Nwachukwu wins gold, Nette takes silver, Bey gets bronze at CISM Military Worlds in Armenia

YEREVAN, Armenia – The United States earned three medals on the second day of the 37^th CISM World Military Wrestling Championships on Thursday.

Claiming a gold medal in women’s freestyle was SPC Adaugo Nwachukwu (62 kg). Capturing a silver medal in women’s freestyle was SPC Abigail E. Nette (59 kg). Winning a bronze medal in Greco-Roman was 2024 Olympian SPC Kamal A. Bey (82 kg).

Nwachukwu won all four of her matches in a five-athlete round robin. She opened up with a 2-1 decision over eventual silver medalist Ameline Douarre of France. In her second bout, she pinned Annatina Lippuner (Switzerland, who went on to win the bronze medal. Her final two matches were shut out victories over Amina Capezan of Romania, 8-0 and Tuliya Pisarenka of Belarus, 6-0.

Nwachukwu has extensive international experience, including a bronze medal at the 2022 U20 World Championships. She has competed on four U.S. age-group World teams.

Nette finished 3-1 in a five-athlete round robin. Her only loss was to Jhon Junae of North Korea, 6-5. Nette had a 5-2 decision over eventual bronze medalist Kateryna Zhydachevska of Romania. Other wins were over Batorshikh Bolor Erdene of Mongolia by technical fall and a 4-0 victory over Erika Bognar of Hungary, 4-0.

Bey was defeated in his opening match by 2022 World champion and 2021 World silver medalist Burhan Akbudak of Turkey. When Akbudak reached the finals, Bey was drawn back into repechage, with a win over Rahul of India. In his bronze-medal bout, Bey defeated Bodaghi Shahin of Iran.

SGT Areana L. Villaescusa placed fourth in a four-athlete round robin at 55 kg in women’s freestyle with a 1-2 record. Villaescusa was able to pin eventual champion Jyoti of India in her final match, but was pinned in her other two bouts. Her fourth-place finish was determined by tie-breakers.

2020 Olympian SGT Alejandro Sancho finished with a 1-1 record at 72 kg in Greco-Roman. He won his first match against Jose Luis of Columbia, then was defeated by two-time U23 World medalist Shant Khachatryan of Armenia. When Khachatryan did not reach the finals, Sancho was not eligible for repechage.

At 55 kg in Greco-Roman, SPC William D. Sullivan lost his opening match to Shamshiri Kiyanoush of Iran and did not qualify for repechage.

The USA has now won four medals at the 2024 CISM World Military Championships, after SGT Ildar S. Hafizov won a silver medal at 63 kg in Greco-Roman on Wednesday.

The competition concludes on Friday. CPT Jeremiah B. Imonode will compete in both freestyle at 125 kg and Greco-Roman at 130 kg on Friday. Also wrestling on Friday for the USA are Greco-Roman wrestlers SPC Spencer Woods (87 kg) and SPC Timothy Young (97 kg) plus women’s freestyle athletes SPC Sienna Ramirez (65 kg) and SPC Tristan Kelly (76 kg).

37^th CISM World Military Wrestling Championships

At Yerevan, Armenia, November 21

Women’s freestyle medalists

55 kg

Gold - Jyoti (India)

Silver - Munkhbolt Dulguun (Mongolia)

Bronze - Marina Sedneva (Kazakhstan)

57 kg

Gold – Sim Song Il (North Korea)

Silver – Babanmunkh Otgontuya (Mongolia)

Bronze – Ramona Galambus (Hungary)

59 kg

Gold – Jong Junae (North Korea)

Silver - Abigail Nette (USA)

Bronze - Kateryna Zhydachevska (Romania)

62 kg

Gold - Adaugo Nwachukwu (USA)

Silver - Ameline Douarre (France)

Bronze - Annatina Lippuner (Switzerland)

U.S. Women’s freestyle results

55 kg – SGT Areana L. Villaescusa, U.S. Army, 4^th place

LOSS Munkhbolt Dulguun (Mongolia), pin

LOSS Marina Sedneva (Kazakhstan), pin

WIN Jyoti (India), pin

59 kg – SPC Abigail E. Nette, U.S. Army, silver medal

WIN Batorshikh Bolor Erdene (Mongolia), tech fall 12-2

LOSS Jhon Junae (North Korea), 6-5

WIN Erika Bognar (Hungary), 4-0

WIN Kateryna Zhydachevska (Romania), 5-2

62 kg – SPC Adaugo Nwachukwu, U.S. Army, gold medal

WIN Ameline Douarre (France), 2-1

WIN Annatina Lippuner (Switzerland), pin

WIN Amina Roxsana Capezan (Romania), 8-0

WIN Tuliya Pisarenka (Belarus), 6-0

Greco-Roman medalists

55 kg

Gold – Choi Ro Yu (North Korea)

Silver – Tigran Minasyan (Armenia

Bronze - Shamshiri Kiyanoush (Iran)

72 kg

Gold – Selcuk Can (Turkey)

Silver – Morteza Pour Isa (Iran)

Bronze – Aleksei Kiiankin (Russia)

Bronze - Shant Khachatryan (Armenia)

82 kg

Gold – Rafael Iunusov (Russia)

Silver - Burhan Akbudak (Turkey)

Bronze – Kamal Bey (USA)

Bronze – Samvel Grigoryan (Armenia)

U.S. Greco-Roman results

55 kg – SPC William D. Sullivan, U.S. Army, 10^th place

LOSS Shamshiri Kiyanoush (Iran)

72 kg – SGT Alejandro Sancho, U.S. Army, 8^th place

WIN Jose Luis Ortiz Carrasquilla (Colombia)

LOSS Shant Khachatryan (Armenia)

82 kg – SPC Kamal A. Bey, U.S. Army, bronze medal

LOSS Burhan Akbudak (Turkey)

WIN Rahul (India)

WIN Bodaghi Shahin (Iran)

Men’s freestyle medalists

74 kg

Gold – Jandeep (India)

Silver – Hosseini Amir Hossein (Iran)

Bronze – Fazil Eryilmaz (Turkey)

Bronze – Hrayr Alikhanyan (Armenia)

79 kg

Gold – Olonbayar Sukdkhuu (Mongolia)

Silver – Mokhmad Nasirkhaev (Russia)

Bronze – Chandermohan (India)

Bronze – Arman Avagyan (Armenia)

86 kg

Gold – Arslan Bagaev (Russia)

Silver – Rakhim Magamadov (France)

Bronze – Ilya Khamtsou (Belarus)

Bronze – Rustem Myrzagaliyev (Kazakhstan)