COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou wrestling and the Tiger Style Wrestling Club are preparing to send two representatives to the U20 Freestyle World Wrestling Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia, starting on Thursday, Aug. 20. All-American Aeoden Sinclair will be representing the United States at 86kg, while incoming freshman Yandel Morales will be representing Puerto Rico at 65kg.
AEODEN SINCLAIR
Coming off a third-place finish at last season’s NCAA Championships, Sinclair hit the ground running into the freestyle season. In addition to competing at three Real American Freestyle events between March and July, the Edgerton, Wisconsin, native competed in freestyle tournaments at the U20, U23 and Senior levels.
Coming off of back-to-back runner-up performances at the U20 U.S. Open in 2024 and 2025, Sinclair brought home top honors at 86kg this spring by defeating Brock Mantanona 9-0 in the Open finals. He also brought home third place in the senior division of the same weight category just a few days before his U20 title. The Tiger clinched his spot on the U.S. World Team with two-consecutive wins over Mantanona, 6-0 and 10-0, at the finals of the U20 World Team Trials in May.
Beginning Thursday, Sinclair will face down a field loaded with success. In his path lie two age-level World Medalists (Alp Arslan Begenjov - U20 gold for Turkmenistan in 2024 at 79kg and Razmik Yepremyan - U17 bronze for Armenia in 2022 at 71kg) and four additional age-level continental medalists. Sinclair holds one age-level medal of his own, claiming U20 gold at the Pan-American Championships in 2024.
“I’m honored to represent my country at U20 Worlds," Sinclair said. "I’m grateful to my coaches and teammates who pushed me to get here. Sharing the mat with the top wrestlers in the world is an incredible experience and I plan to make the most of every moment.”
YANDEL MORALES
Yet to kick off his collegiate career, Andover, Massachusetts, native Morales already boasts an impressive resume. He won three Massachusetts state titles in as many attempts, before spending his senior season at the prestigious Lake Highland Prep in Florida. During his senior campaign, Morales tallied a runner-up finish at the NHSCA High School Nationals.
The 2026 freestyle season marks Morales’ second time competing internationally for Puerto Rico. He previously represented the commonwealth in 2023, earning a U17 Pan-American bronze medal, among other accolades.
Morales’ 65kg field will be loaded with talent. The weight class will feature four past age-level World Medalists (Bashir Verdiyev - U17 Silver for Azerbaijan in 2022 at 45kg, Rohit Kumar - U17 Silver for India in 2023 at 51kg and Bo Bassett - U17 Gold for the United States in 2021 at 45kg and U20 Bronze for the United States in 2024 at 65kg), as well as a staggering 10 continental age-level medals. Morales holds two medals of his own, highlighted by a bronze at the 2026 U20 Pan-American Championships, a tournament in which his only loss came to the American Bassett. Additionally, he competed at the 2023 U17 World Championships for Puerto Rico, finishing ninth.
“Representing Puerto Rico at the U20 World Championships is an honor," Morales said. "To my coaches and teammates, thank you for your guidance and constant support. I’m forever grateful for this opportunity.”
HOW TO WATCH
The entirety of the 2026 U20 World Championships can be streamed with a FloWrestling subscription. The schedule for Sinclair and Morales can be found below.
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U20 Freestyle Schedule (CT)
Thursday, August 20
3:00 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (61-86 kg)
9:45 a.m. – Semifinals (61-86 kg)
Friday, August 21
3:00 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (57-65-79-92 kg), Repechage (61-86 kg)
10:00 a.m. – Semifinals (57-65-79-92 kg)
11 a.m. – Medal Matches (61-86 kg)
Saturday, August 22
3:00 a.m. – Repechage (57-65-79-92 kg)
11:00 a.m. – Medal Matches (57-65-79-92 kg)