Hedrick advances through repechage to reach bronze-medal bout in women’s freestyle at U23 Worlds

Alexandra Hedrick (USA) competes at the 2022 U23 World Championships. Photo by Kostadin Andonov, United World Wrestling.


PONTEVEDRA, Spain – Alexandra Hedrick has qualified for a bronze-medal bout at 57 kg at the U23 World Championships on Friday.


In the repechage round on Friday morning, Hedrick received a forfeit after her opponent Welvima Vemba of Angola missed weight. With this win, Hedrick advances to the bronze-medal round.


She will battle 2022 Asian U23 silver medalist Laura Almaganbetova of Kazakhstan for a bronze on Friday night.


With Hedrick earning a medal match, Team USA will battle for three medals during the Friday night Group Two finals. Amit Elor will go for the gold medal at 72 kg and Felicity Taylor will compete for a bronze medal at 53 kg.


The United States was in third place after the completion of the first five weight classes on Thursday night.


The Group Two women’s finals are set for 6:00 p.m. local time. Pontevedra is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time. Follow it live on FloWrestling.  

U23 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Pontevedra, Spain


U.S. Women’s freestyle Group Two results


53 kg: Felicity Taylor, Spillville, Iowa (Hawkeye WC/TMWC), in bronze medal bout

WIN Aikaterini Vekri (Greece), pin 0:36

WIN Ellada Makhyaddinova (Kazakhstan), tech. fall 10-0

LOSS Haruna Okuno (Japan), tech. fall 11-0

Bronze bout – winner of Anastasia Blayvas (Germany) vs. Mariana Rojas Diaz (Venezuela)


57 kg: Alexandra Hedrick, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC), in repechage

WIN Melda Dernekci (Turkey), pin 3:28

LOSS Patrycja Gil (Poland), 9-6

WIN Welvima Vemba (Angola), forfeit

Bronze Medal bout - Laura Almaganbetova (Kazakhstan)


62 kg: Alexandria Liles, Pueblo, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP), eliminated

LOSS Astrid Montero Chirinos (Venezuela), 4-0


65 kg: Emma Bruntil, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC), eliminate

LOSS Katerina Zelenykh (Ukraine), pin 0:15


72 kg: Amit Elor, New York, N.Y. (NYC RTC/TMWC), in gold-medal finals

WIN Kendra Dacher (France), pin 5:31

WIN Maria Nitu (Romania), pin 0:34

Gold Medal finals – vs. Wiktoria Choluj (Poland)