And we're back for another glorious day of wrestling here in Budapest. Not only do four Americans kick off the Greco-Roman portion of the tournament, but two American women will wrestle for a medal later today. Mallory Velte will wrestle for bronze and Sarah Hildebrandt will go for gold. 

72 Kilograms

RaVaughn Perkins vs Murat Dag

Perkins is the first American to wrestle today. He gets Turkey in his first match. Dag is warned for passivity and is forced into par terre postion. Perkins gets a point for that, and then he adds to more with a nice gut wrench. Dag responds with a takedown, he then lifts Perkins off the mat and throws Perkins for four, making it 6-3 in favor of Turkey at the break. Dag adds a step point In the first 30 seconds of the second period. It's 7-3 with 2 minutes left in the match. Perkins answers with a takedown to cut the lead to two points. A step out for Dag and it's 8-5. Another takedown for Perkins cuts it down to a 1 point match. It's 8-7, Dag still winning with under a minute to go. Dag plays defense by staying on the offense and Perkins can't get the come from behind points he needs. He falls 8-7 and will have to hope Dag makes the finals for a chance at a bronze. 

Dag gets beat by Turkey in the next round and Perkins tournament is over. 

63 Kilograms

Jess Thielke vs Donior Islamov

Thielke immediately follows Perkins on mat C and draws Moldova. Islamov earns a passivity warning so he goes down on the mat and Thielke gets a point. Thielke wraps up a super tight gut and collects two turns to take a 5-0 lead. Islamov answers right back with a takedown and two turns of his own. The high scoring first period ends with Moldova in the lead 6-5. Big armspin from Islamov in the second is scored 2 for a correct throw as Thielke's back did not break the 90 degree plane to make it a 4 point move. A caution and 2 for negative wrestling by Islamov makes it 8-7 with under 20 seconds to go. But all Thielke gets in the final seconds is warning about head butts and Americans lose consecutive matches on mat C. 

Islamov won his first match but was felled in the quarterfinals by Kazakhstan. Thielke's tournament is over. 

82 Kilograms

Geordan Speiller vs Luis Avendano

Speiller gets Venezuela first. If he wins, he'll see Turkey in the next round. Speiller gives up a point and goes down in forced par terre with 4:38 on the clock. Avendano lifts Speiller up and goes flying gut wrench. Speiller doesn't expose but Avendano gets two for a correct through. Speiller then stands up but he's by the boundary and he gives up a needless step out to make it 4-0 in favor of Venezuela. Speiller picks up his first of the match in the second period when Avendano is put in par terre. Speiller is given ample time to work on top and ends up hitting gut wrenches to alternating sides to take the lead, 6-5. Avendano responds by getting a body lock and looking for the lat drop. Speiller avoids the throw but ends up on the mat and Avendano retakes the lead with the takedown. Speiller is slow to get up and is holding his shoulder. Appears to be in a great deal of pain. But he'll fight through it and have about 30 seconds to work. Speiller goes armspin but Avendano fights out of the grip and shits Speiller down for two more to make it 8-5. Soon after the restart Speiller goes down again clutching his shoulder. He'll injury default out with 8 seconds left. 

Avendano lost his next match, officially ending Geordan's tournament, although my guess is his injury would have prevented him from wrestling in the repechage even in the unlikely event that Avendano made the finals.  

55 Kilograms

Sam Hazewinkel vs Ekrem Ozturk

Sam is the last of today's Greco guys to step on the mat. He has Ozturk, from Turkey. Perhaps he is also half Australian? That is just a guess. Sam comes out attacking but Ozturk arm drags and get's Sam's back. Haze goes to quadpod defense but Ozturk hits a high flyer for four. Two more guts from par terre and Sam loses by technical fall 8-0 (Greco techs are only 8 points). Time of the stoppage 5:15. 

Ozturk lost in the semifinals to Kyrgyzstan, so Hazewinkel is the last American to be eliminated. USA Greco team goes 0-4 in four matches today. 

But don't check out yet there are still two matches with Americans tonight in the finals. Mallory Velte will try for a bronze and Sarah Hildebrandt will go for the gold tonight at 6:00 PM Hungarian time, 12:00PM on the east coast. 

GOLD MEDAL MATCH: Sarah Hildebrandt vs Haruna Okuno

Okuno of Japan is the reigning U23 and senior world champion and has a cadet world title from the year before that. But she's not unbeatable, as she *only* took third this year at the Asian Games. 

Sarah shoots first but Okuno's reattack is better and she gets the first points of the match after less than 30 seconds. Okuno back in on a shot but Sarah defends. They spend most of the rest of the period hand fighting in neutral and collar ties. We go to the break Sarah still trailing 2-0. 

In the second period we start off back in collar ties, then Okuno does a masterful job clearly Sarah's defenses and shooting in at lightning speed. It's 4-0 in favor of Japan with about 2 minutes left in the match. Hildebrandt can't her offense going and Okuno adds two and two more with a takedown and leg lace. It's 8-0 with 22 seconds left when they are restarted. Hildebrandt fighting valiantly but gives up another takedown with 13 seconds left and is tech falled. Now the USA corner wants a challenge, saying it was a step out and not continuation for the two. Challenge is lost making it officially 11-0. Hildebrandt will settle for silver. 

BRONZE MEDAL MATCH: Mallory Velte vs Lais Nunes

Nunes is from Brazil, and though I can't find any records of Velte and Nunes wrestling in the past, the two have been at the same tournament multiple times, as has Kayla Miracle, and they've all finished around the same placements, so this should be a real scrap. 

The second to last women's match and penultimate match of the day is underway. Heavy hands and we get a stoppage less than a minute in for what I think is blood coming from Mal Pal. Might be also from Velte's ear, which is bandaged up, but either way she doesn't appear phased by it. Now we're just waiting for the mat crew to do some mopping and we're good to go. Excellent hustle n the cleanup crew bt the way. Velte fires off a shot but can't convert. Nunes picks up a passivity warning. Nunes now on the clock. Velte pressuring in as the clock is close to expiring. The ruling is Velte stepped out, but not before the clock ran out of time. So it's 1-1, Nunes with criteria. Velte controling ties and the center of the mat for the most part but can't figure out Nunes' defenses before the period ends. It's still 1-1 at the break.

The rest of the women's wrestling team and the smattering of American fans in the audience are making a heck of a lot of noise as we begin period number two. Nunes goes on the clock again just under 30 seconds into the period. Again Velte is the aggressor, taking a couple shots and taking ground from Nunes. Time runs out on the shot clock and Vetle gains the 2-1 lead. She needs to avoid going on the clock herself, though, as she would go down on criteria if she gives up a point of any kind. Velte shoots in with a minute to go and almost gives up the go behind ont he reattack but fights out of it. We'll get some more blood time as it looked like the judges were going to put Velte on the clock. Both women are staying active but it's flurries of activity rather than scrambles. The clock ticks under 30 seconds so another shot clock isn't a possibility. Velte continues wrestling through the final 30 seconds and wins a world bronze medal! Velte got it done by a razor thin 2-1 margin, but all that matters is she got her hand raised at the end of the match. And take it for what it's worth, but I thought Velte was clearly the better wrestler, although I could be biased. 

That gives the American women four medals from Budapest. Two bronze from Velte and Tamyra Stock, plus Hildebrandt's silver, and of course, Adeline Gray's fourth world gold medal. 

I believe the women will end up comfortably in third place, a nice compliment to the men's freestyle second place. Combined, the USA's men's and women's freestyle scores from Budapest are the best in the world. 

That will do it for Day 6, thanks again so much for following along. We'll see you tomorrow for an all Greco-Roman day as we round the home stretch.