#WrestleGuatemala

USA Claims Eight Gold Medals for Team Title on Last Day of #WrestleGuatemala

By Taylor Miller

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala – USA won the men’s freestyle team title on Sunday night, sweeping the gold medals at the 2021 Pan American Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Olympic champion and two-time World champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) dominated the 97kg weight class to earn his sixth Pan-American gold medal. In the final, he wrestled 2017 Pan Am silver medalist and three-time bronze medalist Luis PEREZ SOSA (DOM), who he defeated with an 11-0 win to secure the Golden Boot as the Outstanding Wrestler.

At 86kg, David TAYLOR (USA) collected his fourth Pan Am gold. Taking on Clayton PYE (CAN), Taylor put together a 10-0 win in 24 seconds. He also owns golds from the 2018 and 2019 Pan Am Championships as well as a gold from the 2020 Pan Am Olympic Qualifier.

Six Americans won gold medals in their first Senior Pan American event.

Two-time World champion at 79kg Kyle DAKE (USA) dominated his way to the crown at 74kg with four wins in his Pan American debut. For the gold, Dake defeated 2020 Pan Am bronze winner Victor HERNANDEZ LUNA (MEX), 10-0.

Gable STEVESON (USA) finishes a shot on Santiago RESTREPO HERNANDEZ (COL) in their Round 2 matchup. Steveson won the match, 10-0. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

2017 Junior World champion and Tokyo Olympian Gable STEVESON (USA) won the 125kg weight class easily with five match wins, all of which were by technical superiorities, including a 10-0 win in the finals over 2018 Junior World silver medalist Aly BARGHOUT (CAN). It was his second victory of the day over Barghout as the two met earlier in the day in pool action.

At 57kg, Vitali ARUJAU (USA), a 2019 Junior World silver medalist, sailed through his opponents to win the title. In the gold-medal final, Arujau dominated 2017 Cadet Pan Am champion Roberto ALEJANDRO BLANCO (MEX), 10-0. It was his third win of the day.

For the crown at 65kg, Joseph MCKENNA (USA), a 2017 U23 World bronze medalist, took on Marcos DE BRITO SIQUEIRA (BRA) in the final, where he dominated for a 10-0 win and the gold medal.

Alec PANTALEO (USA) topped the podium at 70kg, taking out 2017 Pan Am bronze medalist Carlos ROMERO MILLAQUEO (CHI) with a quick 12-0 victory.

Shelton MACK (USA) won a close bout for the title at 61kg, defeating 2011 Pan Am Games champion and 2019 Pan Am Games silver medalist Juan RAMIREZ BELTRE (DOM) with a 2-0 victory.

Team USA won the team title with 10 champions and 250 points. Taking second was Canada with 116 points y rounding out the top-three was Mexico with 114 points.

En Español

CIUDAD DE GUATEMALA – USA ganó el titulo del equipo en el estilo libre masculino, con ocho campeones en el dia final del campeonato panamericano en la Ciudad de Guatemala.

Campeón olímpico 2016 y dos veces campeón mundial Kyle SNYDER (USA) colectó su sexta medalla de oro panamericana el domingo, dominando la categoría 97 kg. En el final, Snyder, dos veces olímpico, se enfrentó a Luis PEREZ SOSA (DOM), un medallista de plata panamericana 2017 y tres veces medallista de bronce. Snyder ganó con una puntuación 11-0 y aseguró el botín de oro.

En la categoría 86 kg, David TAYLOR (USA) ganó el oro panamericano por la cuarta vez. Enfrentándose a Clayton PYE (CAN), Taylor dominó en el final, 10-0. También ganó en 2018 y 2019 así como el torneo clasificatorio olímpico panamericano en 2020.

Seis de los estadounidenses compitieron en el campeonato panamericano por la primera vez.

Kyle DAKE (USA), dos veces campeón mundial en 79 kg, reclamó la corona en 74 kg con cuatro victorias en su debut panamericano. Para el oro, olímpico Dake derrotó a Victor HERNANDEZ LUNA (MEX), medallista de bronce panamericana 2020, 10-0.

Campeón mundial juvenil 2017 y olímpico Gable STEVESON (USA) venció a la categoría 125 kg con cinco victorias el domingo. Todos fueron por superioridades técnicas, incluyendo una victoria 10-0 contra medallista de plata mundial juvenil 2018 Aly BARGHOUT (CAN) en el final. Fue la segunda dominación sobre Barghout. Más temprano en el día, Steveson también ganó 10-0.

En 57 kg, Vitali ARUJAU (USA), medallista de plata mundial juvenil 2019, conquistó todo los oponentes para asegurar el título. Para el oro, Arujau dominó a campeón panamericano cadete 2017 Roberto ALEJANDRO BLANCO (MEX), 10-0. Fue su tercera victoria del día.

Para la corona en la categoría 65 kg, Joseph MCKENNA (USA), medallista de bronce mundial U23, se enfrentó a Marcos DE BRITO SIQUEIRA (BRA) en el final. McKenna ganó el combate cómodamente con una victoria de 10-0.

Alec PANTALEO (USA) llegó a lo más alto del podio en 70 kg. En el final, compitió contra medallista de bronce panamericana 2017 Carlos ROMERO MILLAQUEO (CHI). Pantaleo ganó por 12-0 superioridad tecnica.

Shelton MACK (USA) ganó una pelea cerrada por el título en 61 kg, derrotando al campeón de los Juegos Panamericanos 2011 y medallista de plata de los Juegos Panamericanos 2019 Juan RAMIREZ BELTRE (DOM) con una victoria de 2-0.

USA ganó el titulo del equipo con 10 campeones y 250 puntos. Canadá aseguró la plata con 116 puntos, y en el tercer lugar Mexico anotó 114 puntos.

MEN’S FREESTYLE RESULTS
57 kg
GOLD - Vitali ARUJAU (USA) df. Roberto ALEJANDRO BLANCO (MEX), 10-0
BRONZE - Samuel ALVA PEDRAGAS (PER) df. Edwin SEGURA GUERRA (GUA), 5-3
BRONZE –
Alexander FERNANDEZ PENA (DOM) df. Bryan DE OLIVEIRA PEREIRA (BRA), 9-1

61 kg
GOLD - Shelton MACK (USA) df. Juan RAMIREZ BELTRE (DOM), 2-0
BRONZE - Jorge OLVERA RODRIGUEZ (MEX) df. Esteban PEREZ CASTELLANOS (GUA), 3-1

65 kg
GOLD - Joseph MCKENNA (USA) df. Marcos DE BRITO SIQUEIRA (BRA), 10-0           
BRONZE - Jonnathan PEREZ CASTELLANOS (GUA) df. David PINILLA RODRIGUEZ (PAN), 3-1
BRONZE – Albaro RUDECINDO CAMACHO (DOM) df. Sebastian RIVERA (PUR), 10-0

70 kg
GOLD - Alec PANTALEO (USA) df. Carlos ROMERO MILLAQUEO (CHI), 12-0
BRONZE - Enrique PEREZ CASTELLANOS (GUA) df. Sebastian SOSA SANCHEZ (PAR), 12-0
BRONZE – Vincent DE MARINIS (CAN) df. Joao DOS SANTOS SILVA (BRA), fall 1:10

74 kg
GOLD – Kyle DAKE (USA) df. Victor HERNANDEZ LUNA (MEX), 10-0
BRONZE - Jonathan PARRILLA RAMOS (PUR) df. Leon PERALTA LANAS (CHI), 4-4
BRONZE – Julio RODRIGUEZ ROMERO (DOM) df. Jasmit PHULKA (CAN), 4-0

86 kg
GOLD – David TAYLOR (USA) df. Clayton PYE (CAN), 10-0
BRONZE - Thales REIS ALVES (BRA) df. Emanuel CHAMORRO (ARG), 1:28
BRONZE – Noel TORRES CHACON (MEX) df. Juan RIVERA GARCIA (COL), 10-0

97 kg
GOLD - Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Luis PEREZ SOSA (DOM), 11-0
BRONZE - Maxwell LACEY GARITA (CRC) df. Marcos CARROZZINO (BRA), fall 4:31

125 kg
GOLD – Gable STEVESON (USA) df. Aly BARGHOUT (CAN), 10-0
BRONZE - Catriel MURIEL (ARG) df. Eduardo GARCIA BETANZOS (MEX), 5-1

#WrestleSamokov

Japan defends U20 Worlds women's team title

By Vinay Siwach

SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (August 22) -- Japan defended its Women's Wrestling team title at the World U20 Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria with two more gold medals on Friday.

The Women's Wrestling competition came to a close in Bulgaria with three weight classes, 50kg, 53kg and 72kg, and Japan won the first two gold medals while India won 72kg. India finished second in the team race with 140 points, 25 less than Japan which had 165 points.

Rinka OGAWA (JPN) won the 50kg gold medal with 9-3 win over three-time age-group world medalist Audrey JIMINEZ (USA) in the final. Ogawa gave up the first takedown but she hit a single-leg and turn to lead 4-2 at the break.

The second period was more scrappy but Ogawa gave up just a reversal while four points to win 8-3. The United States challenged at the end of match but there was no points for Jiminez and one more point to Ogawa's score for the lost challenge.

This was Jiminez's third loss to a Japanese wrestler in finals of World Championships. She lost to Umi ITO (JPN) in the World U20 and U23 finals in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Her one other loss came to Yanrong LI (USA) in 2023 at the World U20 Championships. She will now look to change her fortunes at the senior World Championships in Zagreb next month.

Japan's second gold cane with Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) who defeated European U20 champion Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR) in controlled 6-0 final. She scored three takedowns in six minutes for the win and earn herself the gold medal.

At 72kg, world U17 silver medalist last month, KAJAL (IND) managed to survive a fall attempt and a threating Yuqi LIU (CHN) in the final and win her first world U20 title to go with her world U17 gold from 2024.

Kajal used snapdowns to pressure Liu and score three takedowns and lead 6-0 but as the match progressed Liu hit a leg-attack and scored a takedown, and cradle Kajal who barely managed to get out off the lock and keep the 6-4 lead.

Both traded a takedown each in the remainder of the bout but Kajal held on for an 8-6 lead and win the gold medal.

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Rinka OGAWA (JPN) df. Audrey JIMENEZ (USA), 9-3

BRONZE: SHRUTI (IND) df. Josephine WRENSCH (GER), 6-0
BRONZE: Na HU (CHN) df. Diana RYSOVA (UKR), 7-5

53kg
GOLD: Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) df. Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR), 6-0

BRONZE: SAARIKA (IND) df. Ilona VALCHUK (POL), 11-0
BRONZE: Kseniya KOSTSENICH (UWW) df. Abigale COOPER (USA), 11-10

72kg
GOLD: KAJAL (IND) df. Yuqi LIU (CHN), 8-6

BRONZE: Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (UWW) df. Haticenur SARI (TUR), 17-12
BRONZE: Kaiyrkul SHARSHEBAEVA (KGZ) vs. Jasmine ROBINSON (USA), via inj. def.