#Fortaleza2018

Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Mexico and USA Boasts Multiple Finalists at #Fortaleza2018

By Taylor Miller

FORTALEZA, Brazil – The first session of the women’s freestyle tournament of the 2018 Junior Pan American Championships wrapped up with three 2017 Junior Pan American runners-up turning in undefeated performances, setting themselves up to reach the top of the podium.

All three of those wrestlers hail from Canada, including Jayd DAVIS at 53 kg, Hannah TAYLOR at 57 kg and Dejah SLATER at 68 kg.

Davis has rolled through the 53 kg bracket so far with two early falls and a 12-2 technical fall, which came against 2017 Cadet World athlete Vayle BAKER (USA).

Tonight, Davis will face Fatima ROJAS CHAVEZ (MEX), who is a 2018 Senior Central American and Caribbean Championships runner-up and Senior Central American and Caribbean Games bronze medalist.

At 57 kg, Taylor pinned 2018 Senior Pan American bronze medalist Michaela BECK (USA) at the final buzzer. The Canadian continued on with another pin in 5:44 against 2017 Cadet Pan Am silver medalist Susana LOZANO (MEX).

To open her tournament at 68 kg, Slater defeated 2015 Cadet World bronze medalist Kayla MARANO (USA) with a 15-4 technical fall. She followed it up with a 10-0 win against Grabriela PEDRO (BRA).

The 50 kg bracket saw Mariela ESCALANTE (MEX) and Greidy ESTUPINAN (COL) advance to the finals. This tournament marks their Pan American debuts.

There are three head-to-heads tonight that will determine the round-robin winner. Those weights include 59 kg, 62 kg and 76 kg.

At 59 kg, Brenda REYNA (USA) will face Katherine CUERO (COL), while the 62 kg deciding match also features USA vs. Colombia with Brianna CSONTOS (USA) taking on Paula MONTOYA (COL) for gold.

With only two people in the bracket, Beatriz RODRIGUES (BRA) and Miriam OLVERA (MEX) will wrestle their first matches of the day, going for the 76 kg title.

At 72 kg, Thais DE LUCAS (BRA) went 2-0 in the first half of the day. Should she win her last match tonight, she will take home the crown.

At 65 kg, there are four wrestlers tied with 2-1 records going into tonight’s session, counting Megan FENDELET (CAN), Andrea GARCIA (COL), Atzimba LANDAVERDE (MEX) and Ashlynn ORTEGA (USA). The winner will be determined after the last two matches are wrestled.

The medal matches are set for 5 p.m. ET live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

#WrestleTirana

European Championships 2026, Day 5 Freestyle Highlights

By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (April 24) -- European Championships 2026 will enter day five with five Freestyle weight classes -- 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg and 97kg. Friday will also mark the return of Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) to European Championships after six years.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | SADULAEV's RETURN

UWW Plus

13:15: Azamat TUSKAEV (SRB), the returning silver medalist at 57kg, is clueless against Musa MEKHTIKHANOV (UWW) who beats the Serbian 5-0. Tuskaev got on a few attacks but could never finish them while Mekhtikhanov used a strong grip to either finish a takedown or a stepout. 

13:00: U20 world champion Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA) will face Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) in the semifinals at 70kg after he made it to the last four with a 12-2 win over Patryk OLENCZYN (POL)

12:50:  Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) is not giving any space to anyone on the mat. In his quarterfinals, Sadulaev blanks Radu LEFTER (MDA), 10-0 and is now in the semifinals.

12:45: Iszmail MUSZUKAEV (HUN) with all the moves you can imagine as he wins with a 10-0 technical superiority against Remzi TEMUR (TUR) and advances to the semifinals at 70kg.

12:36: Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) takes out Shamil MAMEDOV (BUL) in a low scoring bout at 65kg. Both wrestlers exchanged passivity points but Tevanyan got a point for lost challenge to make it 2-1. He was anyway leading 1-1 on criteria. Mamedov is disheartened as Tevanyan helps him to

his feet

12:25: Islam DUDAEV (ALB) puts hosts Albania in the semifinals at 65kg! He beats Nika ZAKASHVILI (GEO), 3-1, and will now take on Islam GUSEINOV (UWW) who blanked Gamzatgadzhi KHALIDOV (HUN), 4-0.

12:15: Match of the morning as Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW) and Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO) leave it all on the mat in their 79kg bout. Kadzimahamedau lead 5-0 when Gaphrindashvili scored a scored a double-leg four pointer to make it 5-4. Kadzimahamedau challenged and was awarded two points to go with a reversal for Gaphrindashvili, making the score 7-5 for Kadzhimahamedau. After a scramble and stepout, the scores read 10-9 for Gaphrindashvili with 11 seconds left. Kadzimahamedau snuck out a takedown with 3 seconds left to win 11-10.

11:50: Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) went on a defensive in the second period against Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) in their 97kg bout. After taking a 3-0 lead, Matcharashvili did not try much in the second period. He was put on the activity clock, gave up the point and then cautioned for fleeing for one more point but he held his 3-2 lead for the victory.  

11:40: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) seems fast on the mat! He works to an easy 10-0 victory over Benjamin GREIL (AUT) at 97kg. Sadulaev is hoping to win his sixth European title and first in six years.

11:32: Returning silver medalist Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) needs a takedown in the last 30 seconds to break the 8-8 criteria lead of Okan TAHTACI (TUR) and lead 10-8. He then survives a flurry of attacks from Tahtaci in the final 18 seconds to win at 79kg

11:20: Akhmed USMANOV (UWW) blanks Hrayr ALIKHANYAN (ARM), 5-0, at 79kg as he begins his quest for a European title. Usmanov, who missed out on a world medal in Zagreb, seemed in better control of his bout here.

11:10: Former European champion Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), hoping to navigate through a tough 65kg field in Tirana, starts well beating Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA), 5-2, in the opening round bout. 

11:00: Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), down at 79kg after last year's silver-medal run at 86kg, begins with a 4-1 victory over Rasul SHAPIEV (MKD).

10:50: Shamil MAMEDOV (BUL) makes his European Championships debut with a win. He scores a takedown Mykyta HONCHAROV (UKR) before falling behind 3-2. But that was all Honcharov was scoring as Mamedov worked on five different takedowns and win 12-3 at 65kg.

10:30: It's not just Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) on the mat on Friday in Tirana, but also Shamil MAMEDOV (BUL), David BAEV (UWW), Akhmed USMANOV (UWW), Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) and Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO)