First eight Americans receive draws for Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix

KRASNOYARSK, Russia – The draws have been released for the first day of the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, the first UWW Ranking Series event of the year for men’s and women’s freestyle.

Wrestling on Thursday for the USA are six men’s freestylers and two women’s freestyle athletes.

Among the U.S. men competing tomorrow, three are past Senior World medalists, all of whom are making their Yarygin debuts.

2017 Senior World silver medalist Thomas Gilman (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC) drew three-time Junior World champion and 2016 University World silver winner Ahmet Peker of Turkey to begin his tournament at 57 kg.

Gilman, who was fifth at the 2018 Senior Worlds, also owns a Junior World bronze medal from 2014.

Joe Colon (Fresno, Calif./Titan Mercury), who burst onto the international scene, claiming a 2018 Senior World bronze, will take on USA teammate and 2018 Grand Prix of Spain silver medalist Cory Clark (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury) in the first round at 61 kg.

Two-time Senior World medalist James Green (Lincoln/Neb./Sunkist Kids) will open his competition at 70 kg against Perman Hommadov from Turkmenistan, who was fifth at the 2018 Junior Asian Championships.

Green won a World bronze in 2015 and a World silver in 2017.

Others competing in men’s freestyle tomorrow include Zane Richards (Champaign, Ill./ Illinois Regional Training Center/Illini WC) at 57 kg and Final X runner-up Jason Chamberlain (Fresno, Calif./Titan Mercury) at 70 kg.

Richards is set to face two-time Senior World bronze medalist and 2012 Junior World champion Bekhbayar Erdenebat of Mongolia in the first round.

Chamberlain will go head-to-head with Katal Yeerlanbieke of China, who won bronze at the 2014 Asian Games.

Representing the U.S. in women’s wrestling is a pair of past World Team members, including Victoria Anthony (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 50 kg and Forrest Molinari (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury) at 65 kg.

A two-time Junior World champion, Anthony’s opponent is yet to be determined. She will take on the winner of a first-round match between 2018 U23 World bronze winner Namuuntsetseg Tsogtochir of Mongolia and an unspecified Russian athlete.

Molinari, who repped the USA at the 2018 Senior and U23 World Championships, will open her tournament against Uzbekistan’s Sakhipjamal Aleuatdinova, who was 19th at the 2018 U23 Worlds.

The tournament begins Thursday at 11 a.m. local time (Wednesday, 11 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time). Fans can watch live on FloWrestling.org.

2019 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix

at Krasnoyarsk, Russia (Jan. 24-27)

Men’s freestyle draws
57 kg: Thomas Gilman (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)
vs. Ahmet Peker (Turkey), Three-time Junior World champion (2006, 2008, 2009), 2016 University World silver medalist

57 kg: Zane Richards (Champaign, Ill./ Illinois Regional Training Center/Illini WC)
vs. Bekhbayar Erdenebat (Mongolia), 2015 and 2017 Senior World bronze medalist, 2012 Junior World champion, 2015 Ivan Yarygin bronze

61 kg: Joe Colon (Fresno, Calif./Titan Mercury)
vs. Cory Clark (USA), 2018 Grand Prix of Spain silver

61 kg: Cory Clark (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury)
vs. Joe Colon (USA), 2018 Senior World bronze medalist

70 kg: James Green (Lincoln/Neb./Sunkist Kids)
vs. Perman Hommadov (Turkmenistan), fifth at 2018 Junior Asian Championships

70 kg: Jason Chamberlain (Fresno, Calif./Titan Mercury)
vs. Katal Yeerlanbieke (China), 2014 Asian Games bronze medalist

Women’s freestyle draws
50 kg: Victoria Anthony (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids)
vs. to be determined

65 kg: Forrest Molinari (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury)
vs. Sakhipjamal Aleuatdinova (Uzbekistan), 19th at 2018 U23 World Championships