Junior Pan Ams Set for Guatemala

Tuesday, June 4, 2019 - 16:39 By Taylor Miller

En espanol

Los Campeonatos Panamericanos Junior están programados para el 5 al 7 de junio, en el gimnasio nacional Teodoro Palacios Flores en la ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala.

En los tres estilos olímpicos, el campo incluye ocho medallistas de los Campeonatos Mundial o los Juegos Olímpicos de la Juventud, con seis registrados en el estilo libre femenino. También hay varios campeones y medallistas panamericanos listos para competir en los campeonatos continentales.

Estilo libre masculino

Carson LEE (CAN) es el líder en logros individuales con una medalla de bronce del Campeonato mundial cadete de 2018. Buscará el título en 97 kg.

Solo hay uno campeón panamericano junior que regresara, Jonathan PRATA ALAS (ARG), quien gano el título en 57 kg el año pasado. Se le unieron dos campeones del Cadete Pan Am de 57 kg, entre ellos Lucas NAVARRETE VIDAL (ECU) y Roberto ALEJANDRO BLANCO (MEX).

Navarrete gano en 2016, y Alejandro clamo su título en 2017.

Además de Alejandro, hay dos otros campeones del Cadete Pan Am representando a México la próxima semana, incluyendo Luis LOPEZ VASQUEZ en 97 kg and Luis OROZCO CORTEZ en 125 kg.

Peyton ROBB (USA), un campeón panamericano cadete en estilo libre masculino y grecorromana, está registrado por 70 kg.

Yendo a su segundo campeonato continental del ano es Cristian SOLENZAL LOPEZ (CUB), quien ganó una medalla de plata en los Campeonatos Panamericanos Senior de 2019. Competirá en 65 kg en el estilo libre masculino y en 67 kg en grecorromana.

La competición en estilo libre masculino empieza el 7 de junio.

Estilo libre femenina

La categoría de peso de 50 kg parece ser la más dura en todo el torneo, con tres medallistas mundiales.

En frente es la campeona mundial cadete y la campeona de los Juegos Olímpicos de la Juventud Emily SHILSON (USA). Ella también ganó una medalla de plata en los Campeonatos Mundiales de Cadete de 2017 y medallas de oro en los Campeonatos Panamericanos Cadete en 2017 y 2018.

Buscando a desafiarla es Julieta MARTINEZ GONZALEZ (MEX) and Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU). Las dos tienen medallas de bronce de los Campeonatos Mundiales Cadetes de 2017.

Martínez González es una campeona panamericano cadete de 2017, y Yépez Guzmán gano títulos en los niveles de U15 y Cadete.

También en el campo de 50 kg es campeona panamericano junior de 2017 Alexia SEAL (CAN).

Martínez González no es la única campeona panamericano representando a México. También hay Atzimba LANDAVERDE MORENO (MEX), quien quiere defender su título panamericano junior en 68 kg.

Todas de las ocho luchadoras de México han Ganado una medalla panamericano.

Además de Shilson, E.E.U.U. tiene otra medallista mundial en Tiare IKEI (USA), quien competirá en 53 kg. Ella gano una medalla de bronce el año pasado en los Mundiales Cadetes.

En los pesos superiores, hay dos medallistas de los Juegos Olímpicos de la Juventud, incluyendo campeona Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) en 76 kg y medallista de plata Linda MACHUCA (ARG) en 72 kg.

Katherine RENTERIA CUERO (COL) regresa a defender su título panamericano junior en 59 kg.

La competición en estilo libre femenina empieza el 6 de junio.

Grecorromana

El único medallista mundial en grecorromana es Nestor DELGADO RAMIREZ (MEX), quien va competir en 55 kg. Delgado posee una medalla de plata de los Campeonatos Mundiales Cadetes de 2016. También termino en quinto lugar en 2015.

También ganó una medalla de oro en los Campeonatos Panamericanos Cadetes en 2016 y una medalla de plata en los Campeonatos Panamericanos Junior el año pasado.

Hay siete otros quien han ganado títulos panamericanos.

El único campeón Panamericano Junior que regresa es Andrés CORTES HERRERA (COL). Busca defender su título en los 60 kg.

Los seis campeones Cadete Panamericanos en el campo representan a México o Estados Unidos: Miguel UGALDE AGUILAR (MEX) en 60 kg, Hunter LEWIS (USA) en 63 kg, Diego MARTINEZ DE LEIJA (MEX) en 72 kg, Calvin GERMINARO (USA) en 72 kg, Arturo CAMACHO VALENCIANO (MEX) en 82 kg and Jesus LOPEZ NINO (MEX) en 87 kg.

Hay tres medallistas de Pan Am Senior registrados para la próxima semana, incluyendo campeón de 2019 Gabriel ROSILLO KINDELAN (CUB) en 97 kg, subcampeón en estilo libre masculino de 2019 Cristian SOLENZAL LOPEZ (CUB) en 65 kg y subcampeón de 2018 Gerardo OLIVA MONTES (PER) en 67 kg.

Solenzal Lopez competirá en estilo libre masculino y grecorromana.

El competición grecorromana empieza el 5 de junio.

In English

The Junior Pan American Championships are set for next week, June 5-7, Teodoro Palacios Flores National Gym in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Across all three Olympic styles, the field includes eight World or Youth Olympic Games medalists, with six registered in women’s freestyle. There are also several past Pan American champions and medalists ready to compete at the continental championships.

Men’s Freestyle

Carson LEE (CAN) leads the field in individual accomplishments, with a 2018 Cadet World bronze medal to his name. He’ll seek the title at 79 kg.

There is only one returning Junior Pan American champion, Jonathan PRATA ALAS (ARG), who won the title at 57 kg last year. He is joined by two past Cadet Pan Am champions at 57 kg, including Lucas NAVARRETE VIDAL (ECU) and Roberto ALEJANDRO BLANCO (MEX).

Navarrete Vidal won in 2016, while Alejandro Blanco claimed his title in 2017.

In addition to Alejandro Blanco, there are two other Cadet Pan Am champs representing Mexico next week, Luis LOPEZ VASQUEZ at 97 kg and Luis OROZCO CORTEZ at 125 kg.

Peyton ROBB (USA), a 2017 Cadet Pan American champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman, is registered at 70 kg. He is the only wrestler entered that has won titles in both styles.

Heading to his second continental championships of the year is Cristian SOLENZAL LOPEZ (CUB), who won silver at the 2019 Senior Pan American Championships. He will compete at 65 kg in freestyle and 67 kg in Greco-Roman.

The men’s freestyle competition will take place on June 7.

Women’s Freestyle

The 50 kg weight class seems to be the toughest in the entire tournament, featuring three World medalists.

Leading the pack is 2018 Cadet World and Youth Olympic Games champion Emily SHILSON (USA). She is also a 2017 Cadet World silver medalist and won Cadet Pan Am championships in 2017 and 2018.

Looking to challenge her is Julieta MARTINEZ GONZALEZ (MEX) and Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU). Both won bronzes at the 2017 Cadet World Championships.

Martinez Gonzalez is a 2017 Cadet Pan Am champion, and Yepez Guzman won U15 and Cadet Pan Am titles in 2016.

Also lurking at 50 kg is 2017 Junior Pan Am champion Alexia SEAL (CAN).

Martinez Gonzalez is not the only Pan Am champion representing Mexico. Her teammate Atzimba LANDAVERDE MORENO (MEX) looks to defend her 2018 Junior Pan Am title at 68 kg.

Of note, all eight of Mexico’s entrants in women’s freestyle have won at least one medal at a Pan American Championships.

In addition to Shilson, the USA boasts another World medalist in Tiare IKEI (USA), who will compete at 53 kg.

In the upper weights, there are two Youth Olympic Games medalists, including 2018 champion Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) at 76 kg and 2018 silver medalist Linda MACHUCA (ARG) at 72 kg.

At 59 kg, be on the lookout for returning Junior Pan Am champion Katherine RENTERIA CUERO (COL).

The women’s freestyle competition will take place June 6.

Greco-Roman

The lone World medalist in Greco-Roman is Nestor DELGADO RAMIREZ (MEX), who is slated to wrestle at 55 kg. Delgado won World silver at the 2016 Cadet World Championships. He also registered a fifth-place finish at the 2015 Cadet World Championships.

In addition to his World silver, Delgado owns a gold from the 2016 Cadet Pan American Championships and silver from last year’s Junior Pan American Championships in Brazil.

Apart from Delgado, seven others have won Cadet or Junior Pan Am titles.

The only returning Junior Pan American champion is Andres CORTES HERRERA (COL). He looks to defend his title at 60 kg.

The six Cadet Pan American champions in the field represent either Mexico or USA: Miguel UGALDE AGUILAR (MEX) at 60 kg, Hunter LEWIS (USA) at 63 kg, Diego MARTINEZ DE LEIJA (MEX) at 72 kg, Calvin GERMINARO (USA) at 72 kg, Arturo CAMACHO VALENCIANO (MEX) at 82 kg and Jesus LOPEZ NINO (MEX) at 87 kg.

There are three Senior Pan Am medalists registered for next week, including 2019 champion Gabriel ROSILLO KINDELAN (CUB) at 97 kg, 2019 runner-up in freestyle Cristian SOLENZAL LOPEZ (CUB) at 65 kg and 2018 runner-up Gerardo OLIVA MONTES (PER) at 67 kg.

Solenzal Lopez will compete in both Greco-Roman and men’s freestyle.

The Greco-Roman competition will take place on June 5.

#UnitedWorldWrestling

UWW World Conference: Lalovic stresses on AI, Amateur MMA and keeping wrestling at the top

Friday, September 26, 2025 - 17:25 By United World Wrestling Press

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 24) -- Putting his faith in the ‘young generations’ to use Artificial Intelligence to their ‘benefit’, United World Wrestling President Nenad LALOVIC said that proper use of the ‘modern tools may help coaching, analysis, planning events and being more efficient’. Lalovic called on the wrestling world to ‘adapt’ and embrace AI, ’which is already almost everywhere’.

The UWW President shared these thoughts at the first UWW World Conference 2025, which was held in Zagreb from September 17 to 19. The conference covered a wide array of topics and brought together the best minds in the sport and beyond under one roof on the sidelines of the World Championships.

Expert panelists from all over the world discussed subjects ranging from digital transformation and associated styles to injury prevention and weight management, growing women’s wrestling and career transitions for wrestlers, as well as the future of the sport during the three-day event at the Westin Hotel in Zagreb, Croatia.

The conference started with Lalovic and UWW Secretary General Carlos ROY welcoming the delegates.

Lalovic said in his address: “We had this idea maybe almost a decade ago. We were seeking a platform, how these good relations among wrestlers and the national federations can improve our sport.”

UWW Secretary General Carlos ROY welcomes the delegates to the World Conference. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Roy added that the ‘rich program was designed to cover wrestling from every angle’. “This conference brings together leaders, coaches, athletes, medical and scientific experts, referees and partners from around the world to exchange knowledge, share experiences and shape the future of our sport,” he said.

Among those who attended the event were leaders from National Federations, members of UWW Commissions, the International Olympic Committee, International Testing Agency and UWW partners like TAISHAN, Rudis and N3XT. Legendary wrestlers including Mijain LOPEZ (CUB), Erica WIEBE (CAN), Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARG), Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) and Marwa AMRI (TUN) also graced the symposium and shared their views during the lively discussions.

While Wiebe spoke about the wrestlers’ transition from actively competing to other jobs in wrestling, Julfalakyan shared insights on how collaboration between different bodies can power the clean sport drive, an important area where the UWW has continued its development work. Mattsson, who is now the head coach of the Swedish team, opened up on ways to support and train women’s wrestlers.

Nenad LALOVIC in a Q/A session with UWW Development Director Deqa NIAMKEY.

Lalovic and Deqa NIAMKEY, the UWW Development Director, got the sessions underway with an intriguing discussion on the future of wrestling.

This topic continued to be a recurring theme as the new disciplines and associated styles were passionately talked about during the panel discussions.

UWW Associated Styles Manager of UWW Onur SIMSEK.

Onur SIMSEK, the Associated Styles Manager of UWW, spoke about Amateur MMA, which he said is the 'modern version of pankration, our ancient asset.'

"Technically MMA is wrestling, Pankration is wrestling, traditional styles are wrestling and grappling is wrestling itself," Simsek told the audience. "Pankration is the fundamental of MMA with its philosophy not only in sports but teaching that a wrestler understands the sport. It keeps the richness in wrestling."

Simsek said it was important to govern these styles because the 'aim is to unite towards wrestling.' "So, we will govern all these styles today and in future too."

Lalovic echoed these sentiments, saying that ‘we want to prepare athletes who will one day join professional MMA leagues and competitions.'

"This is why we established a new department almost a year ago. We call this amateur MMA with protections," he said.

UWW Beach Wrestling Committee President Pedro SILVA.

Pedro SILVA, the President of the Wrestling Federation of Portugal and a UWW Bureau Member, underlined the growth of beach wrestling. He looked back at President Lalovic’s commitment to develop the style through statements made in 2018.

Acting on Lalovic’s comments, Silva said that in 2019, they went from ‘a yearly one event World Championship to a series of events, a world tour that would at the end produce a new world champion, new heroes.'

"We overhauled the rules, making them easier to understand, not only for the wrestling fans, but specifically for the new fans, the people that know nothing about wrestling," Silva said.

Pedro SILVA, left, and UWW Sports Director Jean-Daniel REY. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Silva was optimistic that the Beach Wrestling events at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, would drive high engagement.

"Dakar 2026 is the first Olympic Games in Africa, and Beach Wrestling is the UWW style at the Games," he said. "The national sport of Senegal is traditional wrestling, which is very close to Beach Wrestling. We anticipate a big fan engagement and also on TV, on social media due to the specific popularity of the sport within the host country."

Junior Pan Ams Set for Guatemala

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UWW World Conference: Lalovic stresses on AI, Amateur MMA and keeping wrestling at the top