Skip to content
USAW
College
International

Duke, Rademacher power into U20 finals; Cole Mirasola to wrestle for bronze, Lockett still alive in repechage

Share:

by Jason Bryant, Special to TheMat.com

P.J. Duke picked up a 2-2 criteria win in the semifinals on Sunday at the U20 World Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria.

P.J. Duke picked up a 2-2 criteria win in the semifinals on Sunday at the U20 World Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria.

SAMOKOV, Bulgaria – It wasn’t a perfect day for Team USA, but it was pretty close.


Two American wrestlers clinched berths into Monday night’s finals, while the other two who wrestled in the first group of men’s freestyle athletes are in contention for medals as the first day of competition at the U20 World Championships at Arena Samokov in Samokov, Bulgaria.


P.J. Duke and Justin Rademacher will wrestle for golds after going unbeaten on the day.


Duke, a U20 world bronze medalist a year ago, was the first one through to the final, earning a 2-2 criteria win over Iran’s Ebrahim Elahi Chouran at 70kg. The key situation came midway through the first period where Duke and Elahi, the Asian champion, were hip-to-hip and Duke won the position, limp-arming out of the tie to gain control of Elahi on the edge for what ended up being the match-winning takedown. Elahi scored two one-point actions – an inactivity point in the first period and a stepout later in the second. Elahi apparently believed he was leading the match, as he didn’t fire off any attacks late while behind on criteria. As the final whistle sounded, Elahi let out a scream of joy, only to be met with confusion and immediate disappointment as his coaches begrudgingly relayed the actual outcome of the bout.


Duke will face Moldova’s Alexandr Gaidarli in the finals on Monday night. Gaidarli won a solid 7-4 decision over Azerbaijan’s Nurlan Aghazada in the other semifinal. Gaidarli was fifth at the U20 European championships back in June.


Rademacher punished opponents with his relentless pace and high-level leg attacks all day at 97kg. The returning U20 world bronze medalist assured himself of at least one place better after pulling away from 2024 U17 world champion Konstantine Petriashvili of Georgia in a 16-5 technical superiority win.


Petriashvili, the younger brother of 2024 Paris Olympic champion and multiple-time world champion Geno Petriashvili, has a similar style and length like his older brother, but his crafty wrestling style was no match for Rademacher’s gas tank.


Rademacher held two leads in the first period, but Rademacher never trailed again after scoring a late takedown on a go-behind late in the first period to take a 4-3 lead into the break. Rademacher’s six second-period takedowns was a mix of counter offense, low-level attacks and brute force. He’ll face UWW athlete Magomedgadzhi Magomedov, who outlasted India’s Vishal 11-8 in a weird semifinal where it appeared as if Vishal was in perfect position to come from behind to win. A lost Indian challenge gave Magomedov a cruical break he needed to fight off the late attacks from Vishal.


Magomedov was a 2025 U20 European bronze medalist.

The Americans couldn’t go three-for-three in the semifinals, though as Cole Mirasola fell to tricky Yedige Kassimbek of Kazakhstan 11-0 at 125kg. Mirasola was unable to convert on two situations where he had Kassmibek’s leg up in the air, trying to convert the takedown. In both instances, Kassimbek came away with the points. Kassimbek showed proficiency on top as well, turning Mirasola twice after the second takedown to build a 9-0 lead in the first. He converted on his own double leg attempt in the closing seconds of the first period to register the technical superiority win. Kassimbek will face Iran’s Abolfazl Mohammad Nezhad in the finals. Mirasola will wrestle for bronze against the winner of the repechage bout with Korea’s Baejoon Jang and Mongolia’s Narantulga Darmaabazar.


UWW’s Ismail Khaniev countered a single-leg attempt and rolled Japan’s Kanata Yamaguchi through for two pivotal points in their semifinal at 74kg. Khaniev would add two more points late to earn a 7-3 victory and reach the finals, but more importantly, at least for Team USA, the Khaniev win pulled Ladarion Lockett back into the tournament.


Khaniev will face Kyrgyzstan’s Adilet Akylbekov in the finals. Akylbekov edged Italy’s Raul Caso 4-2 in the other semifinal.


Lockett will compete in Monday’s repechage to try to come back for a bronze medal. He’ll open with Vatan Annaorazov of Turkmenistan. Lockett’s path to bronze is to battle through Annaorazov, Germany’s U20 European champion Manuel Wagin and Japan’s Yamaguchi.


2025 U20 World Championships #

At Samokov, Bulgaria, August 17-24 #



Gold Medal Matches #

70kg: P.J. Duke (United States) vs. Aleksandr Gaidarli (Moldova)

74kg: Ismail Khaniev (UWW) vs. Adilet Akylbekov (Kyrgyzstan)

97kg: Magomedghadzi Magomedov (UWW) vs. Justin Rademacher (United States)

125kg: Yedige Kassimbek (Kazakhstan) vs. Abolfazl Mohammad Nezhad (Iran)


Semifinal Results #

70kg #

P.J. Duke (USA) dec. Ebrahim Elahi Chouran (Iran) 2-2, criteria

Alexandr Gaidarli (Moldova) dec. Nurlan Aghazada (Azerbaijan) 7-4

74kg #

Ismail Khaniev (UWW) dec. Kanata Yamaguchi (Japan) 7-3

Adilet Akylbekov (Kyrgyzstan) dec. Raul Caso (Italy) 4-2

97kg #

Magomedghadzi Magomedov (UWW) dec. Vishal (India) 11-8

Justin Rademacher (United States) tech. fall Konstantine Petriashvili (Georgia) 16-5

125kg   #

Yedige Kassimbek (Kazakhstan) tech. fall Cole Mirasola (United States) 11-0

Abolfazl Mohammad Nezhad (Iran) def. Yusif Dursunov (Azerbaijan) 1-1, criteria

U.S. Men’s Freestyle Group 1 results #

70 kg – PJ Duke (Slate Hill, N.Y./KD Training Center) #

WIN Umut Uslu (Turkiye), tech. fall 11-0

WIN Gabriel Alejandro Sanchez Zepeda (Mexico), fall, 0:43.

WIN Abdoullah Nakaev (France), tech fall, 14-4

WIN Ebrahim Elahi Chouran (Iran), dec. 2-2, criteria

vs. Aleksandr Gaidarli (Moldova)


74 kg – Ladarion Lockett (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC) #

WIN Tolui Munkhbat (Mongolia), tech. fall 10-0

LOSS Ismael Khaniev (UWW), dec. 5-2

vs. Vatan Annaorazov (Turkmenistan)


97 kg – Justin Rademacher (West Linn, Ore./ Beaver Dam Wrestling RTC) #

WIN Ibrahim Benekli (Turkiye), fall, 5:50.

WIN Nikolaos Karavanos (Greece), dec., 9-1

WIN Konstantine Petriashvili (Georgia), tech. fall, 16-5

vs. Magomedgadzhi Magomedov (UWW)


125 kg – Cole Mirasola (Jackson, Wis./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) #

WIN Sertac Aksoy (Turkiye), tech fall, 10-0.

WIN Inal Gagloev (UWW), dec. 3-0

LOSS Yedige Kassimbek (Kazakhstan), tech. fall, 11-0.

vs. Baejoon Jang (Korea) OR Narantulga Darmaabazar (Mongolia)