Photo of Team USA's Bo Bassett celebrating after winning a gold medal (45 kg) at the 2021 Cadet World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Photo courtesy of The Bassett Brothers Twitter page (@BoBassett06).
Budapest, Hungary – The men’s freestyle portion of the Cadet World Championships drew to a close this evening. It was a three-horse race between Team USA, India and Russia for the team title, and it came down to the very last match of the night. When the dust settled, India came out on top, winning their first Cadet team title in history. The U.S. claimed second and Russia settled for third.
While finishing runner-up after a stellar performance was bittersweet, the U.S. contingent had plenty to celebrate. At 45 kg, Bo Bassett became the second American to claim a Cadet World title this week. Bassett, who earned two pins and a technical fall en route to the finals, was the youngest competitor in his bracket at only 14 years old.
For gold, he squared off with Russia’s Alikhan Ashinov in a battle that was pivotal to the team race. Ashinov was the third wrestler to score the first takedown on Bassett in this tournament. Similarly to the others, he faired poorly.
Bassett stormed back, earning two points on a go-behind and quickly followed it up with a set of exposure points off another Ashinov shot. Bassett sprinkled in a little bit of folkstyle on top, using a head lever turned into a cement job to stick Ashinov at the 1:25 mark.
Bassett is believed to be one of the youngest Cadet World champions in U.S. history. However, he still has some more wrestling to do in Budapest. Bassett is also the U.S. representative in the Greco-Roman tournament which kicks off on Friday.
The other American to earn a medal in this round was Nate Jesuroga at 51 kg. Jesuroga handled Azerbaijan’s Uladzislau Zuiko in the bronze medal match, 6-2. Zuiko struck first with a takedown, but Jesuroga stay poised, taking the lead on criteria with a takedown of his own just before the break. In the second period, he added two more takedowns, solidifying his victory.
Gavin Nelson was the final American to compete in the session. Nelson dropped a 6-0 bout in the 92 kg bronze medal match to Kazakhstan’s Kamil Kurugliyev, ending his tournament in fifth place.
Women’s freestyle action resumes tomorrow morning at 5:30 a.m. EST and streams live on FloWrestling.
2021 Cadet World Championships
at Budapest, Hungary, July 19-25
U.S. Men’s Freestyle Results
45 kg: Bo Bassett (Windber, Pa.) – GOLD
WIN Malkhazi Khelaia (Georgia), FALL, 3:16
WIN Yusif Isparov (Azerbaijan), FALL, 3:53
WIN Umidjon Iskandarov (Uzbekistan), 13-2
WIN Alikhan Ashinov (Russia), FALL 1:25
48 kg: Luke Lilledahl (St. Charles, Mo.) – SILVER
WIN Akhmad Musakhadzhiev (Russia), 8-8
WIN Azim Abdykalykov (Kyrgyzstan), 8-1
WIN Nurdanat Aitanov (Kazakhstan), 4-3
LOSS Aman Aman (India). 5-2
51 kg: Nathanael Jesuroga (Pleasant Hill, Iowa)
WIN. Resul Dogan (Turkey), 4-2
LOSS Nodirbek Jumanazarov (Uzbekistan), 10-0
WIN Uladzislau Zuiko (Belarus), 6-2
55 kg: Spencer Moore (Crittenden, Kan.)
LOSS Andranik Avetisyan (Armenia), 6-0
60 kg: Beau Mantanona (Bermuda Dunes, Calif.)
LOSS Abdulrahman Ibrahimov (Azerbaijan), 6-2
65 kg: Meyer Shapiro (Woobine, Md.) – GOLD
WIN Timur Yusov (Ukraine), FALL
WIN Khabib Zaurbekov (Russia), 8-6
WIN Aghanazar Novruzov (Azerbaijan), 10-0
WIN Giorgi Gogritchiani, 8-4
71 kg: Levi Haines (Arendtsville, Pa.)
WIN Asadbek Karimov (Uzbekistan), FALL 2:52
LOSS Cengizhan Dogan (Turkey), 4-3
80 kg: James Rowley (Corvallis, Ore.) – SILVER
WIN Mustafagadzhi Malachdibirov (Russia), 10-6
WIN Oleksandr Mamrosh (Ukraine), 8-6
WIN Gabriele Niccolini (Italy), 12-2
LOSS Sagar Jagland (India), 4-0
92 kg: Gavin Nelson (Inner Grove, Minn.)
WIN Khaleifah Alhefeiti (United Arab Emirates), FALL: 23
WIN Georgian Tripon (Romania), 2-0
LOSS Kamil Kurugliyev (Kazakhstan), 6-0
110 kg: James Mullen (Harrington Park, N.J.) – SILVER
WIN Sahil Sahil (India), 8-8
WIN Milan Gellen (Hungary), 6-1
WIN Alikhan Kussainov (Kazakhstan), 7-1
LOSS Amirreza Masoumi Valadi (Iran), 10-0
Final Results
45kg
GOLD: Bo BASSETT (USA) df Alikhan ASHINOV (RUS), via fall
BRONZE: Imronbek RAKHMANOV (KGZ) df Kumar SHOURYA (IND), 6-0
BRONZE: Umidjon ISKANDAROV (UZB) df Yusif ISPAROV (AZE), 11-2
48kg
GOLD: Aman GULIA (IND) df Luke LILLEDAHL (USA), 5-2
BRONZE: Sargis BEGOYAN (ARM) df Rezo MARSAGISHVILI (GEO), via fall
BRONZE: Nurdanat AITANOV (KAZ) df Akhmad MUSAKHADZHIEV (RUS), 7-2
51kg
Gold: Ali Mahmoud KHORRAMDEL (IRI) df Nodirbek JUMANAZAROV (UZB), 2-0
BRONZE: Nate Jesuroga (USA) df Tigran BUNIATYAN (ARM), 6-2
BRONZE: Chirag CHIRAG (IND) df Elman MAMMADOV (AZE), 8-6
55kg
GOLD: Magomed BAITUKAEV (RUS) df. Abdinur NURLANBEK (KAZ), 4-3
BRONZE: Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) df Shahdad KHOSRAVI MARDAKHEH (IRI), 5-2
BRONZE: Javid JAVADOV (AZE) df Vaibhav PATIL (IND), 7-5
60kg
GOLD: Kamronbek KADAMOV (UZB) df Singh JASKARAN (IND), 6-2
BRONZE: Alex Gabor GOMBOS (HUN) df Baris UNSAL (TUR), by fall
BRONZE: Abdulrahman IBRAHIMOV (AZE) df Mohammad Reza Asadollah SHAKERI (IRI), 8-7
65kg
GOLD: Meyer SHAPIRO (USA) df Giorgi GOGRITCHIANI (GEO), via fall
BRONZE: Ali REZAEIAGHOUZGELEH (IRI) df Dyanko DYANKOV (BUL), 10-0
BRONZE: Khabib ZAVURBEKOV (RUS) df Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE), 10-2
72kg
GOLD: Seyedhassan ESMAEILNEZHAD ARCHI (IRI) df Akhmed Abdulaevitch MUSAEV (RUS), 3-1
BRONZE: Jaideep JAIDEEP (IND) df Gigi Marian SUBTIRICA (ROU), 7-4
BRONZE: Yerkhan BEXULTANOV (KAZ) df Raul CASO (ITA), 8-3
80kg
GOLD: Sagar JAGLAN (IND) df James ROWLEY (USA), 4-0
BRONZE: Tornike SAMKHARADZE (GEO) df Sattarkhan ALLAHVERDILI (AZE), 4-2
BRONZE: Mustafagadzhi MALACHDIBIROV (RUS) df Gabriele NICCOLINI (ITA), via fall
92kg
GOLD: Rifat Eren GIDAK (TURK) df Zhorik DZHIOEV (RUS), 3-3
BRONZE: Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE) df Roland Bendeguz ROSZ (HUN), 4-0
BRONZE: Kamil KURUGLIYEV (KAZ) df Gavin NELSON (USA), 6-0
110kg
GOLD: Amirreza MASOUMI VALADI (IRI) df James MULLEN (USA), 10-0
BRONZE: Ilia ZHIBALOV (RUS) df Aynazar BAZARBAEV (UZB), 9-0
BRONZE: SAHIL (IND) df Alikhan KUSSAINOV (KAZ), via fall
Team Scores
1. India – 147
2. United States – 143
3. Russia – 140
4. Iran – 116
5. Kazakhstan – 101
6. Azerbaijan – 89
7. Georgia – 73
8. Uzbekistan – 70
9. Turkey – 66
10. Armenia – 41
11. Kyrgyzstan – 39
12. Hungary – 33
12. Romania – 26
14. Italy – 20
15. Poland – 14
16. Bulgaria – 12
17. Ukraine – 12
18. Spain – 4
18. UWW – 4
20. Austria – 0
20. Belarus – 0
20. Croatia – 0
20. Czechia – 0
20. Finland – 0
20. France – 0
20. Germany – 0
20. Greece – 0
20. Israel – 0
20. Latvia - 0
20. Lithuania – 0
20. Moldova – 0
20. Slovakia – 0
20. Tajikistan
20. United Arab Emirates
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