#WrestleHammamet

Elsayed wins but Algeria steals African GR title

By Vinay Siwach

HAMMAMET, Tunisia (May 19) -- Mohamed ELSAYED's (EGY) return to African Championships after three years could have ended in despair but the Olympic bronze medalist found a way to win, not once, but twice.

Wrestling at 67kg and chasing his sixth African gold, Elsayed managed to beat Ishak GHAIOU (ALG) in two closely contested bouts on Friday to win the gold medal.

At the conclusion of the Greco-Roman competition in the African Championships, Algeria and Egypt both earned five gold medals. However, Algeria emerged as the team champions with a total of 210 points, surpassing Egypt's 200 points. Egypt's decision not to field a wrestler in the 55kg category proved to be a significant detriment.

Undoubtedly, the highlight of the day was the 67kg final between Elsayed and Ghaiou, where the latter posed a threat to the Olympic bronze medalist on two separate occasions.

With only six wrestlers participating in the 67kg weight class, the morning session divided them into two groups of three. Elsayed and Ghaiou coincidentally found themselves in the same group and faced each other in Round 2.

Elsayed started aggressively, scoring a pushout and gaining the par terre advantage, but could not convert it into points, leading 2-0 at the break. He then received the second activity point, extending his lead to 3-0. With a minute remaining, Elsayed was called passive, but as it was the third passivity call, no points were awarded to Ghaiou. The Algerian managed to execute a successful turn, cutting the score to 3-2 after a challenge, but couldn't prevent Elsayed from winning 3-2.

In the evening final, Ghaiou took control, leading 7-2 after the first period. He reversed the situation in par terre, scoring two trap-arm guts to make it 6-2. Elsayed challenged the call but lost, giving Ghaiou an extra point.

Similar to the morning bout, Ghaiou became passive in the second period and Elsayed capitalized, scoring a takedown and a turn to make it 7-6. Ghaiou was then called passive and Elsayed scored a turn from par terre to lead 9-7. Despite Ghaiou's efforts in the final minute, Elsayed won 11-7 with a late takedown and capture the gold after a tough day in the office.

While Ghaiou failed to win the gold for Algeria, five others did.

It began with Mohamed DRIDI (ALG) securing victory over Adem LAMLOUM (TUN) in the 55kg category, winning by fall. Dridi, who had earned a silver medal in 2022, recognized that with no Egyptian wrestler competing, the gold was within his reach. He dominated his opponents, outscoring them 40-1 in five bouts, achieving four technical superiority wins and one decisive fall in the final.

At 63kg, Abdeldjebar DJEBBARI (ALG) clinched his third consecutive African title, completing the Nelson bracket with four victories.

Djebbari showcased his dominance, recording technical superiority wins in all but one of his bouts, with Ahmed BAGHDOUDA (EGY) managing to score two points against him in the Round 2 clash which Djebbari won 6-2, while Baghdouda earned the silver medal.

In another Nelson bracket, Abdelmalek MERABET (ALG) triumphed in the 72kg weight class with a narrow 3-1 victory over Yehia ABDELKADER (EGY) in Round 5.

Both Merabet and Abdelkader displayed strong form, with the latter even defeating the 2022 silver medalist, Radhwen TARHOUNI (TUN), in a 1-1 result in Round 3. However, Merabet proved unstoppable, securing a 3-1 win, scoring from par terre, to claim his first African title.

Abd OUAKALI (ALG) emerged victorious in the 82kg category, defeating Elias CHIGUER (MAR) with a 7-2 scoreline in the gold medal bout, securing Algeria's fourth gold in the Greco-Roman competition.

It was a surprising outcome, considering Chiguer had previously defeated Ouakali 11-8 in the Round 2 bout during the morning session. However, Ouakali's strong defensive skills made the difference in the final. He also overcame Mahmoud IBRAHIM (EGY) with a 3-2 win in the semifinals.

With this victory, Ouakali successfully defended his 82kg gold medal, which he had previously won in El Jadida.

 

In an exceptional performance, Bachir SID AZARA (ALG) successfully defended his 87kg gold medal, not conceding a single point in four bouts within the Nelson bracket.

Sid Azara commenced the day with an impressive 8-0 victory over Emad ABOUELATTA (EGY), followed by another dominant 8-0 win against Mohamed JABRI (TUN). He received a walkover against Roberto NSANGUA (ANG). In the final bout, Sid Azara overwhelmed Adil JORF (MAR) with an 8-0 victory, securing his fifth gold medal in the tournament's history.

Egypt matches Algeria

Apart from Elsayed, four other Egyptians stood atop the podium, including Haithem MAHMOUD (EGY), who secured the 60kg gold medal by overpowering Ibrahim BUNDUKA (SLE) with a dominant 12-0 victory in the final.

Bunduka made history as the first Greco-Roman wrestler from his country to reach the African Championships final. However, Mahmoud swiftly thwarted his aspirations for further triumphs in Hammamet, launching a relentless series of attacks and triumphing via technical superiority. This victory marked Mahmoud's third African title and his first since 2020, as he had skipped the intervening editions.

At 77kg, Mohamed KHALIL (EGY) claimed the gold medal in a Nelson bracket, triumphing over three opponents. In a pivotal Round 3 clash against Akrem BOUDJEMLINE (ALG), Khalil managed to secure a hard-fought 4-2 victory, securing his second consecutive gold medal at the African Championships after his triumph in the 72kg category in 2022.

Mohamed GABR (EGY) at 97kg and Abdellatif MOHAMED (EGY) at 130kg were the other two gold medalists for Egypt.

Gabr sought redemption after his loss in the 2022 final to Adem BOUDJEMLINE (ALG), who had claimed his fifth African title in El Jadida. However, the tables turned on Friday as Gabr narrowly outscored Boudjemline with a 3-2 victory in the gold medal bout. 

Despite trailing 2-0 early in the final, Gabr displayed resilience and determination. In the first period, Gabr was called passive, and Boudjemline attempted to score a turn from par terre. However, the referee penalized Gabr for fleeing the hold, extending Boudjemline's lead to 2-0.

In the second period, Boudjemline was put in par terre, and Gabr almost failed to score any points. However, when Boudjemline cleverly attempted to go behind a sitting Gabr, the Egyptian seized the opportunity to score a takedown, taking a 3-2 lead that held until the end of the bout. This victory marked Gabr's ascent to the top of the podium after two silver medals in 2019 and 2022.

For Mohamed, this marked his eighth African title, as he effortlessly cruised through his three bouts. After two commanding 8-0 wins, he sealed the deal with a 4-0 victory over Amine GUENNICHI (TUN) in the decisive Round 3 bout.

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RESULTS

Greco-Roman

55kg
GOLD: Mohamed DRIDI (ALG) df. Adem LAMLOUM (TUN), via fall

BRONZE: Alexandro HAININGA (NAM) df. Given SIKHOSANA (RSA), 10-6 

60kg
GOLD: Haithem MAHMOUD (EGY) df. Ibrahim BUNDUKA (SLE), 12-0

BRONZE: Romio GOLIATH (NAM) df. Mohamed HKIRI (TUN), 8-3
BRONZE: Ismail ETTALIBI (MAR) df. Sefiane GUEZZANIA (ALG), 8-2

63kg
GOLD: Abdeldjebar DJEBBARI (ALG)
SILVER: Ahmed BAGHDOUDA (EGY) 
BRONZE: Oussama NASR (TUN)

67kg
GOLD: Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY) df. Ishak GHAIOU (ALG), 11-7 

BRONZE: Mohamed BEN ALI (TUN) df. Bilal EL BAHJA (MAR), via inj. def.

72kg
GOLD: Abdelmalek MERABET (ALG)
SILVER: Yehia ABDELKADER (EGY) 
BRONZE: Radhwen TARHOUNI (TUN)

77kg
GOLD: Mohamed KHALIL (EGY)
SILVER: Akrem BOUDJEMLINE (ALG)
BRONZE: Sami SLAMA (TUN)

82kg
GOLD: Abd Elkrim OUAKALI (ALG) df. Elias CHIGUER (MAR), 7-2

BRONZE: Mahmoud IBRAHIM (EGY) df. Francisco KADIMA (ANG), 8-0 

87kg
GOLD: Bachir SID AZARA (ALG)
SILVER: Emad ABOUELATTA (EGY)
BRONZE: Mohamed JABRI (TUN)

97kg
GOLD: Mohamed GABR (EGY) df. Adem BOUDJEMLINE (ALG), 3-2

BRONZE: Mohamed MISSAOUI (TUN) df. Wissam KOUAINSO (MAR), 5-0

130kg
GOLD: Abdellatif MOHAMED (EGY)
SILVER: Amine GUENNICHI (TUN)
BRONZE: Hichem KOUCHIT (ALG)

#WrestleAcapulco, #WrestleParis

Pan-Am OG Qualifiers: Canada, U.S. earn three WW quotas each

By Gaurav Bhatt

ACAPULCO, Mexico (February 29) -- The United States and Canada earned six out of the 12 Paris 2024 Olympic quotas on offer in women's wrestling on day two of the Pan-American Olympic Games Qualifier in Acapulco, Mexico.

The U.S. had qualified three weights at the World Championships in Belgrade last year and with three more qualifications on Thursday, it will send a full Women's Wrestling team to the Olympics for a second consecutive time.

Elor -- a two-time 72kg world champion -- dropped down to 68kg and lived up to the hype. The American, who has built a reputation for steamrolling her opponents in blink-and-you-miss bouts, faced a fierce challenge from Thamires MARTINS (BRA) in her semifinal and gave up a 4-0 lead.

Despite paying for her high-pressure approach initially, Elor kept her foot on the pedal, gradually wearing down Martins before unleashing a relentless scoring streak to seal the match, 10-4.

"I haven't had a match like that where I was down in the beginning for a long time, but it's something we practice for all the time," Elor said after the bout. "Nobody is happy to get down on their back. But at that moment, I was like, 'I have to prove to myself that all the training I've done in practice for this situation will pay off.'"

Elor has eight world titles across different age groups, including two senior, two U23, three U20, and one U17 world gold. The 20-year-old is now eager to check off the 'Olympics' box.

"It is my number one dream," she said. "Sometimes I'm driving my car and just daydreaming about it. And I'm looking at myself and I have goosebumps just thinking about it. So it's this unimaginable goal that I set for myself and I just can't wait to see how it feels as I get closer and closer to it."

In the other 68kg semi-final, Pan-Am silver medallist Soleymi CARABALLO (VEN) defeated Virginia JIMENEZ (CHI) 8-2 to secure a spot for her country.

Dominique PARRISH (USA)Dominique PARRISH (USA) scored a 9-6 win in the semifinal. (Photo: UWW / William Bain)

Earlier, 2022 53kg world champion Dominiue PARRISH (USA) kicked off the U.S. success with an exhilarating 9-6 victory over Laura HERIN (CUB), a 2020 Olympian and 2023 Pan American Games silver medalist.

Though initially taken down, Parrish struck back to finish the first period with a 7-2 lead. Herin rallied in the second period with two takedowns, narrowing Parrish's lead to 7-6, but the American held on and thwarted the attacking Cuban to secure a buzzer-beating takedown.

Venezuela got a second Paris place as Pan-Am silver medallist Betzabeth ARGUELLO (VEN) pinned Sabrina GAMA (BRA) with a big move to secure the second spot at 53kg.

Completing the hat-trick for the U.S. was Kayla MIRACLE (USA), who won her 62kg semi-final. She had also won Pan-Am title last week. The Tokyo Olympian and two-time World finalist beat Astrid MONTERO (VEN) 3-0, her second win over the two-time age-group world medalist in as many weeks.

Ana GODINEZ (CAN)An emotional Ana GODINEZ (CAN) after winning her 62kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / William Bain)

Ana GODINEZ (CAN), who suffered the criteria loss in the Pan-Am Championships final to Miracle last week, earned a criteria win over two-time Olympian Lais NUNES (BRA) to win the spot at 62kg. However, it was a bittersweet evening for the Godinez household as elder sister Karla lost her 53kg quarterfinal to Herin.

Genesis REASCO (ECU) dispatched Rio Olympian Maria ACOSTA (VEN) 5-0 in the 76kg semifinal, getting Ecuador its first Olympic berth in over 57/58kg. This continues a strong run for Reasco, whose Pan-Am gold-winning campaign last week saw the 25-year-old overpower six-time world champion Adeline GRAY (USA) in little over a minute.

In the other semifinal, 2018 world champion Justina DI STASIO (CAN) outmatched Linda MACHUCA (ARG) 8-4.

In the 50kg category, Alisson CARDOZO (COL) completed a 9-9 criteria win against Yorlenis MORAN (PAN). With this, Cardozo also got a measure of revenge against Moran, who had dumped her out of medal contention at last week's Pan American Championships. Tokyo Olympian Yusneylis GUZMAN (CUB) kept Genevieve HALEY (CAN) at bay to earn a 6-2 win in the second semifinal.

In the 57kg division, 10-time Pan-Am medallist Luisa VALVERDE (ECU) triumphed over Angela ALVAREZ (CUB) with a fall while Hannah TAYLOR (CAN) secured an 8-4 win against Tokyo Olympian Alma VALENCIA (MEX), getting Canada its third berth at the Paris Games on the day.

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RESULTS

50kg Paris Olympic Qualification Round

SF 1: Alisson CARDOZO (COL) df. Yorlenis MORAN (PAN), 9-9
SF 2: Yusnylis GUZMAN (CUB) df. Geneviève HALEY (CAN), 6-2

53kg Paris Olympic Qualification Round

SF 1: Dominique PARRISH (USA) df. Laura HERIN (CUB), 9-6
SF 2: Betzabth ARGUELLO (ARG) df. Sabrina GAMA (BRA), via fall

57kg Paris Olympic Qualification Round

SF 1: Luisa VALVERDE (ECU) df. Angela ALVAREZ (CUB), via fall
SF 2: Hannah TAYLOR (CAN) df. Alma VALENCIA (MEX), 8-4

62kg Paris Olympic Qualification Round

SF 1: Kayla MIRACLE (USA) df. Astrid MONTERO (VEN), 3-0
SF 2: Ana GODINEZ (CAN) df. Lais NUNES (BRA), 3-3

68kg Paris Olympic Qualification Round

SF 1: Amit ELOR (USA) df. Thamires MARTINS (BRA), 10-4
SF 2: Soleymi CARABALLO (VEN) df. Virgina JIMENEZ (CHI), 8-2

76kg Paris Olympic Qualification Round

SF 1: Justina DI STASIO (CAN) df. Linda MACHUCA (ARG), 8-4
SF 2: Genesis REASCO (ECU) df. Maria ACOSTA (VEN), 5-0