Forrest Molinari advanced to the finals at 65 kilograms (Photo/Gabor Martin, United World Wrestling)ISTANBUL, Turkey -- World fifth-place finisher Forrest Molinari advanced to the gold-medal match on the opening day of the Yasar Dogu in Istanbul, Turkey.
Molinari was one of two Americans competing on Thursday. The other American competing on the first day, two-time world medalist James Green, dropped his first match at 70 kilograms and was not pulled back into repechage.
Molinari, who trains with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club, earned her spot in gold-medal match at 65 kilograms with a 7-3 victory over Alina Temirtassova of Kazakhstan. The 23-year-old American took a 4-0 lead into the break on the strength of an activity-clock point, step out and takedown.
In the second period, Molinari earned a step out to go up 5-0. Temirtassova scored her first point off a caution to cut the deficit to 5-1. Molinari then responded with a takedown, and a short time later Temirtassova scored a takedown of her own to make the score 7-3, which how the match would end.
Earlier in the day, Molinari picked up a 45-second fall over Rimma Russaeva of Kazakhstan.
The finals are set for Friday at 5:30 p.m. local time (10:30 a.m. ET).
James Green dropped his first match to Haydar Yavuz of Turkey (Photo/Gabor Martin, United World Wrestling)Green, a 2017 world silver medalist and 2015 world bronze medalist, fell in his first match to Haydar Yavuz of Turkey, 4-2. Green scored first off the activity clock and led 1-0 at the break. But the Turk found a takedown early in the second period to grab the lead. Green scored a step out to inch closer with 90 seconds remaining. With Yavuz leading 2-2 on criteria, he scored another takedown in the closing seconds to seal the victory.
Green was eliminated from the competition when Yavuz lost in the semifinals on criteria.
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