#WrestleSofia

Russia Caps off World Olympic Qualifiers with Three Gold

By Vinay Siwach

With Olympic quotas safely secured, the three Russian wrestlers at the World Olympic Qualifiers in Sofia, Bulgaria were ready to clinch the three gold medals as well.

While Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS) pulled off a controlled 6-0 win over 20-year-old Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU) in the 53kg final, her teammates Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RUS) at 57kg and Liubov OVCHAROVA (RUS) at 62kg claimed the top medal as their opponents injury defaulted.

There was little action in the other finals as well as Seema BISLA (IND) won gold at 50kg after Lucia Yamileth YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU) decided to not compete after an injury.

At 68kg, local girl Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) was crowned the champion after Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) to skip the final due to the same reason.

Alla BELINSKA (UKR) was also the beneficiary of a similar situation as Yasemin ADAR (TUR) pulled out of the 76kg due to injury.

“I need to forget my past wins and start over the next day and that is why I wrestle for the gold medal,” Khoroshavtseva said after beating Ana 6-0 in the finals.

“I can't keep thinking about the previous day because I want to wrestle every new opponent.”

Her teammate Ovcharova was also of a similar opinion despite not getting any wrestling in the final.

“I want to spar against different opponents,” she said. “Every day is a new start for me.”

On Friday, they failed to achieve their dream of winning the ticket to Olympic Games in Tokyo but the wrestlers for bronze medal bouts showed up on mat with intention in all six weight categories.

Canada wrestling head coach Tonya VERBEEK explained the desire to compete for a non-consequential bout.

“For my team, I always say that finish the tournament,” she said. “Of course you don't have to wrestle if you have a strain.”

Samantha STEWART (CAN) stepped up on the mat with a similar motivation as she rolled to a 10-0 win over Laura Gabriela PEREDO TORRES (MEX) to capture the bronze medal at 53kg. Iulia LEORDA (MDA) beat Betzabeth ARGUELLO VILLEGAS (VEN) 10-5 in the other bout.

Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE), who lost in the semifinal at 68kg, was trailing 0-6 when she had Buse TOSUN (TUR) to her back to get a pin and the bronze medal.

“It's difficult to motivate myself after Friday but I have this personality where I don't like to give up,” she said.

“I always have these crazy matches because I don't want to give up and that is why I wrestled for a bronze medal as well.”

At 62kg, Luisa Helga Gerda NIEMESCH (GER) won the first bronze by beating Kriszta Tunde INCZE (ROU) 2-0 while Nathali josefina GRIMAN HERRERA (VEN) defeated Veranika IVANOVA (BLR) to win the other medal.

Explaining her motivation to wrestle for the bronze medal despite failing to qualify for the Olympics, Niemesch said, “the tournament is not over until the last day. To motivate and to win is part of the sport and we have to do it. To go home with a medal is better than going empty handed.”

Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR) recovered from her stunning loss to Chumikova on Friday to win the bronze medal a day later with a 12-7 win over Emese BARKA (HUN). The other medal at 57kg went to Giullia OLIVEIRA (BRA) as she won 4-0 against Laura MERTENS (GER).

The big surprise of the round came in the bronze medal bout at 76kg as junior and U23 World champion Milaimys de la Caridad MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) hung on for a 2-2 win over Martina KUENZ (AUT). In the second bronze medal bout, Catalina AXENTE (ROU) pulled off a 4-1 win over Maria Jose ACOSTA ACOSTA (VEN).

“This is everything for every wrestler. This is it,” Axente said pointing to her bronze medal.

WW Medal Results

50kg
GOLD- Seema SEEMA (IND) df. Lucia Yamileth YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU), inj. def.
BRONZE- Patricia Alejandra BERMUDEZ (ARG) df. Mia Lahnee Ramos AQUINO (GUM), 10-0
BRONZE- Anna LUKASIAK (POL) df. Anastasiya YANOTAVA (BLR), 5-2

53kg
GOLD- Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS) df. Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU), 6-0
BRONZE- Iulia LEORDA (MDA) df. Betzabeth angelica ARGUELLO VILLEGAS (VEN), 10-5
BRONZE- Samantha STEWART (CAN) df. Laura Gabriela PEREDO TORRES (MEX), 10-0

57kg
GOLD- Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RUS) df. Mathilde Hélène RIVIERE (FRA), inj. def.
BRONZE- Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR) df. Emese BARKA (HUN), 12-7
BRONZE- Giullia OLIVEIRA (BRA) df. Laura MERTENS (GER), 4-0

62kg
GOLD- Liubov OVCHAROVA (RUS) df. Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL), inj. def.
BRONZE- Luisa Helga Gerda NIEMESCH (GER) df. Kriszta Tunde INCZE (ROU), 2-0
BRONZE- Nathali josefina GRIMAN HERRERA (VEN) df. Veranika IVANOVA (BLR), 6-4

68kg
GOLD- Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) df. Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), inj. def.
BRONZE- Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) df. Buse TOSUN (TUR), 4-6 via fall
BRONZE- Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) df. Agoro PAPAVASILEIOU (GRE), 10-0

76kg
GOLD- Alla BELINSKA (UKR) df. Yasemin ADAR (TUR), inj. def.
BRONZE- Catalina AXENTE (ROU) df. Maria Jose ACOSTA ACOSTA (VEN), 4-1
BRONZE- Milaimys de la Caridad MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) df. Martina KUENZ (AUT), 2-2

#WrestleLima

Pan-American U20 Championships 2025 Entries

By United World Wrestling Press

LIMA, Peru (July 7) -- The Pan-American U20 Championships begins in Lima, Peru from July 10 close to 200 wrestlers participating. All weight classes of Greco-Roman will be held on July 10, followed by all weight classes of Women's Wrestling on July 11 and all 10 weight classes of Freestyle on July 12.

For full schedule of the Pan-American U20 Championships, click here.

Note: The entries are preliminary and subject to change 72 hours before the respective draws of each style. For final entries and brackets, refer to UWW Arena.

Freestyle

57kg
Caio DUARTE  (BRA)
Javier TONITA (CAN)
Mario ACOSTA (ESA)
Irie JACKSON (JAM)
Ricardo PENA (MEX)
Jose ANDRADE (PAN)
Abel SANCHEZ (PER)
Ethan RIVERA (PUR)
Antonio MILLS (USA)

61kg
Luiz ANGELO (BRA)
Karson BROWN (CAN)
Ricardo GONZALEZ (CHI)
Angel YONG (ECU)
David MARTINEZ (MEX)
Sabdier PALACIOS (PAN)
Omar AYOUB (PUR)
Kyler LARKIN (USA)

65kg
Benjamin SOUZA (BRA)
Khalin RADEV (CAN)
Vicente CHACON (CHI)
Erick VERA (ECU)
Diego PERAZA  (MEX)
Tony MOCK (PAN)
Joao MONTESINOS (PER)
Yandro SOTO (PUR)
Luke STANICH (USA)

70kg
Kade BROWN (CAN)
Tristan FORSMAN (CRC)
Brandon HERNANDEZ (GUA)
Jazziel BALAM (MEX)
Masquiel CORDOBA (PAN)
Anthony MOLINA (PER)
Josuel MEDINA (PUR)
Jaxon JOY (USA)

74kg
Joao REIS (BRA)
Nicholas HOOPER (CAN)
Sixto GARCIA (ECU)
Kevin ALEMAN (ESA)
Diego HERNANDEZ (GUA)
Jorge GARCIA (MEX)
Victor SOTO (PUR)
William DENNY (USA)

79kg
Leandro ARAUJO (BRA)
Bryce ROONEY (CAN)
Santiago VALENZUELA (CHI)
Axel NAVA (MEX)
Dario CUBAS (PER)
Vincent ECHAVARRY (PUR)
William HENCKEL (USA)

86kg
Max FRANCA (BRA)
Rohit BAL (CAN)
Angel FLORES (MEX)
Bryan CAMPOS (PER)
Christopher SANCHEZ (PUR)
Adam WATERS (USA)

92kg
Michealjeet GREWAL (CAN)
Jean ZAMBRANO (ECU)
Rafael ABRAHAMS (PUR)
Connor MIRASOLA (USA)

97kg
Kyle SANTANA (BRA)
Tejvir DHINSA (CAN)
Angel RAMIREZ (MEX)
Sadath ORTEGA (PAN)
Justin RADEMACHER (USA)

125kg
Pedro FERNANDES (BRA)
Chanjot KANG (CAN)
Leonardo GUERRERO (MEX)
Cole MIRASOLA (USA)

Greco-Roman

55kg
Yuri LANDIM (BRA)
Jose CASTANEDA (COL)
Moises PERALTA (ECU)
Erick CHOC (GUA)
Luis HERNANDEZ (MEX)
Jose ANDRADE (PAN)
Abel SANCHEZ (PER)
Caleb NOBLE (USA)

60kg
Pedro DE SOUZA (BRA)
Augusto VARGAS (CHI)
Erick VERA (ECU)
Daniel GUEVARA (MEX)
Tony MOCK (PAN)
Juan CRISTALDO (PER)
Treygen MORIN (USA)

63kg
Clisman CARRACEDO (ECU)
Diego TERRIQUEZ (MEX)
Masquiel CORDOBA (PAN)
Landon DRURY (USA)

67kg
Lucas MARCIEL (BRA)
Sebastian BUSTAMANTE (CHI)
Abisai CAMACHO (MEX)
Joao MONTESINOS (PER)
Henry FIGUEROA (PUR)
Pierson MANVILLE (USA)

72kg
Enzo DOS ANJOS (BRA)
Hector HERNANDEZ (ECU)
Jorge GOMEZ (MEX)
Anthony MOLINA (PER)
Luis ROSA (PUR)
Jude RANDALL (USA)

77kg
Jonata DA SILVA (BRA)
Sixto GARCIA (ECU)
Josue ALVAREZ (GUA)
Mauro RESENDIZ (MEX)
Dario CUBAS (PER)
Vincent ECHAVARRY (PUR)
Leister BOWLING (USA)

82kg
Santiago VALENZUELA (CHI)
John SAENZ (GUA)
Jerson CHANTACA (MEX)
Maycki FLORES (PER)
Gavin RICKETTS (USA)

87kg
Kauan FERREIRA (BRA)
Jean ZAMBRANO (ECU)
Cristhoper PEREZ (GUA)
Cesar VELIZ (MEX)
Christopher SANCHEZ (PUR)
Nicholas NOSLER (USA)

97kg
Kaio MARTINS (BRA)
Dorian TREJO (MEX)
Sadath ORTEGA (PAN)
Mizael LLONTOP (PER)
Quinlan MORGAN (USA)

130kg
Joao SILVA (BRA)
Malcolm NOMEL (CHI)
Ibrack ANGULO (ECU)
Abraham AVALOS (MEX)
Shilo JONES (USA)

Women's Wrestling

50kg
Ana SALES (BRA)
Elizabeth CHAPMAN (CAN)
Vicky LEON (ECU)
Montserrat HERNANDEZ (MEX)
Genesis RAMIREZ (PUR)
Gabriele TEDESCO (USA)

53kg
Kailane ARAUJO (BRA)
Brooklyn GLASGOW (CAN)
Valeria ALVAREZ (ECU)
Ana FLORES (MEX)
Carolina SULCA (PER)
Mayangelie COLON (PUR)
Alexandra WAITSMAN (USA)

55kg
Abby WOLFF (CAN)
Maria GARCIA (MEX)
Tilly KAKUK (PUR)
Aspen BLASKO (USA)

57kg
Thaina ANIBAL (BRA)
Agnia KRAKOVSKA (CAN)
Karla GRUEZO (ECU)
Abril URBAN (MEX)
Cindell CASUSOL (PER)
Aneishka SANTOS (    PUR)
Carissa QURESHI (USA)

59kg
Ella FINDING (CAN)
Allison VALDEZ (GUA)
Cecilia BARRANCO (MEX)
Talita CABALLERO (PER)
Bella WILLIAMS (USA)

62kg
Stefany DOS SANTOS (BRA)
Annika FINES (CAN)
Leonela GRUEZO (ECU)
Neevis RODRIGUEZ (MEX)
Carina GIANGERUSO (PUR)
Lilly LUFT (USA)

65kg
Mackenzie CAYER (CAN)
Martina GODOY (CHI)
Valeria PEREZ (MEX)
Romina GARRO (PER)
Ruth JIMENEZ (PUR)
Cadence DIDUCH (USA)

68kg
Eduarda RODRIGUES (BRA)
Lene MCCRACKIN (CAN)
Elide CASTANON (MEX)
Leyla MALLQUI (PER)
Zoey LINTS (USA)

72kg
Kiki IDOWU (CAN)
Sofia DE LEON (MEX)
Keeley KEHRLI (USA)

76kg
Stefanni DA SILVA (BRA)
Rupinder JOHAL (CAN)
Edna JIMENEZ (MEX)
Aireka STEIGLER (USA)