#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)

 

#WrestleTirana

U23 Worlds: Japan clinches team title; Ringaci wins gold

Saturday, October 28, 2023 - 00:15 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (October 27) -- Japan only sent nine wrestlers, with none of the seven world champions from last year returning, to the U23 World Championships. Yet, it clinched the Women's Wrestling team title comfortably in Tirana on Friday.

With no entries received at 68kg in the domestic selection trials, Japan was forced to skip that weight in Tirana but the second-string team won five gold and one silver to finish at the top with 159 points. Ukraine finished second with 144 points while the United World Wrestling team was third with 132 points.

Out of the five gold medals on offer on Friday, Japan won three with Mako OONO (JPN) winning at 53kg, Sara NATAMI (JPN) winning at 57kg and Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) winning the 62kg gold medal.

Irina RINGACI (MDA) won the 65kg gold while senior world champion Amit ELOR (USA) repeated as the champion at 72kg, claiming her eighth world title.

Mako OONO (JPN)Mako OONO (JPN) celebrates after winning the 53kg final. (Photo: UWW / Ulug Bugra Han Degirmenci)

Oono got the ball rolling with a 10-0 win over senior world bronze medalist Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) in the 53kg final. Using her quick speed, Oono was able to counter most of Dragutan's attacks and finished the final with 2:17 left on the clock.

While the final was a one-sided affair, Oono was in serious trouble in her quarterfinals against Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) who scored in the first ten seconds of the bout and took a 2-0 lead. Malanchuk kept coming back with the low single on Oono's left leg but the Japanese defended well to not give up any more points. In the second period, Malanchuk shot a double-leg which Oono defended and scored a go-behind to lead 2-2 on criteria. That remained the winning margin for Oono.

This was Oono's fourth gold medal in international competitions as she has a U17 world title from 2018, an Asian U17 title from 2019 and an Asian U20 gold from 2022.

Sara NATAMI (JPN)Sara NATAMI (JPN) defeated Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) 18-8 in the 57kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Senior Asian champion at 59kg in 2022, Natami was wrestling at 57kg and had to work hard for the gold against European silver medalist Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE). Natami won the gold by beating Aliyeva 18-8.

Natami opened the scoring with a takedown and rolled Aliyeva to lead 6-0. As she scored another takedown, Aliyeva got her hold over Natami and sprung her on the side to score two points. That cut Natami's lead to 8-2. Aliyeva then locked Natami's hands and flung her for a four. Though she survived the pin, Natami gave up a stepout and saw her lead cut to 8-7 at the break.

All that action had taken a toll on Aliyeva as she broke down in the second period and gave up easy takedowns as Natami's lead swelled to 12-8. With a minute still left on the clock, Natami, with six more points, completed an 18-8 victory. The win also denied Aliyeva and Azerbaijan their first gold medal at the U23 World Championships.

Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN)Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) won the world title at 62kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 62kg, Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) did not take that much time as she pinned Iryna BONDAR (UKR) in the final. Inagaki first blocked an attempted lift from Bondar to score two points and once the wrestlers were in neutral, she got Bondar by the arm and pinned her with 4:17 left on the clock.

Inagaki is now a two-time U23 world champion, four years after she won her first in 2019. She also has the U17 and U20 world titles to her name.

Irina RINGACI (MDA)Irina RINGACI (MDA) pins Amina TANDELOVA (AIN) in the 65kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

After two bronze medals at the U23 Worlds (2019 and 2022), Ringaci won the gold medal in some style, pinning Amina TANDELOVA (AIN) in a minute and 28 seconds.

Ringaci won a bronze medal at 68kg at the senior Worlds last month but returned to 65kg for the Tirana tournament.

"I feel better at 65kg because I weigh around 67kg," Ringaci said. "When I am wrestling at 65kg, I have to cut only around two kilograms but for 68kg, I am underweight."

In the semifinal, Ringaci had a fierce battle with world silver medalist Macey KILTY (USA), winning 5-4 with her defense helping her sail.

"The semifinal opponent is a strong wrestler," she said. "I knew it was going to be a tough match. I am always getting ready to wrestle for six minutes."

Defending champion at 72kg Elor came to Tirana chasing her eighth world title and returned with it. She defeated Jyoti BERWAL (UWW) 10-0 in just 21 seconds to become a two-time U23 world champion, her third world title this year.

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RESULTS

Women's Wrestling

53kg
GOLD: Mako OONO (JPN) df. Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA), 10-0

BRONZE: Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) df. Ekaterina VERBINA (AIN), 10-8
BRONZE: Altyn SHAGAYEVA (KAZ) df. Beatrice FERENT (ROU), 12-1

57kg
GOLD: Sara NATAMI (JPN) df. Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE), 18-8

BRONZE: REENA (UWW) df. Mia FRIESEN (CAN), 8-2
BRONZE: Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR) df. Xochitl MOTA PETTIS (USA), 4-3

62kg
GOLD: Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) df. Iryna BONDAR (UKR), via fall

BRONZE: Alina KASABIEVA (AIN) df. Viktoria VESSO (EST), 11-0
BRONZE: Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ) df. Bhagyashree FAND (UWW), 10-6

65kg
GOLD: Irina RINGACI (MDA) df. Amina TANDELOVA (AIN), via fall

BRONZE: Yuliia LESKOVETS (UKR) df. Elma ZEIDLERE (LAT), 3-1
BRONZE: MONIKA (UWW) df. Macey KILTY (USA), 5-4

72kg
GOLD: Amit ELOR (USA) df. Jyoti BERWAL (UWW), 10-0

BRONZE: Iryna ZABLOTSKA (UKR) df. Bukrenaz SERT (TUR), 12-2
BRONZE: Viktoryia RADZKOVA (AIN) df. Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL), 3-3

Greco-Roman

60kg
GOLD: Romeo BERIDZE (GEO) vs. Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (AIN) 

SF 1: Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (AIN) df. SUMIT (UWW), 9-4
SF 2: Romeo BERIDZE (GEO) df. Mert ILBARS (TUR), 3-1

67kg
GOLD: Mustafa YILDIRIM (TUR) vs. Sultan ASSETULY (KAZ)

SF 1: Sultan ASSETULY (KAZ) df. Hasan MAMMADLI (AZE), 11-0
SF 2: Mustafa YILDIRIM (TUR) df. HARUTO YABE (JPN), 3-3

72kg
GOLD: Dmitrii ADAMOV (AIN) vs. Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR)

SF 1: Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR) df. Michael PORTMANN (SUI), 9-2
SF 2: Dmitrii ADAMOV (AIN) df. Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 15-6

82kg
GOLD: Alperen BERBER (TUR) vs. Aues GONIBOV (AIN)

SF 1: Aues GONIBOV (AIN) df. Ruslan ABDIIEV (UKR), 11-0
SF 2: Alperen BERBER (TUR) df. Emad ABOUELATTA (EGY), 3-1

97kg
GOLD: Mustafa OLGUN (TUR) vs. Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN)

SF 1: Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN) df. Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM), 9-0
SF 2: Mustafa OLGUN (TUR) df. Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN), 7-4