#Lima2019

Lopez Returns to Competition, Wins Fifth Pan Am Games Gold

Friday, August 9, 2019 - 04:05 By Taylor Miller

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LIMA, Peru – Three-time Olympic champion and four-time World champion Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) made his return after taking more than a year off from competing. In his first tournament back, Lopez claimed his fifth Pan American Games gold medal, winning the 130 kg weight class in Greco-Roman on Thursday in Lima, Peru.  

To start his day, Lopez rattled off a quick 8-0 tech fall over Luciano DEL RIO (ARG). In the semifinals, he bested 2017 World bronze medalist and former teammate Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI), 4-0.

For gold, Lopez dominated Moises PEREZ HELLBURG (VEN) in 2:02 with an 11-0 victory, highlighted by an impressive four-point throw.

Two other Cubans earned the top spot on the podium in Greco-Roman, including 2016 Olympic champion Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB) and Gabriel ROSILLO KINDELAN (CUB).

Wrestling at 67 kg, Borrero recorded three technical falls on the way to his first Pan Am Games title and did not give up a single point.

In the final, Borrero cruised past 2019 Pan American Championships bronze medalist Shalom VILLEGAS REQUENA (VEN) with a 12-0 technical fall.

At 97 kg, Rosillo won his third Pan American event of the year, adding to his 2019 Senior and Junior Pan Am Championship golds.

In a rematch of the Senior Pan Am finals from April, Rosillo downed 2016 Junior World bronze medalist G’Angelo HANCOCK (USA) in Wednesday’s gold-medal match.

A second-period four-point throw helped Rosillo separate himself from the American and eventually win the bout, 7-2.

Three other countries picked up gold medals in Greco this week, including Ecuador, United States and Venezuela.

Andres MONTAÑO ARROYO (ECU) earned his second-straight Pan Am Games championship, winning the 60 kg bracket.

After a 6-6 show-stopping win over two-time Pan Am champion Luis ORTA SANCHEZ (CUB) in the first round, Montano dominated the competition, securing two technical falls to propel him to gold, including an 8-0 victory in the finals over two-time Pan Am bronze winner Dicther TORO CASTAÑEDA (COL).

Winning the title at 77 kg was three-time Pan Am Championships gold medalist Pat SMITH (USA), who grinded out some solid wins en route to his first Pan Am Games gold.

In the championship match, Smith outlasted 2015 Pan Am Games champion Wuilexis RIVAS ESPINOZA (VEN) with a 3-2 decision.

Venezuela did, however, win a gold on Wednesday night as two-time Pan Am Championships gold winner Luis AVENDAÑO ROJAS (VEN) picked up the win at 87 kg.

Avendano put together an impressive day, defeating 2018 U23 World silver medalist Daniel GREGORICH HECHAVARRIA (CUB) in the semifinals before surpassing four-time Pan Am medalist Alfonso LEYVA YEPEZ (MEX) in the finals, 5-3.

In the team race, Cuba was first with 120 points, followed by Venezuela with 110 and USA with 91.

2019 PAN AMERICAN GAMES
at Lima, Peru

Greco-Roman results

60 kg
GOLD - Andres MONTAÑO ARROYO (ECU) df. Dicther TORO CASTAÑEDA (COL), 10-1
BRONZE - Luis ORTA SÁNCHEZ (CUB) df. Anthony PALENCIA PUENTES (VEN), 8-0
BRONZE - Ildar HAFIZOV (USA) df. Emilio PEREZ ALONZO (MEX), 7-2

67 kg
GOLD - Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB) df. Shalom VILLEGAS REQUENA (VEN), 12-0
BRONZE - Manuel LÓPEZ SALCEDO (MEX) df. Nilton SOTO GARCIA (PER), 3-1
BRONZE - Ellis COLEMAN (USA) df. Luis DE LEÓN (DOM), fall

77 kg
GOLD - Patrick SMITH (USA) df. Wuilexis RIVAS ESPINOZA (VEN), 3-2
BRONZE - Jair CUERO MUÑOZ (COL) dec. Emmanuel BENITEZ CASTRO (MEX), 5-1
BRONZE - Yosvanys PEÑA FLORES (CUB) df. Angelo MARQUES MOREIRA (BRA), 8-0

87 kg
GOLD - Luis AVENDAÑO ROJAS (VEN) df. Alfonso LEYVA YEPEZ (MEX), 5-3
BRONZE - Daniel GREGORICH HECHAVARRÍA (CUB) df. Josef RAU (USA), 8-2
BRONZE - Alvis ALMENDRA (PAN) df. Carlos MUÑOZ JARAMILLO (COL), 2-1

97 kg
GOLD - Gabriel ROSILLO KINDELÁN (CUB) df. G’Angelo HANCOCK (USA), 7-2
BRONZE - Kevin MEJIA CASTILLO (HON) df. Thomas BARREIRO (CAN), 8-0
BRONZE - Luillys PEREZ MORA (VEN) df. José ARIAS PAREDES (DOM), 9-0

130 kg
GOLD - Mijaín LÓPEZ NÚÑEZ (CUB) df. Moises PEREZ HELLBURG (VEN), 11-0     
BRONZE - Yasmani ACOSTA FERNÁNDEZ (CHI) df. Luciano DEL RIO (ARG), 8-0
BRONZE - Leo SANTANA HEREDIA (DOM) df. Edgardo LOPEZ MORELL (PUR), 2-0

#Grappling

Grappling: Romanov returns to win 130kg gold; Prendes repeats

Tuesday, October 14, 2025 - 22:41 By Vinay Siwach

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 14) -- When the last time Alexandr ROMANOV (MDA) participated in the World Grappling Championships, he was close to completing a double gold in Gi and No-Gi. While he managed to win gold in Gi, Romanov fell short in No-Gi competition and won a bronze medal.

Three years later, the Moldovan has taken the first step towards achieving his dream. On Tuesday, Romanov had a comeback in the World Grappling Championships in Novi Sad, Serbia and won gold in the No-Gi competition at 130kg.

Romanov was in top form winning two bouts via submission and two, including the final, via decision but dominated his opponents to win gold medal.

Alexandr ROMANOV (MDA)Alexandr ROMANOV (MDA), red, defeated Aleksander KOLDOVSKI (UKR) in the 130kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Up against Aleksander KOLDOVSKI (UKR), Romanov stuck to his plan and started off slow. But as Koldovski slowed down after two minutes during the five-minute bout, Romanov hit a footsweep to score two points and controlled his opponent for three more points. Another control gave him two more points as he defeated Koldovski a 7-1 victory.

"I knew the Ukrainian as he is a freestyle wrestler," Romanov said. "I waited for the second half of the bout as they tend to slow down and I hit my favorite move to win."

In other finals, UWW grapplers dominated the finals, winning four golds while Farhad BAGIROV (AZE) defended his 58kg gold medal. In women's competition, Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP) also defended his 53kg gold medal while Alycia QUENEE (FRA) won at 71kg. Alena VLASOVA (UWW) won her two bouts to claim the 90kg gold as the weight class had only three participants.

Bagirov maintained his control in the final by using a rear chokehold on Zedginidze who tried escaping a couple of time. But at the two-minute mark of the final, Zedginidze tapped out to give Bagirov his second successive gold medal at 58kg.

Kurban KADIEV (UWW)Kurban KADIEV (UWW) won the 71kg gold medal in Novi Sad. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

At 71kg, Kurban KADIEV (UWW) and Nurbek TALBUDIN (KAZ) failed to score any points in the regular five minutes and the final continued in overtime. Due to no technical points scored, a toss was needed to decide who will get the advantageous position. Talbudin won the toss to be on top and needed to score minimum one point in the designated one minute to win the match. However, Kadiev managed to defend his position for one minute to be declared winner.

In contrast, the 77kg final between Gazimagomed GAZIEV (UWW) and Illia SUKHODIEIEV (UKR) ended in just 36 seconds as the former caught Sukhodieiev in a triangle choke to win the final.

Murad ABDULATIPOV (UWW), who was moving up from 84kg to 92kg for this year, did not feel as weight of the jumping up a weight class and defeated Islam TAPPASKHANOV (UWW), 2-0, in the 92kg final to win his second straight gold medal.

Both the points for Abdulatipov were awarded when Tappaskhanov was called passive in the five-minute bout and he failed to score during the 15-second activity clock.

At 100kg, Mukhamed URUSOV (UWW) blanked Aleksandre TEVZADZE (GEO), 4-0, to win his first world title. He earned his first two points after a back-mount position after a scramble and later scored another similar takedown for two more points.

Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP)Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP) grapples in the 53kg final that she won. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Prendes Larios repeats

Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP) won two of three bouts, including the final, via submission to capture her second straight world title at 53kg. She began by controlling Viktoriia ISAIEVA (UKR) right off the whistle for two points before scrambling herself in a triangle choke position which gave her two more points.

Isaieva tried defended different position but after a couple of failed attempts to get out of the triangle choke, she tapped with Prendes Larios winning the bout in one minute and 56 seconds.

In a thrilling 71kg final, Alycia QUENEE (FRA) managed to capture her first world title after beating Anna REMNEVA (UWW), 3-1. Quenee finished with a silver medal in 2022 and bronze last year.

But there was no one stopping Quenee this year. She began the final with a stepout and took a 1-0 lead. Remneva tried to control her with a triangle hold but Quenee never came in a position to gave up points.

The French grappler kept her position and controlled Remneva on the mat for two points, extending her lead to 3-0. During the same position, Quenee was called passive and she gave a point but that did not stop her from winning 3-1.

At 90kg, Alena VLASOVA (UWW) upgraded her bronze from last year to gold after winning both her bouts via submission. She defeated Tatiana KABANOVA (UWW) in the first bout and then submitted Justyna SITKO (POL).

RESULTS

Men's Grappling

58kg
GOLD: Farhad BAGIROV (AZE) df. Daviti ZEDGINIDZE (GEO), via submission (6-0)

BRONZE: Bohdan CHORNEI (UKR) df. Jaden SOSA (USA), via submission (0-2)
BRONZE: Alikhan ALSHINBAY (KAZ) df. Razmik MISAKYAN (ARM), 8-2

71kg
GOLD: Kurban KADIEV (UWW) df. Nurbek TALBUDIN (KAZ), overtime (0-0)

BRONZE: Apandi AMAGAEV (UWW) df. Zhassulan ZHETPISBAY (KAZ), via submission
BRONZE: Dzhimsher RAZMADZE (GEO) df. Nico PULVERMUELLER (GER), 2-0

77kg
GOLD: Gazimagomed GAZIEV (UWW) df. Illia SUKHODIEIEV (UKR), via submission

BRONZE: Sam SCHWARTZAPFEL (USA) df. Angelos NIKOLOPOULOS (GRE), 10-2
BRONZE: Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UWW) df. Dumitru CEBAN (MDA), 2-1

92kg
GOLD: Murad ABDULATIPOV (UWW) df. Islam TAPPASKHANOV (UWW), 2-0

BRONZE: Anthony ROBINSON (USA) df. Reda MEBTOUCHE (FRA), via submission (1-2)
BRONZE: Mateusz MAZUR (POL) df. Antonio SALTUPS CARETTO (ITA), 4-2

100kg
GOLD: Mukhamed URUSOV (UWW) df. Aleksandre TEVZADZE (GEO), 4-0

BRONZE: Saba DJAVAKHICHVILI (FRA) df. Khasan ZAPIROV (UWW), 1-0
BRONZE: Eldar RAFIGAEV (MDA) df. Herve REDON (FRA), via submission (0-2)

130kg
GOLD: Alexandr ROMANOV (MDA) df. Aleksander KOLDOVSKI (UKR), 7-1

BRONZE: Umar GAISUMOV (UWW) df. Abraham COBY MARTINEZ (ESP), via submission (2-0)
BRONZE: Nikita LOBOIKO (UWW) df. Nizami GAFAROV (AZE), 5-1

Women's Grappling

53kg
GOLD:  Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP) df. Viktoriia ISAIEVA (UKR), via submission (4-0)

BRONZE: Evelina FLORIAK (UKR) df. Giulia ANGIOLINI (ITA), via submission (0-3)
BRONZE: Anorbi GRISHINA (UWW) df. Valeriia SHUVALOVA (UWW), 2-2

71kg
GOLD: Alycia QUENEE (FRA) df. Anna REMNEVA (UWW), 3-1

BRONZE:  Maja SALAMON (POL) df. Daniella SANTANA FABELO (ESP), 13-4
BRONZE: Valentina PAVLOVA (UWW) df. Anna KOTIUK (UKR), 4-1

90kg
GOLD: Alena VLASOVA (UWW)
SILVER: Tatiana KABANOVA (UWW)
BRONZE: Justyna SITKO (POL)