#BeachWrestlingWorldSeries

Beach Wrestling World Series returns with 4-Stop Strong Season in All-New Locations in '21

By Katrin Strobl

After a successful launch in 2019, the World Series is back for a spectacular 2021 season with the best beach wrestlers taking to the sand between July and September.

22 months since the coronation of the 2019 kings and queens of the beach in Croatia,  the Beach Wrestling World Series returns to appealing locations across Europe with more athletes and more nationalities than ever before. During the four events both women and men will take part in United World Wrestling’s fastest growing discipline and will define who is the best on the beach. Kicking off on the French Riviera in July, the reigning champions across all four weight categories will try and defend their titles until the Finale at Romania’s Black Sea in late September.

High flying action, frequent throws and a lot of athleticism will be on display throughout the season - the Beach Wrestling World Series and its recurring stars from four different weight categories will continue to earn the applause from spectators and gain international interest as the sport returns to the rings on the beach.

Four well-levelled weight categories, women and men on top of their sport and a cash prize - voted by fans for the ‘big move award’ are only some of the attractive aspects of this emerging discipline. With a three-rule and a three minute per fight format, the beach version of one of the world’s oldest sports appeals to a broader, younger and lifestyle-focused audience.

In 2021 the Beach Wrestling World Series begins in Saint Laurent du Var, which neighbours the city of Nice, on the French Riviera in mid-July. Landsberg Beach is the venue for the first clash of the beach wrestling elite after a forced 22-months hiatus.

Shifting focus during the summer from Olympic styles, the beach will be calling loud in September with three events in a row. On back-to-back weekends, the World Series will take an Italian turn and the first stop will be Rome, Italy and only a week later will head to the Aegean Sea in Katerini, Greece. While in both places the sport of wrestling can be traced back to ancient times, the modern approach of beach wrestling will be on display for the fans in the first two weeks of September.

For the season finale, traditionally held as the World Championships, the athletes will travel to the oldest continuously inhabited city in Romania, Constanta, on September 25 and 26. On the coast of the Black Sea, Mamaia Beach will serve as the crowning location of the 2021 Beach Wrestling World Champions.

The current title holders hail from Ukraine, Brazil, Greece, Georgia and Azerbaijan and carry the experience of Olympic Games and medals on their shoulders – who is ready to grapple for glory and achieve accolades in the wrestling’s freshest field, the Beach Wrestling World Series?

Beach Wrestling World Series 2021

16-17 July - Saint Laurent du Var (FRA) | Landsberg Beach
03-04 September - Rome (ITA) | Lido di Ostia
10-11 September - Katerini (GRE) | Paralia
25-26 September - Constanta (ROU) | Mamaia Beach

UWW Beach Wrestling

UWW, then known as FILA, codified the form of beach wrestling in 2004. Beach wrestling is standing wrestling done by wrestlers, male or female, inside a sand-filled circle measuring 7 meters (23 ft) in diameter. The style originally mirrored the rules used before the use of wrestling mats, and beach wrestling has been regarded as the oldest version of international competitive wrestling. The international rules have been modified in 2015 by UWW, with the current rules allowing wrestlers to score points via takedowns, pushing their opponent out of bounds, or bringing the opponent down to their back. The Beach Wrestling World Series was introduced in 2019 with the Beach Wrestling World Champions crowned during the final of a 4-legged competitive season across beach locations around the world.

Weight classes
Men: 70 kg, 80 kg, 90 kg, and +90kg
Women: 50 kg, 60 kg, 70 kg, and +70kg

Find out all about the Beach Wrestling World Series at www.beachwrestling.org
Follow us on social media
IG @uwwbeachwrestling
FB @ Beachwrestlingworldseries
YT @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU82VJze6xdYhhp3uEFA_tw/featured - watch the competitions live

#WrestleSantiago

Torreblanca, Valdes repeat as Pan-Am Games champs

By Eric Olanowski

(Photo credit: Ramon Monroy Panam Sports via Xpress Media)

SANTIAGO, Chile (November 2) --- Yurieski TORREBLANCA (CUB) and Alejandro VALDÉS (CUB) repeated as Pan-American Games champions after grabbing golds on Thursday night at the Chilean Olympic Center.

Valdes dominated his three opponents, picking up 10-0 wins over Joseph SILVA (PUR) and Albaro RUDECINDO (DOM) before pinning Nahshon GARRETT (USA) in the gold medal bout.

Valdes now has a pair of Pan-American Games gold medals to go along with his three Pan-American Championship titles.

Fellow Cuban Torreblanca was nearly flawless in his quest to repeat as Pan-Am Games champion, scoring four wins on Thursday—three coming via shutouts. Torreblanca blanked Carlos IZQUIERDO (COL), Rashji MACKEY (BAH) and Pedro CEBALLOS (VEN) (8-0, 10-0 and 4-0, respectively) to reach the 86kg finals.

In the championship bout, Torreblanca controlled the six-minute finals bout against Mark HALL (USA), effectively shutting down the American’s offense. The Cuban stopped Hall’s only real shot attempt of the bout, picking up a counter-offensive takedown. After giving up a reversal to end the first, Torreblanca tacked on an additional step-out point and cruised to the 3-1 win.

Meanwhile, in women's wrestling, Yusneylis GUZMÁN (CUB) became the first Cuban woman to win Pan-American Games gold since Lisset HECHEVARRIA (CUB) and Katherine VIDIAUX (CUB) claimed titles at the 2011 Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Guzman defeated Erin GOLSTON (USA) and Jacquline MOLLOCANA (ECU) to end Cuba’s 12-year Pan-Am Games gold drought. She defeated Golston, 10-0, then beat Mollocana, 5-1, cementing a spot in her nation’s wrestling history books.

In the bout of the night, Giullia RODRIGUES (BRA) narrowly edged Hannah TAYLOR (CAN) to win the 57kg gold. She hit two inside trips to score her six points—a two-point trip in the first and a four-point trip in the second—to win her third competition of the season. Rodrigues also won gold medals this season at the Poland Open and Ion Corneanu & Ladislau Simon Memorial. 

Rodrigues joins Joice SILVA (BRA) as the only woman from Brazil to win a Pan-American Games gold medal.

The final gold of the night in women’s wrestling went to Forrest MOLINARI (USA), who defeated Soleymi CARABALLO (VEN), 3-2, in the 68kg finals. Molinari surrendered a high-level single-leg takedown in the first period but scored three unanswered points to win her first Pan-Am Games title.

Friday's opening round matches begin at 10:00 (local time), with the bronze and gold-medal bouts beginning at 17:00.

Freestyle

65kg
GOLD - Alejandro VALDÉS (CUB) df. Nahshon GARRETT (USA), via fall
BRONZE - Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG) df. Sixto AUCCAPIÑA (PER), 7-1
BRONZE - Joseph SILVA (PUR) df. Albaro RUDECINDO (DOM), 6-5

86kg 
GOLD - Yurieski TORREBLANCA (CUB) df. Mark HALL (USA), 3-1
BRONZE - Hunter LEE (CAN) df. Ethan RAMOS (PUR), 14-4
BRONZE - Pedro CEBALLOS (VEN) df. Carlos IZQUIERDO (COL), 7-6

Women’s Wrestling

50kg
GOLD - Yusneylis GUZMÁN (CUB) df. Jacquline MOLLOCANA (ECU), 5-1
BRONZE - Mariana ROJAS (VEN) df. Erin GOLSTON (USA), 3-0

57kg
GOLD - Giullia RODRIGUES (BRA) df. Hannah TAYLOR (CAN), 6-6
BRONZE - Angela ALVAREZ (CUB) df. Xochitl MOTA-PETTIS (USA), 10-0

BRONZE - Luisa VALVERDE (ECU) df. Betzabeth SARCO (VEN), via fall

68kg
GOLD - Forrest MOLINARI (USA) df. Soleymi CARABALLO (VEN), 3-2
BRONZE - Nicoll PARRADO (COL) df. Virginia JIMÉNEZ (CHI), 6-0
BRONZE - Olivia DI BACCO (CAN) df. Ambar GARNICA (MEX), 8-6