#WrestleBuenosAires

Ecuador Sends Three to Women’s Freestyle Finals at #WrestleBuenosAires

By Taylor Miller

Pictured is Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU). Photo by Lucia Cruz.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – The Ecuador women’s freestyle team put together an impressive session on Saturday morning at the 2019 Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, sending three wrestlers to the finals.

The last time Ecuador had three Pan Am women’s freestyle finalists was in 2014 in Mexico City, where all three were champions.

2011 Junior World bronze medalist Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU) will face 2018 Senior World silver medalist and returning Pan American champion Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) in the 53 kg finals.

Valverde is a six-time Senior Pan American medalist, winning gold in 2014.

To get to the finals, Hildebrandt took out 2018 World bronze medalist Diana WEICKER (CAN).

At 57 kg, Lissette ANTES CASTILLO (ECU) dominated her way to the finals, scoring a 9-0 decision and a fall to earn a chance to wrestle for gold.

Tonight, she will take on 2018 Junior Pan American champion Hannah TAYLOR (CAN).

Photo: Adeline GRAY (USA) against Erica WEIBE (CAN). Photo by Lucia Cruz.

The third wrestler from Ecuador representing in the finals is Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) at 76 kg. She will take on four-time World champion Adeline GRAY (USA) for gold.

En route to the finals, Gray defeated 2016 Olympic champion Erica WEIBE (CAN) in the quarterfinals, 10-0.

In addition to Hildebrandt and Gray, there are three other Americans in the women’s freestyle finals, including 2018 Senior World bronze medalists Mallory VELTE and Tamyra MENSAH-STOCK and three-time Junior World medalist Erin GOLSTON.

Velte will face Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) in the 62 kg gold-medal bout. Velte defeated Nunes in the 2018 World bronze-medal match, 2-1, in October.

To advance to the finals, Nunes knocked off 2018 Pan American champion Yaquelin ESTORNELL ELIZASTIGUE (CUB), 15-7.

Waiting for Mensah-Stock on the other side of the 68 kg bracket is 2018 U23 World champion Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB).

Mensah-Stock defeated Sanchez in the 2018 World Championships in an early round.

For 50 kg gold, Golston will take on 2016 Junior Pan Am champion Yusneylys GUZMAN LOPEZ (CUB).

Men’s freestyle also began today with round-robin brackets at 79 kg and 92 kg. Champions will be crowned tonight.

The medal matches will begin at 5 p.m. local time (4 p.m. EST) live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Finals pairings

Women’s freestyle

50 kg
GOLD - Yusneylys GUZMAN LOPEZ (CUB) vs. Erin GOLSTON (USA)
BRONZE - Jacqueline MOLLOCANA ELENO (ECU) vs. Thalia MALLQUI PECHE (PER)
BRONZE - Patricia BERMUDEZ (ARG) vs. Mariana DIAZ MUNOZ (MEX)

53 kg
GOLD - Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU) vs. Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA)
BRONZE - Carolina CASTILLO HIDALGO (COL) vs. Diana WEICKER (CAN)
BRONZE - Justina BENITES VASQUEZ (PER) vs. Lilianet DUANES ANDRES (CUB)

57 kg
GOLD - Hannah TAYLOR (CAN) vs. Lissette ANTES CASTILLO (ECU)
BRONZE - Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) vs. Yessica OVIEDO PEREZ (DOM)
BRONZE - Betzabeth SARCO COLMENAREZ (VEN) vs. Nes RODRIGUEZ TIRADO (PUR)

62 kg
GOLD - Mallory VELTE (USA) vs. Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA)
BRONZE - Nathaly GRIMAN HERRERA (VEN) vs. Yaquelin ESTORNELL ELIZASTIGUE (CUB)
BRONZE - Abnelis YAMBO MIRANDA (PUR) vs. Mayra ANTES CASTILLO (ECU)

68 kg
GOLD - Tamyra MENSAH (USA) vs. Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB)
BRONZE - Yanet SOVERO NINO (PER) vs. Olivia DI BACCO (CAN)
BRONZE - Andrimar LAZARO DIAZ (VEN) vs. Ambar GARNICA FLORES (MEX)

76 kg
GOLD - Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) vs. Adeline GRAY (USA)
BRONZE - Erica WIEBE (CAN) vs. Mabelkis CAPOTE PEREZ (CUB)
BRONZE - Diana CRUZ ARROYO (PER) vs. Gabriela CANALES HERRERA (MEX)

Men’s freestyle

79 kg – round three matches
Francisco GUZMAN VELAZQUEZ (PUR) vs. Chandler ROGERS (USA)
Santiago MARTINEZ RESTREPO (COL) vs. Jasmit Singh PHULKA (CAN)

92 kg – round three matches
J'den COX (USA) vs. Diego RAMIREZ FLORENTIN (PAR)

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open 2026 Day 3 Results: Morikawa, Ozaki in final

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (February 6) -- The third day of the Zagreb Open will see Women's Wrestling in four weight classes and Greco-Roman in two weight classes. Women's Wrestling will be competed in 59kg, 62kg, 65kg and 68kg while GR will be in 63kg and 67kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | YAZDANI vs BUCHANAN FINAL

14:05: GR 67kg semifinals - Two top class matches! Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB), world champion at 63kg, beats Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN), 11-5. He began with an arm-throw for four and added a turn for a 6-0 lead. Sogabe managed to come back a few times but failed to take the lead. Eventually, Khalmakhanov threw Sogabe for two correct throws and win the semifinals.

He will face Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) who defeated another Japanese Katsuaki ENDO (JPN), 11-3. Chkhikvadze scored multiple correct throws in his semifinals to complete the victory.

13:55: GR 63kg semifinals - Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) drops his semifinal against Erfan JARKANI (IRI) 3-1 as the Iranian enters the final. He will face a surprise finalist in CHETAN (IND) who stunned former world champion Meysam DALKHANI (IR), 14-5.

13:40: 68kg semifinals - A fall for Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) in the semifinals over Aleah NICKEL (CAN) after building a 5-0 lead. Morikawa will face her first tough battle against Nesrin BAS (TUR) who stunned Kennedy BLADES (USA) in the other semifinal. In a low scoring bout, Blades went up 1-0 after a activity clock point. In the second period, Bas got the same point and then a stepout to lead 2-1, a lead she defended till the end.

13:25: 62kg semifinals - European silver medalist Johanna LINDBORG (SWE) with a quick 10-0 victory over ANJLI (IND). Lindborg with a drag for four before rolling to a technical superiority. For the gold medal, Lindborg will face Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) who had a tough time beating Macey KILTY (USA), 5-2, in the other semifinal.

13:15: 59kg semifinals - Alexis JANIAK (USA), a former U20 world bronze medalist, gets the better of U20 world silver medalist Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) in the semifinals. Janiak with a takedown and turn to make it 4-0. She then counters Hurbanova on three different occasions and wins 10-0. A lost challenge from Azerbaijan makes it 11-0.

Sena NAGAMOTO (JPN) stops the final from being all-USA as she beats Abigail NETTE (USA) 11-0 and secures a place in the final

12:55: Kennedy BLADES (USA) survives a scare against Mansi LATHER (IND) in the 68kg quarterfinal. Blades took a 5-1 in the first period but Lather scored a takedown to close the gap to 5-3. Blades challenged the decision and got it overturned on review. But Lather's pressure made Blades passive, though she defended well. Blades gave up a takedown but that was all as Blades wins and makes it to the semifinals.

12:28: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) puts a show and beats Valentin PETIC (MDA), 12-4, at 67kg. After leading 6-4, he hit a four-pointer and then a turn to finish the bout via technical superiority

12:20: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), U23 world champion, scores two turns from par terre and beats world champion Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) at 63kg. Sultangali was down 5-2 but scored an exposure to make it 5-4. However, he failed to score another point which would have given him the win.

12:15: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) continues her campaign with yet another 10-0 victory at 68kg. She beats Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW) and moves into the semifinals.

12:10: Nesrin BAS (TUR) who got a walkover in her first bout, leg laces NISHA (IND) for a 10-0 win and make her place in the 68kg semifinal. Bas took a 4-0 lead and then decided to sit on it. But in the last minute, she got a takedown and two turns to win.

12:00: Katsuaki ENDO (JPN) is checked up Sachin SAHRAWAT (IND) but the Japanese star manages to hold on for a 4-2 victory and move into the quarterfinals at 67kg against Morten THORSEN (NOR). 

11:45: World champion at 65kg Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), now wrestling at 68kg, takes her own time but manages to beat Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU), 10-0, in her opening bout in Zagreb

11:35: Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) failed to score any points from par terre in the first period but he gets the takedown and moves to a 9-0 victory at 67kg against Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO).

11:30: World champion at 63kg Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) has moved up to 67kg. And he has no trouble in winning his first bout via technical super superiority. He tries to score a throw when Mohamed ABDELREHIM (EGY) commits a leg foul. Back in par terre, Khalmakhanov completes the turn and wins 10-0

11:25: Kennedy BLADES (USA), world bronze medalist at 68kg, was flying against Karolina POK (HUN) having taken an 11-2 lead. However, she decided to not end the bout via technical superiority and kept her distance in the second period and won with the same scoreline.

11:20: NISHA (IND) stays in total control of her bout against Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE) and posts an 8-1 victory. While Soltanova did get on a few scrambles, Nisha managed to defend the positions and scored her eight points.

11:15: Nonoka OZAKI (JPN), a world champion at 65kg in 2023 and Paris bronze medalist at 68kg, is back at 62kg. She begins with a 12-2 technical superiority win over Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ)

11:10: Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ), world champion at 60kg, now wrestling 63kg gets going with an 8-2 victory over Adham ELSAYED (EGY).

11:00: Former age-group world champion Eniko ELEKES (HUN) gets a 10-0 technical superiority win over Marilyn GARCIA (USA) at 62kg. Excellent control throughout the bout for Elekes.

10:45: Early explosive Greco-Roman action here. Oybek SHARIBJONOV (UZB) gets the technical superiority win over Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) at 67kg in just over two minutes. Mohsen Nezhad, a U20 world champion, tries to front headlock Sharibjonov and score a throw but the Uzbek wrestler gets the control and sends Mohsen Nezhad to danger to get four points. Mohsen Nezhad tries to get another move but lands on his back and gives up two points. Sharibjonov scores a turn and wins 8-0. Iran challenges for the first action for four points but the challenge is lost.

10:30: Another big day of wrestling coming up in Zagreb. The 68kg weight class in Women's Wrestling has a few big names with Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), Kennedy BLADES (USA), NISHA (IND), Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW), Nesrin BAS (TUR) competing among others.