#WrestleOttawa

Arthur Wins First Pan Am Title for Jamaica, Three From USA Win Gold in Women’s Freestyle

Monday, March 9, 2020 - 02:34 By Taylor GREGORIO

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Tony Rotundo

Photo of Angus ARTHUR (JAM) by Tony Rotundo. 

OTTAWA, Canada – Angus ARTHUR (JAM) made history on Sunday, becoming the first wrestler from Jamaica to win a Pan American Championships gold medal, winning the 92 kg men’s freestyle weight class.

Two men’s freestyle weights—79 kg and 92 kg—were contested on Sunday, with the other eight scheduled for Monday.

While there were only two people registered at 92 kg, Arthur impressed in his finals match, dominating Maxwell LACEY GARITA (CRC), 13-1, using high-powered offense to snag the gold.

The other men’s freestyle gold medal went to Jason NOLF (USA), who went 2-0 in round-robin action. He began the day with a 10-0 tech fall over Guseyn RUSLANZADA (CAN), and won his second bout by injury default against Victor HERNANDEZ LUNA (MEX).

Photo: the medalists at 76 kg. By Tony Rotundo.

The women’s freestyle action wrapped up in Ottawa, with the United States emerging victorious in three of the day’s six weight classes.

2019 World champion Tamyra MENSAH-STOCK (USA) won her second-straight continental title at 68 kg. Mensah-Stock was also a 2019 Pan American Games champion.

For the second year in a row, she had to defeat 2018 U23 World champion Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB). This time, Mensah-Stock went up 6-0 in the second period before getting the pin in 4:46.

Because she won all four of matches by either tech fall or pin, Mensah-Stock was awarded the Outstanding Wrestler award.

At 62 kg, Mallory VELTE (USA) avenged her loss from last year’s Pan Am finals, taking out Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA). Velte scored a four-point throw in the first period that gave her a lead that was too big to overcome, and she won the bout 6-2.

Victoria ANTHONY (USA) won her third Pan American title with a solid performance at 50 kg.

Though she won her finals by injury default over Carolina CASTILLO HIDALGO (COL), Anthony was dominant in the first half of the day, winning both of her matches with 10-0 technical falls.  

Anthony also won Pan Am golds in 2014 and 2017.

Photo of Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU) by Tony Rotundo. 

Thanks to its three individual titles, the United States won the team race with 152 points, edging out Canada’s 141 points.

Other countries winning titles in women’s freestyle were Ecuador, Brazil and Canada.

Entering this week with six Pan Am medals, Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU) finally earned her first Pan Am gold medal, winning the 53 kg bracket.

Wrestling in a five-person round-robin, Valverde went a perfect 4-0 on the day, defeating all of her opponents by either technical fall or pin.

In her last bout, Valverde dominated Zeltzin HERNANDEZ GUERRA (MEX), 10-0, in less than two minutes to secure the title.

In the 57 kg finals, Giullia RODRIGUES PENALBER DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) defeated Hannah TAYLOR (CAN) by fall in the final seconds of the bout. Rodrigues led on criteria 1-1 with 25 seconds left. She hit a four-pointer to put Taylor to her back and earned the fall in 5:47.

A three-time Pan Am finalist, this marks Rodrigues’ first continental title.

2018 World champion Justina DI STASIO (CAN) took the crown at 76 kg, with an injury default victory over Adeline GRAY (USA) in the finals.

Di Stasio had an impressive road to the gold-medal bout as she scored a last-second four-point takedown against 2019 Junior and U23 World champion Milaimys de la Caridad MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) to win 5-2 in the first round, and outlasted 2014 Senior World silver medalist Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA), 5-2.

Six athletes that won medals were funded by United World Wrestling Development Technical Assistance program, including Arthur, Lacey, da Silva, Nunes, Valverde and Maria ACOSTA ACOSTA (VEN). 

The Pan American Championships will conclude on Monday with the final eight men’s freestyle weight classes scheduled to be contested.

Women’s freestyle team standings
1. United States – 152
2. Canada – 141
3. Brazil – 103
4. Ecuador – 66
5. Venezuela – 62
6. Cuba – 53
7. Colombia – 51
8. Mexico – 46
9. Peru – 35
10. Puerto Rico – 20

Women’s freestyle results

50 kg
GOLD – Victoria ANTHONY (USA) df. Carolina CASTILLO HIDALGO (COL),injury default
BRONZE - Kamila BARBOSA VITO DA SILVA (BRA) df. Genesis MILANO OLIVIO (VEN), 7-4
BRONZE - Jacqueline MOLLOCANA ELENO (ECU) df. Thalia MALLQUI PECHE (PER), 2-1

53 kg
GOLD - Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU)
SILVER - Jade PARSONS (CAN)
BRONZE– Lianna de la Caridad MONTERO HERRERA (CUB)

57 kg
GOLD – Giullia RODRIGUES PENALBER DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) df. Hannah TAYLOR (CAN), fall
BRONZE – Betzabeth SARCO COLMENAREZ (VEN) win by injury default

62 kg
GOLD - Mallory VELTE (USA) df. Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA), 6-2
BRONZE– Nathaly GRIMAN HERRERA (VEN) df. Jessica BROUILLETTE (CAN), 5-4

68 kg
GOLD - Tamyra MENSAH-STOCK (USA) df. Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB), fall
BRONZE– Maria Jose ACOSTA ACOSTA (VEN) df. Luz VAZQUEZ (ARG), 11-0
BRONZE – Olivia DI BACCO (CAN) df. Ambar GARNICA FLORES (MEX), 11-2

76 kg
GOLD - Justina DI STASTIO (CAN) df. Adeline GRAY (USA), injury default
BRONZE – Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA) df. Milaimys de la Caridad MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), fall
BRONZE – Andrea OLAYA GUTIERREZ (COL) df. Andrimar LAZARO DIAZ (VEN), 8-0

Men’s freestyle

79 kg
GOLD – Jason NOLF (USA)
SILVER- Guseyn RUSLANZADA (CAN)
BRONZE – Victor HERNANDEZ LUNA (MEX)

92 kg
GOLD – Angus ARTHUR (JAM)
SILVER - Maxwell LACEY GARITA (CRC)

#WrestleAlexandria

Olympians gear up for African & Oceania qualifiers for Paris 2024

Tuesday, March 19, 2024 - 09:58 By Vinay Siwach

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ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (March 19) -- Wrestlers from two continents will battle on the mat for 18 Paris Olympic spots at the African & Oceania OG Qualifiers in Alexandria on March 22-24.

All eyes will be on Tokyo Olympic medalists Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) at 68kg in Women's Wrestling and Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY) at 67kg in Greco-Roman. The two failed to earn a Paris quota at the World Championships in September but will be the favorite to claim the spot in Alexandria.

The tournament will follow a bracket system and two winners of the semifinals will earn the Paris spot. There will be no gold medal bouts and repechage.

Oborududu won the African Championships on Monday in dominating fashion and has the best chance to qualify. Samah ABDELLATIF (EGY), Tayla FORD (NZL) and African medalist Khadija JLASSI (TUN) will try to stop her and earn a quota for themselves.

For Elsayed, Ishak GHAIOU (ALG) will be the biggest test as he will be randomly drawn in the 67kg bracket. Japan-born Gaku AKAZAWA (SAM) will be seeded number two and cannot face Elsayed.

In other Women's Wrestling weight classes, African champion Mercy GENESIS (NGR) will be primed to win the semifinal at 50kg. Traditional powerhouses in Africa Egypt and Tunisia will be represented by Nada MOHAMED (EGY) and Nourhene HEDHLI (TUN) respectively.

At 53kgm Nigeria will see Christianah OGUNSANYA (NGR) going for the Paris spot. She won the African Championships gold medal on Monday but the addition of Oceania wrestlers can make things interesting. 

Jessica LAVERS MCBAIN (AUS) will be at 53kg for Australia while Guam has Mia AQUINO (GUM). Shaimaa MOHAMED (EGY) and Lobna ICHAOUI (TUN) will also look to win as well.

Nigeria already has won the quota at 57kg through world bronze medalist Odunayo ADEKOUROYE (NGR), leaving others to earn a Paris spot. Irene SYMEONIDIS (AUS), Natacha NABAINA (CMR), Louji YASSIN (EGY), Rckaela AQUINO (GUM) and Faten HAMMAMI (TUN) will have to fight it out for the two spots.

Marwa AMRI (TUN) usually locked the 62kg for Tunisia but the now-retired wrestler will be coaching Siwar BOUSETA (TUN) as she tries to fill the shoes. Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR) will be a big test for everyone in this weight class as she won the African Championships.

Two-time world medalist Samar HAMZA (EGY) will be looking for a second trip to the Olympics if she can win the 76kg spot in front of the home crowd. It could go three-way as African silver medalist Hannah RUEBEN (NGR) and now African champion Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN) are also entered.

Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY)Tokyo bronze medalist Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY) is the favorite at 67kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan) 

Greco-Roman

Tokyo Olympian Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG) will be tested by Moamen MOHAMED (EGY) and Mohamed HKIRI (TUN) as the three look to win the two spots available at 60kg in Greco-Roman.

Egypt and Algeria usually dominate Greco-Roman in Africa which will add pressure on Abd OUAKALI (ALG) and Mahmoud ABDELRAHMAN (EGY) who will be the favorite to win the Paris spot at 77kg. Sheng ZHANG (AUS) will be representing Australia.

Two Tokyo Olympians will have a chance to earn another trip to the Olympics as Bachir SID AZARA (ALG) and Mohamed METWALLY (EGY) gear up for a battle in 87kg. Both skipped the African Championships to prepare for the qualifiers.

At 97kg, Fadi ROUABAH (ALG), Mohamed GABR (EGY) and Mohamed MISSAOUI (TUN) have the best chance to win a spot while top seed Maulalo ALOFIPO (SAM) will look to get one through as only six wrestlers are entered in the weight category.

As Egypt already has a quota at 130kg, four wrestlers will battle for the two quotas in this weight class. Hemza HALOUI (ALG), Oussama ASSAD (MAR), Marcus CARNEY (NZL) and Tokyo Olympian Amine GUENNICHI (TUN) will face each other in a round-robin format to decide the two spots.

Amr REDA (EGY)Amr REDA (EGY) will look to repeat as an Olympian. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

Freestyle

Egypt will hope to get all six Freestyle spots for Paris as it fields a strong team. Tokyo Olympian Amr REDA (EGY), backed by the home crowd in Alexandria, has his eyes set on the Paris spot in the 74kg weight class. Reda has proved on several occasions that he is a notch up the field in Africa. However, Bacar NDUM (GBS), a former African Championships silver medalist, will hope to get a spot even if he falls in the same bracket as Reda.

At 57kg, African champion Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS) will be the favorite to win the spot along with Tokyo Olympian Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG). Gamal MOHAMED (EGY), Thomas SANTIAGO (GUM) and Suraj SINGH (NZL) will also fancy their chance to win a Paris spot.

Oceania Championships silver medalist Ethan AGUIGUI (GUM) pulled out of the qualifiers at 65kg. But Oceania champion Georgii OKOROKOV (AUS) will be a huge favorite to earn a quota. Omar MOURAD (EGY), Gaku AKAZAWA (SAM), who is also competing in Greco-Roman, and Sylvio DIATTA (SEN) can prove to be dark horses.

Australia can have a second Olympian from Alexandria if Jayden LAWRENCE (AUS) can bring out his best performance and earn a spot at 86kg. He also needs Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG) to fall on the other side of the bracket.

Tokyo Olympian and African champion Benferdjallah has dominated the weight class in Africa and will look to earn a Paris quota for himself. Other names include Ahmed MAHMOUD (EGY) and Imed KADDIDI (TUN).

Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN) was in Tokyo and has a chance to be in Paris if he can earn a quota at 97kg in Alexandria. It will be a similar case for South Africa as former African silver medalist Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA) hopes to win a quota.

Wali KEBIR (ALG), Mostafa ELDERS (EGY) and Anas SAMIR (MAR) will also hope to finish in the top two to earn a ticket.

The two wrestlers who won the 125kg quotas for Tokyo from continental qualifiers are back at it. Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY) and Hamza RAHMANI (TUN) will be the favorite to win the two spots again.