Russia Caps off World Olympic Qualifiers with Three Gold

Saturday, May 8, 2021 - 17:07 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

#WrestleAcapulco

Flawless U.S. sweeps Pan-Am Championships

Sunday, February 25, 2024 - 05:36 By Gaurav Bhatt

Team USA capped off their Pan-American Championships campaign flawlessly, winning all seven gold medals on offer on Saturday in Acapulco.

Spencer LEE (57kg), Nick LEE (65kg), Alec PANTELO (70kg), Alex FACUNDO (79kg), Nate JACKSON (92kg), Kyle SNYDER (97kg), and Mason PARRIS (125kg) finished atop the podium as the US contingent completed a sweep of men's Freestyle titles.

Such was the domination that all but two Americans struck gold without giving up a point.

Snyder asserted his supremacy in the 97kg division, winning his sixth straight and seventh overall gold medal. The Rio Olympic gold medallist and three-time world champion opened his run by pinning Luis PEREZ (DOM) — an opponent Snyder had also beaten in the 2017 and 2021 Pan-Am finals. Synder then carried the momentum into an 11-0 technical fall against Matias URIBE (CHI) before the final clash against familiar foe Arturo SILOT (CUB).

In what was the third straight final between the two, Silot took Snyder to the limit. The 22-year-old, who had previously lost technical falls to the American, came out strong, but couldn't maintain his pace as Snyder completed a hard-fought 10-5 win.

Spencer Lee returned to international action after almost eight years and spent a total of 141 seconds on the mat. Lee began his marauding run with a 10-0 shutout against Oscar TIGREROS (COL) before mirroring the result against Davi SILVA (BRA).

In the final against Pedro MEJIAS (VEN), Lee — a three-time age-level World champion — put on a clinic of two-point moves. And while the five-time medallist Mejias managed a two-point counter, the writing was on the wall for the Venezuelan as Lee rolled him to victory.

Nick Lee soared to the top in the 65kg category with a commanding 10-0 victory over Joshua KRAMER (ECU), before posting another 10-0 tech fall win over Jacob Alexander TORRES (CAN). The 25-year-old's final opponent — three-time medallist Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG) — forfeited the match.

Jackson was named the Outstanding Wrestler and awarded the Golden Boot at the Pan-Am Championships, and his blink-and-you-miss 92kg routs showed why.

He stormed out of the blocks, opening his campaign with a massive double-leg takedown into a leg lace roll on Tejvir BOAL (CAN), before securing the fall in under two minutes. Another highlight-reel moment came against Erwin VARGAS (MEX), as Jackson jumped over the Mexican's attack and secured a pin. Jackson — who won the gold medal at the Zagreb Open last month — then shut out Cesar UBICO (GUA) and Jose BETANCOURT (PUR); the four victories coming in a total of 275 seconds.

Alec PANTALEO (USA), blue, won his second Pan-Am title. (Photo: UWW / William Bain)

Pantaleo clinched his second 70kg title after three years with the routs of Victor SOTO (PUR), Erick BARRON (MEX), and Lovera Mauricio MAURICIO (ARG). The 27-year-old received a walkover win from Peiman BIABANI (CAN).

After winning the 74kg gold at the U20 Pan-Am Championships, Facundo returned to Mexico to win his first international gold. The 22-year-old opened his title run with a 10-0 dismantling of 2019 bronze medallist Jasmit PHULKA (CAN), then secured an injury default win against Dylan PALACIO (URU). Facundo sealed his championship status with a 10-0 drubbing of Jose CANO (MEX).

Mason PARRIS (USA) dominated his way to 125kg gold. (Photo: UWW / William Bain)

World medallist Parris secured the 125 kg gold with a 10-0 victory against Richard DESCHATELETS (CAN), followed by back-to-back injury default wins over Jose DIAZ (VEN) and Donovan SMITH (PUR).

With a perfect campaign, Team USA won the men's freestyle team trophy with 250 points. Canada came second at 98 points, followed by Puerto Rico with 89.

Earlier, Team USA secured both Greco-Roman and women's freestyle team trophies with 183 and 205 points respectively. The Greco-Roman competitors won 2 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze to finish ahead of Mexico (125 points), while American women secured 5 gold, 1 silver, and 4 bronze, with Canada second at 140 points.

This is the seventh consecutive year that the United States swept all three team trophies.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Spencer LEE (USA) df. Mejias PEDRO JESUS (VEN), 12-2

BRONZE: Guesseppe REA VILLARROEL (ECU) df. Jaime PEREZ CASTELLANOS (GUA), 11-3
BRONZE: Oscar TIGREROS URBANO (COL) df. Davi SILVA GIOVANNETTI (BRA), 13-2

65kg
GOLD: Nicholas LEE (USA) df. Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Shannon HANNA (BAH) df. Albaro RUDECINDO CAMACHO (DOM), 11-9
BRONZE: Joshua KRAMER (ECU) df. Jacob ALEXANDER TORRES (CAN), 9-6

70kg
GOLD: Alec PANTALEO (USA) df. Peiman BIABANI (CAN), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Lovera MAURICIO (ARG) df. Victor SOTO RIVERA (PUR), 10-0

79kg
GOLD: Alexander FACUNDO (USA)
SILVER: Jasmit PHULKA (CAN)
BRONZE: Jose CANO LOPEZ (MEX)

92kg
GOLD: Nathan JACKSON (USA)
SILVER: Tejvir BOAL (CAN)
BRONZE: Cesar UBICO (GUA)

97kg
GOLD: Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Arturo SILOT (CUB), 10-5

BRONZE: Cristian SARCO (VEN) df. Ailton BRITO (BRA), 11-0
BRONZE: Luis PEREZ (DOM) df. Matias URIBE (CHI), 10-0

125kg
GOLD: Mason PARRIS (USA) df. Jonovan SMITH (PUR), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Ibrain TORRES ESPINOSA (CUB) df. Avila GINO (HON), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Diaz JOSE DANIEL (VEN) df. Richard DESCHATELETS (CAN), 6-0

Russia Caps off World Olympic Qualifiers with Three Gold

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Flawless U.S. sweeps Pan-Am Championships