Guilford wins gold, Martinez and Glaude get bronzes at Muhamet Malo Ranking Event in Albania

TIRANA, Albania – The United States closed out the women’s freestyle competition at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Event on Saturday with three more medals, a gold medal for Dymond Guilford (76 kg), plus bronze medals for Amanda Martinez (57 kg) and Alex Glaude (72 kg).

Guilford, a 2022 Senior World Team member and 2022 U23 World silver medalist, overcame a crazy final few seconds, to secure a 2-1 victory over two-time World medalist Aiperi Medet Kyzy of Kyrgyzstan in the gold-medal finals.

Kyzy led 1-0 at the break, with a shot clock point against Guilford. In the second, with Guilford the aggressor, Kyzy was put on the shot clock and did not score, tying it at 1-1. Later in the period, with Guilford again going on offense, Kyzy is placed on the shot clock again and does not score, making the score 2-1 in favor of Guilford.

With 10 seconds left, it appeared that Kyzy shoved Guilford out of bounds, and officials awarded no points. Kyrgyzstan challenged the call. Upon review, Kyzy was warned for pulling on Guilford’s hair, and there is no change in the score. Guilford defended the final seconds and won the match, 2-1.

Guilford opened with a 4-3 victory over Yangla Yangla of China, then received a forfeit in the quarterfinals. Guilford was dominant in her 14-1 technical fall victory in the semifinals over 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Elmira Syzdykova of Kazakhstan.

In her bronze-medal bout, Martinez defeated two-time Sweden World Team member Evelina Hulthen, 4-3. Martinez led 4-0 in the second period, with a step out, a shot clock point and a takedown. Hulthen came back with a takedown and a step out, but could not score at the end of the bout.

Martinez opened with a 6-1 quarterfinal victory over 2021 U20 World bronze medalist Sezim Zhumanazarova of Kyrgyzstan. She was defeated in the semifinals by three-time age-group World medalist Elvira Suleyman Kamaloglu of Turkey, 9-3.

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.

Glaude, a 2018 U23 World bronze medalist and 2021 Pan American champion, went 2-1 in a four-athlete round robin, and ended up with the bronze medal based upon tie-breakers.

Glaude won her first two round robin matches on Saturday morning. She opened with a a 5-1 win over 2024 Pan American silver medalist Linda Machuca of Argentina. In her second bout, she was impressive in a 7-2 victory over four-time World medalist Zhamila Bakbergenova of Kazakhstan.

In the final round, Glaude lost to 2020 World bronze Alla Belinska of Ukraine, 4-3. Glaude led 1-0 after a first-period shot clock point. In the second period, with Belinska on the shot clock, Glaude took a shot and Belinska got a spin behind for a takedown, then turned Glaude, to lead 4-1. Glaude pushed the action, forced a step out and got a caution and one for fleeing to close it to 4-3, but could not score again at the end.

In the tie-breakers, Bakbergenova and Belinska had nine classification points, with Bakbergenova getting the gold by having beaten Belinska. Glaude received bronze with seven classification points.

Felicity Taylor dropped two matches by technical fall at 53 kg and placed eighth. She lost to 2024 World champion and three-time age-group World champion Moe Kiyooka of Japan in the first round. When Kiyooka reached the finals, Taylor was drawn into repechage where she fell to Li Yuxuan of China, 11-1

In the team standings, the United States placed third with 109 points. Japan finished first with 158 points, and Ukraine was second with 110 points.

The USA finished the event with five women’s freestyle medals. Earlier in the week, Erin Golston (50 kg) and Adaugo Nwachukwu (62 kg) claimed bronze medals.

There were two Greco-Roman weight classes held on Friday, 63 kg and 67 kg. 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). Since the USA does not have any Greco-Roman entries in the Muhamet Malo Ranking Event, there will be no Sunday coverage on TheMat.com.

The Muhamet Malo Ranking Event is being broadcast live on FloWrestling.

Brackets are posted on UWW Arena

MUHAMET MALO RANKING SERIES EVENT

At Tirana, Albania, February 26-March 2

Women’s freestyle results

53 kg

Gold – Moe Kiyooka (Japan)

Silver - Andreea Ana (Romania)

Bronze – Yuxuan Li (China)

Bronze – Natalia Malysheva (UWW)

5^th - Liliia Malanchuk (Ukraine)

5^th - Zeynep Yetgil (Turkey)

7^th - Meilin Zhou (China)

8^th - Felicity Taylor (USA)

9^th - Iulia Leorda (Moldova)

10^th - Adrianny Castillo Castillo (Argentina)

Gold – Moe Kiyooka (Japan) dec. Andreea Ana (Romania), 6-0

Bronze – Yuxuan Li (China) tech fall Liliia Malanchuk (Ukraine), 10-0

Bronze – Natalia Malysheva (UWW) dec. Zeynep Yetgil (Turkey), 7-0

57 kg

Gold – Samantha Stewart (Canada)

Silver - Elvira Suleyman Kamaloglu (Turkey)

Bronze – Amanda Martinez (USA)

Bronze – Luisa Valverde Melendres (Ecuador)

5^th - Evelina Hulthen (Sweden)

5^th - Tamara Dollak (Hungary)

7^th - Sezim Zhumanazarova (Kyrgyzstan)

8^th - Sezen Belberova (Bulgaria)

Gold – Samantha Stewart (Canada) pin Elvira Suleyman Kamaloglu (Turkey), 5:10

Bronze – Amanda Martinez (USA) dec. Evelina Hulthen (Sweden), 4-3

Bronze – Luisa Valverde Melendres (Ecuador) dec. Tamara Dollak (Hungary), 5-2

72 kg

Gold - Zhamila Bakbergenova (Kazakhstan)

Silver - Alla Belinska (Ukraine)

Bronze - Alex Glaude (USA)

4^th - Linda Machuca (Argentina)

Round robin results

Glaude dec. Machuca, 5-1

Bakbergenova dec. Belinska, 3-1

Glaude dec. Bakbergenova, 7-2

Belinska pin Machuca, 1:22

Bakbergenova pin Machuca, 4:16

Belinska dec. Glaude, 4-3

76 kg

Gold – Dymond Guilford (USA)

Silver - Aiperi Medet Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan)

Bronze – Elmira Syzdykova (Kazakhstan)

Bronze – Anastasiya Alpyeyeva (Ukraine)

5^th - Yangla Yangla (China)

5^th - Meile Zhang (China)

7^th - Nodoka Yamamoto (Japan)

8^th - Alexandra Anghel (Romania)

9^th - Enrica Rinaldi (Italy)

10^th - Valeriia Trifonova (UWW)

Gold – Dymond Guilford (USA) dec. Aiperi Medet Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan), 2-1

Bronze – Elmira Syzdykova (Kazakhstan) pin Yangla Yangla (China), 4:21

Bronze – Anastasiya Alpyeyeva (Ukraine) dec. Meile Zhang (China), 2-1

U.S. women’s freestyle results

53 kg: Felicity Taylor, Coralville, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Iowa Women’s WC), 8^th place

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), bronze-medal

WIN Sezim Zhumanazarova (Kyrgyzstan), 6-1

LOSS Elvira Suleyman Kamaloglu (Turkey), 9-3

WIN Evelina Hulthen (Sweden), 4-3

72 kg: Alex Glaude, Philomath, Ore. (Titan Mercury WC/Beaver Dam RTC), bronze medal

WIN Linda Machuca (Argentina), 5-1

WIN Zhamila Bakbergenova (Kazakhstan), 7-2

LOSS Alla Belinska (Ukraine), 4-3

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

WIN Yangla Yangla (China), 4-3

WIN Bernadett Nagy (Hungary), forfeit

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

WIN Aiperi Medet Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan), 2-1

Women’s freestyle team standings

1. Japan, 158

2. Ukraine, 110

3. United States, 109

4. China, 88

5. Canada, 57

6. Kazakhstan, 48

7. Türkiye, 46

8. Romania, 41

9. Kyrgyzstan, 36

10. Moldova, 34

(of 20 nations)

Greco-Roman results

63 kg

Gold – Kerem Kamal (Turkey) tech fall Doolotbek Kanolootovich Choibekov (Kyrgyzstan), 10-0

Bronze –Baiaman Apilov (Kyrgyzstan) inj. dft. Aleksandrs Jurkjans (Latvia), 0:18

Bronze – Mehdi Mohsen Nejad (Iran) dec. Razvan Arnaut (Romania), 3-1

7^th - Dastan Kadyrov (Kyrgyzstan)

8^th - Beka Guruli (Georgia)

9^th - Nurzat Marat (Kazakhstan)

10^th - Olzhas Sultan (Kazakhstan)

Gold – Kerem Kamal (Turkey) tech fall Doolotbek Kanolootovich Choibekov (Kyrgyzstan), 10-0

Bronze –Baiaman Apilov (Kyrgyzstan) inj. dft. Aleksandrs Jurkjans (Latvia), 0:18

Bronze – Mehdi Mohsen Nejad (Iran) dec. Razvan Arnaut (Romania), 3-1

67 kg

Gold – Razak Beishekeev (Kyrgyzstan)

Silver - Valentin Petic (Moldova)

Bronze – Bagdat Sabaz (Kazakhstan) tech fall

Bronze – Joni Khetsuriani (Georgia)

5^th - Le Li (China)

5^th - Madiyar Maulitkanov (Kazakhstan)

7^th - Baiaman Karimov (Kyrgyzstan)

8^th - Abu Amaev (Bulgaria)

9^th - Morten Thoresen (Norway)

10^th - Gjete Prenga (Albania)

Gold – Razak Beishekeev (Kyrgyzstan) tech fall Valentin Petic (Moldova), 11-0

Bronze – Bagdat Sabaz (Kazakhstan) tech fall Le Li (China), 9-1

Bronze – Joni Khetsuriani (Georgia) dec. Madiyar Maulitkanov (Kazakhstan), 7-2

Remaining Schedule (local time)

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

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)