Dake, Rodriguez win freestyle gold medals at Grand Prix of Spain

Kyle Dake photo from the 2018 World Championships by Larry Slater.


MADRID, Spain – The USA had a pair of champions in men’s freestyle at the Grand Prix of Spain on Sunday, 2018 World champion Kyle Dake, Ithaca, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC/Finger Lakes RTC) at 74 kg, as well as Josh Rodriguez (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) at 57 kg.


Dake won a gold medal in his first competition since winning the World title in Budapest, Hungary in October of 2018. Dake has recently recovered from an injury which kept him out of competition.


He won four matches on the way to the title, including a 5-0 win over 2018 U23 World bronze medalist Dovletmyrat Orazgylyjov of Turkmenistan in the finals.


Dake led 2-0 at the break, on a point from a shot clock violation on Orazgylyjov and on a stepout. In the second period, Dake had his face wrapped up after suffering a cut. He added a third point on a caution and one against Orazgylyjov, then scored a spin behind takedown for the final two points.


He also defeated Carlos Gilabert of Spain, Sarmat Tsarakhov of Russia and Max Budgey of Canada on the way to the finals.


Dake is scheduled to face 2019 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament champion Alex Dieringer (Stillwater, Okla./Titan Mercury WC/Cowboy RTC) in a Final X Special Wrestle-off in Austin, Texas on August 17. Dake received an extension of his Final X series due to his injury.


Rodriguez also won four times on the way to his gold medal, defeating Horst Lehr of Germany in the finals. Rodriguez, a 2019 Pan American champion, also had wins over Muhamad Ikromov of Tajikistan, Ligret Sadiku of Canada and Viktor Lyzen of Germany.


There were only three U.S. entries at the Grand Prix of Spain this year. On Saturday, Skylar Grote (Newton, N.J./New York AC/Brock WC) won a bronze medal at 65 kg/143 lbs. in women’s freestyle.


Complete medal results will be posted when the event is completed.

GRAND PRIX OF SPAIN

At Madrid, Spain, July 7, 2019


Men’s freestyle medalists


57 kg

Gold – Joshua Rodriguez (USA)

Silver – Horst Lehr (Germany)

Bronze - Muhamad Ikromov (Tajikistan)

Bronze – Samuel Jagas (Canada)


61 kg

Gold – Levan Metreveli (Spain)

Silver – George Ranm (Great Britain)

Bronze – Carlos Alvarez (Spain)


65 kg

Gold – Amr Reda Ramdan (Egypt)

Silver – Nico Zarcone (Germany)

Bronze – Alexander Semisorow (Germany)

Bronze – Valentin Seimetz (Germany)


70 kg

Gold – Batyr Borjakov (Tajikistan)

Silver – Nicolae Cojocaru (Great Britain)

Bronze – Tim Stadelmann (Germany)

Bronze - Andres Vizcaino (Spain)


74 kg

Gold – Franklin Gomez Matos (Puerto Rico)

Silver – Jevon Balfour (Canada)

Bronze – Samy Hamdy Amin (Egypt)

Bronze – Guseyn Ruslandaza (Canada)


79 kg/174 lbs.

Gold – Kyle Dake (USA)

Silver - Dovletmyrat Orazgylyjov (Turkmenistan)

Bronze - Max Budgey (Canada)


86 kg

Gold – Pedro Ceballos (Venezuela)

Silver – Damian Iglesias (Spain)

Bronze – Taimuraz Friev (Spain)

Bronze – Carlos Izquierdo (Colombia)


92 kg

Gold – Llija Matuhin (Germany)

Silver – Peter Dominic (Austria)

Bronze – Machiel Grobler (South Africa)


125 kg

Gold – Johannes Ludescher (Austria)

Silver – Khaled Omar Zaki (Egypt)

Bronze – Jose Cuba (Spain)

U.S. men’s freestyle results


57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Josh Rodriguez, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), gold medal

WIN Muhamad Ikromov (Tajikistan), 13-11

WIN Ligret Sadiku (Canada), 7-2

WIN Viktor Lyzen (Germany), 11-0

WIN Horst Lehr (Germany), 6-2


79 kg/174 lbs. – Kyle Dake, Ithaca, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC/Finger Lakes RTC), gold medal

WIN Carlos Gilabert (Spain)

WIN Sarmat Tsarakhov (Russia)

WIN Max Budgey (Canada)

WIN Dovletmyrat Orazgylyjov (Turkmenistan)