Blades, Welker, Gray, Parrish aim for bronze in women’s freestyle at Zagreb Open

ZAGREB, Croatia – The U.S. continued women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman action in Zagreb, Croatia, on Saturday. Four U.S. women’s freestyle athletes will wrestle for bronze at the Zagreb Open, United World Wrestling’s first Ranking Series event of the Olympic year.

Kennedy Blades made quick work of her opening match, defeating Elmira Syzdykova of Kazakhstan by 10-0 technical fall. In the quarterfinals, Blades edged out Anastasiya Alpyeyeva of Ukraine, 5-4. Blades led on criteria as time expired, but Ukraine challenged in hopes of earning a point on a step out. The challenge was lost, and Blades added another point to jump ahead by one. She fell in the semifinals to Juan Wang of China in a 3-3 criteria decision. Blades is slated to face U.S. star Kylie Welker for bronze later today in a battle of past age-group World champions.

Welker went 2-1 during the morning session, and faces Blades in the bronze medal match. Welker had a strong start in Zagreb, pinning two-time U23 World Medalist Kendra Dacher of France in her opening match. Welker fell in the quarterfinals to Juan Wang of China, but rallied back to win her repechage match by fall.

Six-time World champion and 2020 Olympic silver medalist Adeline Gray defeated Yuanyuan Huang of China, 4-0, to open her tournament at 76 kg. She dropped her following match by 10-0 technical fall to two-time Senior World medalist and four-time age-group World medalist Aiperi Medet Kyzy of Kyrgyzstan. Gray battled back in repechage, using a 12-2 technical fall over Individual Neutral Athlete Rita Talismanova to advance to the bronze medal match. She is slated to face Pauline Lecarpentier of France in the second session in Zagreb.

At 53 kg, 2022 World champion Dom Parrish won her first match by injury default. Parrish had a setback in the quarterfinals, falling to Stalvira Orshush of Hungary. In her repechage match, Parrish answered with a 14-4 technical fall to reach the bronze medal match where she will face Jowita Wrzesien of Poland.

2016 Olympian Haley Augello fell to Karla Godinez Gonzalez of Canada, 5-2, in her opening match. Godinez Gonzalez dropped her next bout, eliminating Augello from the tournament. Amanda Martinez, at 57 kg, dropped her opening match to Anhelina Lysak of Poland, who failed to reach the finals, eliminating Martinez from the tournament. Jacarra Winchester did not compete, forfeiting her opening match.

Greco-Roman action continued on Saturday with 63 kg and 67 kg. The U.S. had three athletes compete at 67 kg in Peyton Omania, Alex Sancho and Robert Perez III. Omania fell in his opening match to Oleksii Masyk of Ukraine, 6-2. Sancho dropped his opening match to Hasrat Jafarov of Azerbaijan, and Perez fell to Lei Li of China.

Complete brackets and match-by-match results for all three international styles are available through UWW Arena. A live stream of the event is available to the U.S. audience on FloWrestling.com.

At Zagreb, Croatia, Jan. 10-14

U.S. Women’s Freestyle Results

53 kg – Jacarra Winchester (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC/USOPTC), eliminated

LOSS Qianyu Pang (China), forfeit

53 kg – Dom Parrish (Scotts Valley, Calif./Sunkist Kids WC), in bronze medal match

WIN Lucia Yepez Guzman (Ecuador), inj. def.

LOSS Stalvira Orshush (Hungary), 10-0

WIN Liliia Malanchuk (Ukraine), 14-4

vs Jowita Wrzesien (Poland), bronze medal match

53 kg – Haley Augello (Lockport, Ill./New York AC/Izzy Style WC), eliminated

LOSS Karla Godinez Gonzalez (Canada), 5-2

57 kg – Amanda Martinez (Riverside, Ill./Titan Mercury WC/Cardinal WC), eliminated

LOSS Anhelina Lysak (Poland), fall 2:11

76 kg – Adeline Gray (New York AC/Beaver Dam RTC), in bronze medal match

WIN Yuanyuan Huang (China), 4-0

LOSS Aiperi Medet (Kyrgyzstan), 10-0

WIN Rita Talismanovaaa (AIN), 12-2

vs Pauline Lecarpentier (France), bronze medal match

76 kg – Kennedy Blades (Chicago, Ill./Sunkist Kids WC), in bronze medal match

WIN Elmira Syzdykova (Kazakhstan), 10-0

WIN Anastasiya Alpyeyeva (Ukraine), 5-4

LOSS Juan Wang (China), 3-3

vs Kylie Welker (USA), bronze medal match

76 kg – Kylie Welker (Franksville, Wis./Titan Mercury WC/Iowa Women’s WC), in bronze medal match

WIN Kendra Dacher (France), fall 2:18

LOSS Juan Wang (China), 8-5

WIN Gaucaite (Lithuania), fall 1:08

vs Kennedy Blades (USA), bronze medal match

Greco-Roman Results

67 kg: Peyton Omania (Michigan WC), eliminated

LOSS Oleksii Masyk (Ukraine), 6-2

67 kg: Alex Sancho (Army WCAP), eliminated

LOSS Hasrat Jafarov (Azerbaijan), 3-1

67 kg: Robert Perez III (Sunkist Kids), eliminated

LOSS Lei Li (China), 5-3