Nwachukwu claims women’s freestyle bronze medal at Muhamet Malo Ranking Event in Albania

TIRANA, Albania – Adaugo Nwachukwu of the USA claimed a bronze medal at 62 kg in women’s freestyle at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Event on Friday.

Nwachukwu, a 2024 World Military champion and 2022 U20 World bronze medalist, dominated Anne Neurnberger of Germany in a bronze medal match, with an 11-0 technical fall. With two takedowns, including a big four-pointer, Nwachukwu led 7-0 at the break. She closed out the win with a takedown and turn in the second period.

During Friday morning’s session, Nwachukwu lost in the quarterfinals to 2021 World champion and 2018 World silver medalist Bilyana Dudova of Bulgaria, 6-2.  When Dudova won her semifinals match, Nwachukwu was drawn into repechage against Nikolett Szabo of Hungary, who Nwachukwu defeated, 8-1.

Two other U.S. women competed on Friday and placed sixth in their weight class, Abigail Nette (59 kg) and Jennifer Page (65 kg). Page won her first Group A match over Aleah Nickel of Canada, 9-2, then withdrew from the event with an injury. Nette dropped two matches in Group B of her weight class and did not qualify for the semifinals.

There were two Greco-Roman weight classes held on Friday, 77 kg and 87 kg, but the USA has no entries in Greco-Roman in this event.

After two days of women’s freestyle action, the USA has won two medals, with Erin Golston claiming a bronze medal at 50 kg on Thursday.

The final four women’s freestyle weight classes will be contested on Saturday, 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg and 76 kg. Competing for the USA are Felicity Taylor (53 kg), Amanda Martinez (57 kg), Alex Glaude (72 kg) and Dymond Guilford (76 kg).

The Muhamet Malo Ranking Event is being broadcast live on FloWrestling. https://flosports.link/4iCPX0o

Brackets are posted on UWW Arena https://arena.uww.org/sport-event/show/1efe2b4f-9e4e-6292-b4ed-318d9cdc9726

MUHAMET MALO RANKING SERIES EVENT

At Tirana, Albania, February 26-March 2

Women’s freestyle finals pairings

59 kg

Gold –Sakura Onishi (Japan)

Silver - Anastaslia Sidelnikova (UWW)

Bronze – Solomiia Vynnyk (Ukraine)

4^th - Bediha Gun (Turkey), 12-2

5^th - Erika Bognar (Hungary)

6^th - Abigail Nette (USA)

7^th - Elena Esposito (Italy)

Gold –Sakura Onishi (Japan) tech fall Anastaslia Sidelnikova (UWW), 10-0

Bronze – Solomiia Vynnyk (Ukraine) tech fall Bediha Gun (Turkey), 12-2

62 kg

Gold –Lili Lili (China)

Silver - Bilyana Dudova (Bulgaria)

Bronze – Adaugo Nwachukwu (USA)

Bronze – Grace Bullen (Norway)

5^th - Anne Neurenberger (Germany)

5^th - Amina Tandelova (UWW)

7^th - Qi Zhang (China)

8^th - Aurora Campagna (Italy)

9^th - Nikolett Szabo (Hungary)

10^th = Kalmira Bilimbekova (Kyrgyzstan)

Gold –Lili Lili (China) dec. Bilyana Dudova (Bulgaria), 8-4

Bronze – Adaugo Nwachukwu (USA) tech fall Anne Neurenberger (Germany), 11-0

Bronze – Grace Bullen (Norway) inj. dft. Amina Tandelova (UWW)

65 kg

Gold –Miwa Morikawa (Japan)

Silver - Irina Ringaci (Moldova)

Bronze – Iryna Koliadenko (Ukraine)

4^th - Aleah Nickel (Canada)

5^th - Albina Drazhi (Albania)

6^th - Jennifer Page (USA)

7^th - Yuqi Rao (China)

Gold –Miwa Morikawa (Japan) inj dft. Irina Ringaci (Moldova), 2:27

Bronze – Iryna Koliadenko (Ukraine) tech. fall Aleah Nickel (Canada), 10-0

68 kg

Gold – Ami Ishii (Japan)

Silver - Zelu Li (China)

Bronze – Kateryna Zelenykh (Romania)

Bronze – Elizaveta Petliakova (UWW)

5^th - Gerda Barth (Germany)

5^th - Noemi Szabados (Hungary)

7^th - Tindra Sjoeberg (Sweden)

8^th - Gulnura Tashtanbekova (Kyrgyzstan)

9^th - Yuqi Liu (China)

Gold – Ami Ishii (Japan) dec. Zelu Li (China), 8-2

Bronze – Kateryna Zelenykh (Romania) pin Gerda Barth (Germany), 1:30

Bronze – Elizaveta Petliakova (UWW) inj. dft. Noemi Szabados (Hungary), 0:10

U.S. women’s freestyle performances

59 kg: Abigail Nette, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP), 6^th place

LOSS Bediha Gun (Turkey), 9-6

LOSS Sakura Onishi (Japan), tech fall 12-1

62 kg: Adaugo Nwachukwu, Fountain, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP), bronze medal

LOSS Bilyana Dudova (Bulgaria), 6-4

WIN Nikolett Szabo (Hungary), 8-1

WIN Anne Nuernberger (Germany), tech fall 11-0

65 kg: Jennifer Page, Bellefonte, Pa. (Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC), 6^th place

WIN Aleah Nickel (Canada), 9-2

LOSS Iryna Koliadenko (Ukraine), inj. dft.

LOSS Albina Drazhi (Albania), inj. dft.

Greco-Roman results

77 kg

Gold – Yryskeldi Maksatbek Uulu (Kyrgyzstan)

Silver - Idris Ibaev (Germany)

Bronze – Per Albin Olofsson (Sweden)

Bronze – Kodai Sakyraba (Japan)

5^th - Antonio Kamenjasevic (Croatia)

5^th - Aleksa Ilic (Serbia), 7-3

7^th - Abolfazl Esmaeil Mohmedi (Iran)

8^th - Albert Doev (Bulgaria)

9^th - Artur Politaiev (Ukraine)

10^th - Adilkhan Nurlanbekov (Kyrgyzstan)

Gold – Yryskeldi Maksatbek Uulu (Kyrgyzstan) dec. Idris Ibaev (Germany), 3-2

Bronze – Per Albin Olofsson (Sweden) dec. Antonio Kamenjasevic (Croatia), 3-3

Bronze – Kodai Sakyraba (Japan) dec. Aleksa Ilic (Serbia), 7-3

87 kg

Gold – Alireza Mohammadipiani (Iran)

Silver - David Losonczi (Hungary)

Bronze –Tamas Levai (Hungary)

Bronze – Marcel Sterkenburg (Netherlands)

5^th - Alexandr Komarov (Serbia)

5^th - Nursultan Tursynov (Kazakhstan)

7^th - Hannes Wagner (Germany)

8^th - Muhutdin Saricicek (Turkey)

9^th - Semen Sergeevich Novikov (Bulgaria)

10^th - Martin Ljosaak (Norway)

Gold – Alireza Mohammadipiani (Iran) inj. dft. David Losonczi (Hungary)

Bronze –Tamas Levai (Hungary) dec. Alexandr Komarov (Serbia), 3-1

Bronze – Marcel Sterkenburg (Netherlands) dec. Nursultan Tursynov (Kazakhstan), 3-1

Remaining Schedule (local time)

Tirana is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time

Saturday, March 1

11:00 a.m. – Preliminaries (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)

2:30 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)

3:30 p.m. – Repechage (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)

Sunday, March 2

11:00 a.m. – Preliminaries (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)

2:30 p.m. – Semifinals (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)

3:30 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)