#WrestleBuenosAires

Women's wrestling storylines from Pan-Am Championships

Wednesday, May 3, 2023 - 12:52 By Taylor GREGORIO

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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (April 26) -- On May 3-6, hundreds of wrestlers will descend upon Buenos Aires, Argentina, to find out who are the best wrestlers in the western hemisphere at the 2023 Pan-American Championships.

The top four ranked wrestlers will be seeded for the tournament. The ranks were determined by performances at the 2022 World Championships and this year’s two Ranking Series events. This tournament will also serve as seeding criteria for the 2023 World Championships in Serbia.

All the action from Buenos Aires can be followed live on uww.org or on the UWW app.

Yaynelis SANZ VERDECIA (CUB)Yaynelis SANZ VERDECIA (CUB) won the 2021 Pan-Am Games champion. (Photo: UWW / Osvaldo Aguliar)

Five 2022 Pan-American Champions return

Five reigning Pan-American champions, representing three countries, seek to repeat their 2022 gold-medal performances. Coming from the USA is seven-time Pan-Am champion Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) at 50kg, Dominique PARRISH (USA) at 53kg and Forrest MOLINARI (USA) at 68kg. Molinari won her 2022 gold at 65kg.

The other two returning champions are Yaynelis SANZ VERDECIA (CUB) at 57kg and Ana GODINEZ (CAN) at 62kg. Sanz was a 2021 U20 Pan-Am Games champion, and Godinez comes in with a 2021 U23 World gold medal.

Helen MAROULIS (USA)Helen MAROULIS (USA) will return to Pan-Am competition for the first time since 2012. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

11 World medalists in the field

The Pan Am women’s field is heavy with talent, including 11 athletes that account for 24 World and Olympic medals.

Making her first Pan Am appearance since 2012, Helen MAROULIS (USA) holds a 2016 Olympic gold medal, a 2021 Olympic bronze medal, three World titles and three other World medals.

She’s joined by US medalists Hildebrandt, Parrish, Molinari, Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA), Kayla MIRACLE (USA), Mallory VELTE (USA) and Amit ELOR (USA). Fellow World champions include Winchester, who won at 55kg in 2019, Parrish who snagged the crown at 53kg in 2022, and Elor who made a statement in her 2022 championship run at 72kg.

Hildebrandt brings a 2021 Olympic bronze medal, two World silvers and a bronze. Miracle, a Tokyo Olympian, won back-to-back World silvers in 2021 and 2022 at 62kg, while Velte owns a pair of bronze medals from 2018 and 2022. Molinari adds her 2021 bronze to the competition.

Canada boasts three World medalists this weekend, including bronze winners Samantha STEWART (CAN) at 53kg and Diana WEICKER (CAN) at 55kg and 2018 world champion Justina DI STASIO (CAN) at 76kg, who also earned bronze in 2017.

Justina DI STASIO (CAN)Justina DI STASIO (CAN) was a 2018 world champion at 72kg. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Weight to watch: 76kg

There’s a lot of intrigues looking at the 76kg field. Four athletes bring World gold medals and other significant accolades from different age groups.

Canada’s Di Stasio leads the pack with a 2018 world title at 72kg as well as a 2017 bronze at 75kg. Next week, she seeks her sixth Pan Am title.

Milayhis MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) is on the hunt for her first continental championship at the senior level. She has a loaded resume with U20 and U23 World gold medals from 2019, a 2021 U20 Pan-Am Games title and a 2018 Youth Olympic Games gold medal.

Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) also has a U23 World title under her belt, coming in 2022. Just a year before, she competed in her first-career World Championships, also at the U23 level, where she captured silver. Next week marks her third Senior Pan-Am appearance.

Rounding out the group of impressive wrestlers is Kennedy BLADES (USA), who is a 2021 U20 World champion. This is her first season at 76kg, and she is already showing she’s a force, winning the Ibrahim Moustafa, a UWW Ranking Series event.

Yanet SOVERO (PER)Yanet SOVERO (PER) will wrestle at her 17th Pan-Am event. (Photo: UWW / Tony Rotundo)

Sovero entering 17th senior Pan-Am event

At 40 years old, Yanet SOVERO (PER) is registered to compete in her 17th senior Pan-American event. Her first continental tournament was in 2002, where she earned silver. During her Pan-Am career, Sovero is a 2020 champion, six-time finalist and nine-time medalist. Her hardware totals one gold, five silvers and four bronzes. She has also wrestled in four World Championships and the 2016 Olympic Games.

#UnitedWorldWrestling

UWW decision regarding Chamizo-Bayramov bout

Tuesday, April 23, 2024 - 14:58 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (April 23) -- The United World Wrestling Disciplinary Chamber has decided to suspend, for different periods, the refereeing body and refereeing delegates for the alleged violations during the semifinal bout between Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) and Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) at the European OG Qualifier 2024 in Baku.

Despite the sanctions, Bayramov remains the winner of the bout as according to Article 53 of the International Wrestling Rules, under no circumstances may the result of a match be modified after the victory has been declared on the mat.

The Disciplinary Chamber, however, asked UWW to place Chamizo as a top seed in the brackets of the next qualifying event, the World OG Qualifier from May 9 in Istanbul.

During the Chamizo-Bayramov bout, Roman PAVLOV was the referee on the mat, Ali M. SAIWAN was the judge and Aleksei BAZULIN was the mat chairman. The referee delegation comprised Kamel BOUAZIZ, Ibrahim CICIOGLU and Casey GOESSL.

The Disciplinary Chamber has decided to suspend both Pavlov and Cicioglu from all their duties until December 31, 2024. Saiwan is suspended from all his duties until September 30, 2024. Mat chairman for the bout Bazulin is suspended from all his duties until June 30, 2024, and the remaining two members of the referee delegation Bouaziz and Goessl have been handed suspensions from all their duties until June 30, 2024.

Bayramov won the bout 8-8 on criteria and earned a Paris Olympic quota for Azerbaijan. However, the Italian Wrestling Federation complained about several refereeing mistakes during this bout and a controverted challenge decision which are deemed to have caused an incorrect final score and outcome of the match.

UWW formed two different panels to review the complaints and statements from each member of the refereeing body and the refereeing delegates were requested and forwarded to the UWW Administration. The refereeing delegates also submitted their co-signed report on the match.
 
The UWW panels reviewed the match and all alleged errors surrounding the match, including the refereeing sequences and scoring, the challenge decision by the refereeing delegates, and as well as the appointment and distribution of responsibilities among the defendants.

Both panels agreed that some actions during the bout were not scored correctly, including not spotting the passivity of the wrestler(s). It also agreed that the refereeing consultations were not efficient, a timing error was made and the challenge consultation suffered major shortcomings in its functioning.

In addition, the panels reported a gross lack of discernment in the assignment of the refereeing body, and in the distribution of the roles during the challenge for this specific match.

UWW is committed and makes continuous efforts to uphold the integrity of the sport.