Granma y Cerro Pelado

United States, Cuba Trade Blows In Freestyle At Granma y Cerro Pelado

Thursday, February 22, 2018 - 00:05 By

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HAVANA, Cuba – Pan American rivals Cuba and the United States traded punches throughout the opening day of freestyle wrestling at the Granma y Cerro Pelado.

The two nations combined to have 13 wrestlers qualify for the finals, the United States with 7 and Cuba with 6. Four of tomorrow’s gold-medal matches will pit individuals from the United States and Cuba opposite one another.

Two-time bronze medalist at the World Championships Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) dazzled with a barrage of high-amplitude moves on his way to the 61 KG finals.

He opened with impressive wins over American foes Anthony RAMOS (USA) and Darius LITTLE (USA) before silencing last year’s Pan American champion Dabian Quintana (CUB), 7-4. Bonne Rodriguez will meet 2017 Dave Schultz Memorial International bronze medalist Cody BREWER (USA) for the title.

Alejandro VALDEZ TOBIER (CUB), bronze medal winner from last year’s World Championships in Paris, won both of his bouts by 10-0 scores to qualify for the 65 KG finals. Standing opposite the experience Cuban is international newcomer Robbie MATHERS (USA), who himself looked sharp with two technical superiority wins.

A pair of past Pan American champions will face off in the 70 KG gold-medal match. 2015 Pan American champion Jason CHAMBERLAIN (USA) and two-time Pan American champion Franklin MAREN (CUB) are the last two standing at this weight class.

The remaining United States versus Cuba final comes at 57 KG with 2014 Pan American champion Zach SANDERS (USA) taking on returning Cerro Pelado bronze medalist Alexei ALVARES (CUB).

Rio Olympics champion and two-time world champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) posted decisive shutout victories over Sean MOLLE (CAN) and Ceron FRANCISCO (USA) to sail to the 125 KG finals. Ben DURBIN (USA) earned the right to face Akgul tomorrow after upending returning Cerro Pelado champion Yudenny ALPAJON (CUB) in the semifinals, 4-2.

At 74 KG, London Olympic bronze medalist Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) looks to defend his Cerro Pelado title against 2017 Grand Prix of Paris bronze medalist Kubilay CAKICI (GER). Lopez Azcuy, who is a three-time medalist at the World Championships, won both of his bouts today by technical superiority.

The final Cuban in the gold-medal mix is two-time Pan American champion Yurieski TORREBLANCA (CUB) at 86 KG. Torreblanca escaped an 8-0 deficit in his opening contest by pinning Pedro CEBALLOS FUENTES (VEN). 2012 junior world champion Achmed DUDAROV (GER) is the final hurdle for Torreblanca.

U23 world bronze medalist Ty WALZ (USA) rode the momentum of a 12-2 victory over three-time world medalist Reineris SALAS (CUB) to the 97 KG finals. He will face fellow American Hayden ZILLMER (USA) in the finals. Zillmer won four international medals in 2017, but they all came in the Greco-Roman style.  

2017 Ion Corneau champion Gabriel STARK (GER) will battle Husseyin GUNDUZ (TUR) in the final round of the 92 KG round-robin bracket with the winner earning gold.

The Granma y Cerro Pelado tournament will conclude tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. local time with the freestyle wrestling finals. Complete results and a live stream of the event can be found at unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS: http://uww.io/4gTea

MEDAL MATCHES

57 KG

Gold: Zach SANDERS (USA) vs. Alexei ALVARES (CUB)

Bronze: Aso PALANI (CAN) vs. Eddie KLIMARA (USA)

Bronze: Pedro MEJIAS (VEN) vs. Joey DANCE (USA)

61 KG

Gold: Cody BREWER (USA) vs. Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB)

Bronze: Anthony RAMOS (USA) vs. Dabian QUINTANA (CUB)

Bronze: Johnni DIJULIUS (USA) vs. Shelton MACK (USA)

65 KG

Gold: Alejandro VALDEZ TOBIER (CUB) vs. Robbie MATHERS (USA)

Bronze: Brandon DIAZ (MEX) vs. Lazaro CARBONEL (CUB)

Bronze: Dillon WILLIAMS (CAN) vs. Anthony ABIDIN (USA)

70 KG

Gold: Jason CHAMBERLAIN (USA) vs. Franklin MAREN (USA)

Bronze: Mario MASON (USA) vs. Hunter STIEBER (USA)

Bronze: Kevin HENKEL (GER) vs. Luis ROCHEZ (HON)

74 KG

Gold: Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) vs. Kubilay CAKICI (GER)

Bronze: Jean PERALTA (CHI) vs. Yoan SULEUETA (CUB)

Bronze: Nestor TAFUR (COL) vs. Jevon BALFOUR (CAN)

86 KG

Gold: Achmed DUDAROV (GER) vs. Yurieski TORREBLANCA (CUB)

Bronze: Pedro CEBALLOS FUENTES (VEN) vs. Martin OBST (GER)

92 KG

Gold: Gabriel STARK (GER) vs. Husseyin GUNDUZ (TUR)

97 KG

Gold: Hayden ZILLMER (USA) vs. Ty WALZ (USA)

Bronze: Erik THIELE (GER) vs. Nathan BURAK (USA)

125 KG

Gold: Taha AKGUL (TUR) vs. Ben DURBIN (USA)

Bronze: Luis VIVEWEZ (VEN) vs. Yudenny ALPAJON (CUB)

Bronze: Sean MOLLE (CAN) vs. Ceron FRANCISCO (USA)

#WrestleTirana

European Championships 2026 Day 4 Women's Wrestling Highlights

Thursday, April 23, 2026 - 08:06 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (April 23) -- The fourth day of the European Championships will see five Women's Wrestling weight classes -- 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 65kg, 72kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | SADULAEV's RETURN TO EUROPEANS

UWW Plus

12:30: Buse TOSUN (TUR) in a tangle against U23 European champion Viktoryia RADZKOVA (UWW) but she comes out on top and then pins her way to the 72kg quarterfinals.

12:20: Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) laces Iris Mathilde THIEBAUX (FRA) and finishes her 65kg quarterfinals 10-0 and in quick time.

12:15: Defending champion Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) begins with a technical superiority win over Annika WENDLE (GER). She won the gold medal at 53kg last year, on her 14th attempt at the European Championships.

12:05: Jonna MALMGREN (SWE), who lost the 2024 European final to Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (UWW), falls to her again, this time 12-5 at 53kg. Kaladzinskaya counter an attack from Malmgren to open the scoring and exposure points gave her a 4-0 lead. Sweden's lost challenge made it 5-0. Malmgren got on a couple of attacks but Kaladzinskaya hit a headlock throw for four which gave her a 9-3 lead. A lot of scramble in the bout but it was always Kaladzinskaya who finished them and Malmgren only got a clean takedown at the end, too little too late.

11:55: Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR) ends the fairytale of Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP) at 53kg with a fall. Yefremova now reaches the semifinals.

11:35: Magdalena GLODEK (POL) with a counter body throw against Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) and then keeps her on the mat for a fall. Vynnyk is left stunned.

11:25: Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP) stuns Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) at 53kg! The Spain wrestler, first from the country to ever reach a World Championships final, got on a single leg attack in the second period and then arched Yetgil on the mat. Yetgil fouled with hands in Soler's face but she couldn't avoid the fall.

11:22: Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR), returning to competition after two years, starts her senior debut with a 5-1 victory over Natalia MALYSHEVA (UWW) at 53kg.

11:15: Grace BULLEN (NOR), returning champion at 65kg but now down at 62kg, starts slow against Ameline DOUARRE (FRA) but manages to complete a technical superiority 10-0 victory.

11:10: Johanna LINDBORG (SWE), the returning silver medalist at 62kg, starts off with a clinical 10-0 win over Amina CAPEZAN (ROU). She hit a beautiful four-pointer to start the bout before scoring via three different takedowns.

10:55: High-scoring affair at 57kg between Aryna DZEMCHANKA MARTYNAVA (UWW) and Aleksandra SKIRENKO (UWW). Martynava opened with a huge double for four before Skirenko caught a leg attack to score two. In the second period, Martynava countered Skirenko, slamming her on the mat for two points to extend her lead to 6-2. Skirenko got two points after winning a challenge as she had blocked a headlock throw from Martynava. As the bout resumed in par terre, Martynava escaped and score counter exposure for two points before giving up a counter herself as well. Martynanva, leading 8-6, was driven by Skirenko towards the zone and she thought she had a stepout but Martynava circled back and both wrestled scored exposure points, giving Martynava a 10-8 lead. Skirenko challenged for fleeing at the end but lost it which added another point to Martynava who won 11-8

10:45: Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) blanks Iulia LEORDA (MDA), 7-0, in their opening bout at 57kg. Vynnyk blocks an arm throw from Leorda to score a takedown during Leorda's activity time to lead 3-0. She uses a lace turn to go up 5-0. The final takedown came in the last 10 seconds which gave her the win.

10:30: Five more Women's Wrestling weight classes in action at the European Championships on Thursday.