#panam2018

Rivera Wins First Women's Pan Am Title for Puerto Rico Since 2002

Saturday, May 5, 2018 - 04:22 By Taylor Miller

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LIMA (May 4) – Puerto Rico earned its first female Pan American champion since 2002 on Friday night when Andribeth RIVERA picked up her third win of the day to secure the 59 kg gold.

Rivera faced Laurence BEAUREGARD (CAN) in her final match of round-robin competition. Beauregard stormed out to an 8-0 win but just moments later, Rivera threw the Canadian to her back and got the pin.

Rivera became just the second women’s freestyler to win a Pan Am title for Puerto Rico. The last to do it was Mabel Fonseca Ramirez, who won back-to-back championships in 2001 and 2002.

The USA won two gold medals on Friday, receiving championship performances from Becka LEATHERS at 55 kg and Forrest MOLINARI at 65 kg.

Leathers had locked up the gold medal in the morning session in round-robin competition.

Molinari defeated Breanne Leigh GRAHAM (CAN) with a 5-2 win in the only match of the day at 65 kg.

The other women’s champion came at 72 kg, when Veronica Helen Frances KEEFE (CAN) put together a perfect 3-0 record in the event.

Moving on with the USA theme, the U.S. men’s Greco team won the Pan Am team title, outscoring runner-up Cuba 141-140.

Although they won the team title, the U.S. did not produce any champions in day-two action. However, the squad leaves Peru with six medals, including two gold, three silver and one bronze.

Cuba had two champions on Friday night, including Ariel FIS BATISTA (CUB) at 77 kg and Daniel GREGORICH HECHAVARRIA (CUB) at 87 kg.

Fis, a 2018 Central American Caribbean Championship gold medalist, topped four-time Pan American medalist Jair Alexis CUERO MUNOZ (COL), 9-5.

Gregorich, who finished seventh at the World Championships, improved on a second-place finish from last year’s Pan Ams, taking the top of the podium with a dominant 7-0 decision over Yorgen Jose COVA PULIDO (VEN).

Emerging from the 82 kg bracket was Luis Eduardo AVENDANO ROJAS (VEN), who strung together a perfect 4-0 record. In his final match of the day, Avendano defeated Brayden William AMBO (CAN) by fall early in the match.

The tournament continues tomorrow with the remaining women’s weights (50, 53, 57, 62, 68, 76) and the first part of the men’s freestyle weights (79 and 92). It will all be live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

GRECO TEAM SCORES
1. USA – 141
2. Cuba – 140
3. Brazil – 106

GRECO-ROMAN
77 kg
GOLD - Ariel FIS BATISTA (CUB) dec. Jair Alexis CUERO MUNOZ (COL), 9-5
BRONZE - Angelo Rafael MARQUES MOREIRA (BRA) win by fall over Francisco Albano BARRIO (ARG), 1:41
BRONZE - Reinier JIMENEZ TERRY (GUA) win by fall over Johan Antonio BATISTA (DOM), 3:33

82 kg
GOLD - Luis Eduardo AVENDANO ROJAS (VEN)
SILVER – Geordan SPEILLER (USA)
BRONZE - Carlos Moises ESPINOZA CASTRO (PER)

87 kg
GOLD - Daniel GREGORICH HECHAVARRIA (CUB) df. Yorgen Jose COVA PULIDO (VEN), 7-0
BRONZE - Benjamin Errol PROVISOR (USA) df. Alfonso Antonio LEYVA YEPEZ (MEX), 3-0
BRONZE - Carlos Alberto ADAMES PALMER (DOM) df. Phillip Raweriio BARREIRO (CAN), 9-0

WOMEN’S FREESTYLE

55 kg
GOLD – Becka LEATHERS (GOLD)
SILVER – Cara Gail NANIA (CAN)
BRONZE - Lady Raysa MORAN VALENZUELA (ECU)

59 kg
GOLD - Andribeth RIVERA BELLIARD (PUR)
SILVER - Laurence BEAUREGARD (CAN)
BRONZE - Kelsey Rene CAMPBELL (USA)

65 kg
GOLD - Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA)
SILVER - Breanne Leigh GRAHAM (CAN)

72 kg
GOLD - Veronica Helen Frances KEEFE (CAN)
SILVER - Diana Luisa Victoria CRUZ ARROYO (PER)
BRONZE - Hannah La Shae GLADDEN (USA)

 

#WrestleBucharest

Nine return to defend European titles in Women's Wrestling

Monday, February 5, 2024 - 10:52 By Vinay Siwach

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BUCHAREST, Romania (February 5) -- Nine out of the ten Women's Wrestling European champions will return to the European Championships, hoping to defend their gold medals in Bucharest next week. The one not coming, Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR) is yet to recover from an injury which also kept her out of the World Championships.

Two of them, Andreea ANA (ROU) and Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU), will be the most keen on repeating as European champions. In Zagreb last year, they gave the double gold to Romania but next week, wrestling at home will give them extra motivation to repeat.

Ana and Anghel will be in the non-Olympic weight classes 55kg and 72kg respectively. Ana is a two-time European champion and will be the favorite in Bucharest. If any, former age-group European champion Ekaterina VERBINA (AIN) can trouble Ana as she returns to competition. Ukraine is sending Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) while Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA), Roksana ZASINA (POL) and Tuba DEMIR (TUR) are also in the field.

Anghel, who defeated 68kg world champion Buse TOSUN (TUR) to win the gold medal at 72kg last year, can have a tougher time this year. 68kg European champion Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) is moving to 72kg after losing her place to Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) at 68kg. Kendra DACHER (FRA), age-group world medalist Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL), U23 world champion Nesrin BAS (TUR) and Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) are also in this weight class.

Yasemin ADAR (TUR)Yasemin ADAR (TUR) is a six-time European champion. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

2022 world champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR) is returning to the mat after one year, having skipped all competitions after the 2023 Euros. She will, despite her time off, be the favorite to win the 76kg gold medal. Adar is chasing her seventh European title after six golds and a silver medal.

Former European champion Epp MAE (EST) will be her biggest threat as she also looks to return after a medalless World Championships. Mae recently trained in Japan with world champion Yuka KAGAMI (JPN). Anastasiia OSNIACH SHUSTOVA (UKR) will also hope to make the final.

Turkiye's world champion in 2023, Tosun will be at 68kg. She had a disastrous start to the year, losing her first-round bout at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series in January. Tosun will look to put that behind her and start afresh for the Bucharest tournament.

To avoid any disappointments, Tosun will have to navigate past world bronze medalist Koumba LARROQUE (FRA), Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), 65kg European champion Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) and former European champion Tetiana SOVA RIZHKO (UKR). Larroque won the European Championships gold medal in 2021 and will be keen on getting back on the top of the podium.

Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (AIN)Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (AIN) will look to win her first European title since 2020. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Two world silver medalists, Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (AIN) at 53kg and Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) at 59kg, will also be in action in Bucharest.  

Kaladzinskaya last wrestled at the European Championships in 2020 and won the gold medal. She will start as the favorite at 53kg despite the likes of Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) and Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) entered for the tournament.

Kaladzinskaya won the silver medal at the World Championships, dropping the final to Akari FUJINAMI (JPN). It was her first competition since winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Malmgren, the two-time defending champion, will have her task cut out this year. She lost to Kaladzinskaya at the World Championships but that loss can only be a lesson for the former U20 world champion.

Former Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE), Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (AIN), Sztalvira ORSUS (HUN), Iulia LEORDA (MDA) and Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR) can upset the field in Bucharest and finish on the podium.

Defending champion Nichita is the clear front-runner for the gold at 59kg. After finishing with a silver medal at the World Championships at 57kg, Nichita returned to competition in Zagreb but suffered a loss to Kexin HONG (CHN).

Nichita will be drawn at random into the bracket as she has no ranking at 59kg. The top seed will be Othelie HOIE (NOR), a returning European bronze medalist and world bronze medalist. Age-group world medalists Alesia HETMANAVA (AIN) and Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (AIN) can also finish on the podium.

Grace BULLEN (NOR)Grace BULLEN (NOR) and Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) put a thriller in the 62kg semifinal last year. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 62kg, world bronze medalist Grace BULLEN (NOR) will have a chance to win her first European gold medal since 2020. She was a silver medalist last after suffering a heartbreaking loss to Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) in the final. She will have a chance to win the gold medal this year. Koliadenko has moved to 65kg for this tournament and is replaced by veteran Yuliia TKACH (UKR) which will also be a big test for Bullen.

Tkach, the silver medalist at 59kg from last year, has moved to 62kg after world bronze medalist Koliadenko moved up to 65kg. Tkach has every trick up her sleeve to keep Bullen at bay. But the Norway wrestler has improved leaps and bounds in recent times and can be called the favorite for this event.

One wrestler who will be waiting keenly to meet Bullen on the mat is Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL). She suffered a 7-6 loss to Bullen in the semifinal last year and finished with a bronze medal. Dudova, a former world champion at 59kg, is still trying to find her feet at 62kg. The two can only meet in the final, thanks to being seeded one and two.

Former U20 world champion Alina KASABIEVA (AIN) will also like to finish on the podium.

Mariya STADNIK (AZE)Mariya STADNIK (AZE) became a nine-time European champion last year. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

At 50kg, Mariya STADNIK (AZE) will look to extend her record streak of 10 European titles [12 as she has two European Games gold as well]. Last year, Oksana LIVACH (UKR) gave Stadnik a scare in the final but the Azerbaijan wrestler controlled the second period to keep her energy and win the gold.

A year older at 35, Stadnik will once again be tested by the young wrestler who will be participating in Bucharest. Livach will look to avenge the loss from last year while Miglena SELISHKA (BUL) and Emilia VUC (ROU) will also have a chance to upset the wrestling legend.

The 57kg weight class will see a new European champion as Hrushyna has not entered for her title defense. Tokyo silver medalist Iryna KURACHKINA (AIN) will be the favorite along with returning silver medalist Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) and bronze medalist Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL). Veteran Veronika CHUMIKOVA (AIN) and U20 world champion Aurora RUSSO (ITA) and former world bronze medalist Anhelina LYSAK (POL) are also entered.

World bronze medalist and returning silver medalist Irina RINGACI (MDA) will be at 65kg, hoping to win the gold that she dropped against Hristova last year. Ringaci will be tested by Taybe YUSEIN (BUL), Kriszta INCZE (ROU) and world bronze medalist at 62kg Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR).