Mensah-Stock wins gold to claim first medal for USA at Matteo Pellicone
by Taylor Miller, USA Wrestling
Photo of Tamyra Mensah-Stock by Justin Hoch, jhoch.com.
ROME – 2019 World champion Tamyra Mensah-Stock dominated in her finals match to earn gold at the 2021 Matteo Pellicone International in Rome, Italy, on Friday.
Wrestling at 68 kg, Tamyra Mensah-Stock continued an impressive day with an 11-0 performance over 2020 Individual World Cup bronze medalist Mimi Hristova of Bulgaria in the gold-medal finals. Mensah-Stock used two takedowns to propel her to a 4-0 lead at the break. Early in the second period, she tacked on another takedown, followed by two sets of exposure to give Mensah-Stock a 10-0 win. However, Bulgaria’s corner challenged but it failed, resulting in another point for the American.
Mensah-Stock’s gold is the first medal for the United States this weekend at the event.
Also competing for a medal at 68 kg was 2018 U23 World bronze medalist Alex Glaude, who took on 2019 Pan American Games silver medalist Olivia Di Bacco of Canada in the bronze match. Glaude led halfway through the second period, but a late takedown eventually gave Di Bacco a 6-4 win, and Glaude finished fifth.
In Greco-Roman, Walsh and Smith wrapped up the USA’s tournament with fifth-place finishes, both coming at 77 kg.
Peyton Walsh faced 2018 Military World silver medalist Askhat Dilmukhamedov from Kazakhstan, who scored an early takedown, followed by three gut wrenches for an 8-0 tech fall. Pat Smith took on 2016 Junior World champion and 2019 U23 World bronze medalist Tamerlan Shadukayev of Kazakhstan, who picked a fall against the American in 1:10.
Other Americans receiving their final rankings from the day were Raymond Bunker, who was fifth in a Nordic style bracket at 72 kg well as RaVaughn Perkins (8th), Terrence Zaleski (10th) and Ben Provisor (13th) at 82 kg.
Wrestling continues tomorrow with the remaining women’s freestyle weights as well as the start of men’s freestyle competition. Action begins at 4:30 a.m. ET live on FloWrestling.
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
WIN Adela Hanzlickova (Czech Republic), 7-4
WIN Sofiya Georgieva (Bulgaria), 10-0
WIN Mimi Hristova (Bulgaria), 11-0
68 kg: Alexandria Glaude (West Sacramento, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) – FIFTH
LOSS Mimi Hristova (Bulgaria), fall 2:21
WIN Nisha Nisha (India), 3-2
LOSS Olivia Di Bacco (Canada), 6-4
U.S. Greco-Roman results
72 kg: Raymond Bunker (Camp LeJeune, N.C./Marines) – FIFTH
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) – FIFTH
WIN Marciano Ali (Puerto Rico), 5-2
LOSS Yunus Basar (Turkey), 8-0
LOSS Askhat Dilmukhamedov (Kazakhstan), 8-0
77 kg: Pat Smith (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) – FIFTH
LOSS Zoltan Levai (Hungary), 2-0
LOSS Tamerlan Shadukayev (Kazakhstan), fall 1:10
82 kg: RaVaughn Perkins (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) – EIGHTH
WIN Singh Gurpreet (India), 12-11
LOSS Tamas Levai (Hungary), 11-0
82 kg: Terrence Zaleski (Camp LeJeune, N.C./Marines) – 10th
LOSS Laszlo Szabo (Hungary), 10-1
82 kg: Ben Provisor (Lewisburg, Pa./Buffalo Valley RTC/New York AC) – 13th
LOSS Emrah Kus (Turkey), 7-0