Granma y Cerro Pelado

Cuba Women Take Six Cerro Pelado Golds

Tuesday, February 20, 2018 - 22:48 By

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HAVANA, Cuba – The Cuban women were tenacious throughout the Granma y Cerro Pelado, winning six of the possible eight gold medals up for grabs at the Coliseo de la Ciudad Deportiva on Tuesday.

With all eight weight categories being bracketed in round-robin format, today’s session was not a traditional final, but rather the last round of matches in each weight class.

The most credentialed competitor in the field, Yudari SANCHEZ (CUB), received a medical forfeit in her final match to clinch the 68 KG gold medal. Sanchez, a junior world silver medalist and U23 world bronze medalist, finished with a perfect 4-0 record for the tournament, with none of her matches going to the full six minutes.

Six-time Pan American medalist Yakelin ESTORNELL (CUB) rebounded from a day one loss to upend undefeated Hangelen LLANES (CUB) 8-4 this afternoon. The win catapulted Estornell to the 62 kg gold medal. It is her second international medal of the young 2018 calendar year, going alongside her previously earned Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix bronze.

Returning Cerro Pelado bronze medalist Leanne MENDOZA (CUB) won a gritty 2-1 match over Yusneylys GUZMAN (CUB), a past junior Pan American champion, for the 50 KG gold. In similar fashion, last year’s Cerro Pelado silver medalist Milaimys MARIN (CUB) earned the 76 KG gold with a win 3-0 over 2017 junior Pan American champion Mabelkis CAPOTE (CUB).

Dayselis RODRIGUEZ (CUB) was a revelation this week as she took down the 59 KG field with impressive victories. Rodriguez cemented her place atop the podium with a gutsy 4-3 win over London Olympian and two-time Pan American champion Kelsey CAMPBELL (USA).

The final champion from the host nation came at 55 KG. Laura HERIN (CUB) fought tooth-and-nail with teammate Yayneli SANZ (CUB) and came out on top in a 3-1 contest. Herin and Sanz were the only two women entered at the weight class.

Rio Olympics fifth-place finisher Betzabeth Angelica ARGUELLO VILLEGAS (VEN) and 2016 Pan American bronze medalist Alejandra ROMERO (MEX) were the only non-Cuban women to win gold at the Granma y Cerro Pelado.

Arguello Villegas, a three-time Pan American bronze medalist, dominated Amanda HERNANDEZ (CUB) 11-1 for her final victory of the tournament at 53 KG.

Romero, who did not compete today, wound up deadlocked with Maria FERNANDA (CUB) and junior world silver medalist Lianna MONTERO (CUB) at 3-1 overall within the 57 KG bracket. Romero was awarded the gold based on classification criteria.

The Granma y Cerro Pelado resumes on Wednesday with the first day of men’s freestyle competition at 10 a.m. local time. Complete results and a live stream of all the action can be found at unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS: http://uww.io/4gTea

50 KG

Gold – Leanna MENDOZA (CUB)

Silver – Yusneylys GUZMAN (CUB)

Bronze – Lisa ERSEL (GER)

53 KG

Gold – Betzabeth Angelica ARGELLO VILLEGAS (VEN)

Silver – Amanda HERNANEZ (CUB)

Bronze – Lilianet DUANE (CUB)

55 KG

Gold – Laura HERIN (CUB)

Silver – Yayneli SANZ (CUB)

57 KG

Gold – Alejandra ROMERO (MEX)

Silver – Maria FERNANDA (CUB)

Bronze – Lianna MONTERO (CUB)

59 KG

Gold – Dayselis RODRIGUEZ (CUB)

Silver – Kelsey CAMPBELL (USA)

Bronze – Rachelis CARON (CUB)

62 KG

Gold – Yakelin ESTORNELL (CUB)

Silver – Hangelen LLANES (CUB)

Bronze – Guadalupe GARCIA (MEX)

68 KG

Gold – Yudari SANCEZ (CUB)

Silver – Soleimy CORABALLO (VEN)

Bronze – Yariannys MARIN (CUB)

76 KG

Gold – Milaimys MARIN (CUB)

Silver – Susana MARTINEZ (CUB)

Bronze – Mabelkis CAPOTE (CUB)

Development

More Than Medals Americas wraps up in Rio de Janeiro

Tuesday, July 8, 2025 - 14:07 By United World Wrestling Press

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (July 8) — With young athletes at the center of United World Wrestling’s development strategy, the 2025 edition of *More Than Medals Americas* was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from June 23rd to 29th, following the U17 Pan-American Championships.

Over the course of seven days, 46 wrestlers and 10 coaches from 11 countries came together for a full program of training sessions, educational workshops, cultural excursions, and recreational activities making this a comprehensive experience beyond the mat.

Held at the state-of-the-art facilities of CEFAN (Centro de Educação Física Almirante Adalberto Nunes), the camp kicked off with a vibrant opening ceremony, attended by Brazilian Wrestling Federation President Flavio Cabral and UWW Education Director Zach Erret. The schedule included three daily meals, on-site accommodation, and seamless logistics that contributed to the event's success.

Among the educational highlights were sessions on safe sport, mental health, injury prevention, and anti-doping each delivered by expert facilitators in a format designed to foster active participation from the athletes. These workshops aimed to equip young wrestlers not only with athletic tools but with life skills as well.

The technical sessions were held on four official mats, strength training, and physical conditioning. Coaches collaborated in a joint planning meeting to create an integrated training environment, where athletes learned from each other’s styles and backgrounds.

Outside the gym, participants explored the iconic city of Rio de Janeiro. They visited Sugarloaf Mountain, Christ the Redeemer, and the historic Maracanã Stadium. An ecological outing to Copacabana Beach was also part of the program, emphasizing environmental awareness—even if a planned cleanup was rendered unnecessary thanks to local conservation efforts.

This edition of *More Than Medals* once again demonstrated the transformative power of sport. Participants described the experience as “great,” and organizers emphasized that the success of the program lies in its ability to holistically nurture the next generation of wrestlers not just as athletes, but as global citizens.