Flawless U.S. sweeps Pan-Am Championships
Sunday, February 25, 2024 - 05:36 By Gaurav Bhatt
Team USA capped off their Pan-American Championships campaign flawlessly, winning all seven gold medals on offer on Saturday in Acapulco.
Spencer LEE (57kg), Nick LEE (65kg), Alec PANTELO (70kg), Alex FACUNDO (79kg), Nate JACKSON (92kg), Kyle SNYDER (97kg), and Mason PARRIS (125kg) finished atop the podium as the US contingent completed a sweep of men's Freestyle titles.
Such was the domination that all but two Americans struck gold without giving up a point.
Snyder asserted his supremacy in the 97kg division, winning his sixth straight and seventh overall gold medal. The Rio Olympic gold medallist and three-time world champion opened his run by pinning Luis PEREZ (DOM) — an opponent Snyder had also beaten in the 2017 and 2021 Pan-Am finals. Synder then carried the momentum into an 11-0 technical fall against Matias URIBE (CHI) before the final clash against familiar foe Arturo SILOT (CUB).
In what was the third straight final between the two, Silot took Snyder to the limit. The 22-year-old, who had previously lost technical falls to the American, came out strong, but couldn't maintain his pace as Snyder completed a hard-fought 10-5 win.
Spencer Lee returned to international action after almost eight years and spent a total of 141 seconds on the mat. Lee began his marauding run with a 10-0 shutout against Oscar TIGREROS (COL) before mirroring the result against Davi SILVA (BRA).
In the final against Pedro MEJIAS (VEN), Lee — a three-time age-level World champion — put on a clinic of two-point moves. And while the five-time medallist Mejias managed a two-point counter, the writing was on the wall for the Venezuelan as Lee rolled him to victory.
Nick Lee soared to the top in the 65kg category with a commanding 10-0 victory over Joshua KRAMER (ECU), before posting another 10-0 tech fall win over Jacob Alexander TORRES (CAN). The 25-year-old's final opponent — three-time medallist Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG) — forfeited the match.
Jackson was named the Outstanding Wrestler and awarded the Golden Boot at the Pan-Am Championships, and his blink-and-you-miss 92kg routs showed why.
He stormed out of the blocks, opening his campaign with a massive double-leg takedown into a leg lace roll on Tejvir BOAL (CAN), before securing the fall in under two minutes. Another highlight-reel moment came against Erwin VARGAS (MEX), as Jackson jumped over the Mexican's attack and secured a pin. Jackson — who won the gold medal at the Zagreb Open last month — then shut out Cesar UBICO (GUA) and Jose BETANCOURT (PUR); the four victories coming in a total of 275 seconds.
Alec PANTALEO (USA), blue, won his second Pan-Am title. (Photo: UWW / William Bain)
Pantaleo clinched his second 70kg title after three years with the routs of Victor SOTO (PUR), Erick BARRON (MEX), and Lovera Mauricio MAURICIO (ARG). The 27-year-old received a walkover win from Peiman BIABANI (CAN).
After winning the 74kg gold at the U20 Pan-Am Championships, Facundo returned to Mexico to win his first international gold. The 22-year-old opened his title run with a 10-0 dismantling of 2019 bronze medallist Jasmit PHULKA (CAN), then secured an injury default win against Dylan PALACIO (URU). Facundo sealed his championship status with a 10-0 drubbing of Jose CANO (MEX).
Mason PARRIS (USA) dominated his way to 125kg gold. (Photo: UWW / William Bain)
World medallist Parris secured the 125 kg gold with a 10-0 victory against Richard DESCHATELETS (CAN), followed by back-to-back injury default wins over Jose DIAZ (VEN) and Donovan SMITH (PUR).
With a perfect campaign, Team USA won the men's freestyle team trophy with 250 points. Canada came second at 98 points, followed by Puerto Rico with 89.
Earlier, Team USA secured both Greco-Roman and women's freestyle team trophies with 183 and 205 points respectively. The Greco-Roman competitors won 2 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze to finish ahead of Mexico (125 points), while American women secured 5 gold, 1 silver, and 4 bronze, with Canada second at 140 points.
This is the seventh consecutive year that the United States swept all three team trophies.
RESULTS
57kg
GOLD: Spencer LEE (USA) df. Mejias PEDRO JESUS (VEN), 12-2
BRONZE: Guesseppe REA VILLARROEL (ECU) df. Jaime PEREZ CASTELLANOS (GUA), 11-3
BRONZE: Oscar TIGREROS URBANO (COL) df. Davi SILVA GIOVANNETTI (BRA), 13-2
65kg
GOLD: Nicholas LEE (USA) df. Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Shannon HANNA (BAH) df. Albaro RUDECINDO CAMACHO (DOM), 11-9
BRONZE: Joshua KRAMER (ECU) df. Jacob ALEXANDER TORRES (CAN), 9-6
70kg
GOLD: Alec PANTALEO (USA) df. Peiman BIABANI (CAN), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Lovera MAURICIO (ARG) df. Victor SOTO RIVERA (PUR), 10-0
79kg
GOLD: Alexander FACUNDO (USA)
SILVER: Jasmit PHULKA (CAN)
BRONZE: Jose CANO LOPEZ (MEX)
92kg
GOLD: Nathan JACKSON (USA)
SILVER: Tejvir BOAL (CAN)
BRONZE: Cesar UBICO (GUA)
97kg
GOLD: Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Arturo SILOT (CUB), 10-5
BRONZE: Cristian SARCO (VEN) df. Ailton BRITO (BRA), 11-0
BRONZE: Luis PEREZ (DOM) df. Matias URIBE (CHI), 10-0
125kg
GOLD: Mason PARRIS (USA) df. Jonovan SMITH (PUR), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Ibrain TORRES ESPINOSA (CUB) df. Avila GINO (HON), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Diaz JOSE DANIEL (VEN) df. Richard DESCHATELETS (CAN), 6-0
Former Olympic and world champion Risako KINJO (JPN) will be eyeing another world title, first since 2019. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)
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