Ex-Hawkeye Thomas Gilman earns silver medal at World Championships

PARIS – Thomas Gilman fell short of his goals in collegiate wrestling.

So he decided he wouldn't waste any time chasing an even bigger goal.

A world championship.

Gilman came within one win of his lofty goal after turning in a superb performance to capture a silver medal at the World Wrestling Championships on Friday night at AccorHotels Arena.

Gilman, 23, a three-time All-American for Iowa, was unable to jump-start his offense in a 6-0 loss to Japan's Yuki Takahashi in the men's freestyle wrestling finals at 125.5 pounds. Takahashi was fifth at the 2014 Worlds.

'I'm feeling a lot of emotions right now and just trying to process everything,” Gilman said just moments after walking off the medal podium. 'I'm upset and disappointed. I know I made everyone proud by making the finals, but I also feel like I let people down as well. I'm pretty emotional about everything.”

Gilman, competing at his first Senior-level World Championships, won four straight matches in the first session Friday to reach the finals.

He then ran into a slick and dangerous foe in the explosive Takahashi, who scored two points on an early caution call while driving Gilman out of bounds. He followed by scoring defensively on a re-shot leg attack to lead 4-0 at the break.

Gilman looked poised to break through when he snatched Takahashi's leg with a shot in the second period, but the Japanese wrestler spun free to gain a takedown of his own for a 6-0 lead.

'The guy's a good wrestler,” Gilman said. 'I was trying to score in the first 20 seconds. I've got to be smarter. He was very fundamental in his position and doesn't shoot that much. He was quick. I don't think anything surprised me. He was a good wrestler.”

Gilman reached the gold-medal bout after earning a wild, hard-fought 5-4 triumph over North Korea's Hak-Jin Jong in the semifinals. Gilman trailed 3-2 before scoring a takedown and pushout to take control in the second period. He then held off Jong in the closing seconds.

He became the first former Iowa Hawkeyes wrestler to medal at a World Championships or Olympics since Bill Zadick (gold) and Mike Zadick (silver) medaled at the 2006 Worlds.

Gilman also became the first American lightweight to medal in a world-level event since Henry Cejudo won Olympic gold in 2008.

'Thomas put himself into position to win a gold medal,” said Iowa associate head coach Terry Brands, who was in Gilman's corner Friday. 'You can't fault him for the way he competed. The Japanese wrestler was quick and he wrestled well. Both guys were putting it out there. I know he's not happy. He's moving forward, but you still come here to win and I know he's disappointed he didn't win. I also know this isn't going to deter him or derail him.”

Gilman finished single-leg attacks for takedowns in each period en route to a 5-2 first-round win over Ukraine's Andrii Yatsenko. Gilman gave up an early takedown before taking control.

Gilman followed with a 3-0 second-round win over Iran's Reza Ahmadali Artinagharchi. Gilman staved off a late takedown attempt in the final seconds to prevail. Gilman led 1-0 when the Iranian failed to score after being put on the shot clock. Gilman took a 2-0 lead on a second-period scramble before the final flurry in the last 10 seconds.

Gilman overpowered Uzbekistan's Nodirjon Safarov by a 12-1 technical fall in the quarterfinals. Gilman peppered Safarov with a barrage of leg attacks to cruise to the lopsided win.

'I know my pace is the best in the world and my conditioning is second to none. That's reassuring,” he said. 'I should've used it a little more to my advantage in the finals. I got a little excited early in the match and I should've worn the guy down a little more and beat on him more than I did.”

Gilman said he had mixed emotions when he stood on the podium during the medal ceremony.

'It's very humbling to see our flag below another nation's flag,” he said. 'I feel like we are the greatest nation in the world and I feel like I let our nation down. I take a lot of pride in wrestling for this country and representing all the folks back home. I don't want to see the flag in that position again. At least when I'm out there.”