Alli Ragan reaches gold-medal finals of World Championships in Hungary
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by USA Wrestling
Alli Ragan takes down Laura Mertens of Germany in 60 kg quarterfinals at World Championships in Hungary. Photo by Kadir Caliskan
VIDEOS: Interviews from the World Championships
BUDAPEST, Hungary – Alli Ragan (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) has qualified for the gold-medal match at 60 kg/132 lbs. in women’s freestyle at the World Championships on Sunday
She got stronger as she went throughout the tournament with four straight wins, and earned her finals berth with an impressive 14-4 technical fall in the semifinals against Ayaulym Kassymova of Kazakhstan.
Ragan opened with a takedown and turn for a quick 4-0 lead, then added two more takedowns to get an 8-0 lead. After a challenge, Kassymova received four points for an exchange on the edge of the mat, closing it to 8-4. From there, Ragan took over, getting a takedown for two and another four-point move to close out the technical fall in the second period.
She will battle 18-year-old Xingru Pei of China in the gold-medal finals. Pei was third in the 2016 Junior World Championships, and won a 2016 Asian Junior Championships title. She was also second in the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.
“I am trying to stay on the offense as much as possible, and not letting them slow me down and tie me up and getting in really heavy hand fighting. I am creating my motion, wrestling my match and it is definitely a key. I am wrestling them one match at a time.”
She opened with a solid 8-4 win over Sarita of India. Jumping to a 3-0 lead, Sarita scored a four-pointer on a scramble and Ragan led 5-4 at the break. She controlled the second period with a step out and a spin-behind takedown for the margin of victory.
In her second match, Ragan trailed 3-2 at the break against Canadian Linda Morais, but came back with two second-period takedowns for a 6-3 victory. In the quarterfinals, she scored a pair of second period takedowns to shut out Laura Mertens of Germany, 5-0
Ragan was fifth in 2014 World Championships, and is competing in her fourth Senior World event.
“I am wrestling through every position, wrestling for the full six minutes, not staying one-dimensional. I am opening up and having fun out there. Just have fun. When you put so much pressure on yourself, it’s not very fun,” she said.
2015 World bronze medalist James Green (Lincoln, Neb./Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska WTC) was beaten in the quarterfinals at 70 kg/154 lbs. and will not be able to wrestle back for a medal.
Green was defeated by veteran star Rashid Kurbanov of Uzbekistan in a 3-3 criteria match. Green got behind 3-0 in the first period, on a spin behind takedown for Kurbanov and a shot clock violation late in the period. In the second, Green came back with a takedown and a stepout to tie it at 3-3. Kurbanov won the criteria since Green was hit with a caution on the shot clock penalty.
Green opened with a dominant 12-1 technical fall over Gitnomagomedov Gadzhiyev of Azerbaijan, leading 6-0 at the break and scoring both takedowns and turns on the opponent.
The second round featured a close match with Davit Tlashadze of Georgia, which ended with a 4-1 win. Green scored on a pushout and a takedown, while Tlashadze got a point on the shot clock for a 3-1 score. In the closing seconds, Tlashadze got behind Green and time ran out as he brought Green towards the mat. The Georgians challenged the call, and the video did not show that he had scored on time, giving Green an additional point.
Green was a four-time All-American at Nebraska, has won a number of international medals at this weight class including a gold medal at the 2016 World Cup. This was his second World Championships appearance.
“I wrestled good. The match I lost, just a little mental lapse in the first period. I did what I should have been doing the whole match in the second period. It is not the way I want to wrestle. 3-3 and I was down on criteria. I needed to get an extra point, and I shouldn’t have been on the shot clock. Just little things I have to get better at, but overall, leaving empty handed, I am disappointed,” said Green.
Patrick Martinez (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) was beaten in the first round and eliminated at 80 kg/176 lbs. in Greco-Roman.
He dropped his first match by technical fall against Ashkat Dilmukhamedov of Kazakhstan, 8-0. After a takedown, Dilmukhamedov was able to turn Martinez three times, the first two on a high gut wrench and the third on a low gut wrench. Dilmukhamedov was fifth in the World on two occasions.
When Dilmukhamedov was defeated in the quarterfinals, Martinez was not eligible for the repechage.
Martinez competed in his second Senior Worlds, after also wrestling in the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas.
“He didn’t have a good tournament. He had one match, got taken down and got turned. We have got to go out there and score. We have to attack. We can’t wait and hope we are going to get a passivity, and we got taken down on top of that. Patrick is better than that, a much better wrestler than that. I know we wrestled that guy in 2015 at the Worlds and I know he is capable of winning that match. He just didn’t do it,” said National Greco-Roman Coach Matt Lindland.
The finals are set for 6:00 p.m. in Budapest, which is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time.
United World Wrestling will be doing a live webcast and results page at:
http://bit.ly/2giIhQB
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Budapest, Hungary, Dec. 11
U.S. performances on Sunday
Women’s freestyle
60 kg/132 lbs. - Alli Ragan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Sarita (India), 8-4
WIN Linda Morais (Canada), 6-3
WIN Laura Mertens (Germany), 5-0
WIN Ayaulym Kassymova (Kazakhstan), tech. fall 14-4
Gold Medal Finals – Vs. Xingru Pei (China)
Men’s freestyle
70 kg/154 lbs. – James Green (Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska WTC)
WIN Gitnomagomedov Gadzhiyev (Azerbaijan), tech. fall 12-1
WIN Davit Tlashadze (Georgia), 4-1
LOSS Rashid Kurbanov (Uzbekistan), 3-3
Greco-Roman
80 kg/176 lbs. - Patrick Martinez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
LOSS Ashkat Dilmukhamedov (Kazakhstan), tech. fall 8-0, 1:16
Medal matches
Women’s freestyle 60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold - Xingru Pei (China) vs. Alli Ragan (USA)
Bronze - Linda Morais (Canada) vs. Ayaulym Kassymova (Kazakhstan)
Bronze - Emese Barka (Hungary) vs. Yui Sakano (Japan)
Men’s freestyle 70 kg/154 lbs.
Gold - Nurlan Bekzahanov (Kazakshtan) vs. Magomed Kurbanaliev (Russia)
Bronze - Mostafa Hosseinkhani (Iran) vs. Rashid Kurbanov (Uzbekistan)
Bronze - Nobuyoshi Takojima (Japan) vs. Nobuyoshi Takojima (Japan)
Greco-Roman 80 kg/176 lbs.
Gold - Ramazan Abacharev (Russia) vs. Aslan Atem (Turkey)
Bronze - Askhat Dilmukhamedov (Kazakhstan) vs. Laszlo Szabo (Hungary)
Bronze - Nikoloz Kelasov (Georgia) vs. Jonibek Otabekov (Uzbekistan)
VIDEOS: Interviews from the World Championships
BUDAPEST, Hungary – Alli Ragan (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) has qualified for the gold-medal match at 60 kg/132 lbs. in women’s freestyle at the World Championships on Sunday
She got stronger as she went throughout the tournament with four straight wins, and earned her finals berth with an impressive 14-4 technical fall in the semifinals against Ayaulym Kassymova of Kazakhstan.
Ragan opened with a takedown and turn for a quick 4-0 lead, then added two more takedowns to get an 8-0 lead. After a challenge, Kassymova received four points for an exchange on the edge of the mat, closing it to 8-4. From there, Ragan took over, getting a takedown for two and another four-point move to close out the technical fall in the second period.
She will battle 18-year-old Xingru Pei of China in the gold-medal finals. Pei was third in the 2016 Junior World Championships, and won a 2016 Asian Junior Championships title. She was also second in the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.
“I am trying to stay on the offense as much as possible, and not letting them slow me down and tie me up and getting in really heavy hand fighting. I am creating my motion, wrestling my match and it is definitely a key. I am wrestling them one match at a time.”
She opened with a solid 8-4 win over Sarita of India. Jumping to a 3-0 lead, Sarita scored a four-pointer on a scramble and Ragan led 5-4 at the break. She controlled the second period with a step out and a spin-behind takedown for the margin of victory.
In her second match, Ragan trailed 3-2 at the break against Canadian Linda Morais, but came back with two second-period takedowns for a 6-3 victory. In the quarterfinals, she scored a pair of second period takedowns to shut out Laura Mertens of Germany, 5-0
Ragan was fifth in 2014 World Championships, and is competing in her fourth Senior World event.
“I am wrestling through every position, wrestling for the full six minutes, not staying one-dimensional. I am opening up and having fun out there. Just have fun. When you put so much pressure on yourself, it’s not very fun,” she said.
2015 World bronze medalist James Green (Lincoln, Neb./Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska WTC) was beaten in the quarterfinals at 70 kg/154 lbs. and will not be able to wrestle back for a medal.
Green was defeated by veteran star Rashid Kurbanov of Uzbekistan in a 3-3 criteria match. Green got behind 3-0 in the first period, on a spin behind takedown for Kurbanov and a shot clock violation late in the period. In the second, Green came back with a takedown and a stepout to tie it at 3-3. Kurbanov won the criteria since Green was hit with a caution on the shot clock penalty.
Green opened with a dominant 12-1 technical fall over Gitnomagomedov Gadzhiyev of Azerbaijan, leading 6-0 at the break and scoring both takedowns and turns on the opponent.
The second round featured a close match with Davit Tlashadze of Georgia, which ended with a 4-1 win. Green scored on a pushout and a takedown, while Tlashadze got a point on the shot clock for a 3-1 score. In the closing seconds, Tlashadze got behind Green and time ran out as he brought Green towards the mat. The Georgians challenged the call, and the video did not show that he had scored on time, giving Green an additional point.
Green was a four-time All-American at Nebraska, has won a number of international medals at this weight class including a gold medal at the 2016 World Cup. This was his second World Championships appearance.
“I wrestled good. The match I lost, just a little mental lapse in the first period. I did what I should have been doing the whole match in the second period. It is not the way I want to wrestle. 3-3 and I was down on criteria. I needed to get an extra point, and I shouldn’t have been on the shot clock. Just little things I have to get better at, but overall, leaving empty handed, I am disappointed,” said Green.
Patrick Martinez (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) was beaten in the first round and eliminated at 80 kg/176 lbs. in Greco-Roman.
He dropped his first match by technical fall against Ashkat Dilmukhamedov of Kazakhstan, 8-0. After a takedown, Dilmukhamedov was able to turn Martinez three times, the first two on a high gut wrench and the third on a low gut wrench. Dilmukhamedov was fifth in the World on two occasions.
When Dilmukhamedov was defeated in the quarterfinals, Martinez was not eligible for the repechage.
Martinez competed in his second Senior Worlds, after also wrestling in the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas.
“He didn’t have a good tournament. He had one match, got taken down and got turned. We have got to go out there and score. We have to attack. We can’t wait and hope we are going to get a passivity, and we got taken down on top of that. Patrick is better than that, a much better wrestler than that. I know we wrestled that guy in 2015 at the Worlds and I know he is capable of winning that match. He just didn’t do it,” said National Greco-Roman Coach Matt Lindland.
The finals are set for 6:00 p.m. in Budapest, which is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time.
United World Wrestling will be doing a live webcast and results page at:
http://bit.ly/2giIhQB
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Budapest, Hungary, Dec. 11
U.S. performances on Sunday
Women’s freestyle
60 kg/132 lbs. - Alli Ragan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Sarita (India), 8-4
WIN Linda Morais (Canada), 6-3
WIN Laura Mertens (Germany), 5-0
WIN Ayaulym Kassymova (Kazakhstan), tech. fall 14-4
Gold Medal Finals – Vs. Xingru Pei (China)
Men’s freestyle
70 kg/154 lbs. – James Green (Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska WTC)
WIN Gitnomagomedov Gadzhiyev (Azerbaijan), tech. fall 12-1
WIN Davit Tlashadze (Georgia), 4-1
LOSS Rashid Kurbanov (Uzbekistan), 3-3
Greco-Roman
80 kg/176 lbs. - Patrick Martinez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
LOSS Ashkat Dilmukhamedov (Kazakhstan), tech. fall 8-0, 1:16
Medal matches
Women’s freestyle 60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold - Xingru Pei (China) vs. Alli Ragan (USA)
Bronze - Linda Morais (Canada) vs. Ayaulym Kassymova (Kazakhstan)
Bronze - Emese Barka (Hungary) vs. Yui Sakano (Japan)
Men’s freestyle 70 kg/154 lbs.
Gold - Nurlan Bekzahanov (Kazakshtan) vs. Magomed Kurbanaliev (Russia)
Bronze - Mostafa Hosseinkhani (Iran) vs. Rashid Kurbanov (Uzbekistan)
Bronze - Nobuyoshi Takojima (Japan) vs. Nobuyoshi Takojima (Japan)
Greco-Roman 80 kg/176 lbs.
Gold - Ramazan Abacharev (Russia) vs. Aslan Atem (Turkey)
Bronze - Askhat Dilmukhamedov (Kazakhstan) vs. Laszlo Szabo (Hungary)
Bronze - Nikoloz Kelasov (Georgia) vs. Jonibek Otabekov (Uzbekistan)
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