U.S. earns four gold, one silver at Grand Prix of Spain in men’s freestyle

MADRID, Spain – The U.S. capped off the Grand Prix of Spain in men’s freestyle, earning four gold and one silver medal. All five men’s freestyle athletes performed well at the event, claiming podium finishes and a third place overall result as a team.  

At 70 kg, Yahya Thomas secured a gold medal with an impressive record of 3-0. Thomas dominated Saba Bolaghi of Germany in a 10-0 technical fall in his opening match, continued his streak with another 10-0 technical fall over Jacob Torres of Canada, and concluded his campaign with a hard-fought 1-1 criteria decision win over Yernur Nurgazy of Kazakhstan.

Quincy Monday also captured gold at 74 kg. Monday opened the tournament with an 11-0 technical fall over Nico Zard of Malta. He continued with a 5-0 decision win over Szymon Wojtkowski of Poland, and added another 11-0 technical fall over Pan American Games bronze medalist Adam Thomson of Canada. Monday brought down 2024 Olympian Anthony Montero Chirinos of Venezuela in a 2-0 decision for the gold medal.

In the 79 kg bracket, Kennedy Monday earned gold after going undefeated on Sunday. Monday started his tournament with a bye in the first round, then a 10-0 technical fall over an experienced Richard Schroeder of Germany. A high-scoring match followed in the semifinals, as Monday earned the 19-6 technical fall victory over 2016 Olympian Zelimjkan Khadjiev of France. In the gold medal match, Monday defeated fellow American Lennox Wolak in a 12-9 decision.

2023 Senior World Team member Chance Marsteller was unstoppable at 86 kg, clinching the gold medal. He started strong with a 10-0 technical fall over Taran Goring of Canada. After advancing past Alex Moore of Canada and Kiril Kildau of Germany due to injury defaults, Marsteller capped off his dominant performance with an 11-0 technical fall over Gabriel Iglesias Ramos of Spain.

Lennox Wolak secured a silver medal at 79 kg, going 3-1 at the tournament on Sunday. Wolak's journey to the finals was marked by a series of victories, including a 12-0 technical fall over Mateusz Pędzicki of Poland, a 6-0 decision over Fetairia Chemseddine of Algeria, and an 8-6 decision over Lucas Kahnt of Germany. Despite his strong performance, he was edged out in the gold medal match by fellow American Kennedy Monday, who won 12-9.

The United States finished the tournament placing third overall in the team race with 100 points. Germany topped the standings with 122 points, followed by Canada who scored 110 points to finish second overall. Spain finished the event in third place with 92 points, and Poland rounded out the top five with 75 points.

Brackets for each style and match-by-match results are available on Scorizer.com.

1. Germany, 122 points

2. Canada, 110 points

3. United States, 100 points

4. Spain, 92 points

5. Poland, 75 points

57 kg

Gold - Niklas Stechele (Germany)

Silver - Treye Trotman (Canada)

Bronze - Darian Cruz (Puerto Rico)

4^th - Gari Giordmaina (Malta)

5^th - Joshua Skory (Canada)

6^th - Alessandro Iemma Square (Spain)

61 kg

Gold - Joseph Silva (Puerto Rico)

Silver - Daniel Popov (Israel)

Bronze - Garette Saunders (Canada)

Bronze - Teetje Richter (Germany)

5^th - Jules Gardette (France)

6^th - Ali Reza Karimi (Sweden)

7^th - Christopher Merlo (Canada)

65 kg

Gold - Alejandro Valdes (Cuba)

Silver - Peiman Biabani (Canada)

Bronze - Quentin Sticker (France)

Bronze - Marwane Yezza (France)

5^th - Magomed Katojev (Germany)

5^th - Eneas Estrada Tarascó (Spain)

7^th - Ilyas Abdurashidov (Belgium)

8^th - Carlos Alvarez Iglesias (Spain)

70 kg

Gold - Yahya Thomas (United States)

Silver - Yernur Nurgazy (Kazakhstan)

Bronze - Saul Bello Alvarez (Spain)

Bronze - Saba Bolaghi (Germany)

5^th - Daniel Coles (Canada)

5^th - Jacob Alexander Torres (Canada)

7^th - Rail Zarbaliev (Israel)

8^th - Leon Gerstenberger (Germany)

9^th - Juan Pablo Gonzalez Crespo (Spain)

10^th - Mohammad Amine Sangariev (France)

11^th - Adam Mohaidly (Canada)

12^th - Javier Diaz-Alejo Peinado (Spain)

74 kg

Gold - Quincy Monday (United States)

Silver - Anthony Montero Chirinos (Venezuela)

Bronze - Geandry Garzon (Cuba)

Bronze - Adam Thomson (Canada)

5^th - Pablo Diez Pardo (Spain)

5^th - Szymon Wojtkowski (Poland)

7^th - Ali Arsalan (Serbia)

7^th - Nico Zard (Malta)

9^th - Patrick Leder (Canada)

10^th - Mohamed El Karchouh (Spain)

11^th - Kamil Rybicki (Poland)

12^th - Fabricio Reyes Torres (Spain)

13^th - Ruhollah Kharoti (Sweden)

79 kg

Gold - Kennedy Monday (United States)

Silver - Lennox Wolak (United States)

Bronze - Lucas Kahnt (Germany)

Bronze - Zelmjkan Khadjiev (France)

5^th - Mateusz Pędzicki (Poland)

5^th - Richard Schroeder (Germany)

7^th - Fetairia Chemseddine (Algeria)

8^th - Victor Hernandez (Mexico)

9^th - Mariman Kengali (Kazakhstan)

10^th - Azael García (Spain)

11^th - Vilhelm Larsson (Sweden)

12^th - Max Budgey (Canada)

86 kg

Gold - Chance Marsteller (United States)

Silver - Taran Goring (Canada)

Bronze - Gabriel Iglesias Ramos (Spain)

4^th - Alex Moore (Canada)

5^th - Kiril Kildau (Germany)

92 kg

Gold - Adlan Vishanov (France)

Silver - Uri Kalashnikov (Israel)

Bronze - Filip Rogut (Poland)

4^th - Sultan Kopbayev (Spain)

5^th - Andrew Johnson (Canada)

6^th - Mykola Tolmachov (Spain)

97 kg

Gold - Arturo Silot (Cuba)

Silver - Ertugrul Agca (Germany)

Bronze - Michał Bielawski (Poland)

4^th - Hasa Wiktor (Poland)

5^th - Juho Eemeli Ruusila (Finland)

6^th - Aimar Alzon (Spain)

7^th - Enrique Jimenez (Spain)

125 kg

Gold - Robert Baran (Poland)

Silver - Kamil Kosciolek (Poland)

Bronze - Jonovan Smith (Puerto Rico)

4^th - Lucas Gansi (Germany)

5^th - Carlos Acebron Holgado (Spain)

70 kg: Yahya Thomas (Chicago, Ill./Titan Mercury WC), gold medal

WIN Saba Bolaghi (Germany), 10-0 technical fall

WIN Jacob Torres (Canada), 10-0 technical fall

WIN Yernur Nurgazy (Kazakhstan), 1-1 decision

74 kg: Quincy Monday (Princeton, N.J./New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC), gold medal

WIN Nico Zard (Malta), 11-0 technical fall

WIN Szymon Wojtkowski (Poland), 5-0 decision

WIN Adam Thomson (Canada), 11-0 technical fall

WIN Anthony Montero Chirinos (Venezuela), 2-0 decision

79 kg: Lennox Wolak (Dublin, Ohio/New York City RTC), silver medal

WIN Mateusz Pędzicki (Poland), 12-0 technical fall

WIN Fetairia Chemseddine (Algeria), 6-0 decision

WIN Lucas Kahnt (Germany), 8-6 decision

LOSS Kennedy Monday (United States), 12-9 decision

79 kg: Kennedy Monday (Chapel Hill, N.C.), gold medal

WIN Richard Schroeder (Germany), 10-0 technical fall

WIN Zelimjkan Khadjiev (France), 19-6 technical fall

WIN Lennox Wolak (United States), 12-9 decision

86 kg: Chance Marsteller (Breinigsville, Pa./Titan Mercury WC), gold medal

WIN Taran Goring (Canada), 10-0 technical fall

WIN Alex Moore (Canada), injury default

WIN Kiril Kildau (Germany), injury default

WIN Gabriel Iglesias Ramos (Spain), 11-0 technical fall