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Update: Dieringer reaches Dan Kolov finals, four other U.S. athletes in bronze-medal matches

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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling

Competition portrait of Alex Dieringer by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors.


RUSE, Bulgaria – Alex Dieringer (Stillwater, Okla./TMWC/Cowboy RTC) has qualified for the gold-medal finals at 79 kg/174 lbs. at the Dan Kolov International, the second UWW Ranking Tournament for men’s and women’s wrestling.


Dieringer scored a solid 6-0 victory over 2018 U23 World champion Nika Kentchadze of Georgia in the semifinals. Dieringer will compete for the gold medal on Friday night against Omarakhab Nazhmudinov of Romania, who was third in the 2019 U23 World Championships.


In the first session, Dieringer scored a pair of technical falls, stopping Muhammet Nuri Kotanoglu of Turkey, 11-0 and Zaur Efendiev of Serbia, 10-0.


Dieringer, a three-time NCAA champion for Oklahoma State, is currently No. 3 on the Freestyle National Team.


The U.S. had three other wrestlers in the semifinals, each who dropped competitive bouts. All three will compete in bronze-medal matches on Friday.


2018 World bronze medalist Joe Colon (Fresno, Calif./TMWC/Valley RTC) was defeated in the semifinals by 2018 World silver medalist Nurislam Sanayev of Kazakhstan, 13-2. The match included a number of different scrambles, in which the calls went in favor of Sanayev.


At 92 kg/202.5 lbs., Michael Macchiavello (Raleigh, N.C./Wolfpack RTC) was edged in the semifinals by 2019 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix gold medalist Magomed Kurbanov of Russia, 3-2. Macchiavello had a high single leg he could not finish in the closing seconds of the bout.


Macchiavello’s bronze medal opponent has been determined, Mohammed Fardj of Algeria, a two-time African Junior champion.


In women’s freestyle, 2017 Junior World champion Maya Nelson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids/OTC) was pinned in her semifinals bout against 2010 World bronze medalist Henna Johansson of Sweden in 5:14. Nelson was trailing 2-1, when she attempted an attack, and was taken to her back by Johansson.


Nelson’s bronze-medal opponent will be 2018 U.S. World Team member Forrest Molinari (Iowa City, Iowa/TMWC/Hawkeye WC), who had been beaten by Johansson in the quarterfinals.


Three other U.S. men’s freestyle wrestlers have been pulled back into repechage, two-time World medalist James Green (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC) and 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro (Norman, Okla./TMWC/Oklahoma RTC), both at 70 kg/154 lbs., plus Riley Lefever (State College, Penn./ Nittany Lion WC) at 92 kg/202.5 lbs. All three could also earn a spot in the bronze-medal round with repechage wins on Friday.


The event is being broadcast live by FloWrestling.

DAN KOLOV INTERNATIONAL

At Ruse, Bulgaria, February 28



Men’s freestyle gold-medal pairings


61 kg – Sandeep Tomar (India) vs. Nurislam Sanayev (Kazakhstan)

70 kg – Ilias Bekbulatov (Russia) vs. Anzor Zakuev (Russia)

79 kg – Alex Dieringer (USA) vs. Omarakhab Nazhmudinov (Romania)

92 kg – Magomed Kurbanov (Russia) vs. Irakli Mtsituri (Georgia)

Women’s freestyle gold-medal pairings

55 kg – Marina Sedneva (Kazakhstan) vs. Maria Prevolaraki (Greece)

65 kg – Henna Johansson (Sweden) vs. Sakshi Malik (India)

72 kg – Alina Stadnik Makhynia (Ukraine) vs. Buse Tosun (Turkey)

Women’s Round Robin 3

59 kg – Pooja Dhanda (India) vs. Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan); Kornelija Zaicevaite (Lithuania) vs. Sarita (India)

U.S. men’s freestyle results on Thursday


61 kg/134.5 lbs. – Joe Colon (Fresno, Calif./TMWC/Valley RTC)

WIN Saleh Eddine Kateb (Algeria), tech fall 10-0

WIN Recep Topal (Turkey), 8-2

LOSS Nurislam Sanayev (Kazakhstan), tech fall 13-2

Bronze Medal – Vs. winner of Aryian Tiutrin (Russia) vs. Jahongirmirza Turobov (Uzbekistan)


70 kg/154 lbs. – James Green (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC)

WIN Evghenii Volkov (Romania), tech. fall 10-0

LOSS Anzor Zakuev (Russia), 4-3

Repechage – Vs. Haithem Dakhlaoui (Tunisia)


70 kg/154 lbs. – Frank Molinaro (Norman, Okla./TMWC/Oklahoma RTC)

WIN Mehmet Karaca (Turkey), tech fall 12-2

LOSS Ilias Bekbulatov (Russia), 4-0

Repechage – Vs. Sirojiddin Khasanov (Uzbekistan)


79 kg/174 lbs. – Alex Dieringer (Stillwater, Okla./TMWC/Cowboy RTC)

WIN Muhammet Nuri Kotanoglu (Turkey), tech. fall 11-0

WIN Zaur Efendiev (Serbia), tech fall 10-0

WIN Nika Kentchadze (Georgia), 6-0

Gold Medal Match – Vs. Omarakhab Nazhmudinov (Romania)


92 kg/202.5 lbs. – Riley Lefever (State College, Penn./ Nittany Lion WC)

LOSS Irakli Mtsituri (Georgia), 8-1

Repechage – Vs. Suleyman Karadeniz (Turkey)


92 kg/202.5 lbs. – Michael Macchiavello (Raleigh, N.C./Wolfpack RTC)

WIN Istvan Vereb (Hungary), 6-2

LOSS Magomed Kurbanov (Russia), 3-2

Bronze-Medal Match – Vs. Mohammed Fardj (Algeria)

U.S. women’s freestyle results on Thursday


65 kg/143 lbs. – Amanda Hendey (Colorado Springs, Colo./TMWC/OTC)

LOSS Petra Olli (Finland), 8-4


65 kg/143 lbs. – Forrest Molinari (Iowa City, Iowa/TMWC/Hawkeye WC)

LOSS Henna Johansson (Sweden), pin 3:37

Bronze Medal bout: Vs. Maya Nelson (USA)


65 kg/143 lbs. – Maya Nelson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids/OTC)

WIN Nour Jeljeli (Tunisia), tech fall 10-0

WIN Amel Hammiche (Algeria), 10-0

LOSS Henna Johansson (Sweden), pin 5:14

Bronze-Medal bout: Vs. Forrest Molinari (USA)

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