#WrestleBuenosAires

Nunes de Oliveira Avenges World Championships Loss to Mallory Velte at #WrestleBuenosAires

By Taylor Miller

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) won the 62 kg women’s freestyle Pan Am Championships title on Saturday night, avenging a loss from World Championships to Mallory VELTE (USA).

Nunes de Oliveira fell short of a World bronze medal in October, losing to Velte in the bronze-medal match, 2-1. Today, she flipped the result in her favor, claiming a 6-1 decision over the American in the Pan Am finals.

The U.S. did, however, win three individual titles and a team title on Saturday.

At 53 kg, 2018 World silver medalist Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) defeated 2011 Junior World bronze medalist Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU) with a 10-0 tech fall.

Winning the championship at 68 kg was 2018 World bronze medalist Tamyra MENSAH-STOCK (USA), who pinned 2018 U23 World champion Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB) in 1:33.

Just a few matches later, four-time World champion Adeline GRAY (USA) picked up a win by fall also, with a pin over Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) in 1:20 for the 76 kg gold.

Cuba and Ecuador also earned champions on Saturday night.

At 50 kg, 2016 Junior Pan American champion Yusneylys GUZMAN LOPEZ (CUB) edged out three-time Junior World medalist Erin GOLSTON (USA), scoring a takedown and step out in the first period for a 3-0 win.

Two-time Olympian Lissette ANTES CASTILLO (ECU) won the 57 kg bracket, pinning Hannah TAYLOR (CAN) in 1:32, helping Team Ecuador to a third-place finish.

In men’s freestyle, Chandler ROGERS (USA) and J’den COX (USA) won the two gold medals of the night, both registering pins in their final matches.

Rogers stuck Francisco GUZMAN VELASQUEZ (PUR), while 2018 World champion Cox tallied a 13-second pin over Diego RAMIREZ FLORENTIN (PAR).

The competition wraps up tomorrow with eight men’s freestyle weights. Action will begin at 10 a.m. local time (9 a.m. EST) live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Final women’s freestyle team standings
1. USA – 200
2. Canada – 167
3. Ecuador – 89
4. Brazil – 89
5. Cuba – 86
6. Peru – 54
7. Venezuela – 52
8. Argentina – 47
9. Puerto Rico – 45
10. Mexico – 45

Final women’s freestyle results

50 kg
GOLD - Yusneylys GUZMAN LOPEZ (CUB) dec. Erin GOLSTON (USA), 3-0
BRONZE - Thalia MALLQUI PECHE (PER) dec. Jacqueline MOLLOCANA ELENO (ECU), 10-7
BRONZE - Patricia BERMUDEZ (ARG) df. Mariana DIAZ MUNOZ (MEX), fall

53 kg
GOLD - Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) TF Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU), 10-0
BRONZE - Diana WEICKER (CAN) dec. Carolina CASTILLO HIDALGO (COL), 6-3
BRONZE - Lilianet DUANES ANDRES (CUB) TF Justina BENITES VASQUEZ (PER), 10-0

57 kg
GOLD - Lissette ANTES CASTILLO (ECU) df. Hannah TAYLOR (CAN), fall 1:32
BRONZE - Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) df. Yessica OVIEDO PEREZ (DOM), fall 5:54
BRONZE - Betzabeth SARCO COLMENAREZ (VEN) dec. Nes RODRIGUEZ TIRADO (PUR), 5-4

62 kg
GOLD - Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) dec. Mallory VELTE (USA), 6-1
BRONZE - Nathaly GRIMAN HERRERA (VEN) df. Yaquelin ESTORNELL ELIZASTIGUE (CUB), 1:05
BRONZE - Abnelis YAMBO MIRANDA (PUR) dec. Mayra ANTES CASTILLO (ECU), 11-7

68 kg
GOLD - Tamyra MENSAH (USA) df. Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB), fall 1:33
BRONZE - Olivia DI BACCO (CAN) df. Yanet SOVERO NINO (PER), injury default
BRONZE - Ambar GARNICA FLORES (MEX) dec. Andrimar LAZARO DIAZ (VEN), 8-4

76 kg
GOLD - Adeline GRAY (USA) df. Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU), fall 1:20
BRONZE - Erica WIEBE (CAN) dec. Mabelkis CAPOTE PEREZ (CUB), 6-0
BRONZE - Diana CRUZ ARROYO (PER) df. Gabriela CANALES HERRERA (MEX), fall

Men’s freestyle final results

79 kg
GOLD - Chandler ROGERS (USA)
SILVER - Santiago MARTINEZ RESTREPO (COL)
BRONZE - Jasmit PHULKA (CAN)

92 kg
GOLD - J'den COX (USA)
SILVER - Jaime ESPINAL (PUR)
BRONZE - Diego RAMIREZ FLORENTIN (PAR)

 

#WrestleZagreb

Maroulis returns to Worlds final after three years

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 16) -- Helen MAROULIS (USA) wrestled three bout on Tuesday at the World Championships and secured three pins. She spent only 6 minutes and 28 seconds in those three pins to reach the 57kg final at the World Championships on Tuesday in Zagreb.

Maroulis, a two-time world champion, will now wrestle for gold against Il Sim SON (PRK), one of the two wrestlers from the DPR Korea to make it to the final on Tuesday.

In all three of her pins, Maroulis used the iconic foot-sweep to get the fall. The first victim was Emine CAKMAK (TUR) who was pinned in a minute. Japan's world U23 champion Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) held her fort for some time but Tokuhara missed a shot and Maroulis got the two-on-one before sweeping her for the fall in 2 minutes and 17 seconds.

In the semifinals, Maroulis wrestled European champion Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW) and took a 1-0 lead for the latter's inactivity. But as soon as the second period began, Maroulis went straight to work and hit the sweep to get the fall and a place in the final.

She will face an unfamiliar challenge in the final as  Il Sim SON (PRK) who defeated Olympic bronze medalist Kexin HONG (CHN), 12-2, in the other semifinal. Son was one of the two finalist for the DPR Korea, a country which won its gold at 55kg on Tuesday.

The other wrestler from the DPR Korea to reach the final was Asian bronze medalist Myonggyong WON (PRK) who handed 2021 world champion Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) her first international loss.

Yoshimoto, Asian champion in 2025, had it under control for the most the match before conceding a takedown with just 23 seconds left on the clock. Won was relentless in her attacks to break Yoshimoto in the final 20 seconds.

For the gold, she will face 2024 world U20 champion Yu ZHANG (CHN) who secured a fall over Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL) after taking a 9-0 lead.

At 65kg, former world champion Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) defeated another world champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) in the semifinal, 10-0. Morikawa impressed with her attacks and scored five different takedowns to finish the match via technical superiority.

World U23 silver medalist Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) will look to stop Morikawa from winning her second world title after a dream run to the final at 65kg. She defeated two-time world bronze medalist Macey KILTY (USA) in the morning session and completed a 13-3 technical superiority Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL) in the semifinals.

Asian champion Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) booked a final against Genesis REASCO (ECU) after she handed a 10-5 defeat to European champion Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) in the semifinals.

In an all South American semifinal, Reasco scored a takedown in the last minute to stun Milaimy MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), 5-3. Potrille was leading 3-3 on criteria with a minute left but Reasco scored the two-point takedown and held on to her lead for the win, becoming the first Ecuadorian wrestler to reach a World Championships final.

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Myonggyong WON (PRK) vs. Yu ZHANG (CHN)

SF 1: Yu ZHANG (CHN) df. Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL), via fall (9-0)
SF 2: Myonggyong WON (PRK) df. Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN), 3-2

57kg
GOLD: Helen MAROULIS (USA) vs. Il Sim SON (PRK)

SF 1: Il Sim SON (PRK) df. Kexin HONG (CHN), 12-2
SF 2: Helen MAROULIS (USA) df. Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW), via fall (5-0)

65kg
GOLD: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) vs. Alina KASABIEVA (UWW)

SF 1: Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) df. Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL), 13-3
SF 2: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Irina RINGACI (MDA), 10-0

76kg
GOLD: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) vs. Genesis REASCO (ECU)

SF 1: Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) df. Milaimy MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), 5-3
SF 2: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR), 10-5