#WrestleAcapulco

Live Blog: Pan-American Championships (Day Two)

By Eric Olanowski

ACAPULCO, Mexico (May 6) -- On Thursday we crowned seven Greco-Roman champions. Today, we'll hand out the final Greco golds at 77kg, 82kg and 87kg and the women's wrestling titles at 55kg, 59kg, 65kg and 72kg.

ICYMI: Day One Photos Pino Hinds returns to Greco, wins fourth Pan-Am title

Day Two finals (as they come in)

Greco-Roman
72kg: Nordic-style bracket
77kg: Yosvanys PENA FLORES (CUB) vs. David Elias CHOC HUOC (GUA)
82kg: Reinier JIMENEZ TERRY (GUA) vs. Daniel VICENTE GOMEZ (MEX) 

Women's Wrestling
55kg:  Jacarra Gwenisha WINCHESTER (USA) vs. Karla Lorena GODINEZ GONZALEZ (CAN) 
59kg: Nordic-style bracket
65kg: Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA) vs. Miki Elizabeth ROWBOTTOM (CAN) 
72kg: Nordic-style bracket

12:45: That does it for the morning session. Reminder: we'll start at 15:00 and not 17:00 as listed on the schedule.

12:40: In the battle of world champions, Winchester made quick work of Winchester, picking up the 11-0 first-period tech fall.

12:29: World champions Winchester and Yepez Guzman are coming up next on Mat B.

12:26: We're waiting for confirmation on a challenge, but it looks like Guatemala is going to put a second wrestler into the Greco-Roman finals. Reinier JIMENEZ TERRY (GUA) just took out Nestor Joaquin TAFUR BARRIOS (COL), 11-0.

12:20: Choc Huoc just punched his ticket to the 77kg finals with a 10-1 win over Joilson DE BRITO RAMOS JUNIOR (BRA). He'll wrestle Cuba's Tokoyo Olympian Pena Flores for gold.

12:02: Upset of the day: Karla Lorena GODINEZ GONZALEZ (CAN) upset U23 world champion Lucia Yamileth YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU), 4-2, punching her ticket to the 55kg semifinals.

11:50: At every event, there are always one or two wrestlers who I've never seen wrestle that catch my eye. Yesterday, it was Mexico's Samuel GURRIA VIGUERAS (MEX). Today, it's Guatamal's David Elias CHOC HUOC (GUA). Thus far, he's  2-0 and has outscored his opponents 17-0.

He'll wrestle the winner of Luis Alfredo DE LEON (DOM) and Joilson DE BRITO RAMOS JUNIOR (BRA) in today's 72kg semifinals.

11:22: Tokyo Olympian Yosvanys PENA FLORES (CUB) leads Emmanuel Alexis BENITEZ CASTRO (MEX) by one point heading into the break over on Mat A.

11:09: Things are happening quick today. World bronze medalist Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA) kicked off her day with a 10-0 win Saidy Lorena CHAVEZ FIGUEROA (HON) and is up 8-0 against Atzimba Morelia LANDAVERDE MORENO (MEX) over on Mat A.

10:42: Jessel Rojas kept her foot on the gas and scored 19 points to win the bout against Mota Pettis, 19-8. She'll wrestle Canada's Laurence BEAUREGARD (CAN) next.

10:36: Xochitl Citalli MOTA PETTIS (USA) and Ameyalli Sayil JESSEL ROJAS (MEX) are lighting things up on Mat B. They've put up 16 points in the opening period and there is still 28 seconds left.

10:30: U23 world champion Lucia Yamileth YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU), who is wrestling up a weight class at 55kg, started her day off with a 6-1 win over Brenda Esmeralda Isay FERNANDEZ SALAZAR (MEX). She'll take on Karla Lorena GODINEZ GONZALEZ (CAN) in the second round of the 55kg Nordic style bracket.

10:20: We apologize for the delay. The on-site ambulance was behind 15 minutes and we couldn't start until it arrived/ But it's here and were wrestling!

10:08: Wolrd champion Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) kicks off the second day of action over on Mat B. She'll take on Nadia TRUJILLANO (PER).

10:00: Important update for Friday's night session. Wrestling will begin at 15:00 instead of 17:00.

#WrestleSamokov

U20 Worlds: Japan gets 2 more finalists, Kajal stuns Robinson

By Vinay Siwach

SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (August 21) -- Two-time World U20 silver medalist Audrey JIMENEZ (USA) earned herself a chance to finally win the gold medal as she reached the final for the third time at 50kg in Samokov on Thursday.

The U.S. wrestler scored three technical superiority wins in three bouts to reach the final in which she will take on 2023 world U17 champion Rinka OGAWA (JPN) also looks in good form.

In the semifinals, Jimenez used her leg-lace to good effect and humbled Diana RYSOVA (UKR), 14-3. Ogawa also used the leg-lace to beat SHRUTI  (IND), 10-0.

Jimenez had reached the final in 2022 but lost to Umi ITO (JPN) and then in 2023, she lost to Yanrong LI (CHN) to finish with a silver medal. She also has a silver medal from World U23 Championships after dropping the final against Ito again.

Japan got its second finalist on Thursday when Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) pinned Abigale COOPER (USA) after building a 9-0 lead. She will now wrestle for gold against European U20 champion Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR) who leg-laced SAARIKA (IND) for a 10-0 win.

At 72kg, Asian U20 champion and world U17 silver medalist this year KAJAL (IND) stunned defending champion Jasmine ROBINSON (USA) in a wild semifinal. Robinson got the first takedown and exposure for a 4-0 lead. But Kajal scored a takedown and turned Robinson in the same sequence. The U.S. challenged the second turn but it was given two points as Kajal took a 5-4 lead.

There was no turning back for the Indian from that as she scored two four-point throws and two takedowns in her 13-6 win over Robinson.

Kajal now chance the challenge of returning silver medalist Yuqi LIU (CHN) who dominated her semifinal against Haticenur SARI (TUR) and won 13-2. Liu will look to her upgrade silver from last year to gold.

Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM)Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM) reached the 60kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Greco-Roman action also began at the World U20 Championships Samokov on Thursday with two weight classes -- 60kg and 82kg.

Two 18-year-olds reached the 60kg final in Greco-Roman as European U20 champion Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE) and Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM) won their respective semifinals in dominant fashion.

Javadov was wrestling senior European bronze medalist Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) and scored a headlock for four and kept Lolua on the mat for a fall. This was Javadov's third win over Lolua in four encounters.

The 2024 world U17 champion will now face Mkhitaryan who gut-wrenched SURAJ (IND) after a headlock throw for four and win 8-0. India challenged the decision but lost it to add one more point to his score.

At 82kg, a potential rematch from 2023 World U17 Championships final was denied after Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) lost his semifinal at 82kg to Asian U20 champion Dias SEITKALIYEV (KAZ).

Yoshida, a returning bronze medalist, was put in par terre in the first period and Seitkaliyev hit suplex for four before turning Yoshida twice to win 9-0.

In the other semifinal, European U20 champion Mikhail SHKARIN (UWW) blanked Martik PETROSYAN (ARM), 9-0. Shkarin had lost to Yoshida in Istanbul and finished with a silver medal.

RESULTS

Women's Wrestling

50kg
GOLD: Audrey JIMENEZ (USA) vs. Rinka OGAWA (JPN)

SF 1: Audrey JIMENEZ (USA) df. Diana RYSOVA (UKR), 14-3
SF 2: Rinka OGAWA (JPN) df. SHRUTI (IND), 10-0

53kg
GOLD: Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) vs. Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR)

SF 1: Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR) df. SAARIKA (IND), 10-0
SF 2: Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) df. Abigale COOPER (USA), via fall

72kg
GOLD: Yuqi LIU (CHN) vs. KAJAL (IND)

SF 1: Yuqi LIU (CHN) df. Haticenur SARI (TUR), 13-2
SF 2: KAJAL (IND) df. Jasmine ROBINSON (USA), 13-6

Greco-Roman

60kg
GOLD: Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE) vs. Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM)

SF 1: Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE) df. Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO), via fall
SF 2: Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM) df. SURAJ (IND), 9-0

82kg
GOLD: Mikhail SHKARIN (UWW) vs. Dias SEITKALIYEV (KAZ)

SF 1: Dias SEITKALIYEV (KAZ) df. Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN), 9-0
SF 2: Mikhail SHKARIN (UWW) df. Martik PETROSYAN (ARM), 9-0