By Jason Bryant
Special to TheMat.com

SAMOKOV, Bulgaria – A pair of Americans got to stand atop the podium while the Star Spangled Banner played as the second day of competition came to a close at the U20 World Championships at Arena Samokov in Samokov, Bulgaria.

Incoming Penn State freshman P.J. Duke claimed gold at 70kg, while Oregon State redshirt sophomore Justin Rademacher did the same at 97kg as Team USA stormed out to a lead after four weights came to completion.

Duke's 7-5 victory over Moldova's Alexandr Gairdarli started slow, but turned into a punch-counterpunch type of bout with Duke taking the match-winning takedown with 45 seconds remaining. The victory is just another milestone for the recent high school graduate as he prepares for the Senior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia next month.

Rademacher didn't find himself in much trouble after a first-period double leg takedown gave him four points and that was all he needed Magomedgadzhi Magomedov showed little meaningful offense as Rademacher shut him down, giving up just a stepout point in the second period. Rademacher didn't even need to rely on his biggest asset over the tournament - his conditioning.

Justin Rademacher won the U20 world championship at 97kg in men's freestyle at Arena Samokov in Samokov, Bulgaria. (Photo by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling)

Cole Mirasola fell behind early in his bronze medal bout against Narantulga Darmaabazar of Mongolia, but Mirasola quickly recovered and scored a 12-2 technical superiority victory to claim a bronze at 125kg. LaDarion Lockett fell short of a medal at 74kg, ending up with a fifth-place finish after he found himself on the wrong end of a 10-0 technical superiority loss to Japan's Kanata Yamaguchi.

Mirasola fell earlier in the tournament to eventual champion Yedige Kassimbek of Kazakhstan. Kassimbek defeated Iran's Abolfazl Mohammad Nezhad 4-1 for gold at 125kg.

Lockett was knocked out of the championship bracket by eventual champion Ismail Khaniev, who represented UWW. Khaniev claimed the gold on Monday night at 74kg after a 11-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan's Adilet Akylbekov.

The three U.S. medals put them in the lead over second-place Kazakhstan 75-63. Those team scores do not take into account the weight classes that have not yet been completed. Among the total medal count, the U.S. has three medals with two golds and a bronze, while Kazakhstan has a gold and two bronzes. Iran and Azerbaijan each have a pair of medals. Iran has a silver and a bronze, while Azerbaijan picked up a pair of bronze medals in the first four weights.

2025 U20 World Championships

At Samokov, Bulgaria, August 17-24

Quick Links  #

• U.S. men’s freestyle athlete bios

• Event entry list

• Live stream and archived matches

• Brackets and results

• Photo Galleries

• YouTube Interviews
  

Team Scores (After Four Completed Weights)

1. United States 75

2. Kazakhstan 63

3. Azerbaijan 38

4. Iran 37

5. Georgia 31

6. France 26

7. Kyrgyzstan 20

8. Moldova 20

9. India 18

10. Japan 17

70kg

Gold - P.J. Duke (United States)

Silver - Alexandr Gaidarli (Moldova)

Bronze - Ebrahim Elahi Chouran (Iran)

Bronze - Nurlan Aghazada (Azerbaijan)

5. Abdoullah Nakaev (France)

5. Goga Otinashvili (Georgia)

7. Sungkar Seidakhmet (Kazakhstan)

8. Umut Uslu (Türkiye)

9. Islam Kazharov (UWW)

10. Tao Wei (China)

Medal Match Results

Gold: P.J. Duke (United States) dec Alexandr Gairdarli (Moldova) 705,

Bronze: Nurlan Aghazada (Azerbaijan) dec. Goga Otinashvili (Georgia) 4-0

Bronze: Ebrahim Ehalhi Chouran (Iran) dec. Abdoullah Nakaev (France) 6-4

74kg

Gold – Ismail Khaniev (UWW)

Silver – Adilet Akylbekov (Kyrgyzstan)

Bronze – Kanata Yamaguchi (Japan)

Bronze – Dosszhan Kul Gaiyp (Kazakhstan)

5. Ladarion Lockett (United States)

5. Raul Caso (Italy)

7. Parvinder Singh (India)

8. Bohdan Oliinyk (Ukraine)

9. Aghanazar Novruzov (Azerbaijan)

10. Mohammad Mamivand (Iran)

Medal Match Results

Gold: Ismail Khaniev (UWW) tech. fall Adilet Akylbekov (Kyrgyztan) 11-0 

Bronze: Dosszhan Kul Gaiyp (KAZ) dec. Raul Caso (Italy) 6-3.

Bronze: Kanata Yamaguchi (Japan) tech. fall Ladarion Lockett (United States) 10-0

97kg

Gold – Justin Lee Rademacher (United States)

Silver – Magomedgadzhi Magomedovich Magomedov (UWW)

Bronze – Samir Dursunov (Kazakhstan)

Bronze – Konstantine Petriashvili (Georgia)

5. Vishal Vishal (India)

5. Ibrahim Benekli (Türkiye)

7. Nikolaos Karavanos (Greece)

8. Ashab Dadaev (France)

9. Ravan Musayev (Azerbaijan)

10. Aabdelrahman Sheyatan (Egypt)

125kg

Gold - Yedige Kassimbek (Kazakhstan)

Silver - Abolfazl Mohammad Nezhad (Iran)

Bronze - Cole Mirasola (United States)

Bronze - Yusif Dursunov (Azerbaijan)

5. Narantulga Darmaabazar (Mongolia)

5. Levan Lagvilava (France)

7. Inal Gagloev (UWW)

8. Aleksandre Abramishvili (Georgia)

9. Baejoon Jang (South Korea)

10. Hosei Fujita (Japan)

Gold: Yedige Kassimbek (Kazakhstan) dec. Abolfazl Mohammad Nezhad (Iran) 4-1.

Bronze: Yusif Dursunov (Azerbaijan) defc. Levan Lagvilava (France) 3-1.

Bronze: Cole MIRASOLA (USA) tech. fall Narantulga Darmaabazar (Mongolia) 12-2.

U.S. Men’s Freestyle Group 1 results

70 kg – PJ Duke (Slate Hill, N.Y./KD Training Center) #

WIN Umut Uslu (Turkiye), tech. fall 11-0

WIN Gabriel Alejandro Sanchez Zepeda (Mexico), fall, 0:43.

WIN Abdoullah Nakaev (France), tech fall, 14-4

WIN Ebrahim Elahi Chouran (Iran), dec. 2-2, criteria

WIN Aleksandr Gaidarli (Moldova), dec. 7-5

74 kg – Ladarion Lockett (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC) #

WIN Tolui Munkhbat (Mongolia), tech. fall 10-0

LOSS Ismael Khaniev (UWW), dec. 5-2

WIN Vatan Annaorazov (Turkmenistan), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Manuel Wagin (Germany), dec. 8-5

LOSS Kanata Yamaguchi (Japan), tech. fall 10-0

97 kg – Justin Rademacher (West Linn, Ore./ Beaver Dam Wrestling RTC) #

WIN Ibrahim Benekli (Turkiye), fall, 5:50.

WIN Nikolaos Karavanos (Greece), dec., 9-1

WIN Konstantine Petriashvili (Georgia), tech. fall, 16-5

WIN Magomedgadzhi Magomedov (UWW), dec. 4-1

125 kg – Cole Mirasola (Jackson, Wis./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) #

WIN Sertac Aksoy (Turkiye), tech fall, 10-0.

WIN Inal Gagloev (UWW), dec. 3-0

LOSS Yedige Kassimbek (Kazakhstan), tech. fall, 11-0.

WIN Narantulga Darmaabazar (Mongolia), tech. fall 12-2

U.S. Men’s Freestyle Group 2 results

57kg - Anthony Knox (Freehold, N.J./Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC) #

WIN Mykola Bratov (Ukraine), tech. fall, 11-0.

LOSS Nurdanat Aitanov (Kazakhstan), tech. fall, 14-3

65kg - Luke Stanich (Succasunna, N.J./Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC) #

WIN Abdullah Toprak (Turkiye), tech. fall, 18-8

WIN Omurbek Asan Uulu (Kyrgyzstan), dec. 9-3

WIN Alessandro Nini (Italy), dec. 3-3, criteria

vs. Amal Dzhandubaev (UWW)

79 kg – William Henckel (Southbury, Conn./Blairstown WC) #

WIN Maksat Tabyldyev (Kyrgyzstan), dec. 8-5.

WIN Bohdan Oleksiienko (Ukraine), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Davit Tchetchelashvili (Georgia), dec. 11-5

vs. Amit (India)

92 kg – Connor Mirasola (Jackson, Wis./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) #

WIN Zixu Yuan (China), tech. fall, 10-0

LOSS Kamil Kurugliyev (Kazakhstan), dec. 7-5.