Mensah-Stock punches ticket to finals, Glaude, Walsh and Smith go for bronze at Matteo Pellicone

Photo of Tamyra Mensah-Stock by Tony Rotundo.

ROME – 2019 World champion Tamyra Mensah-Stock advanced to the 68 kg finals of the Matteo Pellicone International on Friday in Rome, Italy. She will wrestle for gold later today at noon ET live on FloWrestling.

Mensah-Stock began the day with a come-from-behind win against 2020 Individual World Cup silver medalist Adela Hanzlickova of the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. Hanzlickova scored four points on a hip toss in the first period, but Mensah-Stock battled back, scoring seven unanswered points for a 7-4 win. In the semifinals, she dominated Bulgaria’s Sofiya Georgieva, a 2019 European Games bronze medalist, 10-0. For gold, Mensah-Stock will face another opponent from Bulgaria, 2020 Individual World Cup bronze medalist Mimi Hristova.

Three other athletes advanced to their respective bronze-medal matches, including Alex Glaude in women’s freestyle and Peyton Walsh and Pat Smith in Greco-Roman.

Looking to join Mensah-Stock on the 68 kg podium, Alex Glaude will compete for bronze after taking a late lead in her repechage match against Nisha Nisha from India for a 3-2 win. Earlier in the day, Glaude opened her tournament against Hristova, who won the match by fall. In her bronze bout, Glaude will face 2019 Pan American Games silver medalist Olivia Di Bacco of Canada.

At 77 kg, Peyton Walsh advanced to the first semifinals, winning his opening bout over Marines teammate Marciano Ali of Puerto Rico, 5-2. In the semis, he dropped his bout against 2016 U23 European champion Yunus Basar from Turkey, sending him to the bronze-medal match. For a medal, Walsh will take on 2018 Military World silver medalist Askhat Dilmukhamedov from Kazakhstan, who has also finished fifth at four Senior World Championships.

Also competing at 77 kg, Pat Smith opened his tournament in the quarterfinals, where he took on Zoltan Levai of Hungary, who won silver at 2020 Individual World Cup and gold at 2019 European Championships. Levai won the match 2-0 and eventually landed a spot in the finals, pulling Smith into the medal match. For bronze, Smith will face 2016 Junior World champion and 2019 U23 World bronze medalist Tamerlan Shadukayev of Kazakhstan.

Others representing the USA in Greco-Roman on Friday were Raymond Bunker (72), RaVaughn Perkins (82), Ben Provisor (82) and Terrence Zaleski (82).

2021 MATTEO PELLICONE INTERNATIONAL

March 4-7, 2021 | Rome, Italy

U.S. women’s freestyle results

68 kg: Tamyra Mensah-Stock (Colorado Springs, Colo./TMWC/USOPTC) – GOLD MATCH
WIN Adela Hanzlickova (Czech Republic), 7-4
WIN Sofiya Georgieva (Bulgaria), 10-0
vs. Mimi Hristova (Bulgaria)

68 kg: Alexandria Glaude (West Sacramento, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) – BRONZE MATCH
LOSS Mimi Hristova (Bulgaria), fall 2:21
WIN Nisha Nisha (India), 3-2
vs. Olivia Di Bacco (Canada)

U.S. Greco-Roman results

72 kg: Raymond Bunker (Camp LeJeune, N.C./Marines) – eliminated
WIN Kaharman Kissymetov (Kazakhstan), 2-0
LOSS Cingiz Labazanov (Russia), 7-2
LOSS Robert Fritsch (Hungary), injury default

77 kg: Peyton Walsh (Camp LeJeune, N.C./Marines) – BRONZE MATCH
WIN Marciano Ali (Puerto Rico), 5-2
LOSS Yunus Basar (Turkey), 8-0
vs. Askhat Dilmukhamedov (Kazakhstan)

77 kg: Pat Smith (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) – BRONZE MATCH
LOSS Zoltan Levai (Hungary), 2-0
vs. Tamerlan Shadukayev (Kazakhstan)

82 kg: RaVaughn Perkins (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) – eliminated
WIN Singh Gurpreet (India), 12-11
LOSS Tamas Levai (Hungary), 11-0

82 kg: Ben Provisor (Lewisburg, Pa./Buffalo Valley RTC/New York AC) – eliminated
LOSS Emrah Kus (Turkey), 7-0

82 kg: Terrence Zaleski (Camp LeJeune, N.C./Marines) – eliminated
LOSS Laszlo Szabo (Hungary), 10-1