#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.

#WrestleZagreb

Maroulis returns to Worlds final after three years

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 16) -- Helen MAROULIS (USA) wrestled three bout on Tuesday at the World Championships and secured three pins. She spent only 6 minutes and 28 seconds in those three pins to reach the 57kg final at the World Championships on Tuesday in Zagreb.

Maroulis, a two-time world champion, will now wrestle for gold against Il Sim SON (PRK), one of the two wrestlers from the DPR Korea to make it to the final on Tuesday.

In all three of her pins, Maroulis used the iconic foot-sweep to get the fall. The first victim was Emine CAKMAK (TUR) who was pinned in a minute. Japan's world U23 champion Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) held her fort for some time but Tokuhara missed a shot and Maroulis got the two-on-one before sweeping her for the fall in 2 minutes and 17 seconds.

In the semifinals, Maroulis wrestled European champion Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW) and took a 1-0 lead for the latter's inactivity. But as soon as the second period began, Maroulis went straight to work and hit the sweep to get the fall and a place in the final.

She will face an unfamiliar challenge in the final as  Il Sim SON (PRK) who defeated Olympic bronze medalist Kexin HONG (CHN), 12-2, in the other semifinal. Son was one of the two finalist for the DPR Korea, a country which won its gold at 55kg on Tuesday.

The other wrestler from the DPR Korea to reach the final was Asian bronze medalist Myonggyong WON (PRK) who handed 2021 world champion Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) her first international loss.

Yoshimoto, Asian champion in 2025, had it under control for the most the match before conceding a takedown with just 23 seconds left on the clock. Won was relentless in her attacks to break Yoshimoto in the final 20 seconds.

For the gold, she will face 2024 world U20 champion Yu ZHANG (CHN) who secured a fall over Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL) after taking a 9-0 lead.

At 65kg, former world champion Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) defeated another world champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) in the semifinal, 10-0. Morikawa impressed with her attacks and scored five different takedowns to finish the match via technical superiority.

World U23 silver medalist Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) will look to stop Morikawa from winning her second world title after a dream run to the final at 65kg. She defeated two-time world bronze medalist Macey KILTY (USA) in the morning session and completed a 13-3 technical superiority Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL) in the semifinals.

Asian champion Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) booked a final against Genesis REASCO (ECU) after she handed a 10-5 defeat to European champion Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) in the semifinals.

In an all South American semifinal, Reasco scored a takedown in the last minute to stun Milaimy MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), 5-3. Potrille was leading 3-3 on criteria with a minute left but Reasco scored the two-point takedown and held on to her lead for the win, becoming the first Ecuadorian wrestler to reach a World Championships final.

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Myonggyong WON (PRK) vs. Yu ZHANG (CHN)

SF 1: Yu ZHANG (CHN) df. Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL), via fall (9-0)
SF 2: Myonggyong WON (PRK) df. Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN), 3-2

57kg
GOLD: Helen MAROULIS (USA) vs. Il Sim SON (PRK)

SF 1: Il Sim SON (PRK) df. Kexin HONG (CHN), 12-2
SF 2: Helen MAROULIS (USA) df. Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW), via fall (5-0)

65kg
GOLD: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) vs. Alina KASABIEVA (UWW)

SF 1: Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) df. Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL), 13-3
SF 2: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Irina RINGACI (MDA), 10-0

76kg
GOLD: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) vs. Genesis REASCO (ECU)

SF 1: Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) df. Milaimy MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), 5-3
SF 2: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR), 10-5