#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)

 

#WrestleTirana

Ukraine Puts Four in Women's Finals at Europeans

By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (April 22) -- Ukraine kicked off Women's Wrestling at the European Championships with four finalists in five weight classes, including two defending champions in Tirana.

Oksana LIVACH (UKR), defending champion at 50kg, and Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR), defending champion at 76kg, returned to the finals, while Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) and Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) made it to the 55kg and 59kg gold-medal bouts.

At 68kg, the only weight class in which Ukraine did not get a finalist, a blockbuster final is set between U23 world champion Nesrin BAS (TUR) and defending champion Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW).

Livach used her aggressive style to score multiple stepouts in her 6-2 victory over Elizaveta SMIRNOVA (UWW), setting up a rematch of the 2025 European final against Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR), who was at her defensive best against Emilia GRIGORE VUC (ROU) and won 6-0.

Alpyeyeva reached the final after a clinical 4-0 victory over Martina KUENZ (AUT) in the semifinal. She will now face former European champion Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU), who moved past Enrica RINALDI (ITA), 3-1, in a low-scoring semifinal.

Malanchuk at 55kg came alive in the second period, scoring six points and securing a fall over U23 world silver medalist Tuba DEMIR (TUR). She led 1-1 on criteria at the break, then hit a double-leg attack and tried to hold Demir on the mat for a fall, but she survived.

Demir tried a leg attack, but Malanchuk countered and held her on the mat to secure the fall with 1:45 remaining.

She will now face former European champion Andreea ANA (ROU), who saw off Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA), 10-0, in the other semifinal.

Vynnyk, who was all but beaten in the semifinal against Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE), 6-2, tripped the Azerbaijan wrestler with less than 10 seconds remaining to claim a stunning victory and reach the 59kg final. After the trip, Vynnyk also scored exposure points.

She will now face Jowita WRZESIEN (POL), who defeated Svetlana LIPATOVA (UWW), 4-2, in a low-scoring bout. Wrzesien led 3-1 and was in danger of giving up a takedown when Lipatova attacked on a single leg. However, the Polish wrestler defended well and gave up only a stepout. Lipatova challenged but lost, conceding one more point to Wrzesien.

Bas vs Shauchuk

Defending champion at 68kg, Shauchuk defeated Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU), 4-3, scoring two second-period takedowns. She had beaten the Romanian in last year’s final. For gold this year, Shauchuk will face Bas, a U23 world champion and returning silver medalist from 72kg.

Bas had no trouble completing a 12-1 technical superiority win over Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW) in the other semifinal.

RESULTS

50kg
SF 1: Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) df. Emilia GRIGORE VUC (ROU), 6-0
SF 2: Oksana LIVACH (UKR) df. Elizaveta SMIRNOVA (UWW), 6-2

55kg
SF 1: Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) df. Tuba DEMIR (TUR), via fall
SF 2: Andreea ANA (ROU) df. Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA), 10-0

59kg
SF 1: Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) df. Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE), 6-2
SF 2: Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) df. Svetlana LIPATOVA (UWW), 4-2

68kg
SF 1: Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW) df. Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU), 4-3
SF 2: Nesrin BAS (TUR) df. Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW), 12-1

76kg
SF 1: Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) df. Martina KUENZ (AUT), 4-0
SF 2: Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU) df. Enrica RINALDI (ITA), 3-1