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Pataridze, Kawai Highlight End-of-the-Year Age-Group Awards

Thursday, December 13, 2018 - 12:30 By Eric Olanowski

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 13) -- United World Wrestling has awarded a pair of cadet, junior and U23 wrestlers the 2018 Age-Group Wrestlers of the Year.

The U23 age-group wrestlers of the year went to the duo of Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO) and Yukako KAWAI (JPN).

Pataridze won his sixth overall Greco-Roman age-group world title, scooping up the 2018 U23 world title at 130kg in Bucharest, Romania. The Georgian big-man has two cadet golds, a trio of junior titles, and a U23 world championship.

Kawai, the sister of the three-time world and Olympic champion, Risako KAWAI (JPN), won the 62kg gold medal at the U23 World Championships after falling in the finals of the Senior World Championships. Kawai’s gold and silver medal performances at the World Championships are improvements from a season ago when she took eighth-place at the Senior World Championships and ninth-place at the Junior World Championships.

The Russian twosome of Aleksander KOMAROV (RUS) and Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) earned the junior age-group wrestlers of the year after obtaining gold medals in Trnava, Slovakia at the 2018 Junior World Championships.

Komarov, one of the most dominant Greco-Roman age-group wrestlers in the world, remained undefeated in his international career and won his second junior world title. Komarov’s resume is now chalked up with a pair of cadet and junior world titles, totaling four overall age-group world titles.

Komarov’s Russian partner, Khanum Velieva, who is still eligible to compete at the junior level, also won her fourth overall age-group world title. In the 68kg finals, Velieva picked up her fourth shutout victory of the World Championships and knocked off reigning cadet world champion, Macey  KILTY (USA), 6-0.

The cadet age-group wrestlers of the year are Alihasan AMIRLI (AZE) and Yuka KAGAMI (JPN). Amirli and Kagami each departed Zagreb, Croatia with their second straight cadet world titles.

Azerbaijan's Amirli rebounded from a bronze medal finish at the European Championships to win back-to-back cadet world titles. He wrapped up his 48kg gold medal performance at the World Championships with a 6-1 finals victory over the United States’ Richard FIGUEROA (USA).

For the second year in a row, Japan’s Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) blanked her opponents on her way to a world title. Over two years, Kagami outscored her eight world championship opponents 83-0. In 2017, she outscored her Athens opponents 41-0, and shutout her Zagreb counterparts 42-0.

The next award that will be released by United World Wrestling will be the 2018 History Makers. The History Makers for 2018 will be coming out this Sunday.

#BeachWrestling

Pan-Am Beach Wrestling: Colombia, Ecuador Win 2 Golds Each

Friday, June 19, 2026 - 08:43 By United World Wrestling Press

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LIMA, Peru (June 17) -- Ten nations competed at the Pan-American Beach Wrestling Championships in Lima, Peru. In the men's category, Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala and Argentina won gold medals while in women's, Colombia won two golds, and Ecuador and Chile won one each.

Former Pan-Am champion Luisa VALVERDE (ECU) won the gold medal at 60kg in women's after a victory via fall over Jania DUNIGAN (PUR) in the final. She used a beautiful headlock throw for the win.

At 50kg, Natalia PERDOMO (COL) pinned Genesis RAMIREZ (PUR) to win gold and the second gold medal for Colombia came when Alexa CUERO (COL) blanked Ruth JIMENEZ (PUR), 3-0, in the 70kg final.

Chile got its gold medal at +70kg when Melanie SANCHEZ (CHI) both her bouts in round-robin. She defeated Aomi RIQUES (PER) and Gabriella REID (PUR), who finished with silver and bronze, respectively.

Ricardo GOMEZ (ARG)Ricardo GOMEZ (ARG), left, won the +90kg gold medal for Argentina. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Osvaldo Aguilar)

Jeremy PERALTA (ECU) was the first gold medal at men's 70kg as he secured a victory via fall over Alex PICHUCHO (ECU) in the final in just 55 seconds.

The second gold medal was claimed by Luis BARRIOS (HON) who blanked Sixto AUCCAPINA (PER), 3-0, in the 80kg final. He scored three different point to win the bout three seconds before the clock expired.

Three wrestlers posted three wins at 90kg but it was Cristhoper PEREZ (GUA) who emerged as the gold medalist as he had more classification points. Apart from Perez, Jesus LANDA (PER) and Carlos ESPINOZA (PER) also had three wins each. Perez managed eight classification points, Landa had seven and Espinoza had five.

In +90kg weight class, Ricardo GOMEZ (ARG) held on to a close 2-1 victory in the final over Jean ZAMBRANO (ECU) to clinch the gold medal.

RESULTS

Men's BW

70kg
GOLD: Jeremy PERALTA (ECU) df. Alex PICHUCHO (ECU), via fall

BRONZE: Arnoldo PROBOSTE (ARG) df. Caleb NEGRON (PUR), 1-0

80kg
GOLD: Luis BARRIOS (HON) df. Sixto AUCCAPINA (PER), 3-0

BRONZE: Yael PEREZ AKE (MEX) df. Adrian MAYNARD (BAR), 3-1

90kg
GOLD: Cristhoper PEREZ (GUA)
SILVER: Jesus LANDA (PER)
BRONZE: Carlos ESPINOZA (PER)

+90kg
GOLD: Ricardo GOMEZ (ARG) df. Jean ZAMBRANO (ECU), 2-1

BRONZE: Glean GONZALEZ (ECU) df. Kensil GRAJALES (PER), 3-1

Women's BW

50kg
GOLD: Natalia PERDOMO (COL) df. Genesis RAMIREZ (PUR), via fall

BRONZE: Vicky LEON (ECU) df. Nathaly HERRERA (PER), via inj. def.

60kg
GOLD: Luisa VALVERDE (ECU) df. Jania DUNIGAN (PUR), via fall

BRONZE: Meissy VALDEZ (GUA) df. Andrea AVELINO (MEX), via fall

70kg
GOLD: Alexa CUERO (COL) df. Ruth JIMENEZ (PUR), 3-0

BRONZE: Cielo FAJARDO (PER) df. Karla PAICO (PER), via fall

+70kg
GOLD: Melanie SANCHEZ (CHI)
SILVER: Aomi RIQUES (PER)
BRONZE: Gabriella REID (PUR)