Toronto, Pan American Games

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

By William May

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)

#WrestleTirana

Individual Neutral Athletes to compete at U17 European C’ships

By United World Wrestling Press

COSIER-VEVEY, Switzerland (June 12, 2023) --- Russia and Belarus will return to international competition at the upcoming U17 European Championships, scheduled to take place in Tirana, Albania, from June 12-18. However, athletes representing both countries will compete under the Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) designation.

During the competition, they will be ranked according to their results, but Individual Neutral Athletes won’t be allowed to play their anthems or use their respective flags. For the team rankings, AIN athletes won’t score points and will therefore be unranked.

With safety as a top priority and following a thorough examination of registrants by United World Wrestling, four individuals from Russia and Belarus have been denied access and subsequently removed from the competition. The review of the registrants by the UWW eligibility panel was based on vetting reports carried out by a private integrity services provider (Sportradar) and led to the exclusion of these individuals, ensuring fair and transparent participation in the Championships.

“Ensuring the safety and well-being of the athletes, coaches, volunteers, and everyone involved in the U17 European Championships is paramount,” said President Lalovic. “Our aim, with the assistance of the Albanian Wrestling Federation, is to provide a secure and enjoyable Championships where the young athletes can excel while having confidence in their physical and emotional well-being.”

The U17 European Championships begins Monday, June 12, in Tirana, Albania, and can be followed live on www.uww.orgor on “The Home of Wrestling,” United World Wrestling’s app.