Photo by Joe Russell

On the final day of the Yasar Dogu, Team USA brought home another three gold medals, with J’den Cox, Kyle Snyder and Jordan Burroughs winning titles. The U.S. sent nine competitors to the tournament and seven placed in the top-two, earning six golds and a silver medal.



Cox obliterated his competition, earning technical falls in all four of his matches and outscoring his opponents 43-0. In the finals, Cox picked apart Bendeguez Toth of Hungary to the tune of a 10-0 victory.



Cox lead 4-0 going into the break, scoring on two single leg takedowns. In the second period he scored two go-behinds. The second of which, he transitioned straight into a gut wrench to end the match.



Snyder won his finals match in a controlled 2-1 decision over Ali Khalil Shabanibengar of Iran. Snyder immediately scored off the opening whistle with an ankle pick. Shabanibengar earned a step out point in the second period but never came close to scoring again. Snyder took bronze at this event in 2018.



Burroughs claimed his second Yasar Dogu title with a forfeit in the finals against rival, two-time World Champion and Olympic bronze medalist Frank Chamizo. Last year, Burroughs took silver to Chamizo. However, he avenged that loss in the bronze medal match at the World Championships. Burroughs currently holds a 3-1 record against Chamizo, not including today’s forfeit.



Burroughs won the Yasar Dogu in 2016, and he placed third in 2014.



In the bronze medal match, Pat Downey lost a tough 7-6 decision to Osman Gocen of Turkey. Downey led 4-2 at the break on the strength of two takedowns. He pushed his lead to 6-2 early in the second period, but Gocen mounted a comeback, scoring two takedowns and a step out to take the win. Downey finished in fifth place.



With this being the final ranking tournament for men’s and women’s freestyle, seeds for the World Championships have been solidified. Snyder moved into the No. 1 seed at 97 kg with his performance, and Burroughs slotted into the No. 2 seed at 74 kg. Cox already had the 92 kg No. 1 seed locked up before the tournament.



Nick Gwiazdowski secured the No. 4 seed at 125 kg seed, yesterday, with a runner-up showing, and Alex Dieringer moved into the 79 kg No. 4 seed by winning the tournament. Returning World champion Kyle Dake is currently tied for the No. 1 seed at 79 kg. The pair will wrestle off for the World Team spot on August 17. If Dieringer wins he will move into No. 3 position, as Dake will not be competing. If Russia’s Akhmed Gadzhimagomedov, who currently in No. 3, cannot compete as predicted, Dieringer will move into the No. 2 position.



In women’s freestyle, Forrest Molinari moved into the No. 2 seed at 65 kg with her championship performance. Returning World champion at 76 kg Adeline Gray did not compete and dropped from the No. 1 seed to behind tournament bronze medalist Yasemine Adar of Turkey. She is now tied for the No. 2 seed with Aline Focken of Germany who placed fifth.



2019 YASAR DOGU INTERNATIONAL

at ISTANBUL, Turkey, July 11-14

U.S. Men’s freestyle draws



74 kg: Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC)

WIN Csaba Vida (Hungary), 10-0

WIN Taimuraz Salkazanov (Slovakia), 6-4

WIN Yakup Gor (Turkey), 12-2

WIN Frank Chamizo (Italy), Forfeit



86 kg: Pat Downey (Princeton, N.J./Titan Mercury/NJRTC)

LOSS Deepak Punia (India), 11-5

LOSS Osman Gocen (Turkey), 7-6



92 kg: J’den Cox (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury/USOPTC)

WIN Abubakar Turgayev (Kazakhstan), 11-0

WIN Mohamed Fardj (Algeria), 11-0

WIN Shamil Zubairov (Azerbaijan), 11-0

WIN Bendeguez Toth (Hungary), 10-0



97 kg: Kyle Snyder (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury/Ohio RTC)

WIN Bakin Sahin (Turkey), 12-2

WIN Pavlo Oliinyk (Hungary), 10-0

WIN Ali Khalil Shabanibengar (Iran), 2-1