Former Missouri and Hickman wrestler J’den Cox won the 92-kilogram title bout 4-1 over Belarus’ Ivan Yankouski on Monday at the World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary, to capture his first international gold.
Cox led in 2-1 in the final seconds of the third period and finished the match with an emphatic takedown that sealed his victory.
“I was expecting to be a world champion this year,” Cox told intermatwrestle.com. “It was a goal I set in place and I did the sacrifices and did everything I had to do to get here today.”
Cox is a three-time NCAA champion at Missouri, a bronze medalist from the 2016 Rio Olympics and a bronze medalist from the 2017 World Wrestling Championships in Paris. He won four MSHSAA championships while at Hickman.
This article was originally published in the Columbia Missourian. Used with permissions.
