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

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)

#JapanWrestling

Ozaki denies Onishi in 62kg semis, sets up clash with Motoki

Saturday, December 20, 2025 - 08:01 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (December 20) -- Nonoka OZAKI gave Sakura ONISHI a less-than-cordial welcome to the women’s 62kg weight class.

Ozaki, a two-time former world champion who has hit a wall of late amid Japan’s incredible depth in women’s wrestling, defeated world 59kg champion Onishi 4-1 in the semifinals at 62kg at the Emperor’s Cup All-Japan Championships on Saturday.

That earned Ozaki yet another shot at reigning world and Olympic champion Sakura MOTOKI, who advanced with an 8-2 victory over Yuzuka INAGAKI.

The Olympic weight classes are being contested over two days, and organizers saved a bevy of world and Olympic champions and medalists for the third day of the four-day tournament at Tokyo’s Komazawa Gym.

In other semifinals, a clash of champions from this year’s World Championships in Zagreb was set up at freestyle 74kg, in which reigning champion Kota TAKAHASHI will square off with Yoshinosuke AOYAGI, the victor at 70kg who has moved up to the Olympic division.

Takahashi easily disposed of Toki OGAWA by 11-0 technical fall, while Aoyagi posted a 7-1 victory over Hikaru TAKATA.

Meanwhile, Paris Olympic champions Akari FUJINAMI, Kotaro KIYOOKA and Nao KUSAKA all advanced to their respective finals with varying degrees of ease or difficulty, along with Paris bronze medalist Yui SUSAKI.

Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) Nonoka OZAKI will wrestle Sakura MOTOKI in the 62kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Ozaki had been forced to watch the World Championships from the sidelines after losing out Motoki at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships, which, along with Emperor’s Cup, serves as a domestic qualifier for major international competitions.

The last thing Ozaki needed was another interloper in the weight class, and she determinedly fended off the challenge from the 19-year-old Onishi.

“It was my first time facing her,” Ozaki said. “She’s a young, upcoming wrestler who hasn’t yet experienced the Olympics, just like I had been. But this is not a weight class that can be taken lightly.”

After giving up an activity point, Ozaki scored a late takedown in the first period, then added another in the second to earn a spot in Sunday’s final.

“There are many videos of her out there that I have watched, so I had an image of how she wrestles in mind,” Ozaki said. “I had to think of what form my wrestling should take.”

Asked if she has come up with a strategy to handle Motoki, Ozaki said, “I’ve faced her twice now, and I watched her at the World Championships. There is a ‘Motoki way’ of wrestling, and that’s implanted in my mind.”

Takara SUDA (JPN) Takara SUDA, left, works for a takedown in the first period against Kaisei TANABE during their 65kg semifinal. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Suda spoils Tanabe’s bid for two-style double

The stacked freestyle 65kg division saw the match of the day, in which Takara SUDA spoiled Kaisei TANABE’s bid for a historic Greco-freestyle title double with dramatic last-second takedown in their semifinal.

Suda had taken the lead with a takedown with 1:10 left, only to see Tanabe come back with a takedown of his own with five seconds left. But Suda shot for all he’s
worth and managed to score in time for a 5-4 victory.

“There was still five seconds left and I just kept calm,” Suda said. “I thought if I kept cool, I could score.”

Tanabe had won the Greco 63kg gold on Thursday, and was aiming to become the first to double in two styles at the same tournament since 1973.

“I had lost to him twice before, both by technical fall,” Suda said. “This time I just wanted to avoid losing by technical fall. But those matches were two years ago, and I think I’ve gotten better over these two years.”

Suda’s victory earns him a shot at Paris gold medalist Kiyooka, who managed to hold on for a 3-2 victory over Kaiji OGINO that ended with a wild scramble in
the final 15 seconds.

“He’s an opponent on another level,” Suda said of Kiyooka. “I’ll have to keep moving and give everything I got."

Yui SUSAKI (JPN) Yui SUSAKI throws Mako ONO en route to a technical fall in their 50kg semifinal. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Susaki stormed into the women’s 50kg final with three straight technical falls without surrendering a point, the last one a 10-0 rout of Mako ONO. In the final, she will face world U23 53kg champion Haruna MORIKAWA.

Susaki’s path to a fourth national title and first since 2022 was made slightly easier by the absence of rival Remina YOSHIMOTO and the late withdrawal of
Umi ITO.

Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) Akari FUJINAMI, left, squares off with Sara NATAMI in the 57kg semifinals. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Fujinami, the Paris champion at 53kg, continued her transition to 57kg with solid victories, although with all of her points being scored from her feet, save
for an activity point.

In the semifinal, she built up a 7-0 lead over defending champion Sara NATAMI before her opponent twice countered single-leg attempts to score exposures, leaving Fujinami with a 7-4 victory. She will face Himeka TOKUHARA in the final.

Kusaka was clearly the most dominant of the Olympians on the day, winning his two matches by 11-0 scores -- both topped off with 4-point throws. He will face
Isami HORIKITA in the final.

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

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Ozaki denies Onishi in 62kg semis, sets up clash with Motoki