsanna Molnar (SRK), 10-0

Elor picks up a step-out point then scores a takedown off an underhook then picks up to leg lace turns for a 7-0 lead. A four-point arm throw ends the match and gives Elor an 11-0 technical superiority win and a spot in the gold medal finals. 

Semifinals (76 kg): Kylie Welker over Kseniya Dzibuk (BLR), FALL

Welker scored a two-point takedown off a snatch single to start the match. A four-point hip toss a few seconds later led to a fall and a spot in the 76-kg finals. 

Gold medal match (74 kg): Keegan O'Toole vs. vs. Nurdaulet Kuanyshbay (KAZ)

O’Toole scored a takedown and a turn for a 4-0 lead. A step-out near the end of the period gave O’Toole a 5-0 lead heading into the break. 

O’Toole shot a head to the inside single then came out the back door but it only yielded a step-out point, but he extended his lead to 6-0. 

There he goes again: O’Toole picked up a turn during a scramble then locked up a cradle for two more for a 10-0 technical superiority win. A lost challenge by Kazakstan added an additional point. Final score: 11-0. Gold medal for O'Toole. 

Gold medal match (92 kg): Rocky Elam over Mahdi Hajiloueianmorafah (IRI), 4-2

Elam scored two points in the first period: one on an activity clock violation and the second on a step-out.

Elam was in deep on a shot, came out the back door, was close to scoring but gave up a takedown, giving Hajiloueianmorafah a 2-2 criteria lead. 

Elam worked hard to earn a takedown at the end of the match for a 4-2 win and a gold medal. 

Bronze medal match (125 kg):  Andrei Bestaev (RUS) over Wyatt Hendrickson, 7-3

Hendrickson scored a step-out after getting put on the activity clock. Hendrickson scored late on a single for a 3-0 lead at the break.

Bestaev scored first in the second period with a step-out then scored on a four-point throw out of bounds for a 5-3 lead. Hendrickson went for a desperation shot at the end that was countered for a two-point exposure. Bestaev won 7-3.