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Multiple World and Olympic Champions to Compete at Pan American Olympic Qualifier

Wednesday, March 11, 2020 - 02:27 By Taylor GREGORIO

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Photo of David TAYLOR (USA). 

The 2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier is set for this March 13-15 in Ottawa, Canada. The event serves as a qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as the top-two from each bracket will earn a bid for their country at the respective weight.

The Pan Am Olympic Qualifier is the second of three qualifying phases. The first was the 2019 World Championships, where the top-six from each Olympic weight qualified for Tokyo. The final event is the World Olympic Qualifier in Sofia, Bulgaria, scheduled for later this year.

Action begins on Friday with all six Greco-Roman weights, followed by women’s freestyle on Saturday and wrapping up with men’s freestyle on Sunday. Fans can watch the action live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Men’s freestyle
Qualified: Colombia (86 kg), United States (74 kg, 97 kg)

57 kg
Highlighting this weight class is 2017 and 2019 U23 World champion Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB), who won the Pan American Championships last week in Ottawa.

Also in the mix is 2017 World silver medalist Thomas GILMAN (USA) and 2020 Pan Am bronze medalist Juan RAMIREZ BELTRE (DOM).

65 kg
Leading this weight class is 2017 and 2018 World bronze medalist Alejandro VALDES TOBIER (CUB), who is also a 2019 Pan American Games champion.

Three of last week’s medalists will compete this weekend, including silver medalist Mauricio Javier SANCHEZ SALTOS (ECU) and bronze medalists Agustin Alejandro DESTRIBATS (ARG) and Sixto Miguel AUCCAPINA PEDRAGAS (PER).

The 2020 Pan Am champion John Michael DIAKOMIHALIS (USA) is not registered for the Pan American Olympic Qualifier. Instead, it will be 2012 Cadet World champion Zain RETHERFORD (USA).

74 kg
There are two past World medalists registered at 74 kg, Jeandry GARZON CABALLERO (CUB) and Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR).

Garzon is a 2007 World silver runner-up and three-time World bronze winner (2005, 2006, 2010), while Gomez won silver at the 2011 World Championships.

Last week, Gomez was the Pan Am runner-up, and Garzon finished with bronze. Both lost to Jordan BURROUGHS (USA), who qualified the United States at 74 kg with a bronze-medal finish at the 2019 World Championships.

Also wrestling this week is Anthony Jose MONTERO CHIRINOS (VEN), who won 2020 Pan American bronze.

86 kg
2018 World champion David TAYLOR (USA) returns to competition for the first time since his title run at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Joining him at the weight are 2020 Pan American champions Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB) and Angus Patrick ARTHUR (JAM). Torreblanca won at 86 kg, and Arthur became the first Jamaican to claim Pan Am gold, winning the 92 kg bracket last week.

Other medalists from the Pan Am Championships that will compete are silver medalist Pool Edinson AMBROCIO GREIFO (PER) and Clayton Steven PYE (CAN).

Already qualified at this weight for the Olympic Games is Carlos IZQUIERDO MENDEZ (COL) after taking fifth at the 2019 Worlds.

97 kg
The favorite at this weight is two-time World silver medalist and 2010 World bronze winner Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB). Last week, he fell in the 2020 Pan Am finals Kyle SNYDER (USA), who already qualified the United States for the Olympics with a bronze medal at 2019 Worlds.

Pan Am runner-up at 92 kg Maxwell Lemar LACEY GARITA (CRC) will bump up to 97 kg this week in attempt to qualify Costa Rica for the Games for the first time in the nation’s history.

Also competing is 2020 Pan Am bronze medalist Luis Miguel PEREZ SOSA (DOM).

125 kg
Nick GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) heads into the heavyweight bracket with the most freestyle success, owning 2017 and 2018 World bronze medals as well as the 2019 Pan Am Games title.

However, looking to dethrone him is three-time World medalist in Greco-Roman Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB), who won silver at the 2019 Worlds and bronzes in 2017 and 2018.

Because of his silver medal in Kazakhstan, Pino qualified Cuba for the 130 kg weight in Greco for the Olympics. This weekend, he looks to qualify another weight for Cuba, taking on freestyle this season. Last week, he won bronze at the Pan Am Championships.

2020 Pan Am silver medalist Amarveer DHESI (CAN) is also expected to compete at the weight. Dhesi is a 2014 Junior World champion.

Photo of Erica WIEBE (CAN). 

Women’s freestyle
Qualified: United States (68 kg, 76 kg)

50 kg
This weight features World champion Jessica Anne Marie MACDONALD (CAN), who also owns bronze medals from the 2011 and 2013 World Championships.

Looking to shake up the bracket is 2018 World runner-up at 53 kg Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA), who is making the transition down to 50 kg for the Olympic year. Hildebrandt was the 2019 Pan Am Games champion and holds four Pan Am Championships gold medals.

There are three medalists from last week that are entered, including silver medalist Carolina CASTILLO HIDALGO (COL) and bronze medalists Kamila BARBOSA VITO DA SILVA (BRA) and Jacqueline Del Rocio MOLLOCANA ELENO (ECU).

Additionally, 2019 Pan American Championships winner and 2019 Pan Am Games silver medalist Yusneylis GUZMAN LOPEZ (CUB) will compete.

53 kg
The 2019 World champion at 55 kg, Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA), is also moving down a weight class and is registered at 53 kg.

She’ll be met with other talents like past Pan Am medalists Samantha Leigh STEWART (CAN), Lianna de la Caridad MONTERO HERRERA (CUB) and Luisa Elizabeth VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU).

Stewart is a 2016 Pan American champion. This weekend will mark her first continental event since she won her title.

2019 Pan Am Games bronze medalist Montero enters the bracket fresh off a silver-medal finish at the 2020 Pan Am Championships.

Winning the 2020 title was Valverde, who is also a 2011 Cadet World bronze medalist.

57 kg
Highlighting this weight is 2016 Olympic champion Helen MAROULIS (USA), who is competing in her first Pan Am event since 2012. Maroulis is also a 2015 and 2017 World champion. She took the 2019 season off, and is back for the Olympic year.

Reigning World champion and 2016 World bronze medalist Linda MORAIS (CAN) is also in the mix as well as 2019 Pan Am Games champion Lissette Alexandra ANTES CASTILLO (ECU) and 2020 Pan Am bronze medalist Betzabeth Rebeca SARCO COLMENAREZ (VEN).

62 kg
Leading the way in international credentials is two-time Olympic bronze medalist and 2017 World bronze winner Jackeline RENTERIA CASTILLO (COL). Last week, Renteria was seventh at the 2020 Pan Am Championships.

Another World medalist set to compete is 2017 bronze winner Michelle Christina FAZZARI (CAN).

2019 Pan American Games champion Kayla MIRACLE (USA) will represent the United States, rather than the 2020 Pan Am winner Mallory VELTE.

68 kg
There are a pair of World medalists entered at 68 kg, including Danielle Suzanne LAPPAGE (CAN) and Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB).

Lappage is a 2018 Senior World silver medalist. This week marks her first Senior Pan American event as she seeks to qualify her country for Tokyo.

Fresh off a silver-medal finish performance, Sanchez goes into the weekend with three age-group World medals: 2018 U23 gold, 2017 Junior silver and 2017 U23 bronze.

Also at this weight is 2020 Pan Am champion Yanet Ursula SOVERO NINO (PER) and 2020 Pan Am bronze winner Maria Jose ACOSTA ACOSTA (VEN).

The United States is already qualified at this weight, thanks to a Tamyra MENSAH-STOCK, who won gold at the 2019 Worlds.

76 kg
Another Olympic champion in the women’s field comes at 76 kg, where Erica WIEBE (CAN) is slated to compete this weekend. The Canadian is also a 2018 World bronze medalist.

An up-and-coming talent hitting the mat this week is 2019 Junior and U23 World champion Milaimys de la Caridad MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), who had a strong effort in a loaded Pan Am Championships bracket and finished fifth last week.

Marin fell in the bronze-medal match to 2014 World silver medalist Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA), who will also compete in Ottawa this week.

2020 Pan Am bronze medalist Andrea Carolina OLAYA GUTIERREZ (COL) is also registered.

The United States also earned a bid to Tokyo at 76 kg, when Adeline GRAY claimed gold at the 2019 World Championships. It was her fifth World title.

Photo of Gabriel ROSILLO KINDELAN (CUB). 

Greco-Roman
Qualified: Cuba (67 kg, 130 kg)

60 kg
There are multiple Pan American champions that will compete for a qualification spot at 60 kg, including 2020 champion Dicther Hans TORO CASTANEDA (COL), 2019 champion Luis Alberto ORTA SANCHEZ (CUB) and 2015 and 2019 Pan Am Games champion Andres Roberto MONTANO ARROYO (ECU).

Also competing is 2019 Pan Am Games bronze medalist Ildar HAFIZOV (USA) and 2020 bronze medalists Jancel Miguel PIMENTEL GONZALEZ (DOM) and Emerson Isaias FELIPE ORDONEZ (GUA).

67 kg
There are three 2020 Pan American Championships medalists returning to competition this weekend.

Joilson DE BRITO RAMOS JUNIOR (BRA) won silver at 72 kg last weekend and will move down to 67 kg this weekend.

Cristhian Alberto RIVAS CASTRO (ECU) and Alejandro SANCHO (USA), who each won bronze at the championships are scheduled to compete in the Olympic Qualifier.

The 2020 Pan Am champ Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB) will not compete as he already qualified Cuba for Tokyo after winning gold at the 2019 Worlds. Borrero is a 2016 Olympic champion and also won the 2015 World title.

77 kg
Yosvanys PENA FLORES (CUB) and Patrick SMITH (USA) traded wins at the 2020 Pan American Championships, with Smith winning the matchup in pool action and Pena ultimately claiming the title over Smith in the finals.

Pena also won the 2019 Pan American Championships, and later that year, Smith emerged with gold at the 20019 Pan American Games.

Both will wrestle again this weekend.

Also expected to compete is 2020 Pan Am bronze medalist Wuileixis de Jesus RIVAS ESPINOZA (VEN), who is a 2019 Pan Am Games runner-up.

87 kg
Bringing World medals to the weight is Daniel GREGORICH HECHAVARRIA (CUB), who is a 2018 U23 silver medalist and 2019 U23 bronze winner. Last week, he finished fifth at the Pan Am Championships, forfeiting in the bronze match.

Winning the 2020 Pan Am title was Josef RAU (USA. En route to his win last week, Rau defeated 2019 Pan Am Games champion Luis Eduardo AVENDANO ROJAS (VEN), who will also wrestle in the Qualifier.

Two other 2020 Pan Am medalists will compete, including silver medalist Carlos Andres MUNOZ JARAMILLO (COL) and bronze medalist Lesyan Osvaldo COUSIN OTOMURO (JAM).

97 kg
We will likely see another entertaining rivalry at 97 kg as the 2020 Pan Am champion G’Angelo HANCOCK (USA) and 2020 runner-up Gabriel Alejandro ROSILLO KINDELAN (CUB) will be back at it this weekend.

Similar to Pena and Smith at 77 kg, Hancock and Rosillo went head-to-head twice in the Pan Am Championships, with Rosillo winning in the pool action but Hancock getting the victory in the finals.

Both own age-group World medals with Rosillo claiming gold at the 2019 Junior Worlds and Hancock owning bronze from the 2016 Junior Worlds.

Another World medalist in the mix is Kevin MEJIA CASTILLO (HON), who finished fourth at the Pan Am Championships. Defeating Mejia in the bronze match was Luillys Jose PEREZ MORA (VEN), who is also registered for this weekend.

130 kg
Two World medalists highlight the field in Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI) and Adam COON (USA).

Acosta won bronze at the 2017 World Championships, and Coon earned silver in the 2018 Worlds.

The American is fresh off producing a silver medal at the 2020 Pan Ams, while Acosta entered the event but did not compete.

Both 2020 Pan Am bronze winners are registered: Leo Dalis SANTANA HEREDIA (DOM) and Moises Salvador PEREZ HELLBURG (VEN).

Cuba is already qualified at the weight, thanks to a silver medal from Oscar PINO HINDS at the 2019 World Championships. This weekend, Pino will compete in freestyle in attempt to qualify Cuba for the Olympic Games at 125 kg.

 

#JapanWrestling

Incoming OSU prospect Sakamoto wins 1st All-Japan title

Sunday, December 22, 2024 - 14:13 By Ken Marantz

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Rin SAKAMOTO works to turn Daito KATSUME after scoring the lone takedown of the freestyle 57kg final. (Photo: Takeo YABUKI / JWF)

TOKYO (December 22) -- Aside from occasional moves that are ineffective in freestyle, Rin SAKAMOTO was able to make enough of a transition back from American folkstyle to capture his first senior national title in his homeland.

Sakamoto, who has taken the rare path among Japanese wrestlers of heading overseas for college, defeated Daito KATSUME 4-0 in the freestyle 57kg final at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships on Sunday in Tokyo.

"I've been practicing in America up to now and only doing folkstyle," Sakamoto said. "It was tough adjusting back to freestyle. I couldn't do my wrestling, so I'm not very satisfied."

The final day of the four-day tournament, which is serving as the first of two domestic qualifiers for next year's World Championships, also saw world 55kg champion Moe KIYOOKA make an early move down to the Olympic weight of 53kg, where she picked up a third straight title.

Rin SAKAMOTORin SAKAMOTO became the first U.S.-based wrestler to win an All-Japan title since 1995 with a victory at freestyle 57kg. (Photo: Takeo YABUKI / JWF)

The 19-year-old Sakamoto, a two-time Inter-High champion at Tokyo's Jiyugaoka Gakuen High School, has been training for the past fourth months at U.S. powerhouse Oklahoma State University, where next month he will officially enroll and be eligible to compete in matches for the Cowboys, who are now coached by former Olympic champion David Taylor.

Sakamoto is hoping to follow in the footsteps of legendary two-time Olympic champion Yojiro UETAKE, who won three NCAA titles from 1964-66 at Oklahoma State. More recently, Sanshiro ABE won an NCAA title at Penn State in 1996, and was the last U.S.-based wrestler to win the All-Japan, in 1995.

"I think it fits my style of wrestling," Sakamoto said of American folkstyle, which puts more emphasis on control, particularly in its version of par terre or when exposing the opponent's back. "I've always liked the American style. If I make the adjustment, either style is alright for me."

The first sign of difference between the two styles came when Sakamoto stepped onto the mat wearing a headgear, an extremely rare sight in Japan. He explained that at OSU, "we have to wear a headgear all of the time, even in practice. So it's not to get me used to wearing one, but because I'm already used to it."

In his opening match, which he went on to win 15-6, he had been taken down and, instead of just lying flat and resisting being turned, he got up to his knees and grabbed the opponent's wrist -- in folkstyle, the wrestler on bottom must try to escape or reverse.

The referee on Sunday was having none of it, commanding he release the wrist. "I kept getting warned," he said. "I have to work harder to make the change."

He also twice used a counter lift in defending a takedown that put him to his own back, which gave his opponent 2 points before getting 2 for himself. In folkstyle, there would have been no points for his own exposure.

But takedowns and sprawling are pretty much universal, and his cat-like reflexes and natural speed carried him into the semifinals, where he forged out a 10-4 win over two-time Asian bronze medalist Rikuto ARAI.

The final against Katsume, who was hampered by a left knee injury that had him hobbling onto and off the mat, lacked the flamboyance of the first two matches, with Sakamoto limited to an activity point and a stepout in the first period, and a defensive takedown in the second.

"I left too much in the tank and did not dictate the match," Sakamoto lamented. "It became a really boring match."

The two were already acquainted, having split two matches while in high school. Katsume, now a sophomore at Yamanashi Gakuin University, beat Sakamoto 8-0 in the semifinals of the 2021 Inter-High championship, but a year later, Sakamoto gained revenge with a 6-2 victory in the final.

Sakamoto said he will return to the U.S. on January 11, two days before the new OSU semester starts in Stillwater, Oklahoma. From then, it will be full-time folkstyle in a wrestling room where he will face stiff competition to make the lineup at 125 pounds (56.7 kilograms).

"There are quite a few in the lighter weights, and I feel like I'm having to catch up in folkstyle," Sakamoto said. "I'm aiming for [the] Los Angeles [Olympics], but for the next two years, I'll focus on freestyle. One goal is to become a NCAA champion."

Sakamoto will, however, return to Japan in the spring for the Meiji Cup All-Japan Championships, the second of the two qualifiers for the World Championships. To help him make the adjustment back to freestyle, he will likely enter the JOC Junior Olympic Cup in April, an U20 tournament in which he placed third this year.

Sakamoto is not the only member of his family with an adventurous streak. Older sister Yu, the world U23 champion at 53kg, is currently a member of the Northern Michigan University team.

Moe KIYOOKA (JPN)Moe KIYOOKA defends against a takedown attempt in the women's 53kg final against Saki YUMIYA. (Photo: Takeo YABUKI / JWF)

Kiyooka gets early start in filling 53kg hole

Four years out from the Los Angeles Olympics, Japanese star and Paris Olympic champion Akari FUJINAMI made a not-so-unexpected announcement that she was moving up to 57kg, starting a scramble to fill the hole at 53kg that she left behind.

Perhaps no one was more affected by the news than Kiyooka, who took no time in staking her claim when she rolled to a 9-0 victory in the 53kg final over Saki YUMIYA on Sunday.

Kiyooka, the younger sister of Paris freestyle 65kg gold medalist Kotaro KIYOOKA, had won the All-Japan title at 55kg the past two years, and mulled over whether it was too early to begin the quest to make Los Angeles at 53kg.

"I considered entering at 55kg right up to the last moment," Kiyooka said. "But consulting with my coach, we decided that because I had won the gold at the World Championships at 55kg, I needed to start thinking about things related to the next Olympics, like cutting weight. It's important to become accustomed to doing that. So I set the goal of winning the title at 53kg here."

She knows she will have plenty of competition ahead, notwithstanding speculation that Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Yui SUSAKI might move up from 50kg to 53kg.

"Including the opponents here, there will be even more strong wrestlers," Kiyooka said. "I need to train to get better so I can be confident when I face them and come out on top."

Kiyooka never has to look far for motivation to seek Olympic glory. She was in Paris as a training partner for Ikuei University teammate Tsugumi SAKURAI, who went on to win the 57kg gold.

"I was glad I could help, but there was also the pain of not being in the Olympics," she said. "But seeing people so close to me succeed has shown me that it's not impossible, which has given me strong motivation."

One shortcoming of her wrestling that she addressed on Sunday was her tendency to be a slow starter. She came firing out in her opening match, winning 10-0.

"As I always say, I never move well in the first match," Kiyooka said. "To overcome that, I concentrated on the opening match. As the matches continued, I got used to it and the final was my most solid match of the day."

In the final, Kiyooka scored two takedowns in each period in outclassing Yumiya, a world U20 bronze medalist this year.

Sara NATAMI (JPN)Sara NATAMI became a three-time national champion by winning the women's 57kg title, her first at an Olympic weight. (Photo: Takeo YABUKI / JWF)

Natami catches up to younger sister with 57kg title

Sara NATAMI has quite a sibling rivalry going on, and Sunday she finally caught up to younger sister Ruka when it comes to competing in an Olympic weight class.

Natami, the 2023 world U23 champion, dominated Ichika ARAI 10-2 in the 57kg final to add to two previous All-Japan titles at 59kg.

"At the Meiji Cup [last June], my younger sister won this weight class," said Natami, who had to skip that tournament due to a knee injury. "I was determined to win the next one and that led to this win.

"I had never won [a national title] at an Olympic weight. My sister beat me to it, and that was frustrating. That was the feeling as I prepared for this."

Natami said the two, an alumni and current student at Shigakkan University, respectively, sometimes practice together, "but it ends up becoming a fight."

Natami's biggest win, however, came in the semifinals, when she stuck two-time reigning champion Sae NANJO for a fall that marked her first-ever victory over her fellow Shigakkan alum and avenged a loss in the same round last year.

"We've faced each other since elementary school and I had never beaten her," Natami said. "Beating Sae was among my goals."

Last year, Natami was leading 5-0 when Nanjo, a two-time world U23 champion, suddenly turned the tide and scored a fall in the final minute.

Kaito INABA (JPN)Kaito INABA celebrates after successfully defending his Greco 60kg title. (Photo: Takeo YABUKI / JWF)

In the other final of the day, Asian silver medalist Kaito INABA successfully defended his Greco 60kg title, scoring a victory by fall with the first scoring move of the final against Yu SHIOTANI.

Shiotani, a world 55kg bronze medalist in 2022, attempted a spinning arm throw that ended with him on his back and Inaba's arm wrapped around his throat. The mat referee was not in a position to see what might be construed as a choke hold and called the fall at 1:24.

Day 4 Results

Freestyle

57kg (24 entries)
GOLD -- Rin SAKAMOTO df. Daito KATSUME, 4-0
BRONZE -- Rikuto ARAI df. Isami TAKATA by TF, 10-0, 1:47
BRONZE -- Kento YUMIYA df. Taketo NINOMIYA, 9-7

Greco-Roman

60kg (14 entries)
GOLD -- Kaito INABA df. Yu SHIOTANI by Fall, 1:24 (3-0)
BRONZE -- Koto GOMI df. Kosei TAKESHITA by TF, 11-1, 4:02
BRONZE -- Keijiro SONE df. Yasuhito MORI, 5-3

Women's Wrestling

53kg (9 entries)
GOLD -- Moe KIYOOKA df. Saki YUMIYA, 9-0
BRONZE -- Haruna MORIKAWA df. Miwa MAGARA, 3-1
BRONZE -- Narumi NAKAMURA df. Mihoko TAKEUCHI, 7-5

57kg (9 entries)
GOLD -- Sara NATAMI df. Ichika ARAI, 10-2
BRONZE -- Ibuki TAMURA df. Iroha FUJIYAMA by Inj. Def., :01
BRONZE -- Sae NANJO df. Miuna KIMURA by Fall, 5:50 (7-4)