Miracle and Molinari win silver medals in women’s freestyle at the Zagreb Open

ZAGREB, Croatia – The United States claimed two medals in women’s freestyle at the Zagreb Open on Friday. This is the first UWW Ranking Tournament in 2024.

Capturing silver medals for Team USA were past World medalists Kayla Miracle (62 kg) and Forrest Molinari (68 kg).

Miracle, a two-time World silver medalist, was shut out in the finals by three-time World champion and 2020 Olympic silver medalist Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan, 7-0.

Tynybekova led 2-0 at the break, after forcing two step outs. In the second period, Miracle was placed on the shot clock and did not score, making it 3-0. A spin behind takedown and a late crotch lift turn closed out the match for Tynybekova.

Miracle ran off three wins in the first session to reach the finals, including a 4-2 win over Ana Godinez Gonzalez of Canada in the semifinals.

Molinari, a 2021 World bronze medalist, was edged by two-time World medalist Feng Zhou of China 2-0. There were no technical points scored. Molinari was placed on the shot clock twice and did not score, once in the first period and once in the second period, the only points of the match.

Molinari also had three wins in the opening session to reach the finals, all victories by decision. She stopped 2019 Asian U20 champion Qian Jiang of China, 2-0 in the finals.

One other U.S. woman competed on Friday, NAIA champion and age-group World medalist Aduago Nwachukwu, who went 0-2 at 62 kg

The USA also had its first day with entries in Greco-Roman. Three U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers were defeated in their first match and were not eligible for repechage, when their opponent failed to reach the finals. All three of the USA wrestlers competing in Greco-Roman today are past Senior World Team members: Benji Peak (77 kg), Ravaughn Perkins (77 kg) and Spencer Woods (87 kg)

Competition continues on Saturday, with the final four women’s freestyle weight classes. 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg) as well as two more Greco-Roman weight classes (63 kg, 67 kg).

All of the action is live on FloWrestling.

ZAGREB OPEN

At Zagreb, Croatia

Women’s Freestyle Results

59 kg

Gold - Alina Filipovych (Ukraine)

Silver - Mariana Cherdivara Esanu (Moldova)

Bronze - Alyona Kolesnik (Azerbaijan)

4^th - Nikolett Szabo (Hungary)

62 kg

Gold - Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan)

Silver - Kayla Miracle (USA)

Bronze - Alina Kasabieva (AIN)

Bronze - Veranika Ivanova (AIN)

5^th - Sakura Motoki (Japan)

5^th - Ana Godinez Gonzalez (Canada)

7^th - Iryna Koliadenko (Ukraine)

8^th - Iryna Bondar (Ukraine)

9^th - Jimenez Virginia Jackelin (Chile)

10^th - Birgul Soltanova (Azerbaijan)

Gold – Tynybekova dec. Miracle, 7-0

Bronze – Kasabieva inj. dft. Motoki, 0:00

Bronze – Ivanova inj. dft. Godinez Gonzalez, 1:12

65 kg

Gold - Alla Belinska (Ukraine)

Silver - Kadriye Aksoy (Turkey)

Bronze - Anne Nuerenberger (Germany)

4^th - Irina Kazyulina (Kazakhstan)

68 kg

Gold - Feng Zhou (China)

Silver - Forrest Molinari (USA)

Bronze - Buse Cavusoglu Tosun (Turkey)

Bronze - Tetiana Sova Rizhko (Ukraine)

5^th - Delgermaa Enkhsaikhan (Mongolia)

5^th -  Qian Jiang (China)

7^th - Mimi Hristova (Bulgaria)

8^th - Radhika (UWW)

9^th - Yuliana Yaneva (Bulgaria)

10^th - Hanna Sadchanka (AIN)

Gold – Zhou dec. Molinari, 2-0

Bronze – Rizhko dec. Jiang, 11-6

Bronze – Tosun dec. Enkhsaikhan, 5-1

U.S. Women’s Freestyle Results

62 kg – Kayla Miracle (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids WC), Silver Medal

WIN Virginia Jimenez Fernandez (Chile), tech fall 10-0

WIN Veranika Ivanova (AIN), 8-8

WIN Ana Godinez Gonzalez (Canada), 4-2

LOSS Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan), 7-0

62 kg – Adaugo Nwachukwu (San Jose, Calif./Titan Mercury WC), 15^th place

LOSS Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan), 4-0

LOSS Yara Wu (China), 11-5

68 kg – Forrest Molinari (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids WC), Silver Medal

WIN Yuliana Yaneva (Bulgaria), 3-3

WIN Tetiana Sova Rizhko (Ukraine), 5-1

WIN Qian Jiang (China), 2-0

LOSS Feng Zhou (China), 2-0

Greco-Roman Results

77 kg

Gold - Sanan Suleymanov (Azerbaijan)

Silver - Zoltán Levai (Hungary)  

Bronze - Yunus Basar (Turkey)

Bronze - Nao Kusaka (Japan)

5^th - Ahmet Yilmaz (Turkey)

5^th -  Burhan Akbudak (Turkey)

7^th - Mikko Peltokangas (Finland)

8^th - Robert Fritsch (Hungary)

9^th -  Idris Ibaev (Germany)

10^th - Tsimur Berdyieu (AIN)

87 kg

Gold - Milad Alirzaev (AIN)

Silver - Alireza Mohmadipiani (Iran)

Bronze - Aleksandr Komarov (Serbia)

Bronze - Alan Ostaev (AIN)

5^th - Daniel Gregorich Hechevarria (Cuba)

5^th - Achiko Bolkvadze (Georgia)

7^th - Yaroslav Filchakov (Ukraine)

8^th -  Hannes Wagner (Germany)

9^th - Bachir Sid Azara (Algeria)

10^th - Kiryl Maskevich (AIN)

U.S. Greco-Roman Results

77 kg: Benjamin Peak (Sunkist Kids), 40th place

LOSS Riccardo Abbrescia (Italy), 3-0

77 kg: Ravaughn Perkins (New York AC). 39th place

LOSS Vikas (UWW), disq. 5:22

87 kg: Spencer Woods (Army WCAP), 27th place

LOSS Aleksandr Komarov (Serbia), 9-1