#WrestleSantiago

WATCH LIVE: 2023 Pan-American Games, Day One

By Eric Olanowski

SANTIAGO, Chile (November 1) --- Kyle SNYDER (USA) and Mason PARRIS (USA) headline the entries for the opening day at the 2023 Pan-American Games in Santiago, Chile.

The first day will feature freestyle action at 57kg, 74kg, 97kg and 125kg.

Snyder, the three-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist, will look to repeat his gold-medal-winning performance from the 2019 Lima Pan-American Games. His biggest threats are Arturo SILOT TORRES (CUB), Nishan RANDHAWA (CAN) and Luis PEREZ (DOM).

Snyder defeated Silot Torres to win gold at the Pan-American Championships in Buenos Aires earlier this year, while Randhawa and Perez finished in third in Argentina.

Parris, the newly minted world medalist, makes his third appearance in the Red, White and Blue singlet. His heavyweight bracket features three reigning Pan-American medalists: Jose DIAZ ROBERTTI (VEN), Aaron JOHNSON (JAM) and Catriel MURIEL (ARG), the silver through bronze medal finishers from this year's Pan-American Championships.

Wednesday’s opening round matches begin at 10:00 (local time), while the gold and bronze-medal bouts begin at 17:00.

Watch Wednesday’s action: Freestyle 57kg, 74kg, 97kg and 125kg.
- 2023 Pan-American Games brackets.

Wednesday’s Entries:

57kg
Hernan David ALMENDRA (ARG)
Oscar Eduardo TIGREROS URBANO (COL)
Osmany DIVERSENT MARTÍNEZ (CUB)
Juan RAMIREZ (DOM)
Edwin Alexi SEGURA GUERRA (EAI)
Darian CRUZ (PUR)
Zane RICHARDS (USA)
Pedro Jesus MEIJIAS RODRIGUEZ (VEN)

74kg
Alvan BORDEAUX REGO (BRA)
Adam THOMSON (CAN)
Leon PERALTA LANAS (CHI)
Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB)
Luis BARRIOS ROCHEZ (HON)
Anthony VALENCIA (MEX)
Shane JONES (PUR)
Tyler BERGER (USA)
Anthony Jose MONTERO CHIRINOS (VEN)

97kg
Ricardo BAEZ (ARG)
Nishan RANDHAWA (CAN)
Matias Ignacio URIBE SEPULVEDA (CHI)
Carlos Hernan ANGULO MURILLO (COL)
Maxwell LACEY GARITA (CRC)
Arturo SILOT TORRES (CUB)
Luis PEREZ (DOM)
Kyle SNYDER (USA)
Cristian SARCO COLMENAREZ (VEN)

125kg
Catriel MURIEL (ARG)
Ibrain TORRES ESPINOSA (CUB)
Elison ADAMES (DOM)
Aaron JOHNSON (JAM)
Jonovan SMITH (PUR)
Mason PARRIS (USA)
Jose DIAZ ROBERTTI (VEN)

World Combat Games: Toth, Stepanova reign supreme in Grappling

By United World Wrestling Press

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (October 23) -- Grappling world champion from Hungary, Alexa TOTH (HUN), lived up to the tag of being the favorite as she reigned supreme at the World Combat Games in Riyadh and added another gold medal to her name on Monday.

The teenager, who won the world title last year and is also a U17 world champion, gave away just one point as she defeated opponents much senior to her to win the gold medal in women’s 58kg Grappling.

Toth began by recording a victory by submission against Melissa BENEDINI (ITA) in the quarterfinal. She followed up with another straightforward verdict of 4-0 against Germany’s Felicie OHLHOFF (GER) in the semifinals.

In the final, Toth defeated Ukraine’s Viktoriia SYNIAVINA (UKR) 3-1 to continue her dominance. Ohlhoff and Aizhan ISMAGULOVA (KAZ) won the bronze medals.

Another world champion, Kateryna STEPANOVA (UKR) claimed the women’s 71kg Grappling Gi gold medal by defeating Emily GUNZLER (GER) in the final 5-0.

Like Toth, Stepanova too was largely untested en route to another title and conceded just one point, during her 3-1 win over Spain’s Meryxell GONZALEZ (ESP)in the semifinals.

Gonzalez Correa and Shynar UZBEKOVA (KAZ) clinched the bronze medals.

 

 

In the women’s 53kg Grappling Gi category, Japan’s Rui HIRABAYASHI (JPN) won the gold medal by defeating Spain’s Naiomi MATTHEWS (ESP) 3-0 in the final. Kristina RAU (GER) and Maria Aisa RATCLIFF (PHI) won the bronze medals.

Antonia KANEW (GER) defeated Delfina dos Santos FRANCISCO (ANG) 3-1 to win the 64kg Grappling Gi title while in the women’s 90kg category, Nikoletta SZMOLKA (HUN) was the champion, defeating Claudia FORNES (ESP) 3-0 in the final.

Toth's gold was Hungary's first of the World Combat Games and Szmolka made it two for the day for her country.

In the men’s competition, world silver medallist and European champion Mayis NERSESYAN won the gold medal by defeating Yurii CHERKALIUK (UKR) 2-0 in a tense final of the 66kg category, with Syimyk MAKHMEDOV (KGZ) defeating Osama KANDIL (KSA) to claim the bronze medal.

 

 

In the 71kg Grappling Gi category, Kazakhstan’s Sarsen ZHETIBAYEV (KAZ) emerged as the champion after he defeated Feruzbek URUKOV (UZB) 3-1 in the gold medal bout. Ivan RASIUK (UKR) and Fierre AFAN (PHI) won the bronze medals in the weight class.

Ulugbek RAKHMONOV (UZB) triumphed in the 84kg category by defeating Nurbek TABUDIN (KAZ) 3-0 in the final while Roman KIZIUK (UKR) won the gold medal in the 92kg class, beating Mantas DAUBLYS (LTU) 3-1 in the title bout.

Ivan MALIN (UKR)Ivan MALIN (UKR) won the gold medal in Grappling Gi 100kg. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

In the 100kg Grappling Gi category, former world champion Ivan MALIN (UKR), who lost his title to Poland’s Andrzej IWAT (POL) earlier this year, returned strongly to win the gold medal at Riyadh 2023, staying unbeaten throughout.

Malin defeated Reda MEBTOUCHE (FRA) 3-1 in the final, with Eldar RAFIGAEV (MDA) beating Guglielmo CECCA (ITA) to win the bronze medal.