#WrestleBuenosAires

Cuba battling for fourth and fifth Greco-Roman gold medals at #WrestleBuenosAires

By Taylor Miller

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Cuba put two in tonight’s Greco-Roman finals, including Yosvanys PENA FLORES and Antonio DURAN ROBLES. The country is going for its fourth and fifth gold medals in Greco this week.

Pena Flores will face 2017 Junior World champion Kamal BEY (USA) in the 77 kg bracket, and Duran Robles will take on two-time Pan Am bronze medalist Luis AVENDANO ROJAS.

In position for gold at 82 kg is Cheney HAIGHT (USA) and Carlos ESPINOZA CASTRO (PER). Both won their first-round matches in round robin and will battle for the title tonight.

The first four weights of women’s freestyle was also contested, and USA has already won two gold medals, putting up winning-records in round-robin action.

At 55 kg, Alex HEDRICK began her tournament with a fall and followed it up with a decision, and wrestling at 65 kg, Julia SALATA registered two technical falls for the crown.

The gold medal at 59 kg will be decided between Karoline SILVA DE SANTANA (BRA) and Laurence BEAUREGARD (CAN), who are each 2-0 going into tonight.

A similar situation at 72 kg, the title will come down to Rachel WATTERS (USA) and Dejah SLATER (CAN) in a three-man brackets.

Action will begin at 5 p.m. local time (4 p.m. EST) live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Finals pairings

Greco-Roman

77 kg
GOLD - Yosvanys PENA FLORES (CUB) vs. Kamal BEY (USA)
BRONZE - Juan ESCOBAR (MEX) vs. David CHOC HUOC (GUA)
BRONZE - Jair CUERO MUNOZ (COL) vs. Johan BATISTA (DOM)

82 kg – round three matches
Cheney HAIGHT (USA) vs. Carlos ESPINOZA CASTRO (PER)

87 kg
GOLD - Luis AVENDANO ROJAS (VEN) vs. Antonio DURAN ROBLES (CUB)
BRONZE - Carlos ADAMES PALMER (DOM) vs. Alfonso LEYVA YEPEZ (MEX)
BRONZE - Phillip BARREIRO (CAN) vs. Patrick MARTINEZ (USA)

Women’s freestyle

55 kg – round three matches
Elis AZERRAD PARODI (ARG) vs. Jayd DAVIS (CAN)

59 kg – round three matches
Karoline SILVA DE SANTANA (BRA) vs. Laurence BEAUREGARD (CAN)
Andribeth RIVERA BELLIARD (PUR) vs. Kelsey CAMPBELL (USA)

65 kg – round three matches
Jessica BROUILLETTE (CAN) vs. Grabriela PEDRO DA ROCHA (BRA)

72 kg – round three matches
Rachel WATTERS (USA) vs. Dejah SLATER (CAN)

#BeachWrestling

Beach Wrestling: Ukraine, U.S. best at U17 World Championships

By United World Wrestling Press

KATERINI, Greece (September 21) -- Ukraine and the United States emerged as the best teams at the Beach Wrestling World Championships at the U17 level in the men's and women's categories respectively.

The U17 and U20 World Championships was held in Katerini over eight weight classes in men's and women's categories. Ukraine won the men's part while the U.S. claimed the team title in women's despite not winning a gold medal in four weight classes.

Romania won two gold medals in the men's U17 with Lucian SOMANDRU (ROU) beating Christos XENAKIS (GRE), 3-0, in the 50kg final and Magor LORINCZ (ROU), who had finished ninth last year, dominated Yurii PYHULSKYI (UKR) in the 80kg, winning the gold medal 5-0.

The two other gold medals were won by Mirzakhan GASHYMOV (UKR) and Anri GOGUADZE (GEO) at 60kg and 70kg respectively.

Gashymov was the gold medalist as Ukraine swept the podium, winning the silver and bronze medals as well. He defeated Nazar VELINSKYI (UKR), 4-1, in the final.

Goguadze also faced compatriot Koba GOGUADZE (GEO) in the 70kg final and won the final via superiority.

Ukraine finished with 72 points to finish first with Romania second with 56 points. Georgia was third with 49 points.

The team title race was closer in women's as the U.S. finished first with 60 points with three silver medals. France, with two gold medals, managed to finish with 50 points and at the second spot. Ukraine was third with 39 points.

The 40kg weight class saw only two participants with Alexandra COVACI (ROU) beating Alina MACI (ROU), 3-1, in the final. Romania only got 25 team ranking points for the gold medal.

France won the gold medals at 60kg and 70kg. Thea ROUSSEL (FRA) defeated Kennedie SNOW (USA), 4-0, in the 60kg final to deny the U.S. a gold medal. A few minutes later, Lise LANDOUZY (FRA) defeated Piper ZATECHKA (USA), 3-0, in the 70kg final to give France a second gold.

The U.S. also had a finalist at 50kg but Reisa KOJIMA (JPN) dominated the final to beat Jayden KELLER (USA), 4-1, to win a gold medal for Japan as well.

RESULTS

U17 Men's BW

50kg
GOLD: Lucian SOMANDRU (ROU) df. Christos XENAKIS (GRE), 3-0

BRONZE: Stanislav DIACONU (MDA) df. Oleksandr KARA (UKR), 3-1

60kg
GOLD: Mirzakhan GASHYMOV (UKR) df. Nazar VELINSKYI (UKR), 4-1

BRONZE: Stepan MINCHEV (UKR) df. Benjamin GRAHAM (USA), via fall

70kg
GOLD: Anri GOGUADZE (GEO) df. Koba GOGUADZE (GEO), 4-1

BRONZE: Dmytro KURSENKO (UKR) df. Dmytro YEMETS (UKR), 3-2

80kg
GOLD: Magor LORINCZ (ROU) df. Yurii PYHULSKYI (UKR), 5-0

BRONZE: Charilaos CHAITIDIS (GRE) df. Andrii PAVLIUK (UKR), 4-2

U17 Women's BW

40kg
GOLD: Alexandra COVACI (ROU) df. Alina MACI (ROU), 3-1

50kg
GOLD: Reisa KOJIMA (JPN) df. Jayden KELLER (USA), 4-1

BRONZE: Oleksandra KARBOVSKA (UKR) df. Sarina GUNN (USA), 3-0

60kg
GOLD: Thea ROUSSEL (FRA) df. Kennedie SNOW (USA), 4-0

BRONZE: Georgia CHASAMPALIOTI (GRE) df. Alina SVIRKO (UKR), 4-2

70kg
GOLD: Lise LANDOUZY (FRA) df. Piper ZATECHKA (USA), 3-0

BRONZE: Sadie EVANS (USA) df. Anna NITSEVYCH (UKR), 4-0