#WrestleAcapulco, #WrestleParis

Gomez, Cruz deny USA Paris 2024 spots at Pan-Am Qualifiers

Saturday, March 2, 2024 - 06:43 By Gaurav Bhatt

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ACAPULCO, Mexico (March 1) — The Pan American Olympic Games Qualifiers wrapped up in style in Acapulco, Mexico, with Puerto Rico and Cuba earning three quotas on offer each, while Mexico and Canada securing two berths apiece.

The day was marked by stunning performances and a few upsets, particularly in the 57kg and 65kg classes where the U.S. wrestlers were eyeing qualification. 
While the two American wrestlers failed in their quest on Friday, two NCAA champions successfully secured quotas for their nations. 

Two-time NCAA champion Roman BRAVO YOUNG (MEX) showcased his NCAA-honed skills with a commanding 14-4 victory over Oscar TIGREROS (COL) in the 57kg semifinal. The 25-year-old — who chose to represent his grandparents' native country Mexico last summer — got the better of Tigreros, an Olympian and five-time Pan-Am medallist Tigreros.

In the second semifinal, 2017 NCAA champion Darian CRUZ (PUR) edged out Zane RICHARDS (USA) in a 2-2 criteria win. The first period between Richards and Cruz ended in a tense 1-1 tie. 

Richards edged ahead early in the second with a shot clock point, before Cruz retaliated. The Puerto Rican team challenged a scoring decision, and Cruz was awarded a point for pushing Richards out, deadlocking the score at 2-2 with just seconds left. Richards fiercely attacked, but couldn't land a takedown, ultimately losing to Cruz for the first time at senior level.

NCAA All-American Austin GOMEZ (MEX) defeated Nick LEE (USA) in the quarterfinal, as the weight class continues to be a thorn in the side of the U.S. at the senior level.

Lee, who won the Pan-Am gold last week, took control and rushed to a 10-4 lead before the first break. However, after a long injury timeout for Gomez in the second period, the tide dramatically turned as Gomez's scoring spree saw him rack up 18 points and ultimately winning by technical fall (22-12).

In the semifinal, Gomez beat fellow All-American Lachlan MCNIEL (CAN) 6-3. 

Alejandro VALDES (CUB), a two-time world medalist and two-time Olympian, lived up to expectations by dominating Shannon HANNA (BAH) with an 11-0 technical superiority win in the second 65kg semifinal.

Geandry GARZON (CUB), aiming for his second Olympic appearance at the age of 40, clinched a berth for Cuba by defeating Julio RODRIGUEZ (DOM) 6-2 in the 74kg division. Garzon — who won the last of his four Worlds medals in 2010 — set a deliberate pace against the 26-year-old finalist from last week's Pan-Am championships.

However, once put on the shot clock, Garzon attacked Rodriguez's right leg and scored a two-point move. Two more two-pointers followed deep in the second period, securing the win for the Cuban.

In the second semifinal, two-time Pan-Am champion Anthony MONTERO (VEN) made a statement with an 11-0 thrashing of Raul PALACIOS (MEX).

In the 97kg division, Arturo SILOT (CUB) showed he's second only to Kyle SNYDER (USA) at the Pan-Am level as the 22-year-old rag-dolled his opponents on his way to securing Cuba a berth at Paris Games. Silot — who has lost three straight Pan-Am championships finals to Snyder — didn't give up a point as he ran through Maxwell LACEY (CRC) and Nishan Preet RANDHAWA (CAN).

In the second semifinal, Luis PEREZ (DOM) clinched a narrow 4-2 victory over Cristian SARCO (VEN) in a battle of last week's bronze medallists.

The 86kg category witnessed Ethan RAMOS (PUR) defeat two-time Olympian Carlos IZQUIERDO (COL) 11-6, while Alexander MOORE (CAN) pulled off an impressive 4-0 win against the top-seeded Pedro CEBALLOS (VEN), who finished runner-up at the Pan-Am championships last week.

Earlier, four-time Pan-Am champion Yurieski Torreblanca TORREBLANCA (CUB) lost a fall to Anthony VALENCIA (MEX) in the qualification rounds.

Former Pan-Am champion Amarveer DHESI (CAN) took little over two minutes to thwart Ibrain TORRES (CUB) 11-0 to earn Canada a spot. Jonovan SMITH (PUR), who grabbed a silver at the Pan-Ams last week, won the other semifinal against Gino AVILA (HON) 5-1.

#WrestleParis

Paris 2024 Day 4 Wrestling Preview: FS 57kg and 86kg; WW 57kg

Thursday, July 25, 2024 - 21:10 By Vinay Siwach

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PARIS (July 25) -- After the Tokyo Olympics high, a possible David TAYLOR (USA) vs Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) bout was the most anticipated one for the Paris Olympics. But Aaron BROOKS (USA) had other plans. He defeated Taylor in the Olympic trials in the United States to book his spot at 86kg for the U.S.

Now, Yazdani is the favorite to win the gold. He can also become the first Iran wrestler to win two Olympic golds.

PARIS 2024 SCHEDULE | PARIS 2024 NEWS

The 86kg weight class on August 8 isn't the only one in which history can be created. Both the other two weight classes also have a chance to see some historic medals to be won.

The 57kg in Freestyle will have world champion Stevan MICIC (SRB) trying to win the first medal for Serbia in Freestyle at the Olympics. Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB), also a world champion, has the same task for Albania.

In women's 57kg, Rio 2016 champion Helen MAROULIS (USA) has a chance to win the third Olympic medal for the U.S. while she tries to knock off world champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN). Maroulis is no stranger to beating Japanese world champions at the Olympics.

Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) has a great chance to make history for Moldova by winning a medal even as the bracket has Kexin HONG (CHN), ANSHU (IND), Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) and Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR) among others.

FS 86kg: Over to Yazdani

Ever since his move to 86kg after winning the gold medal at 74kg in Rio, Yazdani has lost to only one wrestler -- Taylor. With the American not in Paris, Yazdani has his tail up.

Throughout the 2023 season, Yazdani wrestled with a shoulder injury and it became a headache for Iran when he underwent surgery. Iran contemplated having a wrestle-off between Yazdani and 92kg world champion Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI). But then Brooks beat Taylor.

Hassan YAZDANI (IRI)Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) trains in Mazandaran, Iran. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Yazdani won the Budapest Ranking Series and reignited his hopes of winning the gold.

"I thank God that I was able to get on the mat in international competitions after seven months and 13 days," Yazdani had said in Budapest. "I had a little preparation and it was around 60 percent. I hadn’t wrestled for a long time. I have some weaknesses that I hope I can fix before the Olympics so that I can wrestle better than these competitions and get the gold medal. I hope that until the Olympics, I can eliminate my weaknesses so I can win the best medal for my country and our good people."

Yazdani was winning the Tokyo final when Taylor scored a takedown in the final moments to claim the gold. A furious Yazdani walked off the mat, hitting anything that came his way. But two months after that loss, he defeated Taylor at the Oslo World Championships, his only win over the American. Taylor would rebound to beat him at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships.

Brooks, a four-time NCAA champion, defeated Taylor in a best-of-three series at the trials. Brooks has a U23 world title and is now the biggest threat to Yazdani's gold medal.

Aaron BROOKS (USA)Aaron BROOKS (USA) won the 2023 U23 world title in Tirana. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Yazdani has a solid underhook and has improved his conditioning but Brooks' defense is top-notch as Taylor found out at the trials. A wait-and-watch counter-attacking bout can ensue if the two meet in Paris.

Brooks is unseeded and will be drawn at random in the 16-wrestler bracket which means he can face any of the top wrestlers in the first bout.

Myles AMINE (SMR), who won a historic bronze for San Marino in Tokyo, is returning, hoping to stand on the podium again. Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) is another master of defense and will be a tough case to crack for any wrestler. 

Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL), Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO), Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN) and Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) are some other potential medal hopefuls in Paris.

FS 57kg: History on line

When Spencer LEE (USA) won the U.S. trials, he did not know if he was going to the Olympics. He still had to qualify the 57kg weight for the U.S. He did so at the World Olympic Qualifier in Istanbul, in dominating fashion, barring one bout. Lee, a former U17 and U20 world champion, has now set his sights on the gold medal.

But at 57kg, the bracket is among the toughest in recent times. World champions Stevan MICIC (SRB), Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB) and Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) are trying to achieve the same. Add to the list the European and Asian champions in Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE), Vladimir EGOROV (MKD), AMAN (IND) and Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB).

However, Lee has extra motivation to perform in France, his mother's native country.

"This is a big deal for me," Lee said in Istanbul. "My family lives in France. They live outside of Bordeaux. My grandmother has never seen me wrestle and it's a really big deal for me to compete in my mother's home country."

Rei HIGUCHI (JPN)Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) won the Budapest Ranking Series in June. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Higuchi, a silver medalist from Rio 2016, has dabbled with 65kg but returned to 57kg to make the Tokyo Olympics. He missed the weight at the qualifiers. But a strict diet, planned weight cut and experience have helped Higuchi return to the Olympics. However, he doesn't think too much about the loss against Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) in the final in Rio.

“I don't look back at my matches. I want to move on. Next match,” he told UWW last year. "I don't feel bad about missing the Tokyo Olympics. The day I lost the chance to represent at the Tokyo Games, I began preparing for Paris.”

In his preparation for Paris, Higuchi has taken to cooking special meals for himself to keep his weight under control, training with specific partners, and enjoying the journey. He also got married and has a kid.

But for Olympics, Higuchi's battle begins well before he steps on the mat as he reduces at least seven kilograms.

"The aim is to lose 2kg of body fat per month," Higuchi was quoted as saying by Yahoo. "In my case, it takes about three months to bring weight to 59kg, and then I think the best way to lose the last 2kg is to cut out water and lose it before the match. When losing weight, start with a low-fat diet, and when you can't lose any more weight, switch to a ketogenic diet [restricting carbohydrates and consuming fat]. Repeat this process. And it's important to consume carbohydrates from a low-fat diet before a match."

Another wrestler heading to Paris with a weight cut on his mind is the reigning world champion Stevan MICIC (SRB), who defeated Higuchi in a thrilling 57kg final in Belgrade. Micic is the first Serbian world champion in Freestyle and will look to add a historic Olympic medal.

Micic, however, has only competed once since winning the World Championships. He won the gold medal at the Dan Kolov tournament at 61kg.

"First time competing since the World Championships, up at 61kg," Micic said on his YouTube channel. "I would give myself 9/10 this time. In my first match against Iran, he was young and motivated, any match against Iran is tough. At this kind of tournament, you are not supposed to be perfect. It's getting yourself that feeling of competition out of the way."

Stevan MICIC (SRB)Stevan MICIC (SRB) won the world title at 57kg in Belgrade in 2023. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Adonov)

In Paris, he wouldn't have to worry about an Iran wrestler though. Iran failed to qualify the 57kg weight class. However, it is yet to be seen if that will help Micic improve his 14th-place finish at Tokyo.

Also, Higuchi is hoping to avenge that loss in the final if the two meet in the final.

"I'll definitely pay them back in the real thing [Olympcis]," he said. "I know quite a bit about what technique my opponents will use and when. What are my weaknesses? I'm not that worried. I think that all I have to do is make small adjustments and corrections. I think I have to win the gold medal in Paris. After all, I love this sport and I've been doing it for a long time, so I have a strong desire not to lose."

Abakarov and Harutyunyan will look to end up on the podium as well. Harutyunyan had a high-scoring bout against Higuchi before going down in the World Championships semifinal. Abakarov, after suffering a loss to Micic, returned to win the bronze medal by beating Tokyo Olympic champion Zavur UGUEV (AIN). Then there are Asian hammers in Abdullaev and Aman. While Adbullaev is going to his second Olympics after finishing fifth in Tokyo, Aman will be making his debut.

WW 57kg: Three-way battle for supremacy

Will the 57kg Olympic gold medal stay with Japan? The country which has dominated women's wrestling ever since it was added to the Olympics is expected to continue it. It has won the 55-58kg gold medal at all editions. So can Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) keep it with Japan?

Sakurai, a three-time world champion, has a strong 2-on-1 attack to go with her defense. However, that did not work in the final of the Asian Championships this year as she lost 5-2 to Yongxin FENG (CHN). Fortunately for Sakurai, Feng is not the Chinese representative in Paris.

Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN)Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) executes a 2-on-1 attack. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Despite the loss and a wake-up call before Paris, Sakurai was composed in her assessment of the bout, saying that her opponents are coming in with plans against her,

"I think everyone knows my style of wrestling," Sakurai said after the Asian Championships. "I have to train so that even if I get stopped, I can still find a way to score points. No matter the tournament, my objective is always to win the title. When you lose, there has to be a reason for the loss. I will look at this as I'm glad it wasn't the Olympics, and I will practice hard up to August."

Undoubtedly, Hong too will be ready with her coaches to pull off an upset. Hong has been on a roll this year, winning the Zagreb Open and Budapest Ranking Series, apart from winning the Paris qualification in Bishkek. In Zagreb, she defeated Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) and then 59kg world champion and compatriot Qi ZHANG (CHN) in the final. She would once again beat Zhang in Budapest in the semifinal and win the gold with a win over ANSHU (IND).

But the world will be watching Maroulis, who made her third straight Olympics. She won the first-ever gold for the U.S. in Rio by beating the legendary Saori YOSHIDA (JPN). She won bronze in Tokyo after dropping the semifinal against Risako KINJO (JPN). And Maroulis looks good for a third medal at the Olympics.

She lost only to Sakurai at the World Championships but won the Pan-Am Championships and the Poland Open this year. Maroulis has the habit of peaking towards the second half of the season in which the World Championships or the Olympics are held.

Nichita, the world silver medalist, can surprise anyone on her day but a recent injury and her loss to Anshu in Budapest must have given her a wake-up call. Currently training in Italy, Nichita can create history by winning the first medal at Olympics in Women's Wrestling, given Irina RINGACI (MDA) doesn't to do on day one.