Toronto, Pan American Games

U.S. Advances Three to Gold Medal Finals in Pan Am Games Wrestling

Wednesday, July 15, 2015 - 21:44 By William May

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TORONTO, Canada (July 14) – World bronze medalist Andrew BISEK (USA) notched a pair of one-sided wins in the opening session of Greco-Roman wrestling at the Pan American Games on Wednesday while leading a trio of 2014 Pan American finalists into the evening’s gold medal bouts.

Bisek stopped Juan ESCOBAR (MEX) by technical fall in the semifinals at 75kg to advance to the championship match against Alvis ALMENDRA (PAN), who finished seventh at the Pan American championships in April.

Bisek, last year’s winner at the Pan American championships, will be joined by fellow Pan American champ Jon ANDERSON (85kg) and 2014 silver medalist Bryce SADDORIS (66kg).

Saddoris will square off with Wuileixis RIVAS (VEN), the Pan American champ last year at 71kg, while Anderson is slated to meet Querys PEREZ (VEN) in the evening’s finale at 85kg. Rivas reached the 66kg final with a 2-1 win over last year’s Pan Am champ Miguel MARTINEZ (CUB).

 

For the Cubans, the opening session was a disaster as three-time Pan Am champ Ismael BORRERO (CUB) fell to Spenser MANGO (USA), 3-3, on a last-second force-out in the 59kg quarterfinals.

At the same time, Alan VERA (CUB) was stunned early in the semifinals with a duck-behind to back-arching throw by Anderson, who rolled into the gold medal final with an 8-0 technical fall.

In the first gold medal final of the evening at 59kg, 2013 Pan Am bronze medalist Ali SOTO (MEX) will square off with 2012 silver medal winner Andres MONTANO (ECU).

Montano advanced to the final with a 9-1 win over Mango, countering the U.S. wrestler’s front headlock with a duck-under and short back arch that dropped Mango on his back for four points.

 

Greco-Roman
59kg

GOLD: Ali SOTO (MEX) v Andres MONTANO (ECU)

BRONZE: Dylan WILLIAMS (CAN) v Cristobal TORRES (CHI)

BRONZE: Jansel RAMIREZ (DOM) v Spenser MANGO (USA)

66kg

GOLD: Wuileixis RIVAS (VEN) v Bryce SADDORIS (USA)

BRONZE: Jair Alexis CUERO (COL) v Miguel MARTINEZ (CUB)

BRONZE: Mario MOLINA (PER) v Jefrin MEJIA (HON)

75kg

GOLD: Alvis ALMENDRA (PAN) v Andrew BISEK (USA)

BRONZE: Maximiliano PRUDENZANO (ARG) v Carlos MUNOZ (COL)

BRONZE: Luis AVENDANO (VEN) v Juan ESCOBAR (MEX)

85kg

GOLD: Querys PEREZ (VEN) v Jon ANDERSON (USA)

BRONZE: Alfonso LEYVA (MEX) v Cristian MOSQUERA (COL)

BRONZE: Oscar MARTINEZ (HON) v Alan VERA (CUB)

Toronto, Pan Am Games

Lopez Wins Fourth, Silva Gets First Gold for Brazil in Pan Am Games

Friday, July 17, 2015 - 03:56 By William May

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TORONTO, Canada (July 16) – Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) won his fourth wrestling gold medal at the Pan American Games on Thursday and Joice SILVA (BRA) improved on her bronze medal from four years ago by bagging Brazil’s first wrestling gold medal in the history of the Games.

For Lopez, who cruised into the 130kg final on two technical falls in the afternoon session, it was business as usual as he rolled up Andres AYUB (CHI) with a pair of takedowns and turns for a third technical fall in the evening and the gold medal.

With the triumph, Lopez joins fellow Greco-Roman greats Hector MILIAN (CUB) and Juan MAREN (CUB) as the only wrestlers, thus far, to achieve the feat at the Pan American Games.

Silva, meanwhile, battled throughout the first day of women’s events at Mississauga Sports Center, coming from behind to win three bouts at 58kg by a margin of four points for the gold medal.

In Thursday evening’s finale, Silva surrendered a four-point takedown to 2013 Pan American championships winner Yakeline ESTORNELL (CUB) early, but battled back to narrow the deficit to 5-4 by the break.

A late takedown that landed out of bounds in the second period knotted the score for Silva and a penalty point made it 6-5 for the jubilant Silva and the Brazilian fans in the arena.

Earlier in the evening, Yasmany LUGO (CUB) cranked Pan American junior champ Kevin MEJIA (HON) over with a windmill throw and pressed for the fall in the 98kg final to claim his first Games crown.

Lugo and Lopez gave Cuba its only gold medals of the Greco-Roman competition after being held to two bronze medals the previous day. The two gold medals lifted Cuba to second in the final Greco-Roman team rankings with 40 points, nine points behind the United States with two gold medals, a silver and two bronze.

Women’s wrestling also got under way with reigning Pan American championships winner Genevieve MORRISON (CAN) racing out to a 4-0 lead, then holding on to a 5-4 victory over Thalia MALLQUI (PER) for the gold medal.

Despite the loss, Mallqui’s silver medal was the best finish yet for Peru in women’s wrestling.

At 53kg, Whitney CONDER (USA) came out on top of a scramble in the first period and with the help of a penalty point in the second period, fashioned a 3-2 win over Alma VALENCIA (MEX). Valencia’s silver medal was the first medal in women’s wrestling at the Games.

Thursday’s Medal Match Results
Greco-Roman - 98kg
GOLD: Yasmany LUGO (CUB) df. Kevin MEJIA (HON) by Fall
BRONZE: Luillys PEREZ (VEN) df. Jose ROCHA (MEX), 4-0
BRONZE: Davi ALBINO (BRA) df. Oscar LOANGO (COL), 5-1

Greco-Roman - 130kg
GOLD: Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) df. Andres AYUB (CHI) by TF, 8-0
BRONZE: Josue ENCARNACION (DOM) df. Charles THOMS (CAN), 2-0
BRONZE: Robby SMITH (USA) df. Moises PEREZ (VEN) by Default

Women’s Wrestling - 48kg
GOLD: Genevieve MORRISON (CAN) df. Thalia MALLQUI (PER), 5-4
BRONZE: Alyssa LAMPE (USA) df. Yusnelis GUZMAN (CUB) by TF, 12-2
BRONZE: Carolina CASTILLO (COL) df. Angelica BUSTOS (ECU), 1-1

Women’s Wrestling - 53kg
GOLD: Whitney CONDER (USA) df. Alma VALENCIA (MEX), 3-2
BRONZE: Yamilka DEL VALLE (CUB) – uncontested
BRONZE: Betzabeth ARGUELLO (VEN) df. Luisa VALVERDE (ECU) by Fall

Women’s Wrestling - 58kg
GOLD: Joice SILVA (BRA) df. Yakelin ESTORNELL (CUB), 6-5
BRONZE: Lissette ANTES (ECU) df. Sandra ROA (COL) by TF, 12-1
BRONZE: Yanet SOVERO (PER) df. Alejandra ROMERO (MEX), 6-6