Yogeshwar DUTT continued his winning ways Thursday night, taking home the Commonwealth Games gold medal at 65kg. India and Canada both won two championships on the final day of the Games. (Photo: T.R. Foley, FILA-Wrestling.com)
India, Canada Dominant on Final Day of Wrestling at Commonwealth Games
T.R. Foley, FILA-Wrestling.com
GLASGOW (July 31) – India’s Yogeshwar DUTT earned two falls and two technical falls Thursday to give India its fifth wrestling gold of the Commonwealth Games at the SECC Arena in Glasgow.
The 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, who only returned to competition in June, outscored opponents 41-0 en route to the 65kg gold medal. Dutt was never threatened and found consecutive leg laces in three of his four matches to make quick work of opponents.
Despite Dutt’s breakout performance it was Team Canada who proved to be the Commonwealth’s best wrestling nation in 2014, winning two titles on the finals day of competition for a Games-best seven gold medals.
The Canadians were led by 65kg female wrestler Danielle LAPPAGE who used a pair of late takedowns to seal up her first Commonwealth Games title with a 7-0 decision victory over India’s Geetika JAKHAR.
Lappage and Team Canada were helped on the final day by teammate Tamerlan TAGZIEV who added to Canada’s gold medal total in the final match of the tournament, battling back from a 4-0 deficit to win by 14-4 technical superiority against Nigeria’s Andrew DICK (NGR) in men’s freestyle at 85kg.
India’s Babita KUMARI also found gold on the final day of wrestling competition, besting Canada’s Brittanee AVEDURE, 7-2 in the female wrestling 55kg finals.
Though not wrestling for gold, the night’s most electric match belonged to Scotland’s Alex GLADOV and Sri Lanka’s Chamara PERERA. The pair exchanged several four-point moves to rack up a total of 38-points in their bronze medal dual at 65kg.
Gladov would end up winning by technical fall, but at times barely kept a lead, with Perera once narrowing the gap to a single point, 11-10. Once his hand was raised, Gladov was serenaded him with raucous applause from an elated Scottish contingency.
Nigeria was the only other nation win wrestling gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games taking home their two titles during action on Wednesday.
Overall, ten nations earned medals during the wrestling portion of the Games, including: England, Cameroon, Wales, Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand.
The next Commonwealth Games will be hosted by Gold Coast, Australia and are set to begin on April 4, 2018.
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FW 55kg
GOLD: Babita KUMARI (IND) df. Brittanee LAVEDURE (CAN), 7-2
BRONZE: Ifeoma NWOYE (NGR) df. Joseph ESSOMBE TIAKO (CMR) by FALL
BRONZE: Louisa POROGOVSKA (ENG) df. Kathryn MARSH (SCO), 4-2
Semifinal: Brittanee LAVEDURE (CAN) df. Ifeoma NWOYE (NGR), 6-4
Semifinal: Babita KUMARI (IND) df. Louisa POROGOVSKA (ENG) by FALL
FS 65kg
GOLD: Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) df. Jevon BALFOUR (CAN) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE: Sampson CLARKSON (NGR) df. Terry VAN RENSBURG (RSA), 8-0
BRONZE: Alex GLADOV (SCO) df. Chamara PERERA (SRI), 22-16
Semifinal: Jevon BALFOUR (CAN) df. Terry VAN RENSBURG (RSA), 10-9
Semifinal: Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) df. Chamara PERERA (SRI) by FALL
FW 63kg
GOLD: Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN) df. Geetika JAKHAR (IND), 7-0
BRONZE: Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) df. Chloe SPITERI (ENG), 11-2
BRONZE: Sarah CONNOLLY (WAL) v. Blandine METALA EPANGA (CMR) by TF, 11-0
Semifinal: Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN) df. Chloe SPITERI (ENG) by TF, 11-0
Semifinal: Geetika JAKHAR (IND) df. Sarah CONNOLLY (WAL) by TF, 13-2
FS 86kg
GOLD: Tamerlan TAGZIEV (CAN) df. Andrew DICK (NGR) by TF, 14-4
BRONZE: Armando HIETBRINK (RSA) df. Peter Omyango OMENDA (KEN) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE: Pawan KUMAR (IND) df. Muhammad INAM (PAK), 6-6
Semifinal: Andrew DICK (NGR) df. Armando HIETBRINK (RSA) by TF, 10-0
Semifinal: Tamerlan TAGZIEV (CAN) df. Pawan KUMAR (IND) by FALL
