#WrestleSantiago

USA opens Pan-Am Games with four golds

Wednesday, November 1, 2023 - 21:39 By Eric Olanowski

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SANTIAGO, Chile (November 1) --- The United States had an impressive opening-day showing in Chile at the Pan-American Games, going an unblemished 11-0 and winning four golds.

Kyle SNYDER (USA), Mason PARRIS (USA), Zane RICHARDS (USA) and Tyler BERGER (USA) were the four Americans who reached the top of the podium on Wednesday.

Snyder picked up three lop-sided wins en route to his third Pan-Am Games titles. The Olympic champion scored technical superiority wins against Nishan RANDHAWA (CAN), Maxwell LACEY (CRC) and Arturo SILOT TORRES (CUB). Snyder’s blanked Randhawa and Lacey, but gave up a four-point throw against Silot Torres, winning the 97kg finals bout 14-4.

Snyder is now a three-time Pan-American Games gold medalists, winning it all in 2015, '19 and '23.

At 125kg, Mason PARRIS (USA) closed out his three-win day with a chippy 2-0 win over Jose DIAZ (VEN) in the 125kg finals. Parris, the reigning world bronze medalists, and Diaz traded heavy hands for the duration of six-minute bout, but it was ultimately Parris’ two-point first period that determined the match.

Zane RICHARDS (USA) rebounded after a tumultuous World Championships to take 57kg Pan-Am Games gold. Richards’ toughest bout came in the semifinals, where he defeated Darian CRUZ (PUR), 8-2. In addition to his win over the Puerto Rican, Cruz also tech falled Juan RAMIREZ (DOM) and Oscar TIGREROS (COL) on his way to winning gold.

Tyler BERGER (USA) kept the clean slate alive for the United States on Wednesday night after upending Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB, 3-0, in the 74kg finals. Berger scored a shot clock point before finishing a two-point attack with nine seconds left in the first period.

Thursday’s opening round matches begin at 10:00 (local time), with the bronze and gold-medal bouts begin at 16:00.

RESULTS:

57kg
GOLD - Zane RICHARDS (USA) df. Oscar TIGREROS (COL), 10-0
BRONZE - Darian CRUZ (PUR) df. Ramirez Beltre JUAN RUBELIN (DOM), via forfeit
BRONZE - Diversent Martinez OSMANY (CUB) df. Almendra HERNAN DAVID (ARG), via fall

74kg
GOLD - Tyler BERGER (USA) df. Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB), 3-0
BRONZE - Anthony Jose MONTERO CHIRINOS (VEN) df. Anthony VALENCIA (MEX), 7-2
BRONZE - Adam THOMSON (CAN) df. Luis BARRIOS ROCHEZ (HON), 6-5

97kg
GOLD - Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Arturo SILOT TORRES (CUB), 14-4
BRONZE - Nishan RANDHAWA (CAN) df. Maxwell LACEY (CRC), 7-6
BRONZE - Cristian SARCO (VEN) df. Matias URIBE (CHI), 10-0

125kg
GOLD - Mason PARRIS (USA) df. Jose DIAZ ROBERTTI (VEN), 2-0
BRONZE - Catriel MURIEL (ARG) df. Jonovan SMITH (PUR), 7-6
BRONZE - Aaron JOHNSON (JAM) df. Elison ADAMES (DOM), 5-1

2026 U23 European Championships

Eriomenco, Amirov Return to U23 European Finals

Friday, March 13, 2026 - 18:47 By Vinay Siwach

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ZRENJANIN, Serbia (March 13) -- World bronze medalist and returning champion Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) will try to defend his 63kg Greco-Roman title at U23 European Championships on Saturday.

Eriomenco reached the final in Zrenjanin, Serbia after a dominated performance on Friday, winning three bouts with little trouble. In the semifinals, Eriomenco blanked Rati KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO), 4-0.

But standing between him and a second straight gold medal is Dordzhi SHUNGURTSIKOV (RUS), bronze medalist at the 2025 U23 World Championships, in which Eriomenco won silver.

Shungurtsikov did not have a smooth passage to the final but managed to hold off Jan GAMELIUS (SWE), 4-3, in the semifinal. Both wrestlers scored one turn each when put in par terre but Shungurtsikov did it in the second period to hold 3-3 criteria lead. Sweden challenged the correct throw but lost which made the score 4-3.

Russia was the most successful country on Friday with four finalists. Apart from Shungurtsikov, Alibek AMIROV (RUS), Imam ALIEV (RUS) and Danil GRIGOREV (RUS) will also wrestle for gold.

Defending champion Alibek AMIROV (RUS) will look to repeat after he sailed through to the 55kg final and will take on Farid SADIKHLI (AZE). Amirov used a gut-wrench to beat Sercan KESGIN (TUR), 9-0, in the semifinal.

Sadikhli managed to turn Koba KARUMIDZE (GEO) and take a 3-3 criteria lead for scoring the last point and won with the same score.

Returning silver medalist at 87kg Vladimeri KARCHAIDZE (FRA) will look to win gold this time when he takes on Imam ALIEV (RUS) in the final. Karchaidze dominated the semifinal, winning 11-1 against Yassine BEN LABED (POL), who earlier defeated Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO).

Aliev faced tough challenge from Martin LJOSAAK (NOR) in the other semifinal and needed more than a few stepouts to win 13-7.

For Grigorev, the semifinal against U17 world champion Kiryl VALEUSKI (BLR) was a low scoring one as he won 3-0. Interestingly, there was no par terre in the second period of the bout.

He will face Samvel TERTERYAN (ARM) in the final after the Armenian held off former U17 world champion Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA), 1-1, winning the match on criteria of scoring first point.

At 130kg, U20 world and European champion Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) entered his first U23 European Championships final after a 6-0 shutout victory over Sebastian WARCHOL (POL) in the semifinal.

For the gold medal, Darabos will face Aramayis HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), a surprise finalist. He defeated Ivan YANKOVSKYI (UKR), 6-0, after two counter attacking takedowns. Yankovskyi was hit with a leg foul when defending during the second takedown.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Farid SADIKHLI (AZE) vs. Alibek AMIROV (RUS)

SF 1: Alibek AMIROV (RUS) df. Sercan KESGIN (TUR), 9-0
SF 2: Farid SADIKHLI (AZE) df. Koba KARUMIDZE (GEO), 3-3

63kg
GOLD: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) vs. Dordzhi SHUNGURTSIKOV (RUS)

SF 1: Dordzhi SHUNGURTSIKOV (RUS) df. Jan GAMELIUS (SWE), 4-3
SF 2: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) df. Rati KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO), 4-0

77kg
GOLD: Samvel TERTERYAN (ARM) vs. Danil GRIGOREV (RUS)

SF 1: Danil GRIGOREV (RUS) df. Kiryl VALEUSKI (BLR), 3-0
SF 2: Samvel TERTERYAN (ARM) df. Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA), 1-1

87kg
GOLD: Vladimeri KARCHAIDZE (FRA) vs. Imam ALIEV (RUS)

SF 1: Imam ALIEV (RUS) df. Martin LJOSAAK (NOR), 13-7
SF 2: Vladimeri KARCHAIDZE (FRA) df. Yassine BEN LABED (POL), 11-1

130kg
GOLD: Aramayis HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) vs. Laszlo DARABOS (HUN)

SF 1: Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) df. Sebastian WARCHOL (POL), 6-0
SF 2: Aramayis HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) df. Ivan YANKOVSKYI (UKR), 6-0