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Mensah-Stock to go for gold at World Championships and qualifies her weight for Olympic Games

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by Gary Abbott

Tamyra Mensah-Stock waves to the fans after a win at the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. Photo by Justin Hoch.


NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan –2018 World bronze medalist Tamyra Mensah-Stock (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC/OPTC), was unstoppable on Thursday at the World Wrestling Championships.


She powered through four opponents at 68 kg/149.75 lbs. to reach the gold-medal finals, where she will battle 2012 World champion and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Jenny Fransson of Sweden in the gold-medal finals on Friday night.


Mensah-Stock punched her ticket to the finals with a dominant 10-0 technical fall over Anna Schell of Germany in the semifinals. Mensah-Stock quickly went up 4-0 on a four-point takedown. She added a takedown and turn to stretch it to 8-0. A takedown to danger at the end of the first period closed out her 10-0 triumph.


In the quarterfinals, Mensah-Stock was in command the entire match on the way to a 10-1 victory over 2016 Olympic champion and 2017 World champion Sara Dosho of Japan. Mensah-Stock led 4-0 at the break, scoring two first-period takedowns. In the second period, after Dosho forced a stepout, she had a takedown and turn to make it 8-1 and a takedown to close out the 10-1 win.


By winning her quarterfinal bout, Mensah-Stock guaranteed a top six position, and qualified the USA for the 2020 Olympic Games at her weight class.


In her second match, Mensah-Stock controlled nine-time African champion Blessing Oborududu of Nigeria, 6-1. Mensah-Stock scored three different single-leg takedowsn to secure the win.


She hammered Oceania champion Michelle Yvonne Montague of New Zealand by a 10-0 technical fall in the opening match. Mensah-Stock scored a takedown and three turns to lead 8-0, then finished it off with another takedown.


Competing at her first Senior World Championships, Kayla Miracle (Iowa City, Iowa/Sunkist Kids/Hawkeye WC) went 2-1 on the morning at 62 kg/138.75 lbs.


Miracle looked sharp in her opening bout, an 11-0 technical fall over 2018 Junior World silver medalist Nabria Esenbaeva of Uzbekistan. She led 3-0 at the break, with a takedown and a point on a step out. In the second, Miracle scored four two-point moves, getting two takedowns and two different exposures to close out the win.


Her second round was a bit more challenging, with a similar result. Miracle started slowly against No. 2 seed Lais Nunes de Oliveira of Brazil. Giving up a pair of takedowns, Miracle trailed 4-1 early in the second period. Then the offense untracked. Miracle got a takedown to make it 4-3, then a big four-point dump to take a 7-4 lead. She then locked up the leg lace and turned her four straight times to close out the technical fall win.


Miracle had pinned Nunes de Oliveira on her way to a Pan American Games title in August.


Miracle was beaten in her third match by 2016 Asian silver medalist Jong-Sim Rim of North Korea, dropping a 6-6 criteria decision. Miracle jumped to a 3-0 lead, with Rim not scoring on the shot clock, and a Miracle takedown. However, Rim scored a takedown right at the end of the first period to make it 3-2.


In the second period, Miracle scored a counter takedown for a 5-2 lead, but the North Korean corner challenge. It was rescored, giving Rim two points on an exposure and Miracle one for a reversal, making it 4-4, with Kim controlling criteria. Rim added a takedown to make it 6-4, and Miracle answered with a double leg to tie it at 6-6. Miracle could not score again, and Rim won by criteria.


When Rim was defeated in the semifinals by Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan in the semifinals, Miracle was eliminated, not eligible for repechage. Only athletes who lose to a gold-medal finalist can compete in repechage.


Miracle is a three-time age-group medalist, taking bronze at the 2014 and 2016 Junior World Championships at 59 kg and silver at the 2012 Cadet World Championships at 56 kg.


WORLD WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS


At Nur-Sultan, Kazahstan, September 19



Finals pairings


62 kg/136.5 lbs. - Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan) vs. Taybe Yusein (Bulgaria)

68 kg/149.75 lbs. - Tamyra Mensah-Stock (USA) vs. Jenny Fransson (Sweden)

Semifinal results


62 kg/136.5 lbs.

Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan) dec. Jong-Sim Rim (North Korea), 7-0

Taybe Yusein (Bulgaria) tech fall Mariana Sastin (Hungary), 10-0


68 kg/149.75 lbs.

Tamyra Mensah-Stock (USA) tech. fall Anna Schell (Germany), 10-0

Jenny Fransson (Sweden) dec. Alla Cherkasova (Ukraine), 9-7

U.S. Women's freestyle performances on Thursday


62 kg/136.5 lbs. - Kayla Miracle, Iowa City, Iowa (Sunkist Kids/Hawkeye WC)

WIN Nabria Esenbaeva (Uzbekistan), tech. fall 11-0

WIN Lais Nunes de Oliveira (Brazil), tech. fall 15-4

LOSS Jong-Sim Rim (North Korea), 6-6


68 kg/149.75 lbs. - Tamyra Mensah-Stock, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC/OPTC)

WIN Michelle Yvonne Montague (New Zealand), tech. fall 10-0

WIN Blessing Oborududu (Nigeria), 6-1

WIN Sara Dosho (Japan), 10-1

WIN Anna Schell (Germany), tech. fall 10-0

Gold medal finals – Vs. Jenny Fransson (Sweden)

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