Jaxsen Bailey of Plainville won two medals at an international youth wrestling tournament in Estonia over the weekend. (Photo courtesy of the Bailey family)
Jaxsen Boca Bailey, an 11-year-old from Plainville who wrestles out of the Ascension Wrestling Club in Bristol, won two medals this past weekend at the 2022 Tallinn Open, Europe’s largest youth wrestling tournament.
The tournament, which was held in Estonia, attracts about 2,250 wrestlers from 270 teams in more than 30 countries.
Bailey went 7-1, winning a gold medal in Greco-Roman at 35 kilograms (77 pounds) and taking a bronze medal in the freestyle tournament. Bailey wrestled in the youth division, for wrestlers born in 2009 or 2010.
In the Greco-Roman tournament on Saturday, Bailey beat a Hungarian wrestler, an Estonian wrestler, a Swedish wrestler and beat American Carter Smith of Michigan, 8-0 to win. Bailey was one of seven Americans to win gold medals in the Greco-Roman portion of the tournament and one of 16 U.S. wrestlers to win a medal.
Bailey, a sixth-grade student at Plainville Middle School, lost to Smith on Friday in the freestyle tournament at 35kg. Bailey was one of 31 Americans that won medals in the freestyle tournament, including 13 that won gold medals.
Cooper Hilton, a member of the American team told USA Wrestling.com that, “European wrestling is more like an art form rather than a sport. They don’t force moves and their pace is more methodical.”
The boys will stay in Estonia for five additional days for an international training camp.
Earlier this month, Bailey won the state title earlier at 74 pounds at the Connecticut Kids State tournament and won a New England title at 77 pounds at the Youth New Englands in Massachusetts.
