Yelena Makoyed (USA) celebrates her victory at the Zagreb Open Ranking Event. Photo by Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling

ZAGREB, Croatia –The U.S. women’s freestyle team finished strong at the Zagreb Open Ranking Event, winning all three medal matches on Saturday night and placing second behind Japan in the team standings.

Claiming gold medals were Skylar Grote (72 kg) and Yelena Makoyed (76 kg), with a bronze-medal from Dymond Guilford (76 kg).

Grote defeated 2020 European silver medalist Dalma Caneva of Italy in the finals, 3-1. Grote was put on the shot clock in the first period and did not score, giving Caneva a 1-0 lead. Early in the second period, Caneva was placed on the shot clock and did not score, tying it up at 1-1. Grote secured a single leg attack and scored the lone takedown in the second period to earn the victory.

Grote, a 2022 Pan American champion and No. 2 on the U.S. Senior National Team, won three matches in the morning session. She won two matches in Pool A, then dominated her semifinals with a pin over Milla Andelic of Croatia in 42 seconds.

Makoyed had a powerful performance in the finals, pinning 2021 World bronze medalist Aiperi Medet Kyzy of Kyrgyzstan in 1:40. Memet Kyzy scored first with a takedown on the edge to lead 2-0. Makoyed answered with a takedown and she put in a leg and turned Meme Kyzy to lead 4-2. With the leg still in, Makoyed used a half nelson to turn and pin Memet Kyzy.

Makoyed is a multiple NCWWC national champion for North Central and No. 2 on the USA Senior National Team. She was dominant on the way to the finals, scoring three technical falls Included were victories over American rivals Dymond Guilford and Precious Bell.

Guilford and Bell met in a bronze-medal match, with Bell needing a win in repechage to get there. Guilford was dominant in the bout, scoring a 13-0 technical fall over Bell. Guilford led 5-0 at the break, with a four-point exchange and a step out. In the second period, she added two more takedowns, then closed the match with a four-point takedown.

Japan won the final team standings with 191 points, with the USA in second with 129 and Moldova in third with 75. Team USA finished with five women’s freestyle medals, with golds from Grote and Makoyed, a silver from Mallory Velte at 65 kg and bronze medals by Guilford and Kayla Miracle at 62 kg.

The USA had two Greco-Roman wrestlers compete Saturday, Olympian and World Team member Alejandro Sancho at 67 kg and World Team member Sammy Jones at 63 kg. Sancho won his first match then was defeated in the second round, while Jones was beaten in his only match. Neither qualified for repechage.

The final day of the competition will be on Sunday, with six Greco-Roman weight classes: 55kg, 60 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg. The morning session begins at 10:00 a.m. local time, which is 4:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern time. The finals are set for 6:00 p.m. local time, which is 12:00 noon U.S. Eastern time.

The event is broadcast live by FloWrestling.

ZAGREB OPEN RANKING EVENT
At Zagreb, Croatia

Women’s freestyle medalists

53 kg
Gold - Akari Fujimani (Japan)
Silver - Bolortuya Bat Ochir (Mongolia)
Bronze - Iulia Leorda (Moldova)
Bronze - Samantha Stewart (Canada)

57 kg
Gold - Sae Nanjo (Japan)
Silver - Yongxin Feng (China)
Bronze - Qi Zhang (China)
Bronze - Jowita Wrzesien (Poland)

72 kg
Gold - Skylar Grote (USA)
Silver - Dalma Caneva (Italy)
Bronze - Sumire Niikura (Japan)

76 kg
Gold - Yelena Makoyed (USA)
Silver - Aiperi Medet Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan)
Bronze - Justina Di Stasio (Canada)
Bronze - Dymond Guilford (USA)

U.S. women’s freestyle results

53 kg: Alisha Howk (Sunkist), 9th place
LOSS Bolortuya Bat Ochir (Mongolia), tech. fall 11-0
WIN Vivian Matyi (Hungary), pin 2:25
LOSS Iulia Leorda (Moldova), 2-1

53 kg: Dom Parrish (Sunkist), dnp/22nd
LOSS Samantha Stewart (Canada), pin 2:23

53 kg: Katie Gomez (Sunkist), dnp/15th
LOSS Khulan Batkhuyag (Mongolia), 6-2

57 kg: Helen Maroulis (Sunkist), 8th place
WIN Laylokhon Sobirova (Uzbekistan), 11-2
LOSS Patrycja Gil (Poland), 10-5

57 kg: Alex Hedrick (TMWC), 7th place
WIN Tianna Kennett (Canada) pin 2:59
LOSS Guillia Rodriguez Penalber de Oliveira (Brazil), tech fall 10-0

57 kg: Amanda Martinez (TMWC/CWC), dnp/17th
LOSS Qi Zhang (China), tech fall 10-0

72 kg: Skylar Grote (TMWC/BDRTC), GOLD MEDAL
WIN Sumire Niikura (Japan), 10-1
WIN Reetika (India), 4-0
WIN Milla Andelic (Croatia), pin 0:42
WIN Dalma Caneva (Italy), 3-1

76 kg: Yelena Makoyed (TMWC/CWC), GOLD MEDAL
WIN Shauna Kuebeck (Canada), tech. fall 11-0
WIN Precious Bell (USA), tech. fall 12-2
WIN Dymond Guilford (USA), tech. fall 12-2
WIN Aiperi Medet Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan), pin 1:40

76 kg: Dymond Guilford (TMWC), BRONZE MEDAL
WIN Taylor Follensbee (Canada), pin 3:53
WIN Kamile Gaucaite (Lithuania), tech fall 10-0
LOSS Yelena Makoyed (USA), tech fall 12-2
WIN Precious Bell (USA), tech fall, 13-0

76 kg: Precious Bell (TMWC/VSW), 5th place
WIN Veronika Nyikos (Hungary), forfeit
LOSS Yelena Makoyed (USA), tech fall 12-2
WIN Shauna Kuebeck (Canada), tech. fall 10-0
LOSS Dymond Guilford (USA), tech fall 13-0

Final Women’s Freestyle standings
1 Japan 191
2 United States 129
3 Moldova 75
4 China 58
5 Canada 38
6 India 35
7 Italy 32
8 Hungary 29
9 Croatia 27
10 Poland 27

Greco-Roman medalists

63 kg
Gold - Taleh Mammadov (Azerbaijan)
Silver - Aref Hossein Khoun Mohammadi (Iran)
Bronze - Ivan Lizatovic (Croatia)
Bronze - Iman Hossein Khoon Mohammadi (Iran)

67 kg
Gold - Husiyetu (China)
Silver - Reza Mahdi Abassi (Iran)
Bronze - Ashu (India)
Bronze - Luis Orta Sanchez (Cuba)

U.S. Greco-Roman results

63 kg: Sammy Jones (NYAC), 10th place
LOSS Ivan Lizatovic (Croatia), 3-1

67 kg: Alejandro Sancho (Army WCAP), dnp/11th
WIN Domagoj Celicek (Croatia), tech fall 11-1
LOSS Adomas Grigaliunas (Lithuania), 5-4

Grote and Makoyed Win Golds, Guilford Claims Bronze in Women’s Freestyle at Zagreb Open Ranking Event

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