4: 42kg Gold Medal Match: I expect the 42kg final to be very competitive between two guys that have shown they are elite competitors in this age division. Ivan Okoneshnikov of Russia has cruised to the final only giving up a single point. His opponent Amirmohammad Yazdanicherati hasn’t been so fortunate. He knocked off two medalists from the European Championships in the first two rounds. In the second round Kara Dogan had Yazdanicherati down 8-2 when the Iranian youngster stormed back to win, 11-8. In his semi-final he outlast Nurakhmet of Kyrgyzstan  7-7. I can’t see how this match could possibly disappoint.

3: 50kg Gold Medal Match: Erfan Aeini of Iran is a returning champion who is  looking to capture his second Cadet World Title today. Not only is Aeini incredibly talented, he loves to score. He has been victorious by scores of 12-0, 16-6, 19-11, and 14-11 on the way to the finals. The kid will be fearless as he gets after a very tough Indian opponent.

2: 85kg Bronze Medal Match: Owen Webster looks to secure USA’s second medal on day one of the freestyle competition. He will take on Rahid Hamidli of Azerbaijan in the bronze medal match. Webster was knocked into the repechage after giving up a four-pointer early in the match right at the boundary line. Webster had his opportunity late in the bout, but was unable to convert a rear standing situation to exposure points. Check out the webster match here.

1: 58kg Gold Medal Match: Yianni Diakomihalis will be going for the gold against Jintaro Motoyama. This match is number one for many reasons. Yianni is the only American to reach the finals on day 1, and has looked phenomenal getting there. Any questions about Yianni’s freestyle progress have been answered. The Russian he defeated in the semi-final was very good. Yianni converted leg attacks, and scored key exposure points at the end of the bout when he needed it. What I was most impressed with was his composure. He had a takedown stopped with the Russian in the quad pod to put him on the shot clock and some close calls didn’t go his way. The Russian tied the match late, and held criteria briefly before Yianni answered with a score. You want to watch Yianni compete and finish his quest for gold.

The second storyline in this final is the scoring ability of Motoyama. Motoyama has put up 31 points in three matches (11-4, 10-0, and 10-7). The 10-7 semi-final victory over Kavousi was a dominant performance over the game Iranian. The score looks close because of a four-pointer very late in the match, Motoyama fought off the fall and moved on to the showdown with Yianni.