#WrestleOttawa

USA Wins Six Gold Medals, Cuba Claims Two in Last Day of #WrestleOttawa C'ships

By Taylor GREGORIO

Photo of Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) by Tony Rotundo. 

OTTAWA, Canada – The United States claimed six gold medals on Monday night, and Cuba collected two in the final session of the Pan American Championships in Ottawa, Canada.

Among those winning gold for USA were Olympic champions Jordan BURROUGHS (74 kg) and Kyle SNYDER (97 kg).

Burroughs went toe-to-toe with 2011 World silver medalist Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) in the finals bout at 74 kg. Burroughs led 2-0 at break and kicked up his offense in the second period with a pair of takedowns and a leg lace for an eventual 8-1 victory.

The win marks Burroughs’ fourth Pan Am Championships title. He is also a three-time Pan Am Games champion.

For gold at 97 kg, Snyder looked solid against three-time World medalist Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB), using a series of takedowns and gut wrenches for a dominant 11-1 win.

The United States produced back-to-back falls in the finals at 65 kg and 70 kg.

John Michael DIAKOMIHALIS (USA) pinned Mauricio SANCHEZ SALTOS (ECU), locking up a cradle from a snap-down to end the bout in 49 seconds.

Reigning Pan American champion at 70 kg Anthony ASHNAULT (USA) barely spent any longer on the mat, when he faced Hugo DE LIMA VIANA DE SOUZA (BRA) in round five of round-robin action.

Ashnault scored on a takedown, then from a gut wrench, pinned de Lima in 51 seconds for his second Pan Am title. It was Ashnault’s third pin of the day and he was named the Outstanding Wrestler.

Tyler GRAFF (USA), who was fifth at the 2019 World Championships, secured the crown at 61 kg, beating Scott SCHILLER (CAN) in the finals with a decisive 11-0 tech fall. It was the only bout of the day contested at 61 kg.

At 125 kg, Anthony NELSON (USA) won the title with an injury forfeit from Amarveer DHESI (CAN). It is his first Pan Am gold.

Photo of Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB) by Tony Rotundo. 

Two-time U23 World champion Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) claimed his second Pan American Championships title, emerging from the 57 kg bracket.

In the finals, Andreu trailed Pedro MEJIAS RODRIGUEZ (VEN) at the break, but broke away in the second period with a pair of takedowns for an eventual 4-2 victory.

Also winning a gold medal for Cuba was Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA at 86 kg.

Taking on Pool AMBROCIO GREIFO (PER) in the gold medal match, Torreblanca went up 6-0 before Ambrocio suffered an injury that kept him from completing the match.

The Pan American Olympic Qualifier will take place March 13-15 in Ottawa, Canada.

Freestyle team results
1. USA – 205
2. Canada – 120
3. Cuba – 100
4. Venezuela – 66
5. Mexico – 59
6. Puerto Rico – 57
7. Dominican Republic – 44
8. Peru – 35
9. Argentina – 35
10. Brazil – 30

Final men’s freestyle results
57 kg
GOLD – Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) df. Pedro MEJIAS RODRIGUEZ (VEN), 4-2
BRONZE – Darian CRUZ (USA) df. Edwin SEGURA GUERRA (GUA), 10-0
BRONZE - Juan Rubelin RAMIREZ BELTRE (DOM) df. Ligrit SADIKU (CAN), injury default

61 kg
GOLD – Tyler GRAFF (USA)
SILVER – Scott SCHILLER (CAN)

70 kg
GOLD – Yianni DIAKOMIHALIS (USA) df. Mauricio Javier SANCHEZ SALTOS (ECU), fall
BRONZE – Sixto AUCCAPINA PEDRAGAS (PER) df. David DOS SANTOS MOREIRA (BRA), 9-0
BRONZE - Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG) df. Jose Javier RODRIGUEZ COLON (PUR), 10-0

74 kg
GOLD – Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) df. Franklin GOMEZ (PUR), 8-1
BRONZE – Anthony MONTERO CHIRINOS (VEN) df. Enrique PEREZ CASTELLANOS (GUA), 12-2
BRONZE - Jeandry GARZON CABALLERO (CUB) df. Jorge Ivan LLANO (ARG), 11-0

86 kg
GOLD – Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB) df. Pool AMBROCIO GREIFO (PER), injury default
BRONZE – Alex DIERINGER (USA) df. Carlos Arturo IZQUIERDO MENDEZ (COL), 11-1
BRONZE – Clayton PYE (CAN) df. Ricardo Adrian BAEZ (ARG), 11-0

97 kg
GOLD – Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB), 11-1
BRONZE – Luis Miguel PEREZ SOSA (DOM) df. Jose Daniel DIAZ ROBERTTI (VEN), 5-3

125 kg
GOLD – Anthony NELSON (USA) df. Amarveer DHESI (CAN), injury default
BRONZE – Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) df. Brandon AGUIANO FLORES (MEX), 10-0

2026 U23 European Championships

Three Golds Power Belarus to First U23 Euro Women's Team Title

By Vinay Siwach

ZRENJANIN, Serbia (March 13) -- Three golds medals on Friday propelled Belarus to win its first-ever Women's Wrestling team title at the U23 European Championships. Belarus finished with 171 points to claim the top spot while Russia was second with 141 points. Ukraine finished third with 140 points.

After winning one gold medal on Thursday, Belarus added three through Aryna DZEMCHANKA MARTYNAVA (BLR), Kseniya TSIARENIA (BLR) and Viktoryia RADZKOVA (BLR). It also won one silver and one bronze while all 10 wrestlers contributed points to the team score.

European champion Alina SHAUCHUK (BLR) claimed the 68kg gold medal on Thursday and the gold rush on Friday began with Martynava scoring a tough win over Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR) in the 57kg final, a repeat from last year's edition.

In what turned out to be one-move match, Martynava scored a double-leg head-outside takedown in the first 10 seconds of the bout. She then sat on her two-point lead for five minutes and 50 seconds. In the second period, Martynava was called passive and Filipovych was given a point.

But the Ukrainian failed to score two more points that were needed for a win that would have avenged her loss from last year's final which Martynava won 8-2.

The Belarus wrestler now has two U23 European gold medals to go with her silver at the U23 World Championships and gold medal at the U20 World Championships.

The second gold for Belarus was won by Kseniya TSIARENIA (BLR) after she defeated Ekaterina KOSHKINA (RUS), 4-2, in the 65kg final. Tsiarenia controlled the match giving little chance to Koshkina to score.

It was only in the dying seconds of the match that Koshkina managed to score a harmless takedown for two points.

The third gold medal for Belarus was won by Viktoryia RADZKOVA (BLR) who denied Veronika VILK (CRO) a chance of winning a historical gold medal at 72kg. Radzkova opened the scoring when Vilk was called passive. Vilk then tried an arm-throw but Radzkova blocked her and scored two points to lead 3-0 at the break.

Vilk tried a headlock in the second period but Radzkova was ready for it and again blocked Vilk's attempt to score two points. A turn for exposure added two more points for Radzkova that extended her lead to 7-0.

Perhaps ready for another throw from Vilk, Radzkova stood up and when Vilk tried the throw, she once again blocked and landed on top. The two points plus two more points for the turn gave Radzkova an 11-0 win with a minute nine seconds left.

Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP) was also trying to achieve a historic gold for Spain but was denied as Anastasiia POLSKA (POL) used a fireman's carry to secure a fall in just a minute and 17 seconds and win gold at 53kg.

Senior world bronze medalist Amina TANDELOVA (RUS) claimed the 62kg gold medal after beating Ruzanna MAMMADOVA (AZE), 5-3, in the final.

Tandelova, who won silver at U23 Europeans in 2023, used a beautiful arm-throw to score the first four-pointer. The first point for Tandelova was from the activity period of Mammadova in which the Azerbaijan wrestler failed to score.

Mammadova scored a takedown and activity clock point to cut the lead but it was still not enough to overturn the result.

Photo

RESULTS

53kg
GOLD: Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR) df. Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP), via fall (4-0)

BRONZE: Sevval CAYIR (TUR) vs. Nargiz SAMADOVA (AZE)
BRONZE: Ekaterina KARPUSHKINA (RUS) df. Kseniya KOSTSENICH (BLR), via inj. def.

57kg
GOLD: Aryna DZEMCHANKA MARTYNAVA (BLR) df. Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR), 2-1

BRONZE: Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN) df. Amory ANDRICH (GER), 7-5
BRONZE: Felicitas DOMAJEVA (NOR) df. Romaissa EL KHARROUBI (FRA), 5-0

62kg
GOLD: Amina TANDELOVA (RUS) df. Ruzanna MAMMADOVA (AZE), 5-3

BRONZE: Iris THIEBAUX (FRA) df. Gulsum BINGOL (TUR), 4-0
BRONZE: Alicja WOJEWODZKA NOWOSAD (POL) df. Naemi LEISTNER (GER), 5-1

65kg
GOLD: Kseniya TSIARENIA (BLR) df. Ekaterina KOSHKINA (RUS), 4-2

BRONZE: Maria PANTIRU (ROU) df. Bianca CONTRAFATTO (ITA), via fall (8-0)
BRONZE: Oleksandra RYBAK (UKR) df. Saga SVENSSON (SWE), 11-1

72kg
GOLD: Viktoryia RADZKOVA (BLR) df. Veronika VILK (CRO), 11-0

BRONZE: Karolina JAWORSKA (POL) df. Daniela BRASNAROVA (BUL), 5-0
BRONZE: Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (RUS) df. Greta TVERSKYTE (LTU), 3-3