Recap, Day 3 2019 World Championships: Adeline Earns Historic 5th Title, Mensah-Stock in Finals
Gray now 5x World Champion.
by Derek Levendusky, AWW Staff Writer
MEDAL MATCHES
76 kg Adeline Gray, Gold Match
SHE DID IT AGAIN! Adeline Gray now stands alone as the only Team USA wrestler ever to win 5 world titles. She’s not just in thin high mountain air, she’s the first one on the moon. Including her two bronze medals, she now has a total of 7 world medals, putting her closer to Kristie Davis, who won 9 world medals for Team USA, though she only had two world titles. Gray is now 5 for 5 on visits to the finals at world championships. She defeated Hiroe Minagawa Suzuki of Japan in the finals, getting all of her points in one exchange at the end of the first period with a beautiful knee slide double right into a gut wrench as the clock expired. Gray celebrated her win, though it seemed tempered by the experience of someone who had been there before.
65 kg Forrest Molinari, Bronze Match
Not much to report here. Disappointing match. Molinari seemed to be moving her opponent, getting to her heavy tie, front head offense, but Xiaoqian Wang of China countered, laced Molinari up, and at 1:08 into the bout it was all over. I’m sure Molinari wishes she could have that one back. Still, Molinari finishes 5th at World, just as she did last year. Solid for sure, though not without the sour taste of knowing she could have a medal around her neck, especially when she lost such a close semi yesterday right at the very end. Molinari is still young and has many good years ahead for Team USA.
TODAY’S DAY 1 WEIGHTS
62 kg Kayla Miracle
Miracle was on attack from the start in her first pigtail match against Nabira Esenbaeva of Uzbekistan, looking to score with aggressive fakes and shots. Her opponent had no offense and seemed to only look to slow Miracle down. She may have slowed her down, but the inevitable tech fall came in the second period. She faced Lais Nunez De Olivei in the Round of 32, and it was a tough first period as she was losing 2-1 at break. As the second began, she kept attacking and eventually found her opening, pouring it on for a 15-4 tech fall. In the Round of 16, Miracle seemed to be the better wrestler, until a challenge turned the tide and Kayla eventually lost 6-6 to Jong Sim Rim of North Korea. Rim had a dramatic quarterfinal win 6-5, getting a turn in last 30 seconds, but then fell in the semis, eliminating Miracle from medal contention.
68 kg Tamyra Mensah-Stock
2019 FINALIST! Mensah-Stock (USA) made it look easy in Round 1, getting the quick tech fall with takedowns & laces over Michelle Montague (New Zealand). In Round 2, she dominated the first period, but then slowed against gritty Blessing Oborududu of Nigeria for the 6-1 win. She rolled through the quarters against defending 2016 Olympic Champion Sara Dosho of Japan, scoring in the first ten seconds of match. That set the tone for the rest of the eventual 10-1 victory. With that win, Mensah-Stock guaranteed a top 5 finish and qualified the Olympic weight for the U.S. It was more of the same in the semis as Mensah-Stock dominated Anna Carmen Schell of Germany to a 10-0 tech and a trip to the 2019 World Championship Finals! She’ll face the well-decorated and experienced Jenny Fransson of Sweden tomorrow.
(pc: USA Wrestling)