Kulchytskyy, Medbery earn men's freestyle gold for U.S. at Henri Deglane Challenge in Nice, France

Nazar Kulchytskyy hand raise after the Henri Deglane Challenge finals.

NICE, France – The U.S. men’s freestyle team picked up three medals and two champions at the 41st annual Henri Deglane Challenge in Nice, France on Friday.


Both Nazar Kulchytskyy (Madison, Wis./Titan Mercury WC) and Connor Medbery (Madison, Wis./Titan Mercury WC) won four matches on the day en route to Henri Deglane gold.


2014 World Team member Ed Ruth (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) came away with the silver medal at 86 kg/189 lbs.


“Out of four wrestlers competing today Team USA won three medals and two gold’s which is solid. Plus, our men were 3-0 against Iran, which always makes me smile,” said U.S. coach Brandon Slay.


Kulchytskyy topped savvy Romanian George Bucur in the 65 kg/143 lbs. finals, 8-6. Bucur won a silver medal at the 2014 World University Championships and finished in eighth place at the World Championships in September.


Medbery, who is taking an Olympic redshirt this year, won a five man round robin tournament to claim the gold medal at 125 kg/275 lbs.


The University of Wisconsin All-American defeated three-time Olympian Rares Chintoan of Romania, 9-4, to open the competition. He continued with impressive wins over Jose Cuba Vazquez, seven-time World Team member for Spain, and Andres Ramos Dinza, 2015 Pan American Games bronze medalist. Medbery secured the gold with a 14-4 technical fall victory over Seina Ghanizadeh of Iran.


Ruth dominated his first two matches, earning a fall over Giorgi Tigishvili of Georgia and a technical fall over Armin Rezazadehbabaei of Iran to make the finals. However, 2013 World University Games champion Gherogita Stefan of Romania would prove too much for the young American star. Stefan won by technical fall over Ruth, 10-0.


“I’m pleased with out medals, however our wrestlers didn’t enter the fight as they should have,” Slay said. “The goal is to win Olympic gold medals and there are lessons that need to be learned and applied for that to be a reality. Onward and upward!”


Two-time U.S. World Team member Jessica Medina competed on the women’s freestyle side at the Henri Deglane Challenge. Medina fell in the first round to Estera Dobre of Romania, 10-0, at 53 kg/116.5 lbs.


The Henri Deglane Challenge will continue on Saturday morning with the remaining men’s freestyle weights of 57 kg, 74 kg, 97 kg and women’s freestyle weights of 48 kg, 58 kg, 69 kg).


2004 Olympic silver medalist Stephen Abas, four-time NCAA All-American Tyler Caldwell and three-time NAIA All-American Enock Francois will compete for the men’s freestyle squad while 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Clarissa Chun take the mat for the women.

Henri Deglane Challenge

Nov. 27 At Nice, France


U.S. men’s freestyle results

65 kg/143 lbs. – Nazar Kulchytskyy, Madison, Wis. (Titan Mercury WC), Gold

WIN Ali Samiei Paghaleh (Iran), 10-0

WIN Lazaro Carbonell Valdes (Cuba), 13-2

WIN Maxime Fiquet (France), 8-7

WIN George Bucur (Romania), 8-6


86 kg/189 lbs. – Ed Ruth, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), Silver

WIN Giorgi Tigishvili (Georgia), fall

WIN Armin Rezazadehbabaei (Iran), 10-0

LOSS Gherogita Stefan (Romania), 0-10


125 kg/275 lbs. – Connor Medbery, Madison, Wis. (Titan Mercury WC), Gold

WIN Rares Chintoan (Romania), 9-4

WIN Jose Cuba Vazquez (Spain)

WIN Andres Ramos Dinza (Cuba), 7-3

WIN Seina Ghanizadeh (Iran), 14-4

U.S. women’s freestyle results

53 kg/116.5 lbs. – Jessica Medina, Champaign, Ill. (Sunkist Kids)

LOSS Estera Dobre (Romania), 0-10