USA edges out Russia and dominates Sweden in first session of Women’s World Cup

CHEBOKSARY, Russia – The United States women’s freestyle team went 2-0 in session one of the Women’s World Cup in Cheboksary, Russia, defeating powerful squads from Russia and Sweden.

The U.S. edged out Russia in its first dual, winning 4-4 on classification points criteria. The match was decided at 75 kg/165 pounds. Going into the final bout, Russia led 4-3 and boasted a win by technical fall, while the U.S. had not yet earned a bonus-point win.

The finale pitted three-time World champion and five-time World medalist Adeline Gray of USA against two-time World bronze medalist and two-time Cadet World champion Alena Perepelkina of Russia. The match lasted less than a minute as Gray took down the Russian quickly and was awarded the fall at the 57-second mark.

Gray’s fall held more weight than Russia’s tech fall earlier in the match at 53 kg/117 lbs., giving USA the win on criteria.

The American squad also picked up wins from Victoria Anthony at 48 kg/106 lbs., Sarah Hildebrandt at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Tamyra Mensah at 69 kg/152 lbs.

Two-time Junior World champion and two-time Senior World Team member Anthony outlasted 2009 Junior World champ Valeriya Chepsarakova in the first match of the day, picking up a 3-2 win. Chepsarakova was awarded two on exposure as the buzzer sounded, but USA challenged the call and emerged victorious.

Hildebrandt trailed late in the first period to 2017 Russian Nationals champion Mariia Gurova, but the American, recently back from an injury, rattled off three takedowns for a 6-3 win.

At 69 kg, 2008 Junior World champion Anastasia Bratchikova of Russia held off 2016 Ivan Yarygin champ Tamyra Mensah’s quest for a tech fall. Mensah went up 8-0 at the break and was only able to score one more point in the second period, still picking up a dominant 9-1 win.

In the second dual against Sweden, the U.S. won seven of eight bouts. Anthony, Hildebrandt and Mensah each won their second matches of the day.

All three ended their bouts early with Anthony and Hildebrandt collecting first-period tech falls and Mensah grabbing her 12-1 tech fall with a minute left in the match.

Olympian Haley Augello redeemed a first round loss against Russia with a fall at the 2:30 mark over Sweden’s Emma Brobeck at 53 kg. It was the only pin of the dual.

Kayla Miracle and Forrest Molinari, fresh off performances at the U23 World Championships last week in Poland, tallied victories at 58 kg/128 lbs. and 63 kg/139 lbs., respectively.

Both beat U23 World bronze medalists as Miracle knocked off World-No. 5 Elin Nilsson in a 5-0 win, and Molinari defeated Moa Nygren, 4-2.

Alli Ragan, a two-time World silver medalist, had her hand raised in a win by forfeit at 60 kg/132 lbs.

The USA will face Japan in second-session action to wrap up pool play at 9:30 a.m. ET on Friday. Fans can watch live on Trackwrestling.com. Japan also went 2-0 in the first session.

2017 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

at Cheboksary, Russia, Dec. 1-2

POOL A

Round 1
USA 4, RUSSIA 4 (USA wins on classification points criteria)
48 kg: Victoria Anthony (USA) dec. Valeryia Chepsarakova (RUS), 3-2
53 kg: Stalvira Orshush (RUS) tech. fall Haley Augello (USA), 10-0
55 kg: Sarah Hildebrandt (USA) dec. Mariia Gurova (RUS), 6-3
58 kg: Veronika Chumikova (RUS) dec. Kayla Miracle (USA), 8-6
60 kg: Yulia Prontsevitch (RUS) dec. Alli Ragan (USA), 3-2
63 kg: Anzhela Fomenko (RUS) dec. Mallory Velte (USA), 4-2
69 kg: Tamyra Mensah (USA) dec. Anastasia Bratchikova (RUS), 9-1
75 kg: Adeline Gray (USA) fall Alena Perepelkina (RUSSIA), 0:57

JAPAN 8, SWEDEN 0
48 kg: Yui Susaki (JPN) tech. fall Malin Ljungstroem (SWE), 10-0
53 kg: Mayu Mukaida (JPN) tech. fall Emma Brobeck (SWE), 10-0
55 kg: Momoka Kadoya (JPN) tech. fall Szilvia Peter (SWE), 10-0
58 kg: Akie Hanai (JPN) dec. Eliln Nilsson (SWE),3-1
60 kg: Yukako Kawai (JPN) win by forfeit
63 kg: Yurika Ito (JPN) tech. fall Moa Nygren (JPN), 10-0
69 kg: Miwa Morikawa (JPN) dec. Alexandra Sandahl (SWE), 5-1
75 kg: Masako Furuichi (JPN) dec. Denise Makota Stroem (SWE), 6-6

Round 2
USA 7, SWEDEN 1
48 kg: Victoria Anthony (USA) tech. fall Malin Ljungstroem (SWE), 10-0
53 kg: Haley Augello (USA) fall Emma Brobeck (SWE), 2:30
55 kg: Sarah Hildebrandt (USA) tech. fall Szilvia Peter (SWE), 12-1
58 kg: Kayla Miracle (USA) dec. Eliln Nilsson (SWE), 5-0
60 kg: Alli Ragan (USA) win by forfeit
63 kg: Forrest Molinari (USA) dec. Moa Nygren (SWE), 4-2
69 kg: Tamyra Mensah (USA) tech. fall Alexandra Sandahl (SWE), 12-1
75 kg: Denise Makota Stroem (SWE) tech. fall Victoria Francis (USA), 10-0

JAPAN 5, RUSSIA 3
48 kg: Yui Susaki (JPN) tech. fall Anzhelika Vetoshkina (RUS), 10-0
53 kg: Mayu Mukaida (JPN) tech. fall Stalvira Orshush (RUS), 10-0
55 kg: Mariia Gurova (RUS) dec. Momoka Kadoya (JPN), 4-4
58 kg: Akie Hanai (JPN) dec. Veronika Chumikova (RUS), 5-2
60 kg: Yukako Kawai (JPN) dec. Yulia Prontsevitch (RUS), 6-0
63 kg: Anzhela Fomenko (RUS) dec. Yurika Ito (JPN), 7-0
69 kg: Anastasia Bratchikova (RUS) dec. Miwa Morikawa (JPN), 4-1
75 kg: Masako Furuichi (JPN) dec. Kristina Shumova (RUS), 3-1

POOL B

Round 1
CHINA 8, UKRAINE 0
48 kg: Yanan Sun (CHN) tech. fall Ilona Semkiv (UKR), 12-2
53 kg: Qianyu Pang (CHN) dec. Olga Shnaider (UKR), 8-0
55 kg: Ningning Rong (CHN) fall Olena Kremzer (UKR), 1:26
58 kg: Xiofang Chen (CHN) dec. Iryna Chykhradze Khariv (UKR), 12-8
60 kg: Qian Li (CHN) dec. Sofiia Bodnar (UKR), 6-1
63 kg: Rui Xu (CHN) fall Iryna Koliadenko (UKR), 3:57
69 kg: Jiao Wang (CHN) fall Alla Belinska (UKR), 1:44
75 kg: Qian Zhou (CHN) dec. Anastasiia Shustova (UKR), 10-4

MONGOLIA 6, AZERBAIJAN 2
48 kg: Turkan Nasirova (AZE) dec. Chimgee Buyandalai (MGL), 12-10
53 kg: Otgonjargal Ganbaatar (MGL) tech. fall Leyla Gurbanova (AZE), 10-0
55 kg: Bolortuya Bat-ochir (MGL) fall Solmaz Hashimzada (AZE), 0:51
58 kg: Battsetseg Altantsetseg (MGL) dec. Alyona Kolesnik (AZE), 14-10
60 kg: Tetiana Omelchenko (AZE) dec. Gantya Enkhbat (MGL), 5-2
63 kg: Bolortuya Khurelkhuu (MGL) tech. fall Elmira Gambarova (AZE), 12-1
69 kg: Purevsuren Ganbaatar (MGL) dec. Elis Manolova (AZE), 6-4
75 kg: Nomin Purvee (MGL) win by forfeit

Round 2

MONGOLIA 6, UKRAINE 2
48 kg: Ilona Semkiv (UKR) fall Chimgee Buyandalai (MGL), 0:40
53 kg: Otgonjargal Ganbaatar (MGL) dec. Olga Shnaider (UKR), 6-2
55 kg: Sumiya Erdenechimeg (MGL) fall Olena Kremzer (UKR), 3:50
58 kg: Battsetseg Altantsetseg (MGL) dec. Iryna Chykhradze Khariv (UKR), 9-1
60 kg: Gantya Enkhbat (MGL) tech. fall Sofiia Bodnar (UKR), 11-0
63 kg: Orkhon Purevdorj (MGL) tech. fall Iryna Koliadenko (UKR), 11-0
69 kg: Alla Belinska (UKR) fall Battseteg Soronzonbold (MGL), 4:21
75 kg: Nomin Purvee (MGL) dec. Anastasiia Shustova (UKR), 10-6

CHINA 8, AZERBAIJAN 0
48 kg: Jie Ni (CHN) tech. fall Turkan Nasirova (AZE), 10-0
53 kg: Qianyu Pang (CHN) tech. fall Leyla Gurbanova (AZE), 11-0
55 kg: Ningning Rong (CHN) tech. fall Solmaz Hashimzada (AZE), 12-2
58 kg: Yazhen Sun (CHN) dec. Alyona Kolesnik (AZE), 7-4
60 kg: Xiuyun Chen (CHN) dec. Tetiana Omelchenko (AZE), 10-6
63 kg: Xiaojuan Luo (CHN) tech. fall Elmira Gambarova (AZE), 10-0
69 kg: Feng Zhou (CHN) tech. fall Elis Manolova (AZE), 10-0
75 kg: Qian Zhou (CHN) win by forfeit