Gray, Hildebrandt, Molinari qualify for women’s semifinals at Senior Worlds in Norway
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Forrest Molinari (USA) shows the USA on her singlet after dramatic Worlds quarterfinals victory over Koumba Larrouque (France). Photo by Justin Hoch.
OSLO, Norway: Three of the four U.S. women freestyle wrestlers in Group Two have qualified for the semifinals at the Senior World Championships on Tuesday.
Advancing to the semifinals are 2020 Olympic silver medalist and five-time World champion Adeline Gray at 76 kg, 2020 Olympic bronze medalist and 2018 World silver medalist Sarah Hildebrandt at 50 kg and three-time Senior World Team member Forrest Molinari at 65 kg
Gray, the No. 1 seed, opened with a pair of first-period pins. In her opener, Gray pinned two-time European U23 silver medalist Aysegul Ozbege of Turkey in 1:17. In the quarterfinals, Gray put away Kiran of India in 2:33.
Her semifinals opponent will be Samar Hamza of Egypt, a two-time Olympian and four-time African champion.
Hildebrandt, the No. 1 seed at 50 kg, won two matches with first-period technical falls, both which she ended by turning an ankle lace multiple times to end the match. In her opener, Hildebrant put away Bohdana Yashchuk of Ukraine, 10-0 in 43 seconds. In the quarterfinals, Hildebrandt dispatched Lisa Ersel of Germany, 10-0 in 1:27.
Hildebrandt has drawn Nadezhda Sokolova of Russian Wrestling Federation in her semifinal match. Sokolova is a six-time age-group World medalist, including a 2011 Cadet World title. Sokolova won the 2019 and 2020 Russian Nationals.
Molinari had to win three matches at 65 kg to emerge as a semifinalist, where she will battle Miwa Morikawa of Japan, a 2019 Junior World champion.
Molinari came out powerfully with a pin over Enkhjin Tuvshinjarga of Mongolia in 2:50. Molinari got the first point when Tuvshinjarga was unable to score on the activity clock. She scored a takedown on a spin behind, then sunk in a bar arm and ran Tuvshinjarga to her back for the fall.
Her second match had a similar outcome, as Molinari secured a 10-0 technical fall over Dinara Kadaeva Salikhova of the Russian Wrestling Federation. In total, Molinari got two takedowns, two ankle lace turns, an activity clock point and a push out while dominating the action.
In the quarterfinals, Molinari used a late takedown to edge 2018 World silver medalist Koumba Larroque of France, 3-3 by criteria. Molinari scored first when Larroque was placed on the activity clock and couldn’t score. When Moliinari was put on the activity clock, Larroque responded by scoring a takedown and securing a 2-1 lead. A Larroque step out expanded her lead 3-1. In a closing exchange, Molinari was able to create an exposure for two points, which gave her the criteria win.
In her Senior Worlds debut, 2014 University World silver medalist Amy Fearnside dropped a 10-0 technical fall to No. 4 seed Katarzyna Krawczyk of Poland at 53 kg. Krawczyk hit two four-point arm throws, one in each period, and finished the bout with a takedown. Krawczyk was fifth in the 2014 and 2018 Worlds.
Krawczyk won her quarterfinal match, which keeps Fearnside’s hope alive to get pulled back into the repechage on Wednesday. Krawczyk will need to beat Akari Fujinami of Japan in the semifinals for Fearnside to qualify for repechage.
In the Group One repechage round, Jenna Burkert scored a 4-2 decision over Andreea Ana of Romania. Burkert got the first point when Ana could not score on the activity clock. She added a spin behind takedown and a step out for a 4-0 lead. Ana scored a takedown with about five seconds left but could not get a turn. Burkert has advanced to a bronze-medal bout against Pinki of India.
The Women’s Group Two semifinals will be held at 4:45 p.m. local time, which is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone, which is then followed by the finals for men’s freestyle Group Three and Women’s Freestyle Group One at 6:00 p.m. All of the action is broadcast live on FloWrestling.
SENIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Oslo, Norway, October 5
Women’s freestyle Group Two semifinal pairings
50 kg
Sarah Hildebrandt (USA) vs.Nadezhda Sokolova (Russian Wrestling Federation)
Emilia Vuc (Romania) vs. Remina Yoshimoto (Japan)
53 kg
Katarzyna Krawczyk (Poland) vs. Akari Fujinami (Japan)
Khrystyna Bereza (Ukraine) vs. Iulia Leordo (Moldova)
65 kg
Mimi Hristova (Bulgaria) vs. Irina Ringaci (Moldova)
Forrest Molinari (USA) vs. Miwa Morikawa (Japan)
76 kg
Adeline Gray (USA) vs. Samar Hamza (Egypt)
Aiperi Medet Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan) vs. Epp Maee (Estonia)
Women’s freestyle Group Two results
50 kg – No. 1 seed Sarah Hildebrandt (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOPTC/New York AC)
WIN Bohdana Kokozei Yashchuk (Ukraine), tech. fall 10-0, 0:43
WIN Lisa Ersel (Germany), tech. fall 10-0, 1:27
Semifinals – vs. Nadezhda Sokolova (Russian Wrestling Federation)
53 kg – Amy Fearnside (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC)
LOSS Katarzyna Krawczyk (Poland), tech. fall 10-0
65 kg – Forrest Molinari (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids)
WIN Enkhjin Tuvshinjarga (Mongolia), pin 2:50
WIN Dinara Kadaeva Salikhova (Russian Wrestling Federation), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Koumba Larroque (France), 3-3
Semifinals – Miwa Morikawa (Japan)
76 kg – No. 1 seed Adeline Gray (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOPTC/New York AC)
WIN Aysegul Ozbege (Turkey), pin 1:17
WIN Kiran (India), pin 2:33
Semifinals – vs. Samar Hamza (Egypt)
U.S. women’s freestyle Group One results
55 kg – Jenna Burkert (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP)
LOSS Nina Hemmer (Germany), tech. fall 14-4
WIN Andreea Ana (Romania), 4-2
Bronze-medal bout: Vs. Pinki (India)
62 kg – No. 3 seed Kayla Miracle (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids)
WIN Gantuya Enkhbat (Mongolia), tech. fall 14-4
WIN Alina Kasabieva (Russian Wrestling Federation) tech. fall, 13-2
WIN Lais Nunes de Oliveira (Brazil), 2-0
Gold medal finals – vs. Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan)
OSLO, Norway: Three of the four U.S. women freestyle wrestlers in Group Two have qualified for the semifinals at the Senior World Championships on Tuesday.
Advancing to the semifinals are 2020 Olympic silver medalist and five-time World champion Adeline Gray at 76 kg, 2020 Olympic bronze medalist and 2018 World silver medalist Sarah Hildebrandt at 50 kg and three-time Senior World Team member Forrest Molinari at 65 kg
Gray, the No. 1 seed, opened with a pair of first-period pins. In her opener, Gray pinned two-time European U23 silver medalist Aysegul Ozbege of Turkey in 1:17. In the quarterfinals, Gray put away Kiran of India in 2:33.
Her semifinals opponent will be Samar Hamza of Egypt, a two-time Olympian and four-time African champion.
Hildebrandt, the No. 1 seed at 50 kg, won two matches with first-period technical falls, both which she ended by turning an ankle lace multiple times to end the match. In her opener, Hildebrant put away Bohdana Yashchuk of Ukraine, 10-0 in 43 seconds. In the quarterfinals, Hildebrandt dispatched Lisa Ersel of Germany, 10-0 in 1:27.
Hildebrandt has drawn Nadezhda Sokolova of Russian Wrestling Federation in her semifinal match. Sokolova is a six-time age-group World medalist, including a 2011 Cadet World title. Sokolova won the 2019 and 2020 Russian Nationals.
Molinari had to win three matches at 65 kg to emerge as a semifinalist, where she will battle Miwa Morikawa of Japan, a 2019 Junior World champion.
Molinari came out powerfully with a pin over Enkhjin Tuvshinjarga of Mongolia in 2:50. Molinari got the first point when Tuvshinjarga was unable to score on the activity clock. She scored a takedown on a spin behind, then sunk in a bar arm and ran Tuvshinjarga to her back for the fall.
Her second match had a similar outcome, as Molinari secured a 10-0 technical fall over Dinara Kadaeva Salikhova of the Russian Wrestling Federation. In total, Molinari got two takedowns, two ankle lace turns, an activity clock point and a push out while dominating the action.
In the quarterfinals, Molinari used a late takedown to edge 2018 World silver medalist Koumba Larroque of France, 3-3 by criteria. Molinari scored first when Larroque was placed on the activity clock and couldn’t score. When Moliinari was put on the activity clock, Larroque responded by scoring a takedown and securing a 2-1 lead. A Larroque step out expanded her lead 3-1. In a closing exchange, Molinari was able to create an exposure for two points, which gave her the criteria win.
In her Senior Worlds debut, 2014 University World silver medalist Amy Fearnside dropped a 10-0 technical fall to No. 4 seed Katarzyna Krawczyk of Poland at 53 kg. Krawczyk hit two four-point arm throws, one in each period, and finished the bout with a takedown. Krawczyk was fifth in the 2014 and 2018 Worlds.
Krawczyk won her quarterfinal match, which keeps Fearnside’s hope alive to get pulled back into the repechage on Wednesday. Krawczyk will need to beat Akari Fujinami of Japan in the semifinals for Fearnside to qualify for repechage.
In the Group One repechage round, Jenna Burkert scored a 4-2 decision over Andreea Ana of Romania. Burkert got the first point when Ana could not score on the activity clock. She added a spin behind takedown and a step out for a 4-0 lead. Ana scored a takedown with about five seconds left but could not get a turn. Burkert has advanced to a bronze-medal bout against Pinki of India.
The Women’s Group Two semifinals will be held at 4:45 p.m. local time, which is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone, which is then followed by the finals for men’s freestyle Group Three and Women’s Freestyle Group One at 6:00 p.m. All of the action is broadcast live on FloWrestling.
SENIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Oslo, Norway, October 5
Women’s freestyle Group Two semifinal pairings
50 kg
Sarah Hildebrandt (USA) vs.Nadezhda Sokolova (Russian Wrestling Federation)
Emilia Vuc (Romania) vs. Remina Yoshimoto (Japan)
53 kg
Katarzyna Krawczyk (Poland) vs. Akari Fujinami (Japan)
Khrystyna Bereza (Ukraine) vs. Iulia Leordo (Moldova)
65 kg
Mimi Hristova (Bulgaria) vs. Irina Ringaci (Moldova)
Forrest Molinari (USA) vs. Miwa Morikawa (Japan)
76 kg
Adeline Gray (USA) vs. Samar Hamza (Egypt)
Aiperi Medet Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan) vs. Epp Maee (Estonia)
Women’s freestyle Group Two results
50 kg – No. 1 seed Sarah Hildebrandt (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOPTC/New York AC)
WIN Bohdana Kokozei Yashchuk (Ukraine), tech. fall 10-0, 0:43
WIN Lisa Ersel (Germany), tech. fall 10-0, 1:27
Semifinals – vs. Nadezhda Sokolova (Russian Wrestling Federation)
53 kg – Amy Fearnside (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC)
LOSS Katarzyna Krawczyk (Poland), tech. fall 10-0
65 kg – Forrest Molinari (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids)
WIN Enkhjin Tuvshinjarga (Mongolia), pin 2:50
WIN Dinara Kadaeva Salikhova (Russian Wrestling Federation), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Koumba Larroque (France), 3-3
Semifinals – Miwa Morikawa (Japan)
76 kg – No. 1 seed Adeline Gray (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOPTC/New York AC)
WIN Aysegul Ozbege (Turkey), pin 1:17
WIN Kiran (India), pin 2:33
Semifinals – vs. Samar Hamza (Egypt)
U.S. women’s freestyle Group One results
55 kg – Jenna Burkert (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP)
LOSS Nina Hemmer (Germany), tech. fall 14-4
WIN Andreea Ana (Romania), 4-2
Bronze-medal bout: Vs. Pinki (India)
62 kg – No. 3 seed Kayla Miracle (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids)
WIN Gantuya Enkhbat (Mongolia), tech. fall 14-4
WIN Alina Kasabieva (Russian Wrestling Federation) tech. fall, 13-2
WIN Lais Nunes de Oliveira (Brazil), 2-0
Gold medal finals – vs. Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan)
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