GLASGOW – Nigerian wrestlers took home their first gold medals of the Commonwealth Games Wednesday as Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (53kg) and Aminat ADENYI (58kg) rolled to individual titles inside the SECC Arena in Glasgow.
Adenyi looked impressive early in her finals match against Sakshi MALIK of India. The Nigerian wrestler opened up with a quick takedown, followed by several consecutive leg laces en route to her first period, 10-0 technical superiority victory. Adenyi’s teammate, Adekuoroye was equally dominant in her last match at the Games, finding a quick first period fall over India’s LALITA.
Nigeria placed in four weight categories, bagging two bronze medals on the day.
Canada snatched three more gold medals on day two, adding to their pair from day one and increasing their Commonwealth Games haul to five. India, who won three gold medals on day one, dropped all four of their finals matches to limp into third day of competition trailing the Canadians by two golds.
David TREMBLAY lead the Canadian squad in the finals finding a trap arm gut wrench to beat well-regarded Indian wrestler Bajrang BAJRANG 13-2 in the gold medal finals. Teammate Arjun GILL needed a pushout with 20 seconds remaining in his match against Staywart KADIAN to take the 4-4 decision via criteria.
Dori YEATS sealed the Canadian trifecta in the last match of the night, winning by 10-0 technical fall over Cameroon’s Angele TOMO. Yeats beat her three opponents by a combined score of 31-0.
Scotland and New Zealand earned their first wrestling medals of the 2014 Commonwealth Games on day two of the competition. The home nation’s Viorel ETKO gained bronze at 61kg with a 10-0 technical superiority win over Malta’s Adam VELLA. New Zealand came up bronze twice with female wrestler Taylor FORD (58kg) winning fall and men’s freestyler Sam BELKIN medaling via 10-0 technical superiority.
Leon RATTIGAN (ENG) earned bronze on Wednesday, sealing up a husband-wife medal combination for Team England. Rattigan’s wife Yana -- who took silver on Tuesday at 48kg -- was her husband’s enthusiastic supporter throughout the tournament, even slipping past security to greet him with a post-bronze embrace in the media mixed zone.
The wrestling portion of the Commonwealth Games finishes Thursday with four weight categories across men’s freestyle (65kg and 86kg) and female wrestling (55kg and 63kg).
RESULTS
FW 53kg
GOLD: Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) df. LALITA (IND) by FALL
BRONZE: Jill GALLAYS (CAN) df. Christelle LEMOFACK LETCHIDO (CMR) by FALL
BRONZE: Mpho MADI (RSA) df. Shannon HAWKE (SCO) by FALL
Semifinals: Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) df. Christelle LEMOFACK LETCHIDO (CMR) by TF, 10-0
Semifinals: LALITA (IND) df. Shannon HAWKE (SCO) by FALL
FS 61kg
GOLD: David TREMBLAY (CAN) df. Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) by TF, 13-2
BRONZE: Viorel ETKO (SCO) df. Adam VELLA (MLT) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE: Amas DANIEL (NGR) df. Sasha MADYARCHYK (ENG) by TF, 14-4
Semifinals: David TREMBLAY (CAN) df. Viorel ETKO (SCO), 10-2
Semifinals: Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) df. Amas DANIEL (NGR), 5-2
FW 58kg
GOLD: Aminat ADENYI (NGR) df. Sakshi MALIK (IND) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE: Braxton STONE (CAN) df. Edwige NGONO EYIA (CMR) by FALL
BRONZE: Taylor FORD (NZL) df. Sarah GRUNDY (ENG) by FALL
Semifinals: Sakshi MALIK (IND) df. Braxton STONE (CAN), 8-5
Semifinals: Aminat ADENYI (NGR) df. Taylor FORD (NZL) by TF, 11-1
FS 97kg
GOLD: Arjun GILL (CAN) df. Staywart KADIAN (IND), 4-4
BRONZE: Sam BELKIN (NZL) df. Hugh McCLOSKEY (NIR) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE: Leon RATTIGAN (ENG) df. Soso TAMARAU (NGR) by TF, 12-2
Semifinals: Arjun GILL (CAN) df. Sam BELKIN (NZL) by TF, 14-1
Semifinals: Staywart KADIAN (IND) df. Leon RATTIGAN (ENG), 8-4
FW 69kg
GOLD: Dori YEATS (CAN) v. Angele TOMO (CMR) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE: Navjot NAVJOT JAUR (IND) df. Sarah JONES (SCO) by TF, 13-0
BRONZE: Hannah RUEBEN (NGR) df. Refilwe MOLONGWANA (RSA) by TF, 14-2
Semifinals: Dori YEATS (CAN) df. Navjot NAVJOT JAUR (IND) by TF, 10-0
Semifinals: Angele TOMO (CMR) df. Refilwe MOLONGWANA (RSA) by FALL
