#WrestleSantiago

WATCH LIVE: 2023 Pan-American Games, Day Three

Friday, November 3, 2023 - 12:52 By Eric Olanowski

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SANTIAGO, Chile (November 3) --- Paris Olympians Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) and Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) headline the entries for the five weights--WW 53kg, WW 62kg WW 76kg, GR 60kg and GR 77kg--that’ll take the mat on the third day of the Pan-American Games.

Yepez and Renteria are both on a quest to become their nation’s second-ever Pan-Am Games gold medalists.

Yepez, who qualified for the Paris Olympic Games through her bronze-medal finish at the 2023 World Championships, is the unquestionable favorite to win gold at 53kg. This season, Yepez medaled in six consecutive events, including gold medals at the Pan-American Championships, the Egypt Ranking Series event and the Poland Open.

Yepez lucked out with her draw, as she is on the opposite side of the bracket as the three other 2023 Pan-American Championship medalists--Betzabeth ARGUELLO (VEN) and Karla ACOSTA (MEX).

Renteria, a 2023 world bronze medalist and Paris Olympic qualifier, is trying to become the first Colombian woman to win a Pan-Am Games gold medal since 2007. To erase that drought, Renteria must get past Kyle WELKER (USA), a two-time age-group world medalist, in the semifinals. If she gets past Welker, it’ll likely set up a Pan-Ams finals rematch with reigning champion Milaimy MARÍN (CUB).

The final women’s wrestling weight we’ll see on Friday is 62kg.

Without reigning Pan-American champion Karla GODINEZ (CAN), two-time world runner-up Kayla MIRACLE (USA) becomes the targeted favorite. Miracle’s biggest test will come in the semifinals, where she’ll face the winner of 2023 Pan-American finalist Nathaly GRIMAN (VEN) and ten-time Pan-American medalist Lais NUNES (BRA)

On the Greco-Roman side of the competition, fans will see 60kg and 77kg on Friday.

In the 60kg brackets, Pan-Am silver medalist Jeremy PERALTA (ECU) sits comfortably on the top side, opposite Raiber RODRIGUEZ (VEN) and Kevin DE ARMAS (CUB), who were both Pan-American bronze medalists this season.

The biggest storyline to follow at 77kg is the quarterfinal meeting between Kamal BEY (USA) and Yosvanys PEÑA FLORES (CUB). The last time these two met, Bey defeated Pena to win Pan-Am gold.

Wuileixis RIVAS (VEN) and Jair CUERO (COL), who were bronze medalists at this year’s Pan-American Championships, sit on the bottom side of the bracket and could meet in the semifinals if they remain unbeaten.

Everything you need to know:
- Watch Friday’s action: Women’s wrestling 53kg, 62kg and 76kg // Greco-Roman: 60kg and 77kg
- 2023 Pan-American Games brackets
- Upcoming bout order

#BeachWrestling

Youth Olympic quotas in focus as Katerini hosts U17, U20 BW Worlds

Wednesday, September 24, 2025 - 08:47 By United World Wrestling Press

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KATERINI, Greece (September 23) -- Thirty countries, close to 300 wrestlers, a global glory and a Youth Olympic dream.

Over two days this week, on September 25 and 26, the world’s best age-group beach wrestlers descend upon the scenic Katerini Beach, where the sun sets behind the imposing Mount Olympus. In this postcard-perfect surroundings, they will hope to write their scripts at the U17 and U20 World Championships.

The tournament will be live on the YouTube channel of United World Wrestling's Beach Wrestling channel.

The championships will be taken into consideration for quotas for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games qualifier, adding another layer of significance to the U17 event.

United World Wrestling has received a request for quotas from more than 100 National Olympic Committees with a total of 300 male and 269 female wrestlers. Currently, there are 48 quotas per gender. In this context, the World Championships in Katerini will add excitement to the race for the Youth Olympic Games, scheduled to be held in Dakar.

The U17 and U20 World Championships will be held across eight weight classes each in men’s and women’s categories. Last year, Ukraine and the United States reigned supreme in the men’s and women’s events, respectively, of the U17 World Championships. This year, too, they will be among the favorites to lift the team titles.

Once again, this year, Ukraine has entered a jumbo team with eight wrestlers in the U17 men’s competition. Only hosts Greece (12), Georgia (11), and Moldova (9) have a contingent bigger than theirs. On the women’s side, the USA has fielded the largest delegation among the 24 teams, with 9 wrestlers. In Beach Wrestling, a country can register a maximum of 3 athletes per weight category.

It won’t be so straightforward for both teams to retain their titles, with challengers emerging from other nations, particularly hosts Greece, who would hope to put on a good show in front of their home crowd. Romania, Moldova, Georgia and Iran will remain strong contenders despite Ukraine's legacy in the competition, especially the women's.

Earlier this month, the U15, U17 and U20 African Beach Wrestling Championships were held in Casablanca, where Algeria bagged the U17 men’s and women’s titles. The serene Ain Diab beach in the Moroccan capital hosted the age-group tournaments before the Beach Wrestling World Series, marking the first time the event was held in an African city.

Soon after the U17 and U20 Beach World Championships, the Katerini Beach will host the World Series on September 27 and 28. The penultimate stop of the event is set to be the biggest of the 2025 season so far in terms of participation. There have been a record number of entries, underlining the sport’s continued global growth.

The World Series will return to Africa in October for its final instalment of this season, when the tournament will be held in Alexandria, Egypt, on October 18 and 19.