Pan American Championships

USA brings five past freestyle World medalists to Pan American Championships

Wednesday, May 2, 2018 - 21:11 By Taylor Miller

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James Green, 2017 Pan Am champion

LIMA, Peru – The men’s freestyle Pan American bracket will be full of talent, including eight Senior World medalists—five of which are from the United States. The 2018 Pan American Championships will take place this week, May 3-6, in Lima, Peru, starting with Greco-Roman competition May 3-4, followed by women’s freestyle May 4-5 and men’s freestyle May 5-6.

USA athletes highlighting the men’s freestyle field are 2016 World champion Logan STIEBER at 65 kg, two-time World medalist James GREEN at 70 kg, Olympic and World bronze medal winner J’den COX at 92 kg, 2017 World silver medalist Thomas GILMAN at 57 kg and 2017 World bronze medalist Nick GWIAZDOWSKI at 125 kg.

Of these five, only one has one a Pan American championship, which was Green, who won at 70 kg in 2017.

The U.S. is also bringing along two-time Junior World champion Mark HALL at 79 kg.

In search of their first Pan Am titles, Stieber and Gilman will have to go through past World medalists. Awaiting Stieber at 65 kg is 2017 World bronze winner Alejandro Enrique VALDES TOBIER (CUB), while Gilman will have reigning U23 World champion Reineri ANDREU ORTGEA (CUB) in his bracket at 57 kg.

Valdes Tobier has collected three Pan Am gold medals (2010, 2013 and 2014).

Another Cuban World medalist in the mix is three-time World medalist and 2016 Olympic top-five placer Reneris SALAS PEREZ (CUB). Salas Perez, who owns World silvers from 2013 and 2014 and a bronze from 2010, has won four Pan American Championship titles and seeks his first since 2014. He won the Pan Am Games in 2015.

At 86 kg, Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB) looks to defend his 2017 title. He also won gold in 2015.

Two other past Pan American champions represent Cuba, counting Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA, who won in 2015 and 2017 at 86 kg, and Livan LOPEZ AZCUY, who was victorious in 2016 at 86 kg. Torreblanca is expected to compete at 86 kg and Lopez Azcuy will wrestle at 74 kg.

2011 World silver medalist Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR), who will compete at 74 kg, aims for his second Pan American title. His last came in 2011. That same year, he claimed gold at the Pan Am Games.

Other notable freestylers include 2017 Commonwealth Games bronze winner Jordan Steen at 97 kg and two-time Commonwealth Games medalist Korey Jarvis at 125 kg.

WOMEN’S FREESTYLE, May 4-5

In women’s freestyle, the 62 kg bracket is the weight to watch as it features three World medalists across all age-groups.

Leading the way is Jackeline RENTERIA CASTILLO (COL), who is a two-time Olympic bronze medalist, winning in 2008 and 2012. Most recently, she captured bronze at the 2017 World Championships in Paris, France. Renteria Castillo enters her eighth Senior Pan Ams in search of her fifth championship.

Looking to challenge the Colombian are Kayla MIRACLE (USA) and Linda MORAIS (CAN). Miracle is a two-time Junior World bronze medalist, while Morais won ­­the 2016 University World gold, followed bronze at the 2016 Senior World Championships shortly after.

Also in the mix at 62 kg is Yaquelin ESTORNELL ELIZASTIGUE (CUB), a five-time Pan Am medalist and 2013 Pan Am champion.

Other weights that will see multiple World medalists fight for the crown are 68 kg and 76 kg.

Starring in the 68 kg weight class is Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB), who grabbed two World medals in 2017, counting a Junior World silver and a U23 World bronze. Also at 68 kg is Dailane GOMES DOS REIS (BRA), a two-time World Military bronze winner.

Three-time World champion Adeline Gray is the headliner at 76 kg. Gray won World titles in 2013, 2014 and 2015. An injury kept her out of the 2017 Worlds. Gray is making her first trip to the Pan American Championships.

2017 U23 World silver medalist Gracelynn DOOGAN (CAN) will also seek her first Pan Am gold this week.

The only reigning Pan Am champion expected to enter the competition is Becka LEATHERS (USA). The 2017 World bronze medalist seeks to hold onto her 2017 Pan Am crown at 55 kg.

GRECO-ROMAN, May 3-4

Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI) and Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) are both 2017 World bronze medalists, who will fight for a Pan American title at 130 kg. Pino Hinds won last year’s 130 kg title, defeating Acosta Fernandez in the finals.

Not to be counted out at heavyweight is Robert SMITH (USA), who took bronze at last year’s event and has two top-five finishes at Senior Worlds.

Cuba also brings two other World medalists to the Greco field, including Ismael BORRERO MOLINA at 67 kg and Yasmany Daniel LUGO CABRERA at 97 kg.

A 2016 Olympic champion and 2015 World champion, Borrero Molina also owns three Pan Am gold medals. His last came in 2014.

Lugo Cabrera looks to defend his 2017 title and earn his seventh Pan American championship. The Cuban’s resume is even more impressive with a 2016 Olympic silver and a 2009 Junior World gold to his name.

Another past Junior World champion competing in Greco is Kamal BEY (USA), who won the Junior crown last summer in Tampere, Finland. Bey will wrestle at 77 kg this week.

John YEATS (CAN) was the 2017 Junior Pan Am champion and will bump up to the Senior this level, looking to contest at 77 kg. Also bumping up after a 2017 championship run at the Junior level is Joilson DE BRITO RAMOS JUNIOR (BRA), who is registered at 67 kg.

At 87 kg, reigning champion Benjamin PROVISOR (USA) will wrestle in hopes of defending his 2017 Pan Am title.

Schedule
Thursday, May 3
10:00 a.m. – Greco-Roman Qualification Rounds and Repechage (55, 60, 63, 67, 72, 97, 130 kg)
5:30 p.m. – Opening Ceremony
6:00 p.m. – Greco-Roman Medal Matches (55, 60, 63, 67, 72, 97, 130 kg) 

Friday, May 4
10:00 a.m. – Greco-Roman Qualification Rounds and Repechage (77, 82, 87kg) and Women’s Freestyle Qualification Rounds and Repechage (55, 59, 65 kg)
6:00 p.m. – Greco-Roman Medal Matches (77, 82, 87kg) and Women’s Freestyle Medal Matches (55, 59, 65 kg) 

Saturday, May 5
10:00 a.m. –Women’s Freestyle Qualification Rounds and Repechage (50, 53, 57, 62, 68, 76 kg) and Men’s Freestyle Qualification Rounds and Repechage (79, 92 kg)
6:00 p.m. – Women Freestyle Medal Matches (50, 53, 57, 62, 68, 76 kg) and Men’s Freestyle Medal Matches (79, 92 kg) 

Sunday, May 6
10:00 a.m. –Men’s Freestyle Qualification Rounds and Repechage (57, 61, 65, 70, 74, 86, 97, 125 kg)
6:00 p.m. – Men’s Freestyle Medal Matches (57, 61, 65, 70, 74, 86, 97, 125 kg)

 

 

 

 

#wrestlebishkek

Asian Championships 2026 Live, Day 2: Greco-Roman

Tuesday, April 7, 2026 - 05:29 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

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BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 7) -- The second of the Asian Championships in Bishkek and Greco-Roman will continue with five more weight classes. Hadi SARAVI (IRI) will be aiming to defend his Asian title at 97kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW

Semifinals start at 16:45 local time

60kg
SF 1: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) vs. Yu SHIOTANI (JPN)
SF 2: Yerbol KAMALIYEV (KAZ) vs. Se ung RI (PRK)

63kg
SF 1: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) vs. Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI)
SF 2: Abdumalik AMINOV (UZB) vs. Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN)

72kg
SF 1: Almatbek AMANBEK (KAZ) vs. Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ)
SF 2: Shakhzod KUCHKOROV (UZB) vs. Javad REZAEI (IRI)

82kg
SF 1: Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) vs. Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ)
SF 2: Mohammadamin HOSSEINI (IRI) vs. PRINCE (IND)

97kg
SF 1: Hadi SARAVI (IRI) vs. Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ)
SF 2: NITESH (IND) vs. Zegang WANG (CHN)

13:13: Former Asian champion Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) picks up a 3-1 victory over Aram VARDANYAN (UZB) who is moving up to 82kg from 77kg in which he won Asian gold last year. Magomadov with a turn after being awarded the par terre to build a 3-0 lead. Vardanyan was the par terre position in the second period which gave him the one point but that was as the Kazakhstan wrestler advanced to the semifinals.

13:03: Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT), who won Qatar's historic first medal in Greco-Roman at the Asian Championships last year and with hopes to change the color this year, begins with a 5-3 victory over Rui LIU (CHN). He scores two turns from par terre while allowing Liu only one to keep the lead. He advances to the semifinals at 82kg

12:57: Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN) sees his bid to add an Asian Greco gold to the one he won in Freestyle in 2022 end with a thud, as the Japanese went down to a quick 9-0 loss to Javad REZAEI (IRI) at 72kg. Rezaei, a former world U23 silver medalist who won the gold at this year's Tirana Ranking Series tournament, got the passivity call and went ahead 3-0 with a gut wrench. But the Iranian was hardly finished, as he then launched Narikuni for a 4-point throw, then ended the proceedings at 2:01 with another gut wrench to advance to the semifinals. Narikuni, who is also entered at Freestyle 70kg, is the first Japanese to compete in both styles at an Asian Championships since 1983.

12:52: Former world and Asian bronze medalist Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ) scores a takedown and 2-point roll, then finishes off ANIL (IND) with a 4-point arm throw to end their 72kg quarterfinal with an 8-0 win in 1:05.

12:50: A takedown and two massive four-point throws from returning silver medalist Alisher GANIEV (UZB) for a 10-0 win in just a minute and four seconds at 60kg. Highlights stuff from Ganiev!

12:45: Former Asian champion Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) slips out from the bottom of par terre and gains a 2-point exposure and reversal in the second period, clinching a 6-2 victory over SAHIL (IND) and berth in the 60kg semifinals.

12:41: Reigning champion and World and Olympic bronze medalist Se Ung RI (PRK) starts his title defense at 60kg with a hard-fought 6-2 victory over 2024 world U23 and U20 champion Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI). After giving up an early takedown, Ri spins out of an arm throw to go behind for a takedown, then goes ahead 4-2 with a gut wrench. In the second period, Ri adds another takedown and holds on for a place in the semifinals. 

12:33: The Asian gold-medal hopes of world silver medalist Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) came to a painful end, as he had to default his match with Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) due to an elbow injury, shortly after giving up a 4-point throw that saw him fall behind 5-1. Whether Chung will be able to continue to add to his two Asian bronzes and one silver remains to be seen. 

12:30: Olympic and defending champion Hadi SARAVI (IRI) takes his sweet time to score a technical superiority 8-0 win over Minho LEE (KOR) at 97kg. While the match went on for more than four minutes, Saravi never looked in trouble.

12:27: Zegang WANG (CHN) ends the long-shot hopes of Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL) for an improbable Greco-Freestyle double gold, storming to an 8-0 win to advance to the 97kg semifinals.  

12:24: Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN) uses a cross-body lift from par terre to slam down Sachin SAHRAWAT (IND) in their 67kg quarterfinal match, but keeps the hold and secures the fall at 1:39. 

12:23: In a battle of past 77kg bronze medalists, Rui LIU (CHN) takes a 4-1 lead into the second period of his 82kg bout with Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) when he gives up a 2-point fingers-grabbing foul to suddenly make things interesting. But Liu fends off everything the home wrestler throws at him for a 4-3 win and a place in the quarterfinals.

12:19: Another quick finish on Mat C. Returning silver medalist Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN) falls to Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ), 8-0, in just 58 seconds at 97kg

12:16: Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) with quick 10-0 win over Sunat ABDULLOEV (TJK). The former U20 world champion took just 2:45 minutes to advance at 67kg.

12:15: Two-time Asian U23 champion Haodong TAN (CHN) hits a 4-point throw late in the first period to complete a stunning fightback against Kurmanbek ZHAPAROV (KGZ) for a 7-5 victory at 60kg. Tan had fallen behind 5-0 in the first period, with part of those points coming on a leg foul after he had apparently stopped a throw by Zhaparov. That foul came into play later after Tan cut the lead to 5-3, as the front headlock throw that he hit was initially scored as 2 points, which would have left him behind criteria. But after a referees' discussion, it was revised to 4, putting him over the top.

12:10: Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN), another wrestler trying to achieve a Greco-Freestyle double, gets his first international Greco win with a 11-2 win over Loiqi AMIRKHONZODA (TJK) at 72kg. Narikuni scored a takedown and then got the par terre position from which he scored an exposure to lead 5-0. Amirkhonzoda managed to get a reverse exposure to make it 5-2. Narikuni manages to come back on top and rolls Amirkhonzoda twice to win the 72kg bout

12:05: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) built a 7-0 lead from par terre with three turns against Minwoo KIM (KOR) but used the full seconds period to score the final two points when Kim tried a desperate throw. Ahmadi Vafa was awarded the fall and he advances at 67kg.

12:00: Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL), another of the gutsy wrestlers attempting the Greco-Freestyle double in Bishkek, doesn't get the venture off to a good start, as he falls behind 7-0 in the first period of his 97kg bout with Ibrahim FALLATAH (KSA). But the Mongolian hangs tough and scores a takedown before the period ends to make it 7-2. Ganbaatar gets shot at par terre, and while Fallatah resists at first, Ganbaatar's gut wrench takes him over four times. Ganbaatar adds a late takedown and walks off a 13-7 winner. 

11:49: Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN), a world bronze medalist at 63kg in 2021, rallies with a stepout and spin-behind takedown midway through the second period for a 4-3 win at 67kg over two-time Asian bronze medalist Ji LENG (CHN).

11:48: In a thriller right off the bat on Mat B, world silver medalist Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) gets a second chance at par terre in the second period, and boy did he make the most of it, launching Asian U23 champion Bagdat SABAZ (KAZ) for a 4-point throw to win 7-4 in their opening match at 67kg

11:30: Welcome to Bishkek on a hazy spring day for the second day of competition in Greco-Roman. The qualifying rounds will be held in the remaining five weight classes of 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg and 97kg, with world and Olympic champion Hadi SARAVI (IRI) headlining the action as he goes for a fourth Asian title.