Hidlay wins gold, Carr takes bronze in men’s freestyle at Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial Ranking Event

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Trent Hidlay claimed a gold medal at 92 kg, and David Carr claimed a bronze medal at 74 kg in men’s freestyle at the Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial Ranking Event on Friday night.

Hidlay finished strong on the way to a 7-2 victory in the finals over two-time World medalist Miriana Maisuradze of Georgia in the finals. The match was tied at 2-2 at the break, with Maisuradze holding criteria. Hidlay came out with two takedowns in the second period and received an additional point on a failed challenge by Georgia.

Hidlay looked powerful in his three victories in the morning session which qualified him for the finals. He opened with a strong 7-3 decision over He beat 2021 World bronze medalist Abubakr Abakarov of Azerbaijan, 7-3, then won a 10-0 technical fall over Krisztian Angyal of Hungary in the quarterfinals. In his semifinals match, he scored the opening takedown against 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Dauren Kurugliev of Greece, who was injured during the takedown action and could not finish the match.

Carr defeated 2021 and 2022 World silver medalist Taimuraz Salkazanov of Slovakia, 4-4 by criteria in the bronze medal match. Trailing 2-0 at the break, Carr came out in the second period and scored two takedowns to lead 4-2. Officials twice hit Carr with a caution and one-point penalty late in the match, to tie it at 4-4, and he held his position for the last eight seconds to win the match.

In the first session, Carr opened with a 5-3 victory over two-time Olympian Turan Bayramov of Azerbaijan. In the quarterfinals, Carr stopped Orosobek Toktomambetov of Kyrgyzstan, 8-0. He was edged in the semifinals by 2024 U23 World champion Kota Takahashi of Japan, 9-7. Takahashi went on to win the gold medal.

Carr and Hidlay were the only two U.S. men’s freestyle competitors on Friday. Both will be competing in their first Senior World Championships for Team USA in September in Zagreb, Croatia. They come in with impressive age group achievements, as Carr was a U20 World champion and Hidlay won a pair of age-group World medals.

The USA won two other medals on Thursday, as Luke Lilledahl claimed a gold medal at 57 kg and Jay Aiello won a bronze medal at 97 kg. In the two-day men’s freestyle tournament, the United States placed second in the team standings with 102 points, behind only Georgia with 105 points. Azerbaijan was third with 100 points. There were 33 nations entered in this ranking event.

UWW Ranking events are used to set the seeds at the upcoming World Championships as well as help determine the year-end UWW athlete awards.

Today's women's freestyle wrap story will be posted separately.

POLYAK IMRE & VARGA JANOS MEMORIAL RANKING SERIES EVENT

At Budapest, Hungary, July 18

Men’s freestyle results

74 kg

Gold - Kota Takahashi (Japan)

Silver - Magomed Khaniev (Azerbaijan)

Bronze - Matomedrasul Asluev (Bahrain)

Bronze - David Carr (USA)

5^th - Yeldos Kuanyshbay (Kazakhstan)

5^th - Taimuraz Salkazanov (Slovakia)

7^th - Jaideep (India)

8^th - Murad Kuramagomedov (Hungary)

9^th - Orozobek Toktomambetov (Kyrgyzstan)

10^th - Szymon Wojtowski (Poland)

Gold - Kota Takahashi (Japan) dec. Magomed Khaniev (Azerbaijan), 4-0

Bronze - Matomedrasul Asluev (Bahrain) dec. Yeldos Kuanyshbay (Kazakhstan), 8-2

Bronze - David Carr (USA) dec. Taimuraz Salkazanov (Slovakia), 4-4

86 kg

Gold - Arsenii Dzhioev (Azerbaijan)

Silver - Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau (UWW)

Bronze - Ali Savadkhouhi (Iran)

Bronze - Osman Gocen (Turkey)

Bronze - Nuzhan Issagaliyev (Kazakhstan)

Bronze - Boris Makoev (Slovakia)

7^th - Rakhim Magamadov (France)

8^th - Simon Marchl (Austria)

9^th - Patrik Puespoeki (Hungary)

10^th - Aiden Stevenson (Canada)

Gold - Arsenii Dzhioev (Azerbaijan) inj. df. Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau (UWW)

Bronze - Ali Savadkhouhi (Iran) dec. Nuzhan Issagaliyev (Kazakhstan), 3-0

Bronze - Osman Gocen (Turkey) dec. Boris Makoev (Slovakia), 3-2

92 kg

Gold - Trent Hidlay (USA)

Silver - Miriana Maisuradze (Georgia)

Bronze - Benjamin Honis (Italy)

Bronze – Abubakr Abakarov (Azerbaijan)

5^th - Musza Arsunkaev (Hungary)

5^th - Dauren Kurugliev (Greece)

7^th - Osman Nurmagomedov (Azerbaijan)

8^th - Benjamin Greil (Austria)

9^th - Alperen Tokgoz (Turkey)

10^th - Filip Szucki (Poland)

Gold - Trent Hidlay (USA) dec. Miriana Maisuradze (Georgia), 7-2

Bronze - Benjamin Honis (Italy) pin Musza Arsunkaev (Hungary), 3:00

Bronze – Abubakr Abakarov (Azerbaijan) inj. dft. Dauren Kurugliev (Greece)

U.S. men’s freestyle results

74 kg: David Carr, Ames, Iowa (Cyclone RTC/TMWC), bronze medal

WIN Turan Bayramov (Azerbaijan), 5-3

WIN Orosobek Toktomambetov (Kyrgyzstan), 8-0

LOSS Kota Takahashi (Japan), 9-7

WIN Taimuraz Salkazanov (Slovakia), 4-4

92 kg: Trent Hidlay, Raleigh, N.C. (Wolfpack WC/TMWC), gold medal

WIN Abubakr Abakarov (Azerbaijan), 7-3

WIN Krisztian Angyal (Hungary), tech fall 10-0, 3:23

WIN Dauren Kurugliev (Greece), inj. dft. 0:51

WIN Miriana Maisuradze (Georgia), 7-2

Men’s freestyle team standings

1. Georgia, 105

2. United States, 102

3. Azerbaijan, 100

4. Japan, 77

5. Bahrain, 75

6. Kazakhstan, 67

7. India, 66

8. Hungary, 46

9. Iran, 45

10. Poland, 39

(of 33 nations)