#WrestleGuatemala

USA Claims Eight Gold Medals for Team Title on Last Day of #WrestleGuatemala

Monday, May 31, 2021 - 02:12 By Taylor Miller

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GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala – USA won the men’s freestyle team title on Sunday night, sweeping the gold medals at the 2021 Pan American Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Olympic champion and two-time World champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) dominated the 97kg weight class to earn his sixth Pan-American gold medal. In the final, he wrestled 2017 Pan Am silver medalist and three-time bronze medalist Luis PEREZ SOSA (DOM), who he defeated with an 11-0 win to secure the Golden Boot as the Outstanding Wrestler.

At 86kg, David TAYLOR (USA) collected his fourth Pan Am gold. Taking on Clayton PYE (CAN), Taylor put together a 10-0 win in 24 seconds. He also owns golds from the 2018 and 2019 Pan Am Championships as well as a gold from the 2020 Pan Am Olympic Qualifier.

Six Americans won gold medals in their first Senior Pan American event.

Two-time World champion at 79kg Kyle DAKE (USA) dominated his way to the crown at 74kg with four wins in his Pan American debut. For the gold, Dake defeated 2020 Pan Am bronze winner Victor HERNANDEZ LUNA (MEX), 10-0.

Gable STEVESON (USA) finishes a shot on Santiago RESTREPO HERNANDEZ (COL) in their Round 2 matchup. Steveson won the match, 10-0. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

2017 Junior World champion and Tokyo Olympian Gable STEVESON (USA) won the 125kg weight class easily with five match wins, all of which were by technical superiorities, including a 10-0 win in the finals over 2018 Junior World silver medalist Aly BARGHOUT (CAN). It was his second victory of the day over Barghout as the two met earlier in the day in pool action.

At 57kg, Vitali ARUJAU (USA), a 2019 Junior World silver medalist, sailed through his opponents to win the title. In the gold-medal final, Arujau dominated 2017 Cadet Pan Am champion Roberto ALEJANDRO BLANCO (MEX), 10-0. It was his third win of the day.

For the crown at 65kg, Joseph MCKENNA (USA), a 2017 U23 World bronze medalist, took on Marcos DE BRITO SIQUEIRA (BRA) in the final, where he dominated for a 10-0 win and the gold medal.

Alec PANTALEO (USA) topped the podium at 70kg, taking out 2017 Pan Am bronze medalist Carlos ROMERO MILLAQUEO (CHI) with a quick 12-0 victory.

Shelton MACK (USA) won a close bout for the title at 61kg, defeating 2011 Pan Am Games champion and 2019 Pan Am Games silver medalist Juan RAMIREZ BELTRE (DOM) with a 2-0 victory.

Team USA won the team title with 10 champions and 250 points. Taking second was Canada with 116 points y rounding out the top-three was Mexico with 114 points.

En Español

CIUDAD DE GUATEMALA – USA ganó el titulo del equipo en el estilo libre masculino, con ocho campeones en el dia final del campeonato panamericano en la Ciudad de Guatemala.

Campeón olímpico 2016 y dos veces campeón mundial Kyle SNYDER (USA) colectó su sexta medalla de oro panamericana el domingo, dominando la categoría 97 kg. En el final, Snyder, dos veces olímpico, se enfrentó a Luis PEREZ SOSA (DOM), un medallista de plata panamericana 2017 y tres veces medallista de bronce. Snyder ganó con una puntuación 11-0 y aseguró el botín de oro.

En la categoría 86 kg, David TAYLOR (USA) ganó el oro panamericano por la cuarta vez. Enfrentándose a Clayton PYE (CAN), Taylor dominó en el final, 10-0. También ganó en 2018 y 2019 así como el torneo clasificatorio olímpico panamericano en 2020.

Seis de los estadounidenses compitieron en el campeonato panamericano por la primera vez.

Kyle DAKE (USA), dos veces campeón mundial en 79 kg, reclamó la corona en 74 kg con cuatro victorias en su debut panamericano. Para el oro, olímpico Dake derrotó a Victor HERNANDEZ LUNA (MEX), medallista de bronce panamericana 2020, 10-0.

Campeón mundial juvenil 2017 y olímpico Gable STEVESON (USA) venció a la categoría 125 kg con cinco victorias el domingo. Todos fueron por superioridades técnicas, incluyendo una victoria 10-0 contra medallista de plata mundial juvenil 2018 Aly BARGHOUT (CAN) en el final. Fue la segunda dominación sobre Barghout. Más temprano en el día, Steveson también ganó 10-0.

En 57 kg, Vitali ARUJAU (USA), medallista de plata mundial juvenil 2019, conquistó todo los oponentes para asegurar el título. Para el oro, Arujau dominó a campeón panamericano cadete 2017 Roberto ALEJANDRO BLANCO (MEX), 10-0. Fue su tercera victoria del día.

Para la corona en la categoría 65 kg, Joseph MCKENNA (USA), medallista de bronce mundial U23, se enfrentó a Marcos DE BRITO SIQUEIRA (BRA) en el final. McKenna ganó el combate cómodamente con una victoria de 10-0.

Alec PANTALEO (USA) llegó a lo más alto del podio en 70 kg. En el final, compitió contra medallista de bronce panamericana 2017 Carlos ROMERO MILLAQUEO (CHI). Pantaleo ganó por 12-0 superioridad tecnica.

Shelton MACK (USA) ganó una pelea cerrada por el título en 61 kg, derrotando al campeón de los Juegos Panamericanos 2011 y medallista de plata de los Juegos Panamericanos 2019 Juan RAMIREZ BELTRE (DOM) con una victoria de 2-0.

USA ganó el titulo del equipo con 10 campeones y 250 puntos. Canadá aseguró la plata con 116 puntos, y en el tercer lugar Mexico anotó 114 puntos.

MEN’S FREESTYLE RESULTS
57 kg
GOLD - Vitali ARUJAU (USA) df. Roberto ALEJANDRO BLANCO (MEX), 10-0
BRONZE - Samuel ALVA PEDRAGAS (PER) df. Edwin SEGURA GUERRA (GUA), 5-3
BRONZE – Alexander FERNANDEZ PENA (DOM) df. Bryan DE OLIVEIRA PEREIRA (BRA), 9-1

61 kg
GOLD - Shelton MACK (USA) df. Juan RAMIREZ BELTRE (DOM), 2-0
BRONZE - Jorge OLVERA RODRIGUEZ (MEX) df. Esteban PEREZ CASTELLANOS (GUA), 3-1

65 kg
GOLD - Joseph MCKENNA (USA) df. Marcos DE BRITO SIQUEIRA (BRA), 10-0           
BRONZE - Jonnathan PEREZ CASTELLANOS (GUA) df. David PINILLA RODRIGUEZ (PAN), 3-1
BRONZE – Albaro RUDECINDO CAMACHO (DOM) df. Sebastian RIVERA (PUR), 10-0

70 kg
GOLD - Alec PANTALEO (USA) df. Carlos ROMERO MILLAQUEO (CHI), 12-0
BRONZE - Enrique PEREZ CASTELLANOS (GUA) df. Sebastian SOSA SANCHEZ (PAR), 12-0
BRONZE – Vincent DE MARINIS (CAN) df. Joao DOS SANTOS SILVA (BRA), fall 1:10

74 kg
GOLD – Kyle DAKE (USA) df. Victor HERNANDEZ LUNA (MEX), 10-0
BRONZE - Jonathan PARRILLA RAMOS (PUR) df. Leon PERALTA LANAS (CHI), 4-4
BRONZE – Julio RODRIGUEZ ROMERO (DOM) df. Jasmit PHULKA (CAN), 4-0

86 kg
GOLD – David TAYLOR (USA) df. Clayton PYE (CAN), 10-0
BRONZE - Thales REIS ALVES (BRA) df. Emanuel CHAMORRO (ARG), 1:28
BRONZE – Noel TORRES CHACON (MEX) df. Juan RIVERA GARCIA (COL), 10-0

97 kg
GOLD - Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Luis PEREZ SOSA (DOM), 11-0
BRONZE - Maxwell LACEY GARITA (CRC) df. Marcos CARROZZINO (BRA), fall 4:31

125 kg
GOLD – Gable STEVESON (USA) df. Aly BARGHOUT (CAN), 10-0
BRONZE - Catriel MURIEL (ARG) df. Eduardo GARCIA BETANZOS (MEX), 5-1

#WrestleTirana

Four Defending Champs Return to European Greco Finals on Day 2

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 - 17:16 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (April 21) -- Out of the five defending Greco-Roman champion on Tuesday at the European Championships, four will defend their gold medals after reaching the final. The one missing out was Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) at 60kg.

At 67kg, Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) was on the verge of bowling out, down 2-0 against Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) but was awarded the par terre in the second period. Jafarov scored a correct throw on Chkhikvadze, scoring two points to lead 3-2. Georgia challenged but on review, the correct throw call was upheld, giving Jafarov a 4-2 lead that he defended to enter the final.

He will wrestle Murat FIRAT (TUR) on Wednesday with an aim of winning a second straight European Championships title. Firat had one-sided final against Oleksandr HRUSHYN (UKR), beating the Ukrainian 4-0. He scored a turn from first par terre to lead 3-0 and then got the second par terre as well which gave him one more point.

In perhaps the biggest match of the session, defending champion at 97kg Kiril MILOV (BUL) denied world silver medalist Artur SARGSIAN (UWW) at 97kg with a 7-1 victory. Milov led 1-1 on criteria after par terre positions were exchanged but Sargsian wrapped his arm around Milov and tried scoring a takedown. Milov defended and both wrestlers went out of bounds.

Milov was awarded the point as Sargsian stepped out first. Sargsian challenged but on review, and the difference being a fraction of a second, Sargsian's knee touched outside before Milov's hand. Milov kept his point and got another point for lost challenge, giving him a 3-1 lead.

Sargsian tried a flying squirrel but Milov controlled him before slamming him on the mat for four points and extending his lead to 7-1.

He will defend his title against Alex SZOKE (HUN) who blanked Vladen KOZLIUK (UKR), 3-0, in the other semifinals. He got the two points for the par terre and one for the lost challenge.

The third defending champion to enter the final was Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) after he defeated Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO), 2-1 at 82kg. He will face Adlet TIULIUBAEV (UWW) in the final after he defeated world bronze medalist Karlo KODRIC (CRO), 7-3.

At 72kg, Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) will look to win his second straight gold medal, reaching the final with a 6-1 victory over Gaspar TERTERYAN (ARM). Ghanem opened the scoring with a stepout before losing a challenge to make it 1-1 but held criteria. He was awarded the par terre position from which he turned Terteryan to lead 4-1. Just before the break, he managed a takedown and extend his lead to 6-1, the winning score.

Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) will look to challenge Ghanem after he defeated Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR), 3-2, in the other 72kg semifinal

The one defending champion who did not reach the final, Mammadli, was stunned by former U20 world champion Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM) in the 60kg semifinal, pinning the Azerbaijan wrestler after building a 7-1 lead.

Aghajanyan got the par terre in the first period and used a front headlock for a four-point throw and lead 5-0. In the second period, the Armenian got the par terre again to the surprise of Mammadli, who managed to score a reversal to cut the lead to 6-1. However, as he tried to gut-wrench Aghajanyan, he was blocked by the Armenian who kept Mammadli on the mat and got the pin.

Returning silver medalist Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) had no issues reaching his second straight final as he defeated Corneliu RUSU (MDA), 7-1 in the semifinal. Tibilov led 1-1 on criteria but got a third passivity, one without any points, and scored a four-point throw.

Towards the end of the bout, Rusu used an aggressive move on Tibilov which forced the referees to give two caution points to Tibilov, making his score 7-1.

RESULTS

60kg
SF 1: Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) df. Corneliu RUSU (MDA), 7-1
SF 2: Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM) df. Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE), via fall (8-1)

67kg
SF 1: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) df. Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO), 4-2
SF 2: Murat FIRAT (TUR) df. Oleksandr HRUSHYN (UKR), 4-0

72kg
SF 1: Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) df. Gaspar TERTERYAN (ARM), 6-1
SF 2: Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) df. Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR), 3-2

82kg
SF 1: Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) df. Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO), 2-1
SF 2: Adlet TIULIUBAEV (UWW) df. Karlo KODRIC (CRO), 7-3

97kg
SF 1: Kiril MILOV (BUL) df. Artur SARGSIAN (UWW), 7-1
SF 2: Alex SZOKE (HUN) df. Vladen KOZLIUK (UKR), 3-0