Miracle scores third pin of the day in comeback win to earn bid to 2019 U23 World finals

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Down 7-0 in her semifinals match, Kayla Miracle was miraculous in a comeback win by fall over Ilona Prokopevniuk of Ukraine to earn a spot in the 62 kg finals at the U23 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

KAYLA MIRACLE POST-MATCH INTERVIEW

In a rematch of last year’s U23 World quarterfinals, Miracle took on two-time U23 World silver medalist Prokopevniuk on Thursday night.

Prokopevniuk racked up seven points in the first period from exposure in a scramble and later a takedown and turn.

In the second period, Miracle chipped away slowly at Prokopevniuk’s lead, putting the Ukrainian in danger of a pin multiple times. Finally, after getting Prokopevniuk to her back for the third time, Miracle was awarded the pin with only 36 seconds left to guarantee a spot in the finals and a U23 World medal.

Miracle finished the day 3-0, winning all three matches by fall.

For gold tomorrow, Miracle will face 2019 Junior World champion and 2017 Cadet World champion Yuzuka Inagaki from Japan.

Two other Americans will continue their tournaments tomorrow as Felicity Taylor and Maya Nelson were pulled into repechage.

In her repechage match tomorrow at 53 kg, Taylor will face Katerina Pichkovskaya of Belarus, who was 17th at last year’s U23 World Championships. The winner will go on to face 2019 World silver medalist Anduri Nandintsetse of Mongolia for bronze.

At 65 kg, 2017 Junior World champ Nelson will battle Ukraine’s Iryna Koliadenko, who was a 2019 Senior World finalist and two-time age-group World medalist. The winner will face 2013 Cadet World bronze medalist Krizsta Incze of Romania in the bronze-medal match.

The USA representative at 72 kg, Alyvia Fiske, was eliminated from the tournament on Thursday night.

Repechage will begin Friday at 10:30 a.m. local time (4:30 a.m. ET) live on Trackwrestling. Follow @USAWrestling on Twitter for live updates.

2019 U23 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Budapest, Hungary (Oct. 28-Nov. 3)

U.S. women’s freestyle roster
53 kg: Felicity Taylor (Spillville, Iowa/McKendree Bearcat WC) - repechage
WIN Viktoria Vilhelm (Hungary), 4-3
LOSS Haruna Okuno (Japan), fall 5:35
vs. Katerina Pichkovskaya (Belarus)

57 kg: Arian Carpio (Federal Way, Wash./Sunkist Kids) - eliminated
LOSS Pinki Pinki (IND), 5-0

62 kg: Kayla Miracle (Iowa City, Iowa/Sunkist Kids)
WIN Reka Bacsfaiova (Slovakia), fall 1:37
WIN Maria Kuznetkova (Russia), fall 4:00
WIN Ilona Prokopevniuk (Ukraine), fall 5:24
vs. Yuzuka Inagaki (Japan)

65 kg: Maya Nelson (Denver, Colo./Sunkist Kids) - repechage
WIN Nisha Nisha (India), 11-3
LOSS Misuzu Enamoto (Japan), 7-0
vs. Iryna Koliadenko (Ukraine)

72 kg: Alyvia Fiske (Napa, Calif./Titan Mercury) - eliminated
LOSS Zhamila Barbekgenova (Kazakhstan), 11-4