Glaude & Guilford to go for gold, Martinez for bronze at Muhamet Malo Ranking Event in Albania

TIRANA, Albania –Alex Glaude (72 kg) and Dymond Guilford (76 kg) of the United States will compete for a gold medal in women’s freestyle at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Event on Saturday.

Glaude, a 2018 U23 World bronze medalist and 2021 Pan American champion, opened up her four-athlete round robin competition with a 5-1 win over 2024 Pan American silver medalist Linda Machuca of Argentina. Trailing 1-0 at the break, Glaude picked up a shot clock point, two step outs and a late counter takedown for the victory.

Glaude continued her impressive wrestling with a 7-2 victory over four-time World medalist Zhamila Bakbergenova of Kazakhstan in her second match. Glaude led 1-0 at the break, then blasted open the match in the second period with a four-point double leg takedown, and a spin behind takedown.

Glaude has one more match against 2020 World bronze Alla Belinska of Ukraine in the final session. If Glaude wins, she clinches the gold medal. If she loses, the medals will be determined by criteria, based upon the results of the match between Bakbergenova and Machuca.

Guilford, a 2022 Senior World Team member and 2022 U23 World silver medalist will battle two-time World medalist Medet Kyzy Aiperi of Kyrgyzstan in the gold-medal finals.

Guilford was dominant in her 14-1 technical fall victory in the semifinals over 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Elmira Syzdykova of Kazakhstan. Two takedowns and a tilt gave Guilford a 6-0 lead at the break. In the second period, after running up her lead to 10-1, Guilford ended it with a four-point double leg takedown.

Guilford opened her day with a solid 4-3 victory over Yangla Yangla of China. Guilford scored four points in a sequence early in the second period with a takedown and gut wrench, then held off Yangla the rest of the way. Guilford won her quarterfinal match by forfeit over Bernadette Nagy of Hungary.

Amanda Martinez will compete for a bronze medal at 57 kg against Evelina Hulthen of Sweden. Hulthen is a two-time Senior World Team member for Sweden.

Martinez was defeated in the semifinals by three-time age-group World medalist Elvira Suleyman Kamaloglu of Turkey, 9-3. With the score at 4-2 for Suleyman, an exchange where Suleyman appeared to be exposed twice was judged to give Suleyman a 6-3 lead. A U.S. challenge was denied making it 7-3. In the second period Suleyman wrestled defensively, countering a late Martinez headlock attempt, for her final takedown.  

Martinez opened with a 6-1 quarterfinal victory over 2021 U20 World bronze medalist Sezim Zhumanazarova of Kyrgyzstan. Trailing 1-0 at the break, Martinez got her offense untracked with three second-period takedowns.

This is Martinez’ second international event of the week, after competing in the FloWrestling Night in America Ono vs. Lee card in Iowa on Wednesday.

Felicity Taylor dropped two matches at 53 kg and was eliminated.

Taylor was defeated in her preliminary match by 2024 World champion and three-time age-group World champion Moe Kiyooka of Japan, 10-0. Kiyooka scored seven of her points in the second period, with three takedowns and a step out.

When Kiyooka won a very close semifinals match, Taylor was pulled back into repechage against Li Yuxuan of China. Li jumped to a 7-0 lead at the break with a takedown, two gut wrenches and a shot clock point. Li closed it out with a takedown and turn in the second period.

The finals will be held at 6:00 p.m. local time, which is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone (finals at 12:00 noon ET).

There were two Greco-Roman weight classes held on Friday, 63 kg and 67 kg, but the USA has no entries in Greco-Roman in this event.

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

53 kg – Andreea Ana (Romania) vs. Moe Kiyooka (Japan)

57 kg – Samantha Stewart (Canada) vs. Elvira Suleyman Kamaloglu (Turkey)

76 kg – Medet Kyzy Aiperi (Kyrgyzstan) vs. Dymond Guilford (USA)

Women’s round robin remaining bouts

72 kg – Alex Glaude (USA) vs. Alla Belinska (Ukraine)

72 kg - Zhamila Bakbergenova (Kazakhstan) vs. Linda Machuca (Argentina)

Current records: Glaude (2-0), Bakbergenova (1-1), Belinska (1-1), Machuca (0-2)

U.S. women’s freestyle results

53 kg: Felicity Taylor, Coralville, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Iowa Women’s WC), eliminated

LOSS Moe Kiyooka (Japan), tech fall 10-0

LOSS Li Yuxuan (China), tech fall 11-1

57 kg: Amanda Martinez, Riverside, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC/Cardinal WC), in bronze-medal match

WIN Sezim Zhumanazarova (Kyrgyzstan), 6-1

LOSS Elvira Suleyman Kamaloglu (Turkey), 9-3

Bronze medal bout – Vs. Evelina Hulthen (Sweden)

72 kg: Alex Glaude, Philomath, Ore. (Titan Mercury WC/Beaver Dam RTC), 2-0 in 3-athlete round robin

WIN Linda Machuca (Argentina), 5-1

WIN Zhamila Bakbergenova (Kazakhstan), 7-2

Round robin 3 – vs. Alla Belinska (Ukraine)

76 kg: Dymond Guilford, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC/USOPTC), in gold-medal match

WIN Yangla Yangla (China), 4-3

WIN Bernadett Nagy (Hungary), forfeit

WIN Elmira Syzdykova (Kazakhstan), tech fall 14-1

Gold medal match – vs. Medet Kyzy Aiperi (Kyrgyzstan)

Greco-Roman finals pairings

63 kg – Kerem Kamal (Turkey) vs. Doolotbek Kanolootovich Choibekov (Kyrgyzstan)

67 kg – Razak Beishekeev (Kyrgyzstan) vs. Valentin Petic (Moldova)