Askren wins silver, Pami and Gavin get bronzes at Dmitry Korkin International in Russia

Max Askren with Coach Zeke Jones at the Dmitry Korkin International. Askren won silver at 84 kg. Petr Petrov photo


YAKUTSK, Russia -- The United States won three individual men's freestyle medals on the first day of the Dmitry Korkin International on Saturday.


Claiming a silver medal at 84 kg/185 lbs. was Max Askren (Somers, N.Y./New York AC). Askren was an NCAA champion for Missouri.


He opened with a 4-1, 3-3 win over American teammate Tyrel Todd (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC). In the semifinals, he scored a second period pin over Tamerlan Tagsiev of Canada.


In the gold medal finals, he lost to Semen Semeynov of Kazakhstan, 0-5. 1-8.


Claiming bronze medals were Chase Pami (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Keith Gavin (Bethlehem, Pa./Lehigh Valley AC) at 84 kg/185 lbs.


Pami started off with three impressive wins, stopping Konstantin Khabalashvili of Georgia, Mikheil Zarkua of Georgia and Zalimkhan Usupov of Tajikistan, 2-1, 1-2, 2-2. He was edged in the semifinals by Innokentiy Innokentyev of Kyrgyzstan, 1-0, 0-1, 0-3.


In the bronze-medal match, Pami defeated Bair Basarov of Russia, 4-3, 1-2, 1-0.


Gavin opened with a victory, stopping Batmukh Magmarsyren of Mongolia in the opening round. He was next defeated by Semen Semeynov of Kazakhstan, 0-1, 0-2. When Semeynov reached the finals, Gavin was drawn back into the repechage, where he won his next match over Serdal Cavusoglu of Turkey.


In the bronze-medal match, Gavin stopped Anton Tkachuk of Russia, 4-0, 5-1.


Todd ended up fifth in his weight class. After losing to Askren, he was drawn back into the repechage when Askren made the finals. In the bronze-medal match, Todd fell to Tamerlan Tagsiev of Canada.


Three other U.S. athletes competed on Saturday, but failed to reach the medal rounds.


"We had some positive results today. I am not going to say we wrestled extremely well because we did not have a champion. We had guys wrestle well, and we had guys not wrestle well. Besides the Grand Prix in Azerbaijan this was the first tournament of the season, so it is a learning experience. A lot of the guys here made some mistakes but we have not been together as a national team since before the Olympics. The guys have learned a lot on this trip and when we finally get together as a national team and breakdown the Olympics, everything will get sorted out" said U.S. coach Andy Hrovat.


Hrovat knows this is part of the learning process for the athletes and for the U.S. national team.


"Freestyle wrestling is constantly evolving with technique and tactics so until we have a clear understanding of what is working now we will be playing catch up. The mistakes are fixable and this experience gives us all knowledge to take home with us so we can put the work in as we progress through the season" said Hrovat.


There will be one U.S. athletes wrestling on Sunday, 2010 U.S. World Team member Les Sigman (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC), who now wrestles at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. He will open against Mamuka Kordzaia of Georgia.


"We have one more athlete to go tomorrow and we hope to build on our medal count and get a champion" said Hrovat.

DMITRY KORKIN INTERNATIONAL

At Yakutsk, Russia, Oct. 6


Men's freestyle results


55 kg/121 lbs.

Gold - Vladislav Andreev, BLR

Silver - Batbold Nomin, MGL

Bronze - Omak Syuryun, RUS

Bronze - Alexander Koryakin, RUS

5th - Basar Zjalsapov, RUS

5th - Vladimir Flegontov, RUS

7th - Viktor Rassadin, RUS

8th - Adam Orzdobiev, RUS

9th - Vladislav Petrov, RUS

10th - Afanasiy Burnashev, RUS


66 kg/145.5 lbs.

Gold - Aleksander Kontoev, BLR

Silver - Innokentiy Innokentyev, KGZ

Bronze - Chase Pami , USA

Bronze - Anisimov Ayal Ansimov, RUS

5th - Bair Basarov, RUS

5th - Aliasghar Jabali, IRI

7th - Uulu Ulan Nadurybek, KGZ

8th - Ool Menge Mortuy, RUS

9th - Zalimkhan Usupov, TJK

10th - Ruslan Akhmedov, RUS


84 kg/185 lbs.

Gold - Semen Semeynov, KAZ

Silver - Max Askren, USA

Bronze - Tamerlan Tagsiev, CAN

Bronze - Keith Gavin, USA

5th - Tyrel Todd, USA

5th - Anton Tkachuk, RUS

7th - Alexander Selenkov, RUS

8th - Myagmarsuren Mendsaikhan, MGL

9th - Burak Eryilmaz, TUR

10th - Semen Makarov, RUS


120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Gold - Giorgi Sakandelidze, GEO

Silver - Igor Dyatko, BLR

Bronze - Ayal Lasarev, KGZ

Bronze - Kirill Gotovtsev, RUS

5th - Natsagsuren Zolboo, MGL

5th - Geno Petriashvili, GEO

7th - Asamat Kishev, RUS

8th - Fatih Cakiroglu,TUR

9th - Alexsey Nikolaev, RUS

10th - Abdollan Ghomi Avili, IRI

U.S. men's freestyle performance


55 kg/121 lbs. - Frank Perrelli, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC), dnp

WIN Valerian Petrov (Russia)

LOSS Batbold Nomin (Mongolia), 0-2, 0-4

LOSS Asam Popov (Russia)


66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Kevin LeValley, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), dnp

LOSS Adam Hall (USA)


66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Adam Hall, New York, N.Y. (New York AC), dnp

WIN Kevin Levalley (USA)

LOSS Zalimkhan Usupov (Tajikistan), 1-4, 0-2


66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Chase Pami, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), BRONZE MEDAL

WIN Konstantin Khabalashvili (Georgia)

WIN Mikheil Zarkua (Georgia), 3-2, 8-2

WIN Zalimkhan Usupov (Tajikistan), 2-1, 1-2, 2-2

LOSS Innokentiy Innokentyev (Kyrgyzstan), 1-0, 0-1, 0-3

WIN Bair Basarov (Russia) 4-3, 1-2, 1-0


84 kg/185 lbs. - Keith Gavin, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC), BRONZE MEDAL

WIN Batmukh Magmarsyren (Mongolia)

LOSS Semen Semeynov (Kazakhstan), 0-1, 0-2

WIN Serdal Cavusoglu (Turkey)

WIN Anton Tkachuk (Russia), 4-0, 5-1


84 kg/185 lbs. - Tyrel Todd, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC), 5th

LOSS Max Askren (USA), 1-4, 3-3

LOSS Tamerlan Tagsiev (Canada)


84 kg/185 lbs. - Max Askren, Somers, N.Y. (New York AC), SILVER MEDAL

WIN Tyrel Todd (USA), 4-1, 3-3

WIN Tamerlan Tagsiev (Canada), 1-3, pin

LOSS Semen Semynov (Kazakhstan), 0-5, 1-8

U.S. men's freestyle draws for Sunday


96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Les Sigman, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)

Vs Mamuka Kordzaia (Georgia)