Tamyra Mensah-Stock Wins In Matteo Pellicone Wrestling Meet
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by Todd Kortemeier
Tamyra Mensa-Stock poses for a portrait during the Team USA Tokyo 2020 Olympics shoot on Nov. 21, 2019 in West Hollywood, Calif.
2019 United World Wrestling women’s wrestler of the year Tamyra Mensah-Stock didn’t get many opportunities to build on her title in 2020, but she’s off to a great start in 2021.
Mensah-Stock took down Mimi Hristova of Bulgaria Friday via 11-0 tech fall to win the Matteo Pellicone meet in Rome. After moving up in weight class to take on — and beat — Olympian Adeline Gray in January, Mensah-Stock was back at her customary 68 kg. for the Matteo Pellicone. After falling behind 4-0 in her first match with Adela Hanzlickova of the Czech Republic, Mensah-Stock rebounded to win seven consecutive points and move on. She then never surrendered another point, stopping Sofiya Georgieva of Bulgaria 10-0 to make the final.
With hopefully her first Olympic Games coming up this summer, Mensah-Stock is showing that she’s picked up the form she left off 2019 with. Mensah-Stock won her first world championship in 2019, also winning gold medals at the Pan American Games and Pan American Championships. Her title at the Ivan Yargin Grand Prix was the third of her career, making her the first American to accomplish that feat.
Mensah-Stock, 28, won the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, but was unable to compete in Rio as the U.S. did not earn a quota spot. The 68 kg. spot has already been secured for Tokyo. Trials are scheduled for April in Texas.
Mensah-Stock’s is the first medal of the weekend for Team USA at the meet, which continues Saturday and Sunday.
Todd Kortemeier #
Todd Kortemeier is a sportswriter, editor and children’s book author from Minneapolis. He is a contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
