Tautu Flips Script on Temengil as Host French Polynesia Grabs Two Golds in Greco-Roman at Oceania Championships

PIRAE (March 11) – A day after falling short in the freestyle competition, Loic TAUTU (PYF) flipped the script and pinned the same wrestler who pinned him in freestyle, two-time Olympian Florian TEMENGIL (PLW), to capture the gold medal at the Oceania Wrestling Championships in Greco-Roman at 130kg. 

Tautu and Temengil battled for position in the first 30 seconds of the match before the French Polynesian wrestler executed a lateral drop and secured the fall in 45 seconds. 

It was Tautu’s second fall of the day. His first came against Jean-François TAUTU (PYF).

Tautu was one of two gold medalists in Greco-Roman for host nation French Polynesia.

Also winning a gold medal for French Polynesia was Jonathan BIAREZ (85kg). It was his second Oceania Greco-Roman gold medal in three years. His road to the title included a technical fall victory over Allan TRAFTON (PYF) and a 6-1 win over Michael LISAN (PYF).

Christopher GALBRAITH CLARK (AUS) claimed his third straight Oceania Greco-Roman gold, and was the lone repeat champion in Greco-Roman. Galbraith Clark won by technical fall in the semifinals before topping Jk KAMINANGA (FSM) 7-1 in the championship match at 98kg. 

New Zealand, which had a dominant first day, winning eight gold medals in freestyle and women’s wrestling, crowned a champion in Greco-Roman as Brahm RICHARDS earned a fall in 46 seconds over Skarlee RENGUUL (PLW) to secure the gold medal at 75kg. Richards also won a gold medal in the junior Greco-Roman competition on Saturday. 

Jarvis TARKONG (PLW) won his first Oceania Greco-Roman title in the senior competition. His previous Oceania golds in Greco-Roman came in the junior and cadet competitions.  Tarkong shut out Lowe BINGHAM (NRU) 8-0 in the gold-medal match.

J WICHILBUCH, a silver medalist in freestyle, gave the Federated States of Micronesia a gold medalist in Greco-Roman. He won two matches, with one coming by technical fall over Maverick KUN (NRU), a wrestler who pinned him on Friday. 

New Zealand swept the gold medals in the junior Greco-Roman competition as Arapo KELLNER (60kg), Nicholas LOW (66kg) and Richards (74kg) came through.  Kellner added a cadet Greco-Roman gold medal at 63kg. Also winning cadet Greco-Roman titles were Sam HARRISON (NZL) at 58kg and Kylian ASIN MOUX (PYF) at 76kg.

The beach wrestling competition will take place on Sunday, which is the final day of the Oceania Wrestling Championships.  Wrestling is scheduled to begin at 09:00. 

Results

Greco-Roman

66kg: 
GOLD:  Jarvis Sadam Blesam TARKONG (PLW) df. Lowe BINGHAM (NRU) by TF, 8-0  
BRONZE:  Cristian Etpison NICOLESCU (PLW) df. Keoni Rumia TEROROTUA (PYF) by forfeit, 0-0  

71kg:
Round 3:  Maverick KUN (NRU) df. Teva Raymon MANARANI (PYF) by TF, 10-0  
Round 2:  Jr. Thomas H. WICHILBUCH (FSM) df. Teva Raymon MANARANI (PYF) by FALL, 5-0  
Round 1:  Jr. Thomas H. WICHILBUCH (FSM) df. Maverick KUN (NRU) by TF, 12-4  

75kg:
Round 3:  Brahm RICHARDS (NZL) df. William Washington Faatoa AHNNE (PYF) by forfeit, 0-0  
Round 2:  Brahm RICHARDS (NZL) df. Skarlee Uelas RENGUUL (PLW) by FALL, 4-0  
Round 1:  Skarlee Uelas RENGUUL (PLW) df. William Washington Faatoa AHNNE (PYF) by Injury Default, 0-0  

85kg:
Round 3:  Jonathan Manutea BIAREZ (PYF) df. Michael Teremiti LISAN (PYF), 6-1  
Round 2:  Michael Teremiti LISAN (PYF) df. Tevaihi, Allan, Nicolas TRAFTON (PYF) by TF, 9-1  
Round 1:  Jonathan Manutea BIAREZ (PYF) df. Tevaihi, Allan, Nicolas TRAFTON (PYF) by TF, 9-1  

98kg:
GOLD:  Christopher James GALBRAITH CLARK (AUS) df. Jk KAMINANGA (FSM), 7-1  
BRONZE:  Nathaniel Tuifao TUAMOHELOA (ASA) df. Hiro Edgar GREIG (PYF) by forfeit, 0-0  

130kg:
Round 3:  Loic Tino Soane TAUTU (PYF) df. Florian Skilang TEMENGIL (PLW) by FALL, 2-4  
Round 2:  Loic Tino Soane TAUTU (PYF) df. Jean-François Tini TAUTU (PYF) by FALL, 4-4  
Round 1:  Florian Skilang TEMENGIL (PLW) df. Jean-François Tini TAUTU (PYF) by TF, 10-2