#WrestleTirana Session II Live Blog: Semifinals for O'Toole, Brooks and Hendrickson
by Savannah Asmann, USA Wrestling
U.S. Session One Men's Freestyle Results
61 kg – Julian Chlebove (Northampton, Pa./Sunkist Kids WC)
WIN Antonio Margiotta, tech. fall 11-0
LOSS Bashir Magomedov (AIN), tech. fall 14-3
Pulled into repechage, faces Mezhlum Mezhlumyan (Armenia)
74 kg – Keegan O’Toole (Hartland, Wis./Tiger Style WC)
WIN Vadim Kurylenko (Ukraine), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Krisztian Biro (Romania), tech. fall, 12-2
WIN Hikaru Takata (Japan), dec. 10-1
WIN Sonny Santiago (Puerto Rico), pin 3:32
Gold medal match - Imam Ganishov (AIN)
86 kg – Aaron Brooks (Hagerstown, Md./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
WIN Ismail Kucuksol (Turkey), dec. 7-1
WIN Owen Martin (Canada), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Ivan Ichizli (Moldova), dec. 7-1
WIN Arslan Bagaev (AIN), dec. 5-4
Gold medal match - Tatsuya Shirai (Japan)
92 kg – Jacob Cardenas (Kearny, N.J./Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
WIN Alan Bagaev (AIN), dec. 4-3
LOSS Muhammed Gimri (Turkey), dec. 10-1
Pulled into repechage, faces Satoshi Miura (Japan)
125 kg – Wyatt Hendrickson (Newton, Kan./Air Force RTC)
WIN Abdulla Kurbanov (AIN), pin 5:15
WIN Nicolae Stratulat (Moldova), tech. fall 14-1
WIN Azamat Khosonov (Greece), dec. 4-2
Gold medal match - Adil Misirci (Turkey)
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The first day of action at the U23 World Championships has come to a close. Team USA will have ten men's freestyle athletes wrestling tomorrow, as five begin their tournament and five continue the hunt for world medals.
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Wyatt Hendrickson stays on the attack throughout the match in the semifinals. His opponent is unable to keep up and he wins it 4-2 to punch his ticket to the finals. Very aggressive throughout the first period Two solid takedowns for the American. Gave up a takedown getting overextended on a shot attempt.
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Turkey's Muhammad Gimri advanced to the 92 kg finals, pulling Jacob Cardenas into tomorrow's repechage. Cardenas will face Japan's Satoshi Miura for a spot in the bronze medal match.
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And not long after, our second finalist. After the first period, he held on to a 3-2 lead. Brooks scored the first takedown of the match and added a shot clock point. Bagaev was awarded two off a shot attempt/neutral exposure. Aaron Brooks moves into the 86 kg gold medal match with a 5-4 win over Arslan Bagaev.
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We have our first finalist of the tournament. Keegan O'Toole pins Sonny Santiago (Puerto Rico) in the semifinals at 74 kg and will wrestle for gold tomorrow.
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Julian Chlebove (61 kg) is pulled into repechage following Bashir Magomedov's (AIN) 10-0 technical fall win in the semifinals.
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The time is 5:30 p.m. in Tirana, Albania, and the Opening Ceremony is running a bit behind schedule. Semifinals are expected to be underway shortly, and Team USA has three athletes competing. All three matches will be on Mat A, beginning with Keegan O'Toole taking on Sonny Santiago (Puerto Rico) at 74 kg. Following that match, Aaron Brooks matches up against Arslan Bagaev (AIN) at 86 kg. The last semifinal match for the U.S. will see Wyatt Hendrickson face Azamat Khosonov (Greece) at 125 kg. Julian Chlebove (61 kg) and Jacob Cardenas (92 kg) await their repechage fate.
