Updated: Burroughs wins gold at Kunaev DA in Kazakhstan, McKenna beats Diakomihalis in 65 kg semifinals

TARAZ CITY, Kazakhstan - 2012 Olympic champion and six-time World champion Jordan Burroughs (Philadelphia, Pa./Sunkist Kids/Pennsylvania RTC) won a gold medal at 74 kg at the Kunaev DA International on Saturday.

He opened up his offense in a 15-4 technical fall victory over 2018 and 2019 U20 World bronze medalist Syrbaz Talgat of Kazakhstan in the gold-medal finals.

Talgat scored the opening takedown and added an ankle lace turn for a 4-0 lead. After Burroughs forced a step out, he added a low double leg takedown and a turn for a 5-4 lead at the break. In the second period, Burroughs stuck again with a takedown, then secured an ankle lace, turning Talgat four times to finish off the technical fall.

Burroughs powered through four rounds of action on Friday to reach the finals, including a 10-0 technical fall win over Yerbarys Satybaldy of Kazakhstan in the semifinals.

Burroughs is down to 74 kg, the weight where he won his Olympic title and four of his World titles, for the first time since the finals of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Fort Worth, Texas in April 2021. He won his Olympic gold and four of his World titles at 74 kg and added two World titles at 79 kg.  

Two U.S. Senior Freestyle National Team members reached the semifinals at 65 kg, where Joey McKenna (Philadelphia, Pa./Titan Mercury WC/Pennsylvania RTC) defeated 2022 World silver medalist Yianni Diakomihalis (Rochester, N.Y./Titan Mercury WC/Spartan Combat RTC), 4-3. The key action came late in the closing seconds of the bout, where McKenna was awarded two points, and a Diakomihalis challenge was denied.

McKenna advances to Sunday’s 65 kg gold-medal match against Adil Ospanov of Kazakhstan, a three-time Senior World Team member.

McKenna marched through his quarterbracket, opening with an 11-0 technical fall over Rustem Tolen of Kazakhstan. After beating Khusniddin Erkabaev of Uzbekistan, 5-0, he pinned Shattyk Alaidar of Kazakhstan in 4:45 in the quarterfinals.

Diakomihalis will wrestle for a bronze medal on Sunday. He will face one of the three athletes who McKenna defeated in his first three matches, based upon the results of Sunday’s repechage.

Diakomihalis racked up three straight technical falls over opponents from Kazakhstan, stopping in order Nursultan Sadyk, Sanzhar Mukhtar and Didar Nurakhmet.

The Kazakhstan Wrestling Federation is streaming the event live on its YouTube Channel

United World Wrestling has been posting Burroughs matches on its Instagram with links to the videos from its X account

Updates are being posted by the Pennsylvania RTC X account

KUNAEV DA INTERNATIONAL

At Taraz City, Kazakhstan, November 3

U.S. men’s freestyle Group One performances

74 kg – Jordan Burroughs, Philadelphia, Pa. (Sunkist Kids/Pennsylvania RTC), Gold Medal

WIN Yerhan Bexultanov (Kazakhstan), 9-2

WIN Kanat Mussabekov (Kazakhstan), forfeit

WIN Zafarbek Otakhanov (Uzbekistan), 9-1

WIN Yerbarys Satybaldy (Kazakhstan), tech fall, 10-0

WIN Syrbaz Talgat (Kazakhstan), technical fall, 15-4

U.S. men’s freestyle Group Two performances

65 kg Joey McKenna (Philadelphia, Pa./Titan Mercury WC/Pennsylvania RTC), in gold-medal finals

WIN Rustem Tolen (Kazakhstan), tech fall, 11-0

WIN Khusniddin Erkabaev (Uzbekistan), 5-0

WIN Shattyk Alaidar (Kazakhstan), pin 4:45

WIN Yianni Diakomihalis (USA), 4-3

Gold Medal – Adil Ospanov (Kazakhstan)

65 kg - Yianni Diakomihalis (Rochester, N.Y./Titan Mercury WC/Spartan Combat RTC), in bronze medal bout

WIN Nursultan Sadyk (Kazakhstan), tech fall 10-0

WIN Sanzhar Mukhtar (Kazakhstan), tech fall 12-0

WIN Didar Nurakhmet (Kazakhstan), tech fall 11-0

LOSS Joey McKenna (USA), 4-3

Bronze Medal – to be determined