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

Friday, March 1, 2024 - 07:12 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) 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.

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.

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

#WrestleBratislava

Losonczi downs Olympic champ Novikov for 87kg European gold

Saturday, April 12, 2025 - 21:15 By Vinay Siwach

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (April 12) -- David LOSONCZI (HUN) had his task cut out at the European Championships.

Over the years, his performance at different competitions of two-day formats saw a dip on the second day. So Hungary coach Viktor LORINCZ told him to be focused for six minutes.

Losonczi was up against Olympic champion Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) in the 87kg final of the European Championships in Bratislava in Saturday. The two had recently met in the Paris Olympic semifinal which Novikov won.

But the final in European Championships was a different story.

Losonczi wrapped his arm around Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) and scored a takedown in the first 30 seconds to take a 2-0 lead. Novikov locked Losonczi around the chest and tried to shift to a seatbelt position but the Hungarian pushed Novikov out-of-bounds with his head to lead 3-0. Novikov was put in par terre which gave Losonczi one more point but he failed to score from par terre and settled for the 4-0 lead.

Novikov's chance came in the second period when he got the par terre position. He turned Losonczi one time but when he tried the second time, both wrestlers were out of bounds. Losonczi led 4-3 with 1:31 left on the clock.

There was no comeback for Novikov in the final. Earlier in the tournament, Novikov had won two bouts in thrilling fashion, scoring late, one time with only one second left.

"During the break I told him that just three more minute and you can be the European champion. So this pushed him," Lorincz said.

After the loss, Novikov said that he made a few which cost him dearly in the final.

"This is still the beginning of the season and I am not 100 percent, especially after winning the Paris Olympics. I think, mentally I am not ready. Olympics was different," Novikov said. "My goal is the World Championships. I am European champion and Olympic champion. I want to be world champion. More work and hope and I will be world champion. I was much better in the final than yesterday. I gifted him two positions after locking him. I made mistakes and you can't make mistakes at this level. Before the Olympics, I knew that any thing is possible. But after Olympic, I know that everything is possible. All you need is belief in yourself."

At 63kg, Kerem KAMAL (TUR) earned his second European title with big win in the final. Kamal came out with a takedown and suplex for a 6-0 lead. Armenia challenged the call asking for a foul hold below the legs from Kamal but it lost the challenge on review to give Kamal another point.

Aslanyan got one back when Turkiye challenged for a throw which was adjudged a risk action from Aslanyan who got a point for lost challenge. Both wrestlers were without any challenges after that.

In the second period, Aslanyan pushed the pace but failed to break Kamal. A stepout got him the second point which cut the lead to 7-2 with a minute left in the final.

At 55kg, Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW) denied Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) his third European title by beating the Azerbaijan wrestler 1-1 in the final.

Sefershaev got the benefit of the new Greco-Roman rule that United World Wrestling is testing at the European Championships which awards the wrestler who got the first point the win if the match ends 1-1.

The former European champion got the first par terre advantage but failed to score any points. However, he defended his par terre position when Azizli got the advantage in the second period and kept his 1-1 lead for the gold, his second at the European Championships.

Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) did not need any par terre advantages in his 77kg final against Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) as he scored a arm-drag takedown for two points in the second period and won his fourth straight European title.

This was Amoyan's first tournament since winning a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics and he did not show any sings of being away from the mat.

At 130kg, Sergei SEMENOV (UWW) defended his title with a 1-1 criteria win over Hamza BAKIR (TUR).

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW) df. Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE), 1-1

BRONZE: Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) df. Manvel KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 8-1
BRONZE: Artiom DELEANU (MDA) df. Arnold MEGALY (SVK), 8-0

63kg
GOLD: Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Karen ASLANYAN (ARM), 7-2

BRONZE: Mairbek SALIMOV (POL) df. Andrii SEMENCHUK (UKR), 10-0
BRONZE: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) df. Murad MAMMADOV (AZE), via fall

77kg
GOLD: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df. Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO), 4-3

BRONZE: Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) df. Albin OLOFSSON (SWE), via fall
BRONZE: Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) df. Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL), 3-1

87kg
GOLD: David LOSONCZI (HUN) df. Semen NOVIKOV (BUL), 4-3

BRONZE: Islam ABBASOV (AZE) df. Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR), 2-1
BRONZE: Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) df. Hannes WAGNER (GER), 3-1

130kg
GOLD: Sergei SEMENOV (UWW) df. Hamza BAKIR (TUR), 1-1

BRONZE: Darius VITEK (HUN) df. Dzmitry ZARUBSKI (UWW), 6-0
BRONZE: Jello KRAHMER (GER) df. Beka KANDELAKI (AZE), 1-1

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

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Losonczi downs Olympic champ Novikov for 87kg European gold