#WrestleOttawa

Valencia Escoto Hace Historia para México en #WrestleOttawa Clasificatorio Olímpico

Sunday, March 15, 2020 - 00:28 By Taylor GREGORIO

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OTTAWA, Canada – Alma Jane VALENCIA ESCOTO (MEX) won her semifinal match at 57 kg, becoming the first woman in history from Mexico to qualify for the Olympic Games in wrestling.

In the preliminary rounds, Valencia collected wins against Betzabeth SARCO COLMENAREZ (VEN), 5-1, and Nes Marie RODRIGUEZ TIRADO (PUR) by pin.

To earn a spot in the Olympic Games, Valencia knocked off 2019 World champion Linda MORAIS (CAN) in the semifinal with another victory by fall. She went on to win the finals by injury default to take the gold medal.

In this weekend’s event, the top-two from each weight class will earn a bid for their countries to the 2020 Olympics.

The United States women’s freestyle team qualified its remaining four weight classes for the Tokyo Olympics, advancing all of its athletes to the Pan American Olympic Qualifier finals.

Thanks to medal-winning performances at 68 kg and 76 kg at the 2019 World Championships, the United States entered the weekend with two weights already qualified. On Saturday, it completed its team sending Sarah HILDEBRANDT (50 kg), Jacarra WINCHESTER (53 kg), Helen MAROULIS (57 kg) and Kayla MIRACLE (62 kg) to their respective finals.

Today was the first international competition for 2016 Olympic champion Maroulis since the 2018 World Championships. She took the 2019 season off due to injury.

In her first bout, Maroulis defeated returning World champion Linda MORAIS (CAN) with a 12-2 technical fall.

Maroulis wasn’t the only World medalist to qualify the weight for the USA.

Hildebrandt is a 2018 World silver medalist at 53 kg. This year, she moved down to 50 kg for the Olympics, which is the weight she qualified today.

In the semifinals, Hildebrandt defeated 2012 World champion and two-time World bronze medalist Jessica MACDONALD (CAN) with a dominant 11-0 performance.

Similarly, Winchester, the 2019 World champion at 55 kg, moved down a weight class to compete at 53 kg this year.

To qualify, Winchester defeated 2016 Pan American champion Samantha STEWART (CAN), 8-4, in the semifinals.

Brazil, Canada and Cuba also qualified multiple weight classes for the Tokyo Olympics.

Earning three spots for Cuba were Yusneylis GUZMAN LOPEZ (50 kg), Lianna de la Caridad MONTERO HERRERA (53 kg) and 2018 U23 World champion Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (68 kg).

Brazil picked up two spots with Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (62 kg) and 2014 World silver medalist Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (76 kg) advancing to the finals.

Nunes and da Silva were funded by the United World Wrestling Development Technical Assistance program, which allows athletes from developing countries the opportunities to compete at top-level events. Their qualifications for the Olympic Games would not have been possible without the support of UWW.

Host country Canada also qualified two spots, thanks to 2018 World silver medalist Danielle LAPPAGE (68 kg) and 2016 Olympic champion Erica WIEBE (76 kg).

The Pan American Olympic Qualifier wraps up tomorrow with the men’s freestyle competition.

En Espanol

OTTAWA, Canada – Alma Jane VALENCIA ESCOTO (MEX) gano su semifinal en 57 kg para convertirse en la primera Mexicana en clasificar a unos Juegos Olimpicos en lucha.

En las primeras rondas, Valencia derroto a Betzabeth SARCO COLMENAREZ (VEN) y Nes Marie RODRIGUEZ TIRADO (PUR).

Para calificar la categoria, Valencia vencio a la campeona mundial de 2019 Linda MORAIS (CAN) por puestaespalda y en la final, la Mexicana gano por lesion y para así quedarse con la medalla de oro.

En este evento, los dos mejores atletas de cada categoría calificaron a sus países a la justa Olímpica.

La cuatro integrantes del equipo de Estados Unidos avanzaron a las finales en sus respectivas categorías, con lo que clasificaron a Tokio 2020.

Gracias a que en el Campeonato Mundial de 2019 resultaron ganadores de medalla en 68 y 76 kg en el 2019, los Estados Unidos llegaron a este evento con dos categorias ya clasificadas, por lo que hoy completaron el equipo con Sarah HILDEBRANDT (50 kg), Jacarra WINCHESTER (53 kg), Helen MAROULIS (57 kg) y Kayla MIRACLE (62 kg).

Hoy fue la primera competencia internacional en 2 años para la campeona olimpica en Río 2016 Helen Maroulis, ya que no participaba en un evento de esta naturaleza desde el Campeonato Mundial 2018.

En su primero combate, Maroulis derroto a la campeona mundial 2019 Morais de Canada por superioridad tecnica.

Maroulis no fue la unica medallista mundial quien califico su categoria para EE. UU. Hildebrandt medallista de plata en 2018, y Winchester ganadora de la medalla de oro en 2019 también consiguieron el boleto a Tokio.

Brasil, Canadá y Cuba también tuvieron m múltiples clasificados para los Juegos Olímpicos de Tokio.

Cuba se quedó con tres plazas gracias a Yusneylis GUZMAN LOPEZ (50 kg), Lianna de la Caridad MONTERO HERRERA (53 kg) y campeona mundial U23 de 2018, Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (68 kg).

Por otro lado, Brazil recolecto dos lugares cuando Lais NUÑES DE OLIVEIRA (62 kg) y la medallista mundial en 2014, Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (76 kg) avanzaron a los combates finales.

Nuñes y da Silva fueron financiadas por el programa United World Wrestling Development Technical Assistance, que brinda a los atletas de países en desarrollo la oportunidad de competir en eventos de alto nivel. La clasificacion de ambas no sería posible sin el apoyo de UWW.

Canada califico dos categorías, gracias a la medallista de plata del mundial 2018 Danielle LAPPAGE (68 kg) y a la campeona olimpica debRío 2016 Erica WIEBE (76 kg).

El Clasificatorio Olímpico Panamericano termina mañana con los combates del estilo libre masculino.

Women’s freestyle finals results

50 kg
GOLD - Yusneylis GUZMAN LOPEZ (CUB) df. Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA), injury default
BRONZE - Thalia MALLQUI PECHE (PER) df. Carolina CASTILLO HIDALGO (COL), injury default
BRONZE - Jessica MACDONALD (CAN) df. Rita Fatima ROJAS CHAVEZ (MEX), 10-0

53 kg
GOLD - Lianna de la Caridad MONTERO HERRERA (CUB) df. Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA), injury default
BRONZE– Samantha STEWART (CAN) df. Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU), 9-0

57 kg
GOLD - Alma VALENCIA ESCOTO (MEX) df. Helen MAROULIS (USA), injury default
BRONZE – Linda MORAIS (CAN) df. Gabriela Nicole RAMOS DIAZ (PUR), fall

62 kg
GOLD - Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) df. Kayla MIRACLE (USA), injury default
BRONZE – Michelle FAZZARI (CAN) df. Nathaly GRIMAN HERRERA (VEN), injury default

68 kg
GOLD - Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN) df. Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB), injury default
BRONZE - Luz VAZQUEZ (ARG) df. Leonela AYOVI PARRAGA (ECU), 3-2
BRONZE - Tatiana RENTERIA RENTERIA (COL) df. Yanet SOVERO NINO (PER), 4-2

76 kg
GOLD - Erica WIEBE (CAN) df. Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA), injury default
BRONZE – Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) df. Andrea OLAYA GUTIERREZ (COL), injury default

Women’s freestyle semifinals results

50 kg
Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) df. Jessica MACDONALD (CAN), 11-0
Yusneylis GUZMAN LOPEZ (CUB) df. Carolina CASTILLO HIDALGO, 6-4

53 kg
Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) df. Samantha STEWART (CAN), 8-4
Lianna de la Caridad MONTERO HERRERA (CUB) df. Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU), 5-4

57 kg
Helen MAROULIS (USA) df. Nes Marie RODRIGUEZ TIRADO (PUR), 11-0
Alma VALENCIA ESCOTO (MEX) df. Linda MORAIS (CAN), fall 3:45

62 kg
Kayla MIRACLE (USA) df. Michelle FAZZARI (CAN), 12-3
Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) df. Nathaly GRIMAN HERRERA (VEN), 3-1

68 kg
Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB) df. Yanet SOVERO NINO (PER), 5-0
Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN) df. Leonela AYOVI PARRAGA (ECU), 10-0

76 kg
Erica WIEBE (CAN) df. Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU), 5-0
Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA) df. Andrea OLAYA GUTIERREZ (COL), 2-1

International Athletes’ Forum 2023 concludes with focus on upcoming Olympic Games

Tuesday, October 3, 2023 - 11:49 By International Olympic Committee

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LAUSANNE, Switzerland (October 3) --- Over the past two days, the 11th International Athletes’ Forum (IAF) brought together over 400 athlete representatives in Lausanne to discuss the most important issues for athletes across the Olympic Movement.

United World Wrestling's President Nenad LALOVIC (UWW) was in attendance, alongside wrestling participants: Mia AQUINO (GUM), Romio GOLIATH (NAM), Lowe BINGHAM (NRU), Yoon Suk KIM (KOR), Arsen JULFALAKYAN (UWW) and Deqa NIAMKEY (UWW).

The two days of discussion and debate resulted in a series of outcomes, announced by the IOC Athletes’ Commission (AC) today.

AC members from 181 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), 54 International Federations (IFs), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Organising Committees for the upcoming Olympic Games (OCOGs) and Continental Associations, as well as members of the Athletes’ Declaration Steering Committee and representatives from the World Olympians Association (WOA), were present in Lausanne for the two days.

The IAF ended with an in-depth, two-hour Q&A session with the IOC President, Thomas Bach. In typical IAF fashion, the IOC President took to the stage and engaged directly with the athlete representatives to answer their questions – no topics were off limits. Safe sport, the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024, the participation of individual neutral athletes with a Russian or Belarussian passport in international competitions during the qualification period, and the mission of the Olympic Games to unite the world in peaceful competition and contribute to peace and understanding were all part of the discussion.

OLYParticipants of the 11th International Athletes’ Forum (IAF) pose for a photo together in Lausanne. (Photo: Olympics.com)

Other topics raised and addressed by the IOC President were: the situation of athletes from countries and regions affected by the too many wars and conflicts around the world; the digitalisation of sport, with Artificial Intelligence on the rise; the growing popularity of esports; the inclusion of AC chairs in the NOC delegations at the Olympic Games; the inclusion of new sports in the Olympic programme; cooperation with the Deaflympics; the length of the stay of athletes in the Olympic Village; the support of the IOC for the Olympic Community of Ukraine; the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 as an event for the entire African continent; and safeguarding and protection for athletes. 

“You can all look forward to the Olympic Games Paris 2024, which will be the Games of a new era,” the IOC President said. “They will be the first Olympic and Paralympic Games to be planned and delivered in line with the reforms of our Olympic Agenda. They will be sustainable, urban, inclusive and youthful Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Olympic Games Paris 2024 will also be the first-ever Olympic Games with gender parity. The IOC has allocated exactly the same number of quota places to female and male athletes.”

Summarising the Forum, IOC AC Chair Emma Terho said: “Over the past two days, we’ve covered topics ranging from what it takes to build an effective AC to what it means to be an Olympian. We’ve looked ahead to Paris 2024, Milano Cortina 2026 and LA2028, highlighting the huge number of programmes and initiatives in place to support athletes on their journeys. We’ve discussed how to support a safe space for us to speak openly about the issues that matter most to us as athletes and athlete representatives.”

She continued: “On a personal note, I’ve been touched by the honesty and courage so many of you have displayed during these sessions, particularly in our discussion on neutral athletes. This remains a difficult topic, but I come away from this Forum inspired and with very valuable feedback.”

Click here to see the key points that emerged from the various discussions and sessions in three areas on Olympics.com.