McKenna wins gold at Kunaev DA International in Kazakhstan, Diakomihalis takes bronze

TARAZ CITY, Kazakhstan - Joey McKenna (Philadelphia, Pa./Titan Mercury WC/Pennsylvania RTC) finished off a strong performance with a gold medal at 65 kg at the Kunaev DA International on Sunday. 2022 World silver medalist Yianni Diakomihalis (Rochester, N.Y./Titan Mercury WC/Spartan Combat RTC) added a bronze medal at 65 kg

It capped a three-medal performance for the USA, as 2012 Olympic champion and six-time World champion Jordan Burroughs (Philadelphia, Pa./Sunkist Kids/Pennsylvania RTC) won a gold medal at 74 kg on Saturday. They were the only U.S. entries in the competition.

McKenna stopped three-time Kazakhstan World Team member Adil Ospanov in the gold-medal bout, 9-4. He finished the tournament with a perfect 5-0 record, including a 4-3 victory  over Diakomihalis in the semifinals on Saturday.

Diakomihalis scored a dominant 10-0 technical fall over Shattyk Alaidar (Kazakhstan in the bronze-medal bout. All four of his victories for the tournament were technical falls over opponents from Kazakhstan.

With just three wrestlers, the USA finished fifth in the 11-team tournament.

KUNAEV DA INTERNATIONAL

At Taraz City, Kazakhstan, November 3

Individual champions

57 kg – Almaz Smanbekov (Kyrgyzstan)

61 kg – Gulomjon Abudllaev (Uzbekistan)

65 kg – Joey McKenna (USA)

70 kg – Alibek Osmonov (Kyrgyzstan)

74 kg – Jordan Burroughs (USA)

79 kg – Daulet Yergesh (Kazakhstan)

86 kg – Bobur Islomov (Uzbekistan)

92 kg – Kamil Kuruglyev (Kazakhstan)

97 kg – Awusayiman Habila (China)

125 kg – Omarkhan Nadirov (Kazakhstan)

U.S. men’s freestyle Group Two performances

65 kg Joey McKenna (Philadelphia, Pa./Titan Mercury WC/Pennsylvania RTC), gold medal

WIN Rustem Tolen (Kazakhstan), tech fall, 11-0

WIN Khusniddin Erkabaev (Uzbekistan), 5-0

WIN Shattyk Alaidar (Kazakhstan), pin 4:45

WIN Yianni Diakomihalis (USA), 4-3

WIN Adil Ospanov (Kazakhstan)

65 kg - Yianni Diakomihalis (Rochester, N.Y./Titan Mercury WC/Spartan Combat RTC), bronze medal

WIN Nursultan Sadyk (Kazakhstan), tech fall 10-0

WIN Sanzhar Mukhtar (Kazakhstan), tech fall 12-0

WIN Didar Nurakhmet (Kazakhstan), tech fall 11-0

LOSS Joey McKenna (USA), 4-3

WIN Shattyk Alaidar (Kazakhstan), tech fall, 10-0

U.S. men’s freestyle Group One performances

74 kg – Jordan Burroughs, Philadelphia, Pa. (Sunkist Kids/Pennsylvania RTC), Gold Medal

WIN Yerhan Bexultanov (Kazakhstan), 9-2

WIN Kanat Mussabekov (Kazakhstan), forfeit

WIN Zafarbek Otakhanov (Uzbekistan), 9-1

WIN Yerbarys Satybaldy (Kazakhstan), tech fall, 10-0

WIN Syrbaz Talgat (Kazakhstan), technical fall, 15-4

Team Standings

1 Kazakhstan, 210

2 Uzbekistan 103

3 Kyrgyzstan, 88

4 China, 81

5 United States 50

6 Mongolia, 25

7 Tajikistan, 18

8 Georgia 15

9 (tie) Ecuador and Slovakia, 0