Toronto, Pan Am Games, Canada

U.S. Sweeps into Freestyle Finals in Pan Am Games

By William May

TORONTO, Canada (July 18) – Defending champions Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) and Jake HERBERT (USA) advanced to the finals of the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games on Saturday and will attempt to win gold medals for a second straight Games later Saturday evening.

Burroughs (74kg) and Herbert (86kg) will be joined in the gold medal matches at Mississauga Sports Center by teammates Kyle SNYDER (96kg) and three-time Pan American championships winner Zachery REY (125kg).

The U.S. quartet will try to match the four gold medals won in the same corresponding categories at the Guadalajara 2011 Games with Burroughs and Herbert leading the charge again.

 

Burroughs will square off South American Games champion Yoan BLANCO (ECU), who has won bronze medals at 66kg in Guadalajara and at 74kg at last year’s Pan Am championships.

In his opening bout of the day, Burroughs rolled up a technical fall against fellow 2014 world bronze medalist Livan LOPEZ (CUB), who will wrestle for a bronze medal on Saturday evening. Lopez was the 66kg gold medalist at the 2011 Games.

 

Herbert, meanwhile, will take his second shot at Reineris SALAS (CUB) this summer after a loss to the two-time world silver medalist at the Beat the Streets event in New York in May.

Herbert cruised into the gold medal match at 86kg with a pair of technical falls, while Salas was forced to go the full six minutes with decisions on points in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

At 96kg, Snyder, a 2013 junior world champion, also rides the momentum of a pair of technical falls into the final and will go up against Pan American championships bronze medal winner Arjun GILL (CAN).

Bringing the curtain down on the Pan Am Games’ wrestling competition will be Rey, who won his third Pan Am championships crown in Santiago in April, and Korey JARVIS (CAN), a bronze medal winner in April.

Gill and Jarvis were both gold medalists at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Freestyle
74kg
GOLD: Yoan BLANCO (ECU) v Jordan BURROUGHS (USA)
BRONZE: Johnathan SCOTT (CRC) df. Cristian SARCO (VEN)
BRONZE: Livan LOPEZ (CUB) v Jevon BALFOUR (CAN)

86kg
GOLD: Reineris SALAS (CUB) v Jake HERBERT (USA)
BRONZE: Tamerlan TIGZIEV (CAN) v Pool AMBROCIO (PER)
BRONZE: Ricardo BAEZ (ARG) v Jaime ESPINAL (PUR)

97kg
GOLD: Kyle SNYDER (USA) v Arjun GILL (CAN)
BRONZE: Yuri MAIER (ARG) v Jose DIAZ (VEN)
BRONZE: Jesse RUIZ (MEX) v Marcos SANTOS (PUR)

125kg
GOLD: Korey JARVIS (CAN) v Zach REY (USA)
BRONZE: Edgardo LOPEZ (PUR) v Hugo DE OLIVEIRA (BRA
BRONZE: Rene SILVA (NCA) v Andres RAMOS (CUB)

#development, #Anti-Doping

UWW, ITA deliver anti-doping education at World Championships camp

By United World Wrestling Press

POREC, Croatia (September 11) -- The United World Wrestling recently hosted a successful on-site Anti-Doping education event in collaboration with the International Testing Agency at the World Championships acclimatization camp in Poreč.

This marked the first time UWW partnered with ITA to deliver education directly at a training camp. A dedicated booth was set up on September 8 and 9 during the camp, and presentation sessions, led by ITA educator Anita HARTUNG, were held during the evenings of both days.

"The camp offered a great opportunity to connect with athletes ahead of their major competition," Hartung said. "Many stopped by the Clean Sport booth before and after training, showing genuine interest and openness in discussing the fundamentals of Anti-Doping.

"It was inspiring to be surrounded by such a motivated athlete community and support them in their sporting journey."

The sessions provided athletes with in-depth knowledge about Anti-Doping rules, safe supplement use, and ethical sporting practices.

Two dedicated presentation sessions explored key topics, including athletes’ rights and responsibilities, how to check medications, Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs), Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs), and the risks associated with supplement use.

Holding the sessions during the acclimatization period, rather than the competition phase, allowed athletes to engage in a more relaxed environment and fully focus on learning.

CRO

"These are some of the best wrestlers in the world, and thanks to the collaboration with ITA, they are better informed,” Carlos ROY, UWW Secretary General, said. "Education on Anti-Doping protects our sport, promotes fair competition, and ensures our athletes can perform at their best with confidence."

The initiative reflects UWW’s ongoing commitment to clean sport and athlete support. By equipping wrestlers with knowledge and tools to make informed choices, UWW and ITA aim to strengthen integrity in wrestling while fostering a culture of safe and fair competition.

The Anti-Doping education sessions are part of a broader effort by UWW to provide athletes with continuous learning opportunities on the importance of competing clean, complementing existing regulations and testing programs.

With the World Championships on the horizon, these activities ensure that athletes are not only physically and technically prepared but also well-informed about Anti-Doping practices, reinforcing the values of integrity, fairness, and excellence in wrestling.