#WrestleBuenosAires

Ecuador Sends Three to Women’s Freestyle Finals at #WrestleBuenosAires

Saturday, April 20, 2019 - 17:57 By Taylor Miller

Share this article

Pictured is Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU). Photo by Lucia Cruz.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – The Ecuador women’s freestyle team put together an impressive session on Saturday morning at the 2019 Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, sending three wrestlers to the finals.

The last time Ecuador had three Pan Am women’s freestyle finalists was in 2014 in Mexico City, where all three were champions.

2011 Junior World bronze medalist Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU) will face 2018 Senior World silver medalist and returning Pan American champion Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) in the 53 kg finals.

Valverde is a six-time Senior Pan American medalist, winning gold in 2014.

To get to the finals, Hildebrandt took out 2018 World bronze medalist Diana WEICKER (CAN).

At 57 kg, Lissette ANTES CASTILLO (ECU) dominated her way to the finals, scoring a 9-0 decision and a fall to earn a chance to wrestle for gold.

Tonight, she will take on 2018 Junior Pan American champion Hannah TAYLOR (CAN).

Photo: Adeline GRAY (USA) against Erica WEIBE (CAN). Photo by Lucia Cruz.

The third wrestler from Ecuador representing in the finals is Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) at 76 kg. She will take on four-time World champion Adeline GRAY (USA) for gold.

En route to the finals, Gray defeated 2016 Olympic champion Erica WEIBE (CAN) in the quarterfinals, 10-0.

In addition to Hildebrandt and Gray, there are three other Americans in the women’s freestyle finals, including 2018 Senior World bronze medalists Mallory VELTE and Tamyra MENSAH-STOCK and three-time Junior World medalist Erin GOLSTON.

Velte will face Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) in the 62 kg gold-medal bout. Velte defeated Nunes in the 2018 World bronze-medal match, 2-1, in October.

To advance to the finals, Nunes knocked off 2018 Pan American champion Yaquelin ESTORNELL ELIZASTIGUE (CUB), 15-7.

Waiting for Mensah-Stock on the other side of the 68 kg bracket is 2018 U23 World champion Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB).

Mensah-Stock defeated Sanchez in the 2018 World Championships in an early round.

For 50 kg gold, Golston will take on 2016 Junior Pan Am champion Yusneylys GUZMAN LOPEZ (CUB).

Men’s freestyle also began today with round-robin brackets at 79 kg and 92 kg. Champions will be crowned tonight.

The medal matches will begin at 5 p.m. local time (4 p.m. EST) live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Finals pairings

Women’s freestyle

50 kg
GOLD - Yusneylys GUZMAN LOPEZ (CUB) vs. Erin GOLSTON (USA)
BRONZE - Jacqueline MOLLOCANA ELENO (ECU) vs. Thalia MALLQUI PECHE (PER)
BRONZE - Patricia BERMUDEZ (ARG) vs. Mariana DIAZ MUNOZ (MEX)

53 kg
GOLD - Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU) vs. Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA)
BRONZE - Carolina CASTILLO HIDALGO (COL) vs. Diana WEICKER (CAN)
BRONZE - Justina BENITES VASQUEZ (PER) vs. Lilianet DUANES ANDRES (CUB)

57 kg
GOLD - Hannah TAYLOR (CAN) vs. Lissette ANTES CASTILLO (ECU)
BRONZE - Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) vs. Yessica OVIEDO PEREZ (DOM)
BRONZE - Betzabeth SARCO COLMENAREZ (VEN) vs. Nes RODRIGUEZ TIRADO (PUR)

62 kg
GOLD - Mallory VELTE (USA) vs. Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA)
BRONZE - Nathaly GRIMAN HERRERA (VEN) vs. Yaquelin ESTORNELL ELIZASTIGUE (CUB)
BRONZE - Abnelis YAMBO MIRANDA (PUR) vs. Mayra ANTES CASTILLO (ECU)

68 kg
GOLD - Tamyra MENSAH (USA) vs. Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB)
BRONZE - Yanet SOVERO NINO (PER) vs. Olivia DI BACCO (CAN)
BRONZE - Andrimar LAZARO DIAZ (VEN) vs. Ambar GARNICA FLORES (MEX)

76 kg
GOLD - Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) vs. Adeline GRAY (USA)
BRONZE - Erica WIEBE (CAN) vs. Mabelkis CAPOTE PEREZ (CUB)
BRONZE - Diana CRUZ ARROYO (PER) vs. Gabriela CANALES HERRERA (MEX)

Men’s freestyle

79 kg – round three matches
Francisco GUZMAN VELAZQUEZ (PUR) vs. Chandler ROGERS (USA)
Santiago MARTINEZ RESTREPO (COL) vs. Jasmit Singh PHULKA (CAN)

92 kg – round three matches
J'den COX (USA) vs. Diego RAMIREZ FLORENTIN (PAR)

#WrestleTirana

European Championships 2026 Day 3: Women's Wrestling Highlights

Wednesday, April 22, 2026 - 08:27 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

TIRANA, Albania (April 22) -- After two days of intense Greco-Roman action, the European Championships will shift to Women's Wrestling with five weight classes - 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg and 76kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | Women's Wrestling Preview

https://link.uww.org/UWWPlus

12:40: Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA), leading her 50kg quarterfinal, 9-3 with 45 seconds left in the match against Emilia GRIGORE VUC (ROU), suffers a 19-9 loss. Vuc scores a takedown to cut the lead to 9-5. She then trips Liuzzi for another takedown for two points and then turns her six times to finish the bout.

12:25: Oksana LIVACH (UKR), the defending champion at 50kg and wrestling first time in quarterfinals, uses a strong gut-wrench to beat Svenja JUNGO (SUI), 12-1, and advance to the semifinals.

12:05: Martina KUENZ (AUT), chasing her first European title, with a flurry of quick action and she finishes her quarterfinal against Elmira YASIN (TUR), 10-0. Big step towards winning the gold medal.

11:55: Defending champion at 76kg Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) does not let Valeriia TRIFONOVA (UWW) settle in their 76kg quarterfinal. She scores two takedowns to lead 4-0 before a flurry of stepouts. She finishes the match with a takedown on edge, 10-0.

11:45: Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW) gets her second win of the tournament as she uses a gut-wrenches to beat Noemi SZABADOS (HUN) 10-0 and advance to the semifinals at 68kg.

11:40: Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW), the defending champion at 55kg, goes down to U23 world silver medalist Tuba DEMIR (TUR) in the quarterfinals. Demir pushed the pace of the match and led 8-0. As Verbina was working on a takedown, Demir scored a counter exposure but Verbina quickly turned it around and made it 10-2 to avoid a technical superiority. Verbina challenged the first exposure but lost which made the score 11-2. A takedown and turn cut the lead to 11-6 but Demir managed another takedown at the end to win 13-6, downing the defending champion

11:30: Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) works up an 8-0 victory over Veronika KONSEVICH (MKD) at 55kg. Malanchuk used four different takedowns to score her points.

11:25: Martina KUENZ (AUT), the returning bronze medalist at 76kg, opens the second period with a big throw and then holds Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (UWW) on the mat to secure the fall.

11:15: Tindra SJOEBERG (SWE) secures a fall over Daniela BRASNAROVA (BUL) in just 27 seconds at 68kg.

11:05: U23 world silver medalist and returning bronze Valeriia TRIFONOVA (UWW) takes her time but she works on an 11-0 victory over Fanni NAGY NAD (SRB) and advance to the quarterfinals at 76kg.

10:55: First match at 68kg and defending champion Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW) faces Karolina DOMASZUK (POL). Shauchuk, who recently won the U23 European title as well, starts off with a 10-0 technical superiority win.