Stock seeks historic back-to-back, Dake inches toward gold at Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix

Photo: Tamyra Stock (USA) is one win away from becoming first American to go back-to-back at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix. Photo by Richard Immel.


KRASNOYARSK, Russia - For the second-straight year, Tamyra Stock has positioned herself to win "the toughest tournament in the world."


Stock was efficient as ever in her three preliminary victories at 68 kg/149 lbs. on Saturday. She picked up decisive wins over Mai Hayakawa of Japan, Yudari Sanchez Rodriguez of Cuba and Iuliia Maksimova Bartnovskaia of Russia, all-the-while outscoring her opponents 21-1.


At last year's Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, Stock became the sixth U.S. woman to ever win the event. With a win in the finals this evening, she can become the first American in history, male or female, to win the prestigious international tournament in back-to-back years.


Standing in the way of history is China's Yue Han, who defeated Stock in the World quarterfinals last year, 5-2. Han went on to win a bronze medal at the World Championships in Paris, France.


Joining Stock in the gold-medal hunt is U.S. fan-favorite Kyle Dake, who qualified for the 79 kg/174 lbs. finals with two mighty wins on the day. Dake opened with a thrilling, 9-7, decision over 2013 Junior World champion Alan Zaseev of Russia. He followed with a quick, 10-0 dismantling of 2013 World bronze medalist Rashid Kurbanov of Uzbekistan in the semifinals.


The task for Dake this evening is defending Ivan Yarygin champion and European bronze medalist Akhmed Gadzhimagomedov of Russia. Should Dake come out on top, he would become just the 12th U.S. male, and 19th American overall, to win this event.


Reigning World bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski and 2015 U.S. World Team member Zach Rey both navigated to bronze medal matches at 125 kg/275 lbs.


Gwiazdowski looked stout in a 6-1 win over defending tournament champion Alan Khugaev of Russia, but was upended in his next match by Russian Muradin Kushkhov, 3-1. He bounced back with a dominant, 7-0, victory over China's Zhanxiang Hu in the repechage to qualify for a bronze medal match against Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur of Mongolia.


Rey picked up decision wins over Farkhod Anakulov of Tajikistan and fellow American Bobby Telford on his way to the semifinal round. There, he was unable to complete a second period comeback against Russia's Anzor Khizriev, falling 4-2. Rey will wrestle Asian bronze medalist Zolboo Natsagsuren of Mongolia for a bronze medal.


Telford ended up with a 1-1 record at heavyweight, but was eliminated from repechage contention following Rey's semifinal loss.


It was tough sledding for the three U.S. athletes competing at 65 kg/143 lbs. The trio of Logan Stieber, Josh Kindig and Jayson Ness combined to go 2-4 in their six contested bouts.


Stieber, the 2016 World champion, looked sharp early in a 13-3 victory over Kyrgyzstan's Nurgazy Abdurazakov. The tide shifted for Stieber as he hit Russian hammers in his next two bouts. Defending Ivan Yarygin and European champion Ilyas Bekbulatov handed Stieber a 16-6 defeat. After qualifying for the repechage, Stieber fell 10-4 at the hands of U23 World champion Nachyn Sergeevitch Kuular.


Neither Kindig nor Ness qualified for a repechage match. Kindig dropped his only contest to Kuular, 12-1. Ness made quick work of Kazakhstan's Kenessary Baltash, 10-0, but ended up a couple points shy of Mongolia's Tsogtbaatar Damdinbazar in the quarterfinals.


It was a frustrating end to an otherwise solid performance for 2016 Olympian Haley Augello. She rolled early with a 10-0 technical fall over Mongolia's Otgonjargal Dadvadorj. Things were headed the same direction in her next contest against Otgonjargal Ganbaatar, also of Mongolia. Augello was up 4-0 before getting pinned off a fireman's carry. She did not qualify for a repechage match thereafter.


The second day of wrestling at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix will conclude at 6 a.m. (ET) on Saturday with the medal matches. A live stream of the event is being provided to U.S. residents at Trackwrestling.com.

2017 IVAN YARYGIN GRAND PRIX

At Krasnoyarsk, Russia, Jan. 27

U.S. Men's Freestyle Results

65 kg/143 lbs. - Logan Stieber, Columbus, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC), dnp

WIN Nurgazy Abdurazakov (Kyrgyzstan), 13-3

LOSS Ilyas Bekbulatov (Russia), 16-6

LOSS Nachyn Sergeevitch Kuular (Russia), 10-4


65 kg/143 lbs. - Jayson Ness, Bloomington, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), dnp

WIN Kenessary Baltash (Kazakhstan), 10-0

LOSS Tsogtbaatar Damdinbazar (Mongolia), 5-3


65 kg/143 lbs. - Josh Kindig, Durham, N.C. (Sunkist Kids/Tar Heel WC), dnp

LOSS Nachyn Sergeevitch Kuular (Russia), 12-1


79 kg/174 lbs. - Kyle Dake, Ithaca, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC/Finger Lakes WC)

WIN Alan Zaseev (Russia), 9-7

WIN Rashid Kurbanov (Uzbekistan), 10-0

GOLD Akhmed Gadzhimagomedov (Russia)


125 kg/275 lbs. - Nick Gwiazdowski, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC)

WIN Alan Khugaev (Russia), 6-1

LOSS Muradin Kushkhov (Russia), 3-1

WIN Zhanxiang Hu (China), 7-0

BRONZE Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur (Mongolia)


125 kg/275 lbs. - Zach Rey, Northampton, Pa. (Lehigh Valley WC)

WIN Farkhod Anakulov (Tajikistan), 5-1

WIN Bobby Telford (United States), 2-1

LOSS Anzor Khizriev (Russia), 4-2

BRONZE Zolboo Natsagsuren (Mongolia)


125 kg/275 lbs. - Bobby Telford, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC), dnp

WIN Tuguldur Enkhbaatar (Mongolia), 7-1

LOSS Zach Rey (United States), 2-1

U.S. Women's Freestyle Results

53 kg/116 lbs. - Haley Augello, Lockport, Ill. (New York AC), dnp

WIN Otgonjargal Dadvadorj (Mongolia), 10-0

LOSS Otgonjargal Ganbaatar (Mongolia), Fall 4:08


68 kg/149 lbs. - Tamyra Stock, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)

WIN Mai Hayakawa (Japan), 11-0

WIN Yudari Sanchez Rodriguez (Cuba), 4-1

WIN Iuliia Maksimova Bartnovskaia (Russia), 6-0

GOLD Yue Han (China)