Amit Elor takes a lap with the American flag after winning gold at the U23 World Championships.
Elor wins eighth World gold as U.S. Women’s freestyle places fourth, Perez in Greco-Roman repechage
by Savannah Asmann, USA Wrestling
The United States women’s freestyle team finished the U23 World Championships in Tirana, Albania, in fourth place Friday night. Greco-Roman action kicked off and it was gold for Amit Elor.
Elor earned her eighth World gold medal with her win in the finals. She dominated the 72 kg bracket, picking up wins from two pins, a decision and a technical fall in the finals. Elor faced UWW’s Jyoti Berwal in the gold medal match. She spun behind for a takedown, tied up the leg lace and turned her four. Elor spent just 21 seconds on the mat and wins her second-consecutive U23 World Championship gold medal. She has won U20, U23 and Senior World titles for the second straight year.
In her repechage match at 57 kg, Xochitl Mota-Pettis faced off against Alina Filipovich (Ukraine) and advanced to the bronze medal match with a pin in 1:38. Mota-Pettis faced Elvira Kamaloglu (Turkey) for bronze, falling in a close 4-3 decision to place fifth.
Macey Kilty wrestled in the bronze medal match, taking on Monika Monika (UWW). In the match, Monika led Kilty three points to none heading into the break. Kilty scored a takedown on the edge to close the gap, then led 4-3 after she got a low single. Monika got a takedown with 28 seconds left to lead 5-4 over Kilty. She placed fifth at 65 kg.
Greco-Roman action began on Friday morning, with five weights contested. The United States had Phillip Moomey (60 kg), Robert Perez III (67 kg), Justus Scott (72 kg) Tyler Eischens (82 kg) and Cade Lautt (97 kg) on the mat in the first group.
Eischens picked up the win in his first match after getting his opponent Kelsi Nelaj (Albania) t his back and pinning him at 1:38. He moved on to the next round and defeated Branko Kovacevic (Serbia) in a 9-3 decision. In the quarterfinals, Eischens fell to Emad Abouelatta (Egypt) in a 11-0 technical fall. Abouelatta dropped his following match, eliminating Eischens from the tournament.
Cade Lautt (97 kg) earned his first round victory by pinning Venezuela’s Juan Diaz Blanco to head into the quarterfinals. He fell to Armenia’s Hayk Khloyan by 8-0 technical fall in a tough match. Khloyan lost in the semifinals, cutting Lautt’s tournament run short.
At 60 kg, Phillip Moomey had a tough first round match against Kazakhstan’s Aibek Sabyrbekov, as his opponent won by 9-0 technical fall. Justus Scott (72 kg) also had a gritty first round, falling to Spain’s Junior Benitez. Both athletes were eliminated from the tournament as their opponents did not advance to the finals.
Robert Perez III will wrestle in a repechage match tomorrow morning, taking on UWW’s Umesh Umesh. If he wins, he will have a second repechage match against Estonia’s Artur Jeremejev with the winner advancing to the bronze medal match.
Group two of Greco-Roman begins competition tomorrow in Tirana, Albania. Camden Russell (55 kg), Jordan Hamdan (63 kg), Payton Jacobson (77 kg), Michael Altomer (87 kg) and Kaleb Reeves (130 kg) will start their tournaments on Saturday morning.
2023 U23 World Championships
At Tirana, Albania, October 23-29
U.S. Greco-Roman Group One Results
60 kg - Phillip Moomey (Kearney, Neb./Spartan Combat RTC)
LOSS Aibek Sabyrbekov (Kazakhstan), tech. fall 9-0
67 kg - Robert Perez III (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)
LOSS Mustafa Yildirim (Turkey), dec. 2-0
72 kg - Justus Scott (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP)
LOSS Junior Benitez (Spain), dec. 6-0
82 kg- Tyler Eischens (Anoka, Minn./Spartan Combat WC)
WIN Kelsi Nelaj (Albania), pin 1:38
WIN Branko Kovacevic (Serbia), dec. 9-3
LOSS Emad Abouelatta (Egypt), tech. fall 11-0
97 kg - Cade Lautt (Olathe, Kansas/Tarheel WC)
WIN Juan Diaz Blanco (Venezuela), pin 1:21
LOSS Hayk Khloyan (Armenia), tech. fall 8-0
Women’s Freestyle Final Team Results
- Japan, 159 points
- Ukraine, 146 points
- UWW, 134 points
- United States, 95 points
- Turkey, 80 points
- Canada, 58 points
- Kazakhstan, 56 points
- Moldova, 51 points
- Azerbaijan, 35 points
- Romania, 31 points
Group Two Women’s Freestyle Final Results
53 kg
Gold – Mako Oono (Japan)
Silver – Mariana Dragutan (Moldova)
Bronze – Liliia Malanchuk (Ukraine)
Bronze – Altyn Shagayeva (Kazakhstan)
5th – Ekaterina Verbina (AIN)
5th – Beatrice Ferent (Romania)
7th – Serena Di Benedetto (Canada)
8th – Tetiana Profatilova (France)
9th – Viktoryia Volk (AIN)
10th – Tuba Demir (Turkey)
Gold – Oono (Japan) tech. fall Dragutan (Moldova), 10-0
Bronze – Shagayeva (Kazakhstan) tech. fall Ferent (Romania), 12-1
Bronze – Malanchuk (Ukraine) dec. Verbina (AIN), 10-8
57 kg
Gold – Sara Natami (Japan)
Silver – Zhala Aliyeva (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Elvira Kamaloglu (Turkey)
Bronze – Reena Reena (UWW)
5th – Xochitl Mota-Pettis (United States)
5th – Mia Friesen (Canada)
7th – Shugyla Omirbek (Kazakhstan)
8th – Alina Filipovych (Ukraine)
9th – Anna Michalcova (Czechia)
10th – Alesia Hetmanava (AIN)
Gold – Natami (Japan) tech. fall Aliyeva (Azerbaijan), 18-8
Bronze –Kamaloglu (Turkey) dec. Mota-Pettis (United States), 3-3
Bronze – Reena (UWW) dec. Friesen (Canada), 8-2
62 kg
Gold – Yuzuka Inagaki (Japan)
Silver – Iryna Bondar (Ukraine)
Bronze – Alina Kasabieva (AIN)
Bronze – Irina Kuznetsova (Kazakhstan)
5th – Viktoria Vesso (Estonia)
5th – Bhagyashree Fand (UWW)
7th – Aleah Nickel (Canada)
8th – Selvi Ilyasoglu (Turkey)
9th – Esther Omolayo (Nigeria)
10th – Adaugo Nwachukwu (United States)
Gold – Inagaki (Japan) pin Bondar (Ukraine), 1:41
Bronze – Kasabieva (AIN) tech. fall Vesso (Estonia), 11-0
Bronze – Kuznetsova (Kazakhstan) dec. Fand (UWW), 10-6
65 kg
Gold – Irina Ringaci (Moldova)
Silver – Amina Tandelova (AIN)
Bronze – Monika Monika (UWW)
Bronze – Yuliia Leskovets (Ukraine)
5th – Macey Kilty (United States)
5th – Elma Zeidlere (Latvia)
7th – Karolina Pol (Hungary)
8th – Amina Capezan (Romania)
9th – Busra Efe (Turkey)
10th – Rin Teramoto (Japan)
Gold – Ringaci (Moldova) pin Tandelova (AIN), 1:27
Bronze – Monika (UWW) dec. Kilty (United States), 5-4
Bronze – Leskovets (Ukraine) dec. Zeidlere (Latvia), 3-1
72 kg
Gold – Amit Elor (United States)
Silver – Jyoti Berwal (UWW)
Bronze – Viktoryia Zablotska (Ukraine)
Bronze – Iryna Radzakova (AIN)
5th – Bukrenaz Sert (Turkey)
5th – Wiktoria Choluj (Poland)
7th – Anastassiya Panassovich (Kazakhstan)
8th – Zaineb Sghaier (Tunisia)
9th – Nyla Burgess (Canada)
10th – Misaki Wachi (Japan)
Gold – Elor (United States) tech. fall Berwal (UWW), 10-0
Bronze – Zablotska (Ukraine) tech. fall Sert (Turkey), 12-2
Bronze – Radzakova (AIN) dec. Choluj (Poland), 3-3
U.S. Women’s Freestyle Group Two Results
53 kg – Katie Gomez (Van Nuys, Calif./Sunkist Kids WC), eliminated
LOSS Beatrice Ferent (Romania), dec. 2-1
57 kg – Xochitl Mota-Pettis (Humble, Texas/Rise RTC), 5th
LOSS Sara Natami (Japan), dec. 10-2
WIN Alina Filipovich (Ukraine), pin 1:38
LOSS Elvira Kamaloglu (Turkey),dec. 3-3
62 kg – Adaugo Nwachukwu (San Jose, Calif./Titan Mercury WC), eliminated
WIN Ameyalli Rojas (Mexico), dec. 6-2
LOSS Irina Kuznetsova (Kazakhstan), tech. fall 12-0
65 kg – Macey Kilty (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids WC), 5th
WIN Gilbery Franco (Venezuela), pin 1:30
WIN Kseniya Tsiarenia (AIN), pin 1:49
WIN Amina Capezan (Romania), pin 1:11
LOSS Irina Ringaci (Moldova), dec. 5-4
LOSS Monika Monika (UWW), dec. 5-4
72 kg – Amit Elor (Walnut Creek, Calif./New York City RTC/Titan Mercury WC), Gold medalist
WIN Zaineb Sghaier (Tunisia), pin 0:17
WIN Viktoryia Radzkova (AIN), pin 0:18
WIN Wiktoria Choluj (Poland), dec. 5-0
WIN Jyoti Berwal (UWW), tech. fall 10-0