Perry and Vallimont win medals, Dieringer and Cox advance to finals in Ukraine

KIEV, Ukraine – Men’s freestyle Americans Richard Perry and Dan Vallimont wrapped up their Outstanding Ukrainian Memorial tournaments with medals, while Alex Dieringer and J’den Cox advanced to tomorrow’s gold-medal matches.

Perry battled for gold at 86 kg/189 lbs. against 2013 Cadet World silver medalist Kamran Ghasempour of Iran. It was the Iranian who walked away victorious, claiming a 4-1 win. Perry’s silver is his first medal of 2018.

Also claiming his first medal of the year was Dan Vallimont, who picked up bronze at 74 kg/163 lbs. Vallimont edged out Ukraine’s Ali Zakariev, 5-3, for the American’s first international medal since 2015. Zakariev put up a top-10 finish at the 2017 U23 World Championships.

At 57 kg/125 lbs., Josh Rodriguez was defeated by 2016 Junior World champion Afggan Khasalv of Azerbaijan in the bronze match to take home fifth.

Several other Americans started the tournament on Saturday. Of those Dieringer and Cox moved on to the finals and are joined by five others still in the hunt for bronze.

At 79 kg/174 lbs., Dieringer dominated, outscoring the competition, 35-2. The two-time National Team member racked up tech falls in his first three matches, shutting out 2016 Olympian Jakob Makarashvili of Georgia, 2018 Takhti Cup winner Omid Hassan Batar Jelodar of Iran and  2015 European Games bronze medalist Jumber Kvelashvili of Georgia.

He sealed his spot in the finals when he bested Japan’s Yajyuro Yamasaki, 4-2. Yamasaki has produced four top-10 finishes at various age-group World Championships.

In tomorrow’s finals, Dieringer will take on 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Yabrail Hasanov of Azerbaijan.

Olympic and World bronze medalist Cox will aim for gold in the 92 kg/202 lbs. finals.  

Cox opened his tournament with an 11-0 tech fall over Shamir Atyan of Armenia before defeating 2017 Nordic champion Edgaras Voitechovskis of Lithuania. In the semifinals, he edged out fellow American and four-time NCAA Div. III champion Riley LeFever, 2-0.

In the finals, Cox will face 2012 Olympic champion, 2011 World champion and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Sharif Sharifov of Azerbaijan.  

Joe Colon and Nahshon Garrett at 61 kg/134 lbs. and Lefever at 92 kg are guaranteed spots in the bronze-medal match after falling short in their respective semis. Others from Team USA who are still alive in repechage include Jon Morrison at 61 kg, Dylan Ness at 70 kg/154 lbs. and Josh Manu at 92 kg.

Action continues on Sunday with repechage at 10 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET) and medal matches at 2 p.m. (7 a.m. ET).

U.S. men’s freestyle results

57 kg/125 lbs. – Frank Perrelli (Bethlehem, Pa./Titan Mercury)
LOSS Valentin Bliasetski (Ukraine), fall

57 kg/125 lbs. – Josh Rodriguez (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) - FIFTH
WIN Salim Naim Mikyay (Bulgaria), 13-2
WIN Aryian Tiutrin (Russia)
WIN Fedor Postnikov (Russia), 7-1
LOSS Giorgi Edisherashvili (Azerbaijan), 6-3
LOSS Afgan Khashalov (Azerbaijan)

61 kg/134 lbs. – Jon Morrison (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC)
WIN Ivan Bileichuk (Ukraine)
LOSS Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov (Azerbaijan)

61 kg/134 lbs. – Nahshon Garrett (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids)
WIN Nico Megaludis (USA)
WIN Giorgi Revazshvili (Georgia)
LOSS Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov (Azerbaijan)

61 kg/134 lbs. – Nico Megaludis (State College, Pa./Titan Mercury WC)
LOSS Nahshon Garrett (USA)

61 kg/134 lbs. – Alan Waters (Columbia, Mo./Titan Mercury)
LOSS Georgi Revazshvili (Georgia)

61kg/134.4 lbs. – Brandon Wright (Indianapolis, Ind./RNO/IPWA)
LOSS Petr Bileichuk (Ukraine)

61kg/134.4 lbs. – Joe Colon (Fresno, Calif./Titan Mercury)
WIN Aital Zakarov (Russia)
WIN Kuat Amirtayev (Kazakhstan)
WIN Petr Bileichuk (Ukraine)
LOSS Beka Lomtadsze (Georgia)

65 kg/143 lbs. – Evan Henderson (Chapel Hill, N.C./Titan Mercury)
WIN Andrei Syvryd (Ukraine), 12-2
LOSS Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (Poland), 9-5
LOSS Gor Ogannesyan (Ukraine)

65 kg/143 lbs. – BJ Futtrell (Philadelphia, Pa./Titan Mercury)
WIN Charlie Bowling (Great Britain)
LOSS Vladimer Kinchegashvili (Georgia), 5-4

70 kg/154 lbs. – Dylan Ness (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm)
WIN Narek Sirunyan (Armenia)
WIN Konstantine Khabalashvili (Georgia)
LOSS Murtazali Muslimov (Azerbaijan)

70 kg/154 lbs. – Nazar Kulchytskyy (Madison, Wisc./Titan Mercury)
WIN Bulat Ataev (Russia)
LOSS Konstantin Vlasov (Russia)

74 kg/163 lbs. – Dan Vallimont (Philadelphia, Pa./New York AC) - BRONZE
WIN Vasil Mikhailov (Ukraine), forfeit
WIN Ruslan Dibirgadzhiev (Azerbaijan), 5-5
LOSS Franklin Gomez (Puerto Rico), 8-0
WIN Ali Zakariiev (Ukraine), 5-3

79 kg/174 lbs. – Josh Asper (Annapolis, Md./Navy-Marines Corps RTC)
WIN Ali Khuzheiry (Belarus)
LOSS Valruzhan Kajoyan (Armenia)

79 kg/174 lbs. – Alex Dieringer (Stillwater, Okla./Titan Mercury)
WIN Jakob Makarashvili (Georgia), 10-0
WIN Omid Hassan Batar Jelodar (Iran), 10-0
WIN Jumber Kvelashvili (Georgia), 11-0
WIN Yajyuro Yamasaki (Japan), 4-2
vs. Yabrail Hasanov (Azerbaijan)

86 kg/189 lbs. – Richard Perry (Philadelphia, Pa./New York AC) - SILVER
WIN Saifedine Alekma (France), 11-0
WIN Zbigniew Mateusz Baranowski (Poland) 5-4
WIN Ilyia Archaia (Ukraine), 9-5
LOSS Kamran Ghasempour (Iran), 4-1

92 kg/202 lbs. – J’den Cox (Columbia, Mo./Titan Mercury)
WIN Shamir Atyan (Armenia), 11-0
WIN Edgaras Voitechovskis (Lithuania), 7-1
WIN Riley Lefever (USA), 2-0
vs. Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan)

92 kg/202 lbs. – Riley Lefever (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC)
WIN Oleinyk Pavlo (Hungary), 5-4
WIN Mark Markarian (Ukraine), 11-0
LOSS J’den Cox (USA), 2-0

92 kg/202 lbs. – Timmy McCall (Raleigh, N.C./Titan Mercury)
LOSS Ivan Yankouski (Belarus), 4-0

92 kg/202 lbs. – Josh Manu (Annapolis, Md./Navy-Marines Corps RTC)
WIN Islam Azizov (Kazakhstan), 7-5
LOSS Sharif Aharifov (Azerbaijan), fall

97 kg/213 lbs. – Blaize Cabell (Fresno, Calif./Valley RTC)
LOSS Nurmagomed Gadzhiev (Azerbaijan)
LOSS Aliaksandr Hushtyn (Belarus)

97 kg/213 lbs. – Kyven Gadson (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids)
WIN Sven Engstroem (Sweden), 6-2
LOSS Duman Bultrikov (Kazakhstan), 12-9

125 kg/275 lbs. – Zach Roseberry (Annapolis, Md./Navy-Marines Corps RTC)
LOSS Giorgi Sakandelidze (Qatar)

125 kg/275 lbs. – Dom Bradley (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids)
WIN Vitali Piasniak (Belarus)
LOSS Yadollah Mohebi (Iran)