wrestleOaxtepec

Sampson of Cuba and Michaelson of USA Win Golden Boots on Day Two of #WrestleOaxtepec

Friday, June 11, 2021 - 01:28 By Taylor Miller

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Photo of Jeisser SAMPSON SANCHEZ (CUB). Photo by Osvaldo Aguilar. 

 

OAXTEPEC, Mexico – 12 new champions across four different styles were crowned on the second day of the Cadet and Junior Pan American Championships in Oaxtepec, Mexico. The four divisions contested on Thursday included Junior Greco-Roman, Junior women’s freestyle, Cadet men’s freestyle and Cadet women’s freestyle.

This week, the top-eight in the Olympic weights of the Junior division will earn bids to the 2021 Junior Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia, in December.

Representatives from three different countries earned gold medals in Junior Greco, including Noah WACHSMUTH (USA) at 77 kg, James BURKS (USA) at 82 kg, Igor ALVES DE QUEIROZ (BRA) at 97 kg and Jeisser SAMPSON SANCHEZ (CUB) at 130 kg. Thanks to his outstanding performance, which featured four wins with two technical superiorities and two pins, Sampson received the Golden Boot.

In the Greco-Roman team race, the USA captured the crown with three champions and 177 points. Mexico came in second with 151 points and Venezuela rounded out the top-three with 102 points.

Photo of Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU). Photo by Osvaldo Aguilar. 

There were only two weights wrestled today in Junior women’s freestyle. At 50 kg, Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU) defeated Greili BENCOSME CARVAJAL (CUB) for the gold, and at 53 kg, Laura HERIN AVILA (CUB) took Jaslynn GALLEGOS (USA) in the finals.

The USA claimed gold at the remaining four weight classes in Cadet men’s freestyle to sweep the division. Picking up titles on Thursday were Thor MICHAELSON (USA) at 71 kg, Ryder ROGOTZKE (USA) at 80 kg, Peter CASALE (USA) at 92 kg and James MULLEN (USA) at 110 kg. With four wins on the day and a dominant performance, Michaelson won the Golden Boot.

With 10 gold medals, USA won the team title with 250 points. Mexico took silver with 170 points and Peru earned bronze with 80 points.

In Cadet women’s freestyle, USA won the two weight classes with golds from Gabrielle BRAGG (USA) at 40 kg and Emilie GONZALEZ (USA) at 43 kg.

Wrestling continues Friday at 9 a.m. CT live on uww.org.

Photo of Thor MICHAELSON (USA). Photo by Osvaldo Aguilar.

 

En español
OAXTEPEC, México – El segundo día del campeonato panamericano en Cadete y Juvenil terminó con 12 campeones nuevos entre cuatro estilos: Grecorromana juvenil, estilo libre femenino juvenil, estilo libre masculino cadete y estilo libre femenino cadete.

En los torneos juveniles, los ocho mejores luchadores en las clases de peso olímpico califican para los Juegos Panamericanos Juveniles en diciembre en Cali, Colombia.

Luchadores de tres países diferentes ganaron títulos en Grecorromana juvenil, incluyendo a Noah WACHSMUTH (USA) en 77 kg, James BURKS (USA) en 82 kg, Igor ALVES DE QUEIROZ (BRA) en 97 kg y Jeisser SAMPSON SANCHEZ (CUBA) en 130 kg. Sampson usó dos victorias de puesta espalda y dos de superioridad técnica para asegurar el botín de oro.

En la carrera del equipo en estilo grecorromano, USA ganó con tres campeones y 177 puntos. México fue segundo con 151 puntos y Venezuela fue tercero con 102 puntos.

Photo of the medalists at 53 kg in women's freestyle. Photo by Osvaldo Aguilar. 

Solo se disputaron dos categorías en el estilo libre femenino juvenil. En 50 kg, Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU) derrotó a Greili BENCOSME CARVAJAL (CUB). Para ganar el título en 53 kg, Laura HERIN AVILA (CUB) superó a Jaslynn GALLEGOS (USA).

En estilo libre masculino cadete, USA capturo los cuatro pesos restantes para terminar el torneo con 10 medallas de oro en la división. Los campeones del jueves fueron Thor MICHAELSON (USA) en 71 kg, Ryder ROGOTZKE (USA) en 80 kg, Peter CASALE (USA) en 92 kg y James MULLEN (USA) en 110 kg. Michaelson, quien recogió cuatro victorias, recibió el botín de oro.

Con diez medallas de oro, USA ganó el título del equipo cadete con 250 puntos. México fue segundo con 170 puntos y Peru fue tercero con 80 puntos.

En el estilo libre femenino cadete, USA ganó las dos categorías con victorias de Gabrielle BRAGG (USA) en 40 kg y Emilie GONZALEZ (USA) en 43 kg.

Acción sigue mañana a las 9 a.m. CT en uww.org.

JUNIOR GRECO-ROMAN RESULTS
72 kg
GOLD - Noah WACHSMUTH (USA)
SILVER - Wilfredo LOPEZ (PAN)
BRONZE - Leag GUZMAN PADILLA (MEX)

82 kg
GOLD - James BURKS (USA)
SILVER - Christian MEDINA NUNEZ (MEX)
BRONZE - Augusto NIEVA (ARG)

97 kg
GOLD - Igor ALVES DE QUEIROZ (BRA)
SILVER - Daniel Alejandro VELIZ PEREZ (MEX)
BRONZE- Liober BETANCOURT HECHAVARRIA (CUB)
BRONZE - Max MADRID DE LEON (PAN)

130 kg
GOLD - Jeisser SAMPSON SANCHEZ (CUBA)
SILVER - Peter CHRISTENSEN (USA)
BRONZE - Juan CANTILLO TORRES (PAN)
BRONZE - Jami GRUESO NUNEZ (VEN)

JUNIOR WOMEN’S FREESTYLE RESULTS
50 kg
GOLD - Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU)
SILVER - Greili BENCOSME CARVAJAL (CUB)
BRONZE - Gloria ASCA VILCAPOMA (PER)
BRONZE - Yusmy CHAPARRO URREGO (COL)

53 kg
GOLD - Laura HERIN AVILA (CUB)
SILVER - Jaslynn GALLEGOS (USA)
BRONZE - Mariana ROJAS DIAZ (VEN)
BRONZE - Zeltzin HERNANDEZ GUERRA (MEX)

CADET MEN’S FREESTYLE RESULTS
71 kg
GOLD - Thor MICHAELSON (USA)
SILVER - Carlos SERRANO LOPEZ (MEX)
BRONZE - Darío CUBAS CASTILLO (PER)

80 kg
GOLD - Ryder ROGOTZKE (USA)
SILVER - Alexander CUSINGA GOMEZ (PER)
BRONZE - Miguel Angel GONZALEZ GOMEZ (MEX)

92 kg
GOLD - Peter CASALE (USA)
SILVER - Alan Yahir PEREZ URIBE (MEX)

110 kg
GOLD - James MULLEN (USA)
SILVER - Rhian CAVALINI ENGEL (BRA)
BRONZE - Angel RAMIREZ NAVARRO (MEX)

CADET WOMEN’S FREESTYLE RESULTS
40 kg
GOLD - Gabrielle BRAGG (USA)
SILVER - Veronica AMARO GARCIA (MEX)

43 kg
GOLD - Emilie GONZALEZ (USA)
SILVER - Vicky LEON GOMEZ (ECU)
BRONZE- Ana PALACIOS HERNANDEZ (MEX)

Trailblazer Epp Mae retires as Estonia's top wrestler

Tuesday, January 28, 2025 - 13:16 By Vinay Siwach

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ESTONIA (January 28) -- European champion and two-time World Championships medalist Epp MAE (EST) announced her retirement earlier in January at an emotional press conference in Tallinn. She left her shoes on the mat, symbolizing retirement from wrestling.

The 32-year-old is Estonia's most successful wrestler in Women's Wrestling, winning gold at the European Championships in 2021 and silver medals in the 2017 and 2022 editions. She also has a bronze medal from 2019.

At the World Championships, Mae became the first Estonian wrestler to win a medal, enter the final, and even have two medals. She won silver in the 76kg in 2021, plus three bronze medals in 2015, 2019, and 2022.

"The day I announced my retirement was very emotional and hard because something so big in your life came to an end," Mae told UWW. "I knew that I was about to retire because I was expecting a baby. But it was difficult to stand in front of the people and say that this part of my life has ended, so announcing was harder than deciding it inside myself."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Epp Mäe (@eppmae)

Mae is a two-time Olympian for Estonia. She made her Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games and finished 13th. She improved to eighth at the 2020 Tokyo Games. For the 2024 Paris Olympics, Mae tried qualifying in the 76kg weight class but failed to achieve that. Her last international competition was the World Olympic Qualifier in May in Istanbul.

"To be honest, I did not expect my career to be this long, as it is," she said. "I did not have any role models in female wrestling in Estonia when I was growing up. So I had no idea whether it was possible to earn money or live from wrestling and how far it was possible to go from my country. I dedicated my life and my career to wrestling as much as I could. An athlete should know it's time to step down. It aligned for me with a wish to start a family."

Epp MAE (EST)An emotional Epp MAE (EST) announcing her retirement in a wrestling club in Tallinn on January 9. (Photo: ERR / Siim Lõvi)

Mae took up wrestling after her father, a former wrestler, pushed her into the sport. However, there were no partners to train with and Mae did not have any national competitions. She even trained in judo and sumo just to get training.

When Estonia did start a national championship in women's wrestling, Mae dominated, winning it 12 times in her career. For other sports, she is a four-time Estonian sumo champion, a four-time Estonian beach wrestling champion, and has also been an Estonian judo champion on one occasion.

"I have always laughed that the population of Estonia is 1.3 million and I am one in a million to choose to do something like this and be successful," she said. "Coming from a small nation, it is not easy to break through to the top. Most likely you don't have training partners at home. you have to travel a lot away from your country and get to train at a level that you need to succeed."

Epp MAE (EST)Epp MAE (EST), red, wrestling at the 2014 World Championships in Tashkent. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

Internationally, Mae made her debut in 2007 at the U17 European Championships, winning a bronze medal in the 70kg weight class. She began her senior career at the Yasar Dogu in 2011 and won a silver medal at 72kg at the age of 18.

In 2012, Mae clinched the U20 European Championships and remains the only Estonian wrestler to win gold at the continental event at any age group. A decade later, she reached the final of the World Championships at 76kg, marking another historic landmark in Estonian wrestling.

"As I said there was no one in front of me to lead the way, I am happy that I went through everything to get to places and results that I managed to and kind of make a path for all the girls from Estonia who will ever wish or have this doubt whether it is possible to get that far," she said. "I am happy that they have a path already in front of them. I wish that they would want to go bigger and further than I did. I will be more than excited and happy if someone did do that."

Epp MAE (EST)Epp MAE (EST) wrestling in the 2021 World Championships final at 76kg in Oslo. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

Reflecting on her career two-decade-long career, Mae did share her disappointment of not winning a medal at the Olympics but was happy to have achieved what she has for Estonia.

"My father recently told a journalist that what I did [in wrestling] was against the odds because we did not have all the possibilities and facilities a bigger team would have," she said. "So I think I did good in my career by achieving the results that I did. Little sad that I did not win a medal at the Olympics. But I can leave wrestling knowing that I gave everything. There is never going to be any doubt that what if I could have done this or that."

Now off the mat, Mae will concentrate on her family and follow the sport from afar.

"I will keep following wrestling and the wrestling friends I have made during the years. I will keep following them," she said. "For Estonia wrestling, I wish all the girls in different age groups we have right now will be motivated just to go as far as possible and always try to achieve the best for you. I will try to help Estonian wrestling as I can and I hope they will not stop developing Estonian female wrestling."