#WrestleRio

U17 Pan-American Championships 2025 Entries

Monday, June 16, 2025 - 19:19 By United World Wrestling Press

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (June 16) -- The U17 Pan-American Championships will kick off in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from June 19 to 21.

The tournament will begin with Greco-Roman on June 19, Women's Wrestling on June 20 and Freestyle on June 21. For full schedule, click here

Note: The entries are subject to change. For final entries and draws, refer to UWW Arena.

Freestyle

45kg
Willian RIBEIRO (BRA)
Jack AUCOIN (CAN)
Duglas URRUTIA (GUA)
Israel AMARO (MEX)
Francesko CANAYO (PER)
Thales SILVA (USA)

48kg
Enrique PARRA (CAN)
Jose QUINTERO (MEX)
Carlos BELMO (PAN)
Andre HUARCAYA (PER)
Fabian SANCHEZ (PUR)
Ariah MILLS (USA)
Anderson FRANCO (VEN)

51kg
Mykael CAETANO (BRA)
Jonrex CASA (CAN)
David MORALES (COL)
Luis AGUSTIN (GUA)
Jorge RIOS (MEX)
Kadir QUINONES (PAN)
Fabrizio MOCARRO (PER)
Cruz LITTLE (PUR)
Carter SHIN (USA)
Luigeth ANTUNEZ (VEN)

55kg
Bernardo MIRANDA (BRA)
Aaharen PIRANAVAN (CAN)
Jovanni TOVAR (COL)
Angel VALDEZ (GUA)
Edgar BOCANEGRA (MEX)
Ian ARROCHA (PAN)
Nathaniel LYTTLE (PUR)
Thomas WURSTER (USA)
Gabriel LICON (VEN)

60kg
Santiago CHRISJOHN (ARG)
Fabian LIMA (BRA)
Nathan NASH (CAN)
Emanuel LAZCANO (CHI)
Adrian CANALES (ESA)
Jose JEREZ (GUA)
Johan CRUZ (MEX)
Juan CRISTALDO (PER)
Frederick BACHMANN (PUR)
Nicholas SORROW (USA)
Haniel RODRIGUEZ (VEN)

65kg
Thiago AMARILLA (ARG)
Pedro ARAPIRACA (BRA)
Liam GORTON (CAN)
Valentino GODOY (CHI)
Dylan FERNANDEZ (ESA)
Austreberto CORDOVA (MEX)
Cameron HAINES (PAN)
Joao MONTESINOS (PER)
Yandro SOTO (PUR)
Arseni KIKINIOU (USA)
Emiliano AGUILAR (VEN)

71kg
Benjamin CASAS (ARG)
Antonio ARGUELLO (ESA)
Brandon HERNANDEZ (GUA)
Daniel TEJEDA (HON)
Gabriel VARGAS (PAN)
Anthony MOLINA (PER)
Joab CARRILLO (PUR)
Jayden JAMES (USA)
Axiel MONTERO (VEN)

80kg
Eduardo NUNES (BRA)
Beau CHARTRAND (CAN)
Gabriel RIVERA (ESA)
Arat GONZALEZ (MEX)
Maycki FLORES (PER)
Alan GARCIA (PUR)
Isai FERNANDEZ (USA)
Joaquin BARRANCOS (VEN)

92kg
Allan DE SOUSA (BRA)
Harjot SHERGILL (CAN)
Jose PEREZ (COL)
Alvaro VILLA (PER)
Franco LATORRE (PUR)
James SMITH (USA)

110kg
Wandson RODRIGUES (BRA)
Udaypartap BILLEN (CAN)
Santiago PALOMINO (COL)
Carlos CABRALES (MEX)
Elias BETANCOURT (PUR)
Alexander TAYLOR (USA)

Greco-Roman

45kg
Willian RIBEIRO (BRA)
Duglas URRUTIA (GUA)
Dannys GONZALES (HON)
Cristofer QUINTERO (MEX)
Francesko CANAYO (PER)
Thales SILVA (USA)

48kg
Pedro SANTOS (BRA)
Jeremy LOPEZ (HON)
Christopher RAMIREZ (MEX)
Carlos BELMO (PAN)
Andre HUARCAYA (PER)
Fabian SANCHEZ (PUR)
Ariah MILLS (USA)
Anderson FRANCO (VEN)

51kg
Maycon DE CASTRO (BRA)
David MORALES (COL)
Jiug ALVAREZ (MEX)
Kadir QUINONES (PAN)
Jules CASALINO (PER)
Carter SHIN (USA)
Luigeth ANTUNEZ (VEN)

55kg
Lavozier WADIK (BRA)
Dante BARRA (CHI)
Erick CHOC (GUA)
Mateo PEREZ (MEX)
Ian ARROCHA (PAN)
Giancarlos YOVERA (PER)
Thomas WURSTER (USA)
Haniel RODRIGUEZ (VEN)

60kg
Luiz DOS SANTOS (BRA)
Adrian CANALES (ESA)
Zeus GONZALEZ (MEX)
Juan CRISTALDO (PER)
Edwin MORALES (PUR)
Nicholas SORROW (USA)
Gabriel LICON (VEN)

65kg
Victor NASCIMENTO (BRA)
Raul CASTILLO (MEX)
Joao MONTESINOS (PER)
Arseni KIKINIOU (USA)
Emiliano AGUILAR (VEN)

71kg
Fernando BENCKE (BRA)
Cristobal ALIAGA (CHI)
Antonio ARGUELLO (ESA)
Daniel TEJEDA (HON)
Heder SALDANA (MEX)
Gabriel VARGAS (PAN)
Anthony MOLINA (PER)
Alexander BARROS (PUR)
Jayden JAMES (USA)
Axiel MONTERO (VEN)

80kg
Miguel XAVIER (BRA)
Angel LAGOS (CHI)
John SAENZ (GUA)
Diego CAMPOS (MEX)
Maycki FLORES (PER)
Isai FERNANDEZ (USA)
Reynniel YEPEZ (VEN)

92kg
Joao AMORIM (BRA)
Tomas ESPINOZA (CHI)
Jose PEREZ (COL)
Cristhoper PEREZ (GUA)
Jose ESPARZA (MEX)
Alvaro VILLA (PER)
Franco LATORRE (PUR)
James SMITH (USA)

110kg
Raphael RODRIGUES (BRA)
Santiago PALOMINO (COL)
Angel GARCIA (MEX)
Elias BETANCOURT (PUR)
Alexander TAYLOR (USA)

Morgan TURNER (USA)Former world U17 champion Morgan TURNER (USA) will compete at 49kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Women's Wrestling

40kg
Heloisa FERNANDES (BRA)
Andrea FLORES (HON)
Zoe VASQUEZ (MEX)
Corangelys TORRES (PUR)
Maisie ELLIOTT (USA)
Merlis LINARES (VEN)

43kg
Mariza NASU (CAN)
Isabela GARNICA (COL)
Kristel GODINEZ (GUA)
Karen RIOS (MEX)
Margarita QUITO (PER)
Natalie RADECKI (USA)
Elianny CLEVIERT (VEN)

46kg
Maria TESSARO (BRA)
Iraabir SOOCH (CAN)
Alejandra SALINAS (CHI)
Mayllin ESCOBAR (GUA)
Aleyvi CELIS (MEX)
Sheyla RODRIGUEZ (PER)
Heklanys RIVERA (PUR)
Jaclyn BOUZAKIS (USA)
Valeria NARVAEZ (VEN)

49kg
Kamryn MASON (CAN)
Ivon OVALLE (COL)
Siria GAMBOA (GUA)
Ana MORA (MEX)
Akemy GOMEZ (PER)
Miayalee ORTIZ (PUR)
Morgan TURNER (USA)
Asia SANCHEZ (VEN)

53kg
Yasmin VENANCIO (BRA)
Clara PERRY (CAN)
Alejandra SERRANO (COL)
Sharon MACKEPEACE (GUA)
Camila PEREZ (MEX)
Yumaira RUSSELL (PAN)
Clara RAMIREZ (PER)
Emma PEAKE (PUR)
Stevie MARTIN (USA)
Javianny GIMENEZ (VEN)

57kg
Natalia PROBOSTE (ARG)
Yasmim NEPER (BRA)
Kai Nessa PARE (CAN)
Fernanda RIFFO (CHI)
Sofia LUNA (MEX)
Milagros SALGADO (PAN)
Stacy RODRIGUEZ (PER)
Paola RAMIREZ (PUR)
Emma BACON (USA)
Nairam JAIME (VEN)

61kg
Danna COSTA (ARG)
Kauany SOARES (BRA)
Natalie WOJCIECHOWSKI (CAN)
Susana SANCHEZ (COL)
Yolayni ROSADO (DOM)
Sara ROBLES (MEX)
Michely GUTIERREZ (PER)
Marisa ITURRINO (PUR)
Taina FERNANDEZ (USA)

65kg
Anabella VALLE (ARG)
Beatriz CALASANS (BRA)
Cassidy PACE (CAN)
Shantallee BARRIOS (COL)
Sylvia ESPINOSA (MEX)
Violette LASURE (USA)
Luz CUAURO (VEN)

69kg
Sofia BAZAN (ARG)
Mayara NEPER (BRA)
Khushleen JHALLI (CAN)
Linda MARTINEZ (MEX)
Cassandra GONZALES (USA)

73kg
Ana VICENTE (BRA)
Jolina HEALEY (CAN)
Deborah GARCIA (MEX)
Chelse CARHUALLANQUI (PER)
Ella POALILLO (USA)
Perla PENA (VEN)

Obituary

Japanese legend and Olympic champ Obara passes away aged 44

Saturday, July 19, 2025 - 11:00 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO (July 19) — Legendary Japanese wrestler Hitomi OBARA, the 2012 London Olympic gold medalist at women's 48kg and an eight-time world champion, passed away on Friday, the Japanese media reported on Saturday. She was 44.

The Japan Self-Defense Force Physical Training School, where Obara was a women's coach, said it was withholding the cause of death "out of consideration for the privacy and emotions of the bereaved family," according to The Yomiuri Shimbun.

Obara, the mother of two elementary school-aged children, was a director in the Japan Wrestling Federation, and had just been appointed in June as a coach of the women's national team for the run-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics along with fellow former Olympic champion Kaori ICHO.

Obara, who won six of her world titles at 51kg under her maiden name of SAKAMOTO, became a model case for the ups and downs of high-level sports and the ability to overcome grave disappointment. Her victory at the London Olympics, at age 31, came after being denied spots on Japan's team at both of the two previous Olympics by fellow legend Saori YOSHIDA.

Born in 1981 in the wrestling hotbed of Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, in northern Japan, Obara went on to attend Chukyo University (now Shigakkan), which she helped turn into a national powerhouse along with Yoshida and fellow Hachinohe native Icho.

"It's hard, it's hard, I can't keep from crying," former Shigakkan and national team coach Kazuhito SAKAE was quoted as telling the Japanese media. "She was a wrestling prodigy. At the least, she was a hard worker with a strong sense of responsibility. She was wrestling's heaven-sent child. I still can't believe it." 

Obara won back-to-back world 51kg titles in 1999 and 2000. A serious knee injury would keep her from returning to the world championships until 2005, from which she won four in a row.

In between, she attempted to make the Japanese's squad to the 2004 Athens Olympics, but that dream ended with a loss by fall to Yoshida in the 55kg final at the All-Japan Championships in December 2002. She would only compete once in 2003 before returning in earnest in 2004 and beginning her streak of world titles the following year.

But more disappointment came her way in the qualifying process for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Again it was Yoshida who squashed her dreams, beating her 2-0 (2-0, 4-0) in the 2006 All-Japan final. After the match, Obara sat for hours sobbing in a corner of the warm-up room, a towel draped over her head.

Obara managed to rebound from the defeat to win a playoff for the 51kg spot at the 2007 World Championships, where she won gold No. 5. After adding No. 6 a year later with a run to the gold that included a victory over future Olympic champ Helen MAROULIS (USA), she decided to retire.

But despite all of her success, the lack of a Olympic gold -- or even an appearance, for that matter -- still left a sting that would not abate. That, and the decision of her younger sister Makiko to retire, led her to attempt the difficult path of cutting down to 48kg to make it to London.

Makiko was a world bronze medalist at 48kg in 2005 and 2008, but decided to end her career after placing eighth in 2009. Hitomi had never wanted to displace her sister from the national team, but now the door to 48kg was open.

Her biggest battle may have been with the scale. On the mat, she was as unbeatable as ever, storming to world golds in 2010 and 2011 -- now as Obara after getting married in 2010.

There was one slip-up along the way -- a semifinal loss to So Sim HYANG (PRK) at the 2010 Asian Games that ended her 70-match winning streak in international matches. But she regained her confidence with a decisive win at the All-Japan, and it was with a full head of steam that she headed to the London Olympics, which she had announced would be her swan song.

In London, Obara knocked off defending Olympic champion Carol HUYNH (CAN) in the semifinals before coming from behind in the final to defeat Mariya STADNIK (AZE) 2-1 (0-4, 1-0, 2-0) -- a replay of the gold-medal match at the 2011 worlds.

"If you keep doing what you love and never give up, you can achieve your dream," Obara told students at the junior high school she attended during a visit in January last year.

Upon retiring, Obara joined the staff at the Self-Defense Force Physical Training School, where she was also an officer. Among the members she coached were Haruna MURAYAMA OKUNO, Himeka TOKUHARA and Masako FURUICHI, who all made Japan's team to this year's World Championships.

In 2022, Obara was inducted into UWW's Hall of Fame along with Yoshida and Icho.