Mensah-Stock advances to final, seeks to become first American to win three Yarygin titles
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by Taylor Miller, USA Wrestling
KRASNOYARSK, Russia – 2018 Senior World bronze medalist Tamyra Mensah-Stock is in position to become the first American in any style to win three Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix titles after advancing to the 72 kg finals on Saturday.
Mensah-Stock, who went up a weight class for the event, opened the tournament with back-to-back wins over tough Russian opponents to land a spot in the finals.
In her first bout, the Texas native defeated 2018 Junior World silver medalist Evgenia Zakharchenko with five takedowns in the first period for a 10-0 win.
In the semifinals, Mensah-Stock was trailing halfway through the second period, but the American stormed back with eight unanswered points, including two takedowns and two guts to earn a 9-4 win.
For gold tomorrow, Mensah-Stock will face 2017 and 2018 Cadet World champion Yuka Kagami of Japan.
In men’s freestyle, all three athletes were eliminated from the competition.
2016 Olympic champion and two-time World champion Kyle Snyder was stopped short of his third-consecutive Yarygin title, falling to Rasul Magomedov of Russia, 6-5, in the opening round at 97 kg.
It was the third time the two have faced off at the tournament as they also met in the 2017 and 2018 finals with Snyder taking the wins.
In the next round, Magomedov lost to Ulziisaikhan of Mongolia, ending Snyder’s tournament.
At 74 kg, Final X runner-up and 2017 U23 World Teamer Isaiah Martinez lost a back-and-forth battle against Azamat Nurykau of Belarus, who scored in the final seconds to take an 11-10 win.
Nurykau lost in the semifinals to 2018 Senior World champion Zaurbek Sidakov of Russia, knocking Martinez out of medal contention.
2017 U23 World Team member Sam Brooks went 1-1 at 86 kg, defeating Junior World silver medalist Ahmed Dudarov of Germany, 13-2, before coming up short against 2013 Junior World champion and 2017 Senior World bronze medalist Vladislav Valiev of Russia, 11-3.
Valiev lost in the semis to 2018 Senior World finalist Fatih Erdin of Turkey to end Brooks’ run.
Competition wraps up Sunday at 1 p.m. local time (1 a.m. ET) live on Flowrestling.org.
2019 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix
at Krasnoyarsk, Russia, Jan. 24-27
Men’s freestyle draws
74 kg: Isaiah Martinez (Champaign, Ill./Titan Mercury)
LOSS Azamat Nurykau (Belarus), 11-10
86 kg: Sam Brooks (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury)
WIN Ahmed Dudarov (Germany), 13-2
LOSS Vladislav Valiev (Russia), 11-3
97 kg: Kyle Snyder (Columbus, Ohio/Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury)
LOSS Rasul Magomedov (Russia), 6-5
Women’s freestyle draws
72kg: Tamyra Mensah-Stock (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury)
WIN Evgenia Zakharchenko (Russia), 10-0
WIN Tatyana Kolesnikova (Russia), 9-4
vs. Yuka Kagami (Japan)
