FRISCO, Texas (March 2) – The stakes will be high this weekend at the Pan American Olympic Games Qualifiers in Frisco, Texas as wrestlers from across the Americas converge on the Dallas suburb in the hopes of fulfilling their lifelong dream to make the Olympic Games.

A total of 36 Olympic wrestling berths, 12 in each style, will be determined at this important continental event, which is set for Friday through Sunday at the Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco.
This event will serve as a major qualifier for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The top two finishers in each of the 18 Olympic weight classes will qualify their nations to compete at August’s Olympic Games.

Teams from North America and South America will compete in men’s and women’s freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling this weekend. Women’s freestyle will kick off the three-day event on Friday with men’s freestyle set for Saturday and the tournament concluding with the Greco-Roman competition on Sunday.

There are no true second-place matches in this event, so the two wrestlers who land berths in the finals in each weight class will qualify their countries for the Olympic Games.

The event will be shown on a live webcast at Flowrestling.org

Athletes who placed in the top six at the 18 Olympic weight classes at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas qualified their countries for the Olympics in their respective weight classes. Countries won’t compete in the weight classes in Frisco where they have already secured Olympic berths. For those who don't qualify in Frisco, there will be Olympic qualifiers held in Mongolia in April and in Turkey in May.

Here is a breakdown of the Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier in each style:

Women’s Freestyle
Pan American countries landed six Olympic berths in women’s freestyle during the 2015 World Championships in Vegas. Canada (48kg, 63g) and Colombia (58kg, 75kg) each qualified for the Olympics in two weight classes with the United States (75kg) and Brazil (75kg) each landing one Olympic berth.

There will be six Olympic weight classes for women for the first time this year. Women had four weight classes in its initial three Olympic competitions in 2004, 2008 and 2012.

The Canadian lineup for this event will include World silver medalist Dori YEATS (69kg) and World bronze medalist Jillian GALLAYS (53kg). Veteran heavyweight Erica WIEBE (CAN) has been ranked No. 1 in the World.

The United States qualified just 1-of-6 weight classes for the Olympics at the 2015 Worlds, with Adeline GRAY qualifying the U.S. at 75kg after winning her third World title.

The top American wrestler in this event is two-time World bronze medalist Alyssa LAMPE at 48kg. The U.S. squad also features past World fifth-place finisher Alli RAGAN (59kg) along with talented Texas native Tamyra MENSAH (69kg). Mensah defeated 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Randi MILLER to land the U.S. roster spot for this event.

Cuban veteran Katerina VIDAUX LOPEZ (63kg) placed second at the 2012 Pan Am Olympic Qualifier to qualify her country for the London Olympics later that year. Vidaux is ranked ninth in the World.

Carolina CASTILLO HIDALGO (COL) and Patricia BERMUDEZ (ARG) are both ranked in the top 10 in the World at 48kg. Castillo is ninth and Bermudez 10th. Lampe is No. 12 in this class. Bermudez finished second in the 2012 Pan Am Olympic Qualifier to send her country to the Olympics at 48kg.

Lissette ANTES CASTILLO (ECU) is among the top entries at 58kg. She was second at this event at 55kg in 2012. Antes is ranked No. 11 by UWW.

Betzabeth ARGUELLO VILLEGAS (VEN) is ranked No. 17 in the World at 53kg and Alma VALENCIA ESCOTO (MEX) is No. 19 in the same class.

World champions Helen MAROULIS and Elena PIROZHKOVA of the U.S. are not expected to compete in Frisco even though the Americans still haven’t qualified for the Olympics at 53kg, 58kg, 63kg or 69kg.
 

Men’s Freestyle

Pan American countries landed just a total of two Olympic berths in men’s freestyle during the 2015 Worlds in Las Vegas. Those came with Americans Jordan BURROUGHS (74kg) and Kyle SNYDER (97kg) winning World titles, while traditional freestyle power Cuba fell short of earning any Olympic berths in Vegas.

Cuba’s stacked lineup is expected to include World bronze medalist Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (57kg), Olympic and World medalist Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (74kg), World silver medalist Reineris SALAS PEREZ (86kg) and World bronze medalist Javier CORTINA LACERRA (97kg).

Bonne won the 2012 Pan Am Olympic Qualifier at the old weight class of 60kg. Cortina also struck gold at this event in 2012.

2012 Olympic silver medalist Jaime ESPINAL (PUR) also is entered in this event. Espinal won a bronze medal at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. He was second at this event in 2012.

The United States will also have a veteran squad in Frisco, led by 2012 Olympians and World medalists Jake HERBERT (86kg) and Tervel DLAGNEV (125kg).

The loaded 65 kg division is expected to include World silver medalist Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR), Pan American Games champion Brent METCALF (USA) and Olympian Haislan GARCIA (CAN). Garcia beat Metcalf in the finals of the 2012 Pan Am Olympic Qualifier in Florida.

Cleo NCUBE (CAN) is a wrestler to watch at 74kg. Ncube placed fifth at the 2014 Worlds at the non-Olympic weight class of 70kg. Yoan BLANCO REINOSO (ECU) also is a tough athlete at 74kg. He placed second at the 2015 Pan Am Games after taking seventh in the 2014 Worlds at 70kg.

Heavyweight Jesse RUIZ FLORES (MEX) is back after placing second in this event four years ago to earn an Olympic berth. Pedro CEBALLOS FUENTES (VEN) has placed 10th at the last two World Championships. Ceballos is at 86kg.

Greco-Roman

Pan American countries landed a total of four Olympic berths in Greco-Roman during the 2015 Worlds in Vegas. Cuba (59kg, 130kg) and the United States (75kg, 130kg) each punched two Olympic tickets this past September.

Cuba is led by veteran Yasmany LUGO CABRERA at 98kg. The Cubans feature a number of young but talented newcomers in Greco this year.

The American Greco-Roman squad is led by past World Team members Jordan HOLM (85kg) and Joe RAU (98 kg). Rau has bumped up from 80kg to 98kg, and knocked off three-time World Team member Caylor WILLIAMS to win December’s U.S. Senior Nationals.

Andres AYUB VALENZUELA (CHI) returns at heavyweight after placing second at this event in 2012 to earn a spot in the London Olympics.

Wuileixis RIVAS ESPINOZA (VEN) is back at 66kg after earning an Olympic berth in 2012 with a second-place finish in this event.

Andres MONTANO ARROYO (ECU) was a surprise winner at the 2015 Pan Am Games at 59kg.

PAN AMERICAN OLYMPIC GAMES QUALIFIER
Dr. Pepper Arena, Frisco, Texas 
March 4-6, 2016

Friday, March 4
Women’s freestyle (48kg, 53kg, 58kg, 63kg, 69kg, 75kg)
10 am - 2 pm – Qualification rounds, Repechage
5 p.m. - 7 p.m. – Medal matches

Saturday, March 5
Men’s freestyle (57kg, 65kg, 74kg, 86kg, 97kg, 125kg)
10 am - 2 pm – Qualification rounds, Repechage
5 p.m. – 7 p.m. – Medal matches

Sunday, March 6
Greco-Roman (59kg, 66kg, 75kg, 85kg, 98kg, 130kg)
10 am - 2 pm – Qualification rounds, Repechage
5 p.m. - 7 p.m. – Medal matches