J’Den Cox wins gold medal and qualifies for Rio Olympics at World Olympic Qualifier in Mongolia
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
J’Den Cox of the United States receives his gold medal with the other 86 kg medalists at the World Olympic Qualifier in Mongolia. Cox qualified for the Olympic Games. Photo by Cody Bickley.
ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia - J’den Cox (Columbia, Mo./Missouri WF) won a gold medal at 86 kg/213 lbs. at the World Olympic Qualifier on Sunday and qualifying himself for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He claimed a title in his first major international event for Team USA.
Cox defeated Pedro Ceballos Fuentes of Venezuela, 6-0 in the gold-medal finals. He controlled the entire match. In the opening period, he scored when Ceballos could not score on the shot clock, then added a pushout for a 2-0 lead. In the second period, Cox scored a pair of takedowns for a dominant win.
“I feel alive right now. Words can’t describe how I feel, but I know there is more to do,” said Cox after receiving his gold medal.
Cox won five straight bouts on the day, showing extreme poise, power and presence on the mat for such a young athlete competing under extreme pressure.
The top three in each weight class qualifies their nation for the Olympic Games. Since Cox won the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City, Iowa on April 10, the victory gives him a berth in the Olympic Games.
In the semifinals, Cox clinched his Olympic berth by outlasting 2013 Asian champion Umidjon Ismanov of Uzbekistan, 5-2. Cox scored a first-period takedown but gave up a point on the shot clock, and led at the break, 2-1. Cox got a pushout and Ismanov scored again on the shot clock to make it 3-2 in the second period. A single leg late in the period gave Cox his final 5-2 margin of victory.
To reach the semifinals, Cox won three straight matches, firmly in control of them all. He opened with a pair of technical falls, defeating Shamir Atyan of Armenia, 11-0 and Timofei Xenidis of Greece, 10-0. In the quarterfinals, he led Zbigniew Baranowski of Poland 2-1 until the last few seconds, getting an ankle pick for a 4-1 win.
Cox has not had the opportunity to represent the United States overseas before, needing to get a passport after he won the U.S. Olympic Team Trials entering as the No. 9 seed. He is completing his junior year at Missouri, where he is a two-time NCAA champion and three-time All-American. Cox wrestled at 197 pounds in college, and decided to make the drop to 189 pounds for his Olympic quest.
Frank Molinaro (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) was eliminated at 65 kg/143 lbs. after going 1-1 in his matches. In his first match, Molinaro scored a 10-0 technical fall over Xuan Dinh Nguyen of Vietnam. In the second round, Molinaro was edged by two-time World medalist Yakup Gor of Turkey, 6-4. Gor reached the semifinals, where he was defeated, and Molinaro was not eligible for the repechage.
“We didn’t get everything taken care of today that we wanted to, but we’re one step closer. The guys competed hard today,” said National Freestyle Coach Bruce Burnett.
Molinaro will have one more opportunity to qualify the final World Olympic Qualifier in Istanbul, Turkey, May 6-8. The United States has now qualified 12 athletes for the Olympic Games, with six more weights yet to be qualified. That includes three Greco-Roman weights, two women’s weights and one men’s freestyle weight.
Two athletes who competed for U.S. colleges were wrestling in the finals round.
At 74 kg/163 lbs., Georgi Ivanov of Bulgaria was defeated in the gold-medal finals by Soner Demertis of Turkey in an 11-1 technical fall. Ivanov wrestled in high school in Iowa, and at Nebraska-Omaha and Boise State in college. Ivanov qualified for the Rio Games with a big win in the semifinals, when he beat Mihaly Nagy of Hungary, 10-7.
Competing in the Olympic Qualification match at 65 kg/143 lbs. was Boris Novachkov of Bulgaria, who went to Cal Poly and was in high school in California. Novachkov was beaten by Yakup Gor, the same athlete who beat Frank Molinaro. The final score was 4-2. It was a battle of bronze medalists. In effect, Novachkov took fourth place, when only the top three qualify for the Olympics.
Another U.S. collegian, David Habat of Slovenia who competed for Edinboro, placed fifth at 65 kg/145.5 lbs. with a strong 3-2 record. He was beaten by Gor in his second repechage match and eliminated from medal contention.
WORLD OLYMPIC QUALIFIER
At Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, April 23, 2016
U.S. men’s freestyle results
65 kg/143 lbs. – Frank Molinaro, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), dnp
WIN Xuan Dinh Nguyen (Vietnam), tech. fall 10-0
LOSS Yakup Gor (Turkey), 4-6
86 kg/189 lbs. – J’Den Cox, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri Wrestling Foundation), gold medal
WIN Shamir Atyan (Armenia), tech. fall 11-0
WIN Timofei Xenidis (Greece), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Zbigniew Baranowski (Poland), 4-1
WIN Umidjon Ismanov (Uzbekistan), 5-2
WIN Pedro Ceballos Fuentes (Venezuela), 6-0
Gold-Medal Finals
57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Ivan Guidea (Romania) dec. Jirjalal Hasan-Zada (Azerbaijan), 8-3
65 kg/143 lbs. – Adam Batirov (Bahrain) dec. Zurabi Iakobishvili (Georgia), 3-1
74 kg/163 lbs. – Soner Demirtas (Turkey) tech. fall Giorgi Ivanov (Bulgaria), 11-1
86 kg/189 lbs. - J’Den Cox (USA) dec. Pedro Ceballos Fuentes (Venezuela), 6-0
97 kg/213 lbs. – Georgii Ketoev (Armenia) dec. Magomed Ibragimov (Uzbekistan), 4-3
125 kg/275 lbs. – Zhewei Deng (China) inj. dft. over Daniel Ligeti (Hungary)
Olympic Qualification Bouts (for third Olympic berth)
57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Sandeep Tomar (India) tech. fall Andriy Yatsenko (Ukraine), 11-0
65 kg/143 lbs. –Yakup Gor (Turkey) dec. Boris Novachkov (Bulgaria), 4-2
74 kg/163 lbs. – Evgheni Nedealco (Moldova) dec. Oleh Bilotserkivskyi (Ukraine), 6-0
86 kg/189 lbs. – Zbigniew Baranowski (Poland) dec. Feng Zhang (China), 4-3
97 kg/213 lbs. – Nicolai Ceban (Moldova) dec. Khuderbulga Dorjkhan (Mongolia), 9-4
125 kg/275 lbs. – Robert Baran (Poland) dec. Lyuben Iliev (Bulgaria), 5-1
ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia - J’den Cox (Columbia, Mo./Missouri WF) won a gold medal at 86 kg/213 lbs. at the World Olympic Qualifier on Sunday and qualifying himself for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He claimed a title in his first major international event for Team USA.
Cox defeated Pedro Ceballos Fuentes of Venezuela, 6-0 in the gold-medal finals. He controlled the entire match. In the opening period, he scored when Ceballos could not score on the shot clock, then added a pushout for a 2-0 lead. In the second period, Cox scored a pair of takedowns for a dominant win.
“I feel alive right now. Words can’t describe how I feel, but I know there is more to do,” said Cox after receiving his gold medal.
Cox won five straight bouts on the day, showing extreme poise, power and presence on the mat for such a young athlete competing under extreme pressure.
The top three in each weight class qualifies their nation for the Olympic Games. Since Cox won the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City, Iowa on April 10, the victory gives him a berth in the Olympic Games.
In the semifinals, Cox clinched his Olympic berth by outlasting 2013 Asian champion Umidjon Ismanov of Uzbekistan, 5-2. Cox scored a first-period takedown but gave up a point on the shot clock, and led at the break, 2-1. Cox got a pushout and Ismanov scored again on the shot clock to make it 3-2 in the second period. A single leg late in the period gave Cox his final 5-2 margin of victory.
To reach the semifinals, Cox won three straight matches, firmly in control of them all. He opened with a pair of technical falls, defeating Shamir Atyan of Armenia, 11-0 and Timofei Xenidis of Greece, 10-0. In the quarterfinals, he led Zbigniew Baranowski of Poland 2-1 until the last few seconds, getting an ankle pick for a 4-1 win.
Cox has not had the opportunity to represent the United States overseas before, needing to get a passport after he won the U.S. Olympic Team Trials entering as the No. 9 seed. He is completing his junior year at Missouri, where he is a two-time NCAA champion and three-time All-American. Cox wrestled at 197 pounds in college, and decided to make the drop to 189 pounds for his Olympic quest.
Frank Molinaro (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) was eliminated at 65 kg/143 lbs. after going 1-1 in his matches. In his first match, Molinaro scored a 10-0 technical fall over Xuan Dinh Nguyen of Vietnam. In the second round, Molinaro was edged by two-time World medalist Yakup Gor of Turkey, 6-4. Gor reached the semifinals, where he was defeated, and Molinaro was not eligible for the repechage.
“We didn’t get everything taken care of today that we wanted to, but we’re one step closer. The guys competed hard today,” said National Freestyle Coach Bruce Burnett.
Molinaro will have one more opportunity to qualify the final World Olympic Qualifier in Istanbul, Turkey, May 6-8. The United States has now qualified 12 athletes for the Olympic Games, with six more weights yet to be qualified. That includes three Greco-Roman weights, two women’s weights and one men’s freestyle weight.
Two athletes who competed for U.S. colleges were wrestling in the finals round.
At 74 kg/163 lbs., Georgi Ivanov of Bulgaria was defeated in the gold-medal finals by Soner Demertis of Turkey in an 11-1 technical fall. Ivanov wrestled in high school in Iowa, and at Nebraska-Omaha and Boise State in college. Ivanov qualified for the Rio Games with a big win in the semifinals, when he beat Mihaly Nagy of Hungary, 10-7.
Competing in the Olympic Qualification match at 65 kg/143 lbs. was Boris Novachkov of Bulgaria, who went to Cal Poly and was in high school in California. Novachkov was beaten by Yakup Gor, the same athlete who beat Frank Molinaro. The final score was 4-2. It was a battle of bronze medalists. In effect, Novachkov took fourth place, when only the top three qualify for the Olympics.
Another U.S. collegian, David Habat of Slovenia who competed for Edinboro, placed fifth at 65 kg/145.5 lbs. with a strong 3-2 record. He was beaten by Gor in his second repechage match and eliminated from medal contention.
WORLD OLYMPIC QUALIFIER
At Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, April 23, 2016
U.S. men’s freestyle results
65 kg/143 lbs. – Frank Molinaro, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), dnp
WIN Xuan Dinh Nguyen (Vietnam), tech. fall 10-0
LOSS Yakup Gor (Turkey), 4-6
86 kg/189 lbs. – J’Den Cox, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri Wrestling Foundation), gold medal
WIN Shamir Atyan (Armenia), tech. fall 11-0
WIN Timofei Xenidis (Greece), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Zbigniew Baranowski (Poland), 4-1
WIN Umidjon Ismanov (Uzbekistan), 5-2
WIN Pedro Ceballos Fuentes (Venezuela), 6-0
Gold-Medal Finals
57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Ivan Guidea (Romania) dec. Jirjalal Hasan-Zada (Azerbaijan), 8-3
65 kg/143 lbs. – Adam Batirov (Bahrain) dec. Zurabi Iakobishvili (Georgia), 3-1
74 kg/163 lbs. – Soner Demirtas (Turkey) tech. fall Giorgi Ivanov (Bulgaria), 11-1
86 kg/189 lbs. - J’Den Cox (USA) dec. Pedro Ceballos Fuentes (Venezuela), 6-0
97 kg/213 lbs. – Georgii Ketoev (Armenia) dec. Magomed Ibragimov (Uzbekistan), 4-3
125 kg/275 lbs. – Zhewei Deng (China) inj. dft. over Daniel Ligeti (Hungary)
Olympic Qualification Bouts (for third Olympic berth)
57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Sandeep Tomar (India) tech. fall Andriy Yatsenko (Ukraine), 11-0
65 kg/143 lbs. –Yakup Gor (Turkey) dec. Boris Novachkov (Bulgaria), 4-2
74 kg/163 lbs. – Evgheni Nedealco (Moldova) dec. Oleh Bilotserkivskyi (Ukraine), 6-0
86 kg/189 lbs. – Zbigniew Baranowski (Poland) dec. Feng Zhang (China), 4-3
97 kg/213 lbs. – Nicolai Ceban (Moldova) dec. Khuderbulga Dorjkhan (Mongolia), 9-4
125 kg/275 lbs. – Robert Baran (Poland) dec. Lyuben Iliev (Bulgaria), 5-1
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