#Lima2019

Cuba and USA impress in Pan Am Games finals on Friday

By Taylor Miller

LIMA, Peru – USA won three gold medals, while Cuba dominated to a Pan Am Games title on Friday night in Lima, Peru.

The United States picked up two titles in women’s freestyle and one in men’s freestyle.

At 62 kg, Kayla MIRACLE (USA) defeated two-time Olympic bronze medalist for the title with a dominant technical fall. Miracle led 7-0 at the break before finishing up the match with a takedown and later a crotch lift for an eventual 12-0 win.

Winning gold at 68 kg was 2018 World bronze medalist Tamyra MENSAH-STOCK (USA), who picked up a win by pin in 2:17 in the finals over 2017 Pan American champion Olivia DI BACCO (CAN). The fall came shortly after Mensah-Stock scored on a single leg.

2017 Junior World champion Daton FIX (USA) won gold in men’s freestyle at 57 kg, rolling to a quick 11-0 win in about 90 seconds over 2011 Pan Am Games champion Juan RAMÍREZ BELTRE (DOM).

Earlier in the day, Fix recorded a 4-1 win over 2017 U23 World champion Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB).

Claiming a gold for Cuba on Friday was two-time Senior World bronze medalist Alejandro VALDÉS TOBIER (CUB), who won the 65 kg bracket in men’s freestyle.

Valdes screamed past Albaro RUDESINDO CAMACHO (DOM) with a first-period 10-0 technical fall. It marks Valdes' fourth Pan Am level gold medal. 

In addition to Valdes’ gold, Cuba won three other bronze medals, coming at 68 kg and 76 kg in women’s freestyle and 57 kg in men’s freestyle.

There was one other gold medal match on Friday night.

Representing Canada, Justina DI STASIO (CAN), a 2018 World champion at 72 kg, won the women’s freestyle 76 kg title on Friday night, outlasting 2014 World silver medalist Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA), 2-1. Di Stasio held criteria, 1-1, at the end of the match but received another point when Brazil challenged a call but failed.

The tournament wraps up on Saturday with the remaining men’s freestyle weights – 74 kg, 86 kg, 97 kg and 125 kg.

2019 PAN AMERICAN GAMES

Women’s freestyle results
62 kg
GOLD - Kayla MIRACLE (USA) df. Jackeline RENTERIA CASTILLO (COL), 12-0
BRONZE - Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) df. Nathali GRIMAN HERRERA (VEN), 4-1
BRONZE - Abnelis YAMBO MIRANDA (PUR) df. Mayra ANTES CASTILLO (ECU), fall 2:54

68 kg
GOLD - Tamyra MENSAH (USA) df. Olivia DI BACCO (CAN), fall 2:17
BRONZE -Ambar GARNICA FLORES (MEX) df. Yanet SOVERO NIÑO (PER), 8-5
BRONZE -Yudari SÁNCHEZ RODRÍGUEZ (CUB) df. Maria ACOSTA ACOSTA (VEN), 5-3

76 kg
GOLD - Justina DI STASIO (CAN) df. Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA), 2-1
BRONZE - Mabelkis CAPOTE PÉREZ (CUB) df. Diana CRUZ ARROYO (PER), 10-0
BRONZE - Andrea OLAYA GUTIERREZ (COL) df. Andrimar LAZARO DIAZ (VEN), 4-0

Men’s freestyle results
57 kg
GOLD -Daton FIX (USA) df. Juan RAMÍREZ BELTRE (DOM), 11-0
BRONZE - Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) df. Daniel ALVES DO NASCIMENTO (BRA), 10-0
BRONZE -Darthe CAPELLAN (CAN) df. Oscar TIGREROS URBANO (COL), 8-7

65 kg
GOLD - Alejandro VALDÉS TOBIER (CUB) df. Albaro RUDESINDO CAMACHO (DOM), 10-0
BRONZE -Jaydin EIERMAN (USA) df. Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG), 15-4
BRONZE - Mauricio SANCHEZ SALTO (ECU) df. Brandon DÍAZ RAMÍREZ (MEX), 3-0

#WrestleUlaanbaatar

Ulaanbaatar Open 2025: Day 1 highlights and recap

By Vinay Siwach

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (May 29) -- The third Ranking Series event, Ulaanbaatar Open, gets underway in the Mongolian capital. Seven Greco-Roman weight classes will be in action on Thursday.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | ULAANBAATAR OPEN PREVIEW

13:05: Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) goes big from par terre and scores eight points before getting two points for a leg foul from Sumiyabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL) to win 11-0. He will take on Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) in the final. Yilmaz had beaten Maksatbek Uulu 11-3 in the round-robin bout earlier

13:02: Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) takes just a minute to beat Nishant PHOGAT (IND) 9-0 in the first semifinal at 77kg. He will wrestle for gold.

13:00: The semifinals, only two in 77kg, will begin now. Nishant PHOGAT (IND) vs Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) and Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) vs. Sumiyabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL) 

12:20: Danial SOHRABI (IRI) gets the par terre and then turn Mustafa SAHIN (TUR) for a 3-0 lead in his Round 5 bout at 72kg. He then defends his position from par terre and wins 3-1. He will take home 8000 ranking points.

12:05: NITESH (IND) reverses the par terre position to get a point after Uzur DZHUZUPEKOV (KGZ) scores two turns from par terre. Nitesh gets a turn from par terre to make it 5-3. A par terre position in second period for Nitesh but no points scored. With the score 5-4, Dzhuzupekov defends his lead and wins at 97kg

11:50: Asian champion Danial SOHRABI (IRI) with a big suplex and beats Ankit GULIA (IND) to top his group at 72kg. He will have his Round 5 match against Mustafa SAHIN (TUR) which will be a virtual gold medal bout.

11:40: Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) with an 11-1 win over Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) at 77kg to confirm his semifinal spot. Yilmaz is a bronze medalist from the European Championships.

11:25: Asian silver medalist Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) holds off Murat FIRAT (TUR) 5-1 at 67kg. Solid win for Beishekeev. His compatriot Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) rolls to a 9-0 win over Lkhagvasuren DASHJAMTS (MGL) at 77kg.

11:20: Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) with another injury pull out at 82kg. Shahin BADAGHI (QAT) gets the victory.

11:10: Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) waits for the second period to unleash the gut-wrench as he beats  Bat-Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL) 9-1 in the 97kg Round 2 bout.

11:05: Yryskeldi KHAMZAEV (KGZ) was down 3-2 against Ankit GULIA (IND) but bounces back with takedowns and two rolls to win 8-3 in Round 2.

11:00: Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) comes on the mat but pulls out of the bout against PRINCE (IND) at 82kg. But he doesn't submit the injury report so we may see him again in later rounds.

10:50: Paris Olympic bronze medalist at 97kg Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) starts off a little rusty against Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL) and gives up six points. But he manages to score at the right time using gut-wrenches and wins 10-6.

10:48: World U23 champion Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) with two front throws to stun NEERAJ (IND) 9-0 at 67kg. Remember these are round-robin matches and not eliminations.

10:45: Injury scare for Turkiye as Alperen BERBER (TUR) pulls out of his match against Karan KAMBOJ (IND) at 87kg. Berber got the par terre and got two front rolls for a 5-0 lead before a reversal and roll made it 5-3 as Berber held his hamstring in pain. He tried continuing but Kamboj pushed him for a stepout and Turkiye coach called to pull out due to injury.

10:40: Another quick finish at 72kg as Asian champion Danial SOHRABI (IRI) rolls to a technical superiority win over Zandanbat BATSAIKHAN (MGL). Sohrabi looking to gather those points for a better seed at the World Championships.

10:35: Mehmet SAHIN (TUR) with a 9-0 win over Yryskeldi KHAMZAEV (KGZ) in Round 1 of the competition. Six weight classes have round-robin competition while 77kg has Nelson system with two groups.

10:30: Welcome to day one of the competition at the Ulaanbaatar Open with seven Greco-Roman weight classes -- 55kg, 67kg, 72kg, 77kg, 82kg, 87kg and 97kg.