Winchester, Makoyed, Grote win golds, USA takes team title in women’s freestyle at Zagreb Open

ZAGREB, Croatia – The United States won all three gold medals on the final day of women’s freestyle at the Zagreb Open Ranking Event, to complete a dominant three days

U.S. champions on Saturday included 2019 Senior World champion and 2020 Olympian Jacarra Winchester at 57 kg, 2024 U23 World champion Yelena Makoyed at 76 kg and National Team member and 2022 Pan American champion Skylar Grote at 72 kg.

Over the three days, the United States women won seven medals and scored 155 points, with runner-up Hungary with 96 points and third-place France with 72 points.  

Winchester defeated 2024 U23 World Champion and 2023 U23 World silver medalist Zhala Aliyeva of Azerbaijan, 7-4 in the finals. They were the only two athletes entered.

Winchester was dominant in the first period, scoring a takedown, two tilts and a step out to lead 7-0 at the break. Aliyeva changed strategy and went upper body in the second period. Aliyeva had a hip toss takedown to make it 7-2 early in the period. With 10 seconds left, Aliyeva scored a counter takedown to make it 7-4. As time ran out, an Aliyeva throw was declared after the whistle by the officiating team. Azerbaijan challenged, and the jury confirmed that the throw was too late.

Makoyed was dominant in going 3-0 in a four-athlete round robin. In her final match, Makoyed scored an 11-0 technical fall in the first period over Veronika Nyikos of Hungary. Makoyed had a four-point takedown, two other takedowns, a tilt and a step out to end the match.

In the first session, Makoyed had two pins, a fall in 1:12 over a 2023 U23 World bronze medalist Kamile Gaucaite of Lithuania and a fall in 1:44 over 2024 U23 World bronze medalist Valeriia Trifonova, an Individual Neutral Athlete.

Grote was also impressive, going 4-0 in a five-athlete round robin. In her final match, against another unbeaten athlete, veteran Pauline Lecarpentier of France, Grote scored a 2-0 victory. The match was chippy, with both wrestlers getting warned about their aggressive hand fighting. In the first period, LeCarpentier was put on the shot clock and did not score, giving Grote a 1-0 lead at the break. Early in the second period, LeCarpentier was penalized with a caution and a point for hitting at Grote, making it 2-0. Neither athlete could complete a takedown attack the rest of the way.

In the morning session, Grote won three matches by technical fall, outscoring her opponents 31-0. Her opponents included two-time age-group World medalist Noemi Osvath Nagy of Hungary, 2024 U17 World bronze medalist Zahra Karimzada of Azerbaijan and 2023 U17 World Champion Veronika Vilk of Croatia.

In the nine women’s freestyle weight classes contested during the Zagreb Open, the United States won five gold medals, with 2024 Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades (68 kg) and 2024 Military World champion Adaugo Nwachukwu (62 kg) claiming titles on Friday, to go along with the golds won today by Winchester, Grote and Makoyed.

Two Greco-Roman weight classes were completed on Saturday, 77 kg and 87 kg. The USA had one entry, two-time World Team member Spencer Woods, who dropped his only bout and did not qualify for repechage.

The United States is in 10^th place out of 18 nations after two days, which has featured four weight classes. Norway is in first with 40 points, Hungary in second with 40 points and Moldova in third with 39 points.

The tournament concludes on Sunday with the final six Greco-Roman weight classes (55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg). The USA will have six wrestlers competing in Greco-Roman on the final day, including past Senior World Team members Brady Koontz (55 kg), Dalton Roberts (60 kg), Benji Peak (72 kg) and Jesse Porter (82 kg).

The tournament is streaming on FloWrestling, and the remaining schedule is below. Results and brackets are available on UWW Arena.

2025 Zagreb Open Ranking Event

At Zagreb, Croatia, February 5-9, 2025

Women’s freestyle results

57 kg

Gold - Jacarra Winchester (USA)

Silver - Zhala Aliyeva (Azerbaijan)

Gold - Jacarra Winchester (USA) dec. Zhala Aliyeva (Azerbaijan), 7-4

72 kg

Gold - Skylar Grote (USA)

Silver - Pauline Lecarpentier (France)

Bronze - Veronika Vilk (Croatia)

4^th - Noemi Osvath Nagy (Hungary)

5^th - Zahra Karimzada (Azerbaijan)

Grote (USA) tech fall Nagy (HUN), 11-0

LeCarpentier (FRA) dec. Krimzada (AZE), 3-0

Vilk (CRO) dec. Karimzada (AZE), 6-2

LeCarpentier (FRA) dec. Nagy (HUN), 3-0

Grote (USA) tech fall Karimzada (AZE), 10-0

LeCarpentier (FRA) dec. Vilk (CRO), 8-0

Grote (USA) tech fall Vilk (CRO), 11-0

Nagy (HUN) dec. Karimzada (AZE), 10-1

Grote (USA) dec. LeCarpentier (FRA), 2-0

Vilk (CRO) pins Nagy (HUN), 4:02

76 kg

Gold - Yelena Makoyed (USA)

Silver - Valeriia Trifonova (AIN)

Bronze - Kamile Gaucaite (Lithuania)

4^th - Veronika Nyikos (HUN)

Makoyed (USA) pin Gaucaite (LTU), 1:12

Trifona (AIN) pin Nyikos (HUN), 1:25

Makoyed (USA) pin Trifona (AIN)

Gaucaite (LTU) dec. Nyikos (HUN), 6-0

Makoyed (USA) tech fall Nyikos (HUN), 11-0

Trifona (AIN) dec. Gaucaite (LTU), 2-0

U.S. Women’s freestyle results

57 kg – Jacarra Winchester (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC), gold medal

WIN Zhala Aliyeva (Azerbaijan), 7-4

72 kg – Skylar Grote (Newton, N.J./Titan Mercury WC), gold medal

WIN Noemi Osvath Nagy (Hungary), tech fall 10-0

WIN Zahra Karimzada (Azerbaijan), tech fall 10-0

WIN Veronika Vilk (Croatia), tech fall 11-0

WIN Pauline Lecarpentier (France), 2-0

76 kg – Yelena Makoyed (Orangevale, Calif./Titan Mercury WC), gold medal

WIN Kamile Gaucaite (Lithuania), pin 1:12

WIN Valeriia Trifonova (AIN), pin 1:44

WIN Veronika Nyikos (Hungary), tech fall, 11-0

Final Women’s Freestyle team standings

1. United States, 155

2. Hungary, 96

3. France, 72

4. Azerbaijan, 65

5. Lithuania, 35

6. Croatia, 27

7. (tie) Canada and Czechia, 20

9. Moldova, 18

10. Bulgaria, 15

11. Brazil, 12

Greco-Roman results

77 kg

Gold – Sergei Stepanov (AIN)

Silver - Zoltan Levai (Hungary)

Bronze –Sergei Kutuzov (AIN)

Bronze –Alexandru Solovei (Moldova)

5^th - Sanan Sulyemanov (Azerbaijan)

5^th - Aram Vardanyan (Uzbekistan)

7^th - Illia Valeuski (AIN)

8^th - Alexandrin Gutu (Moldova)

9^th - Khasay Hasanli (Azerbaijan)

10^th - Amir Ali Abdi (Iran)

Gold – Sergei Stepanov (AIN) dec. Zoltan Levai (Hungary), 4-3

Bronze –Sergei Kutuzov (AIN) dec. Sanan Sulyemanov (Azerbaijan), 3-1

Bronze –Alexandru Solovei (Moldova) dec. Aram Vardanyan (Uzbekistan), 3-1

87 kg

Gold –Turpal Bisultanov (Denmark)

Silver - David Losonczi (Hungary)

Bronze –Islam Abbasov (Azerbaijan)

Bronze –Exauce Mukubu (Norway)

5^th - Milad Alirzaev (AIN)

5^th - Aleksandr Komarov (Serbia)

7^th - Ivan Huklek (Croatia)

8^th - Aues Gonibov (AIN)

9^th - Islam Yevloyev (Kazakhstan)

10^th - Vjekoslav Luburic (Croatia)

Gold –Turpal Bisultanov (Denmark) dec. David Losonczi (Hungary), 5-4

Bronze –Islam Abbasov (Azerbaijan) dec. Milad Alirzaev (AIN), 5-5

Bronze –Exauce Mukubu (Norway) dec. Aleksandr Komarov (Serbia), 5-4

U.S. Greco-Roman results

87 kg – Spencer Woods (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP), 18^th place

LOSS Ivan Huklek (Croatia), 13-2

Greco-Roman team standings after four weight classes

1. Norway, 40

2. Hungary, 40

3. Moldova, 39

4. Azerbaijan, 39

5. Iran, 32

6. Denmark, 25

7. Uzbekistan, 25

8. Croatia, 23

9. Serbia, 18

10. United States, 15

(of 18 nations, plus Individual Neutral Athletes who do not score)

Remaining Event Schedule

*all times listed local to Zagreb, Croatia, which is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time

Sunday, February 9

10:00 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)

12:30 p.m. – Semifinal Rounds (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)

1:30 p.m. – Repechage (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)