The Croatia (Zagreb) Open Ranking Series Tournament

[nhs67]

10 hours ago, WrestlingRasta said:

I mean I know I'm just jumping in here, but in the last nine years only one of the four has nine medals, seven finals, four gold.

Any only one of them wasn't on the team last year, either...

[nhs67]

I don't mean to seem disinterested, gents... it's just all our Greco guys have already lost and are hoping to get pulled back in to Repechage and for the women we only have MIracle at 62 KG (who has won here 1/8ths match) and Molinari at 68 KG (who is up shortly for her 1/8ths match) left.

Not a whole lot of action by the time we all get up and around right about now.

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

The Greco portion of the tournament needed more BEY. The last time he wrestled one of the finalists at 77 kg, he beat him 4-1. That match was less than 6 months ago. He wrestled the other finalist twice in 2023. Lost to him badly, and lost to him closely in the finals of the Hungarian Grand Prix. 

That's the thing about these big international competitions, you make a run deep into them, and you tend to run into the same guys. The whole Army (WCAP) program was rocked recently with the loss of one of their wrestlers who had emergency surgery for blood clots. Kamal was especially distraught. 

As for the women's competition, yeah, NHS is right, needs more America. 

[nhs67]

Miracle lost her 62 KG Gold medal match via 7-0 to a lady from Krgyzstan.

[nhs67]

Molinari lost to Zhou of China via 2-0 Decision.

Bruntil beat Zhou at 2023 Worlds via 6-3 Decision.

[nhs67]

Molinari takes home Silver.

[nhs67]

Blades is up 2-0 on Welker at the break in their Bronze match.

Gray is also up 2-0 at the break in her Bronze match against France.

[nhs67]

Blades pins Welker midway through the 2nd.  Was up 4-0.

[nhs67]

Gray wins 3-0.

[nhs67]

Gray and Blades are Bronze medal winners.

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

Joe Rau lost, and his opponent will not make the finals. 

Pino Hinds losing 4-2 on Mat A in the second period. He's been put down, and didn't open up. The ref kept cautioning him, but he still wouldn't open up. Awarded another point to 5-2. Challenge lost, now 6-2 for the Iranian, who looks like a Golden Age Batman mob thug. 7-2 now for the Iranian, and Flo goes down. 

8-2 now but I don't know how it got there. Flo was down. And that's your final. 

 

[bnwtwg]

The US as a contingent got their shit pushed in at a rankings tourney in an Olympic year. No bueno.

The only silver lining is everyone is likely ending a moderate training cycle before a short break and then going into a full cycle to peak for OTT in 14 weeks. At least that is the hope...