Toronto, Pan Am Games

Lopez Wins Fourth, Silva Gets First Gold for Brazil in Pan Am Games

By William May

TORONTO, Canada (July 16) – Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) won his fourth wrestling gold medal at the Pan American Games on Thursday and Joice SILVA (BRA) improved on her bronze medal from four years ago by bagging Brazil’s first wrestling gold medal in the history of the Games.

For Lopez, who cruised into the 130kg final on two technical falls in the afternoon session, it was business as usual as he rolled up Andres AYUB (CHI) with a pair of takedowns and turns for a third technical fall in the evening and the gold medal.

With the triumph, Lopez joins fellow Greco-Roman greats Hector MILIAN (CUB) and Juan MAREN (CUB) as the only wrestlers, thus far, to achieve the feat at the Pan American Games.

Silva, meanwhile, battled throughout the first day of women’s events at Mississauga Sports Center, coming from behind to win three bouts at 58kg by a margin of four points for the gold medal.

In Thursday evening’s finale, Silva surrendered a four-point takedown to 2013 Pan American championships winner Yakeline ESTORNELL (CUB) early, but battled back to narrow the deficit to 5-4 by the break.

A late takedown that landed out of bounds in the second period knotted the score for Silva and a penalty point made it 6-5 for the jubilant Silva and the Brazilian fans in the arena.

Earlier in the evening, Yasmany LUGO (CUB) cranked Pan American junior champ Kevin MEJIA (HON) over with a windmill throw and pressed for the fall in the 98kg final to claim his first Games crown.

Lugo and Lopez gave Cuba its only gold medals of the Greco-Roman competition after being held to two bronze medals the previous day. The two gold medals lifted Cuba to second in the final Greco-Roman team rankings with 40 points, nine points behind the United States with two gold medals, a silver and two bronze.

Women’s wrestling also got under way with reigning Pan American championships winner Genevieve MORRISON (CAN) racing out to a 4-0 lead, then holding on to a 5-4 victory over Thalia MALLQUI (PER) for the gold medal.

Despite the loss, Mallqui’s silver medal was the best finish yet for Peru in women’s wrestling.

At 53kg, Whitney CONDER (USA) came out on top of a scramble in the first period and with the help of a penalty point in the second period, fashioned a 3-2 win over Alma VALENCIA (MEX). Valencia’s silver medal was the first medal in women’s wrestling at the Games.

Thursday’s Medal Match Results
Greco-Roman - 98kg
GOLD: Yasmany LUGO (CUB) df. Kevin MEJIA (HON) by Fall
BRONZE: Luillys PEREZ (VEN) df. Jose ROCHA (MEX), 4-0
BRONZE: Davi ALBINO (BRA) df. Oscar LOANGO (COL), 5-1

Greco-Roman - 130kg
GOLD: Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) df. Andres AYUB (CHI) by TF, 8-0
BRONZE: Josue ENCARNACION (DOM) df. Charles THOMS (CAN), 2-0
BRONZE: Robby SMITH (USA) df. Moises PEREZ (VEN) by Default

Women’s Wrestling - 48kg
GOLD: Genevieve MORRISON (CAN) df. Thalia MALLQUI (PER), 5-4
BRONZE: Alyssa LAMPE (USA) df. Yusnelis GUZMAN (CUB) by TF, 12-2
BRONZE: Carolina CASTILLO (COL) df. Angelica BUSTOS (ECU), 1-1

Women’s Wrestling - 53kg
GOLD: Whitney CONDER (USA) df. Alma VALENCIA (MEX), 3-2
BRONZE: Yamilka DEL VALLE (CUB) – uncontested
BRONZE: Betzabeth ARGUELLO (VEN) df. Luisa VALVERDE (ECU) by Fall

Women’s Wrestling - 58kg
GOLD: Joice SILVA (BRA) df. Yakelin ESTORNELL (CUB), 6-5
BRONZE: Lissette ANTES (ECU) df. Sandra ROA (COL) by TF, 12-1
BRONZE: Yanet SOVERO (PER) df. Alejandra ROMERO (MEX), 6-6 

Toronto, Canada, Pan Am Games

Burroughs Repeats, Rey Doubles Up on 2015 Titles in Pan Am Games

By William May

TORONTO, Canada (July 18) – Defending champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) repeated as Pan American Games gold medalist on Saturday as the United States rolled to three gold medals and a silver on the final day of wrestling competition at the Toronto 2015 Games.

World and Olympic Games champion Burroughs cruised to three wins by technical fall, including a 13-3 triumph in the quarterfinals over Livan LOPEZ (CUB), for his second Pan American Games gold medal after winning at the Guadalajara 2011 Games.

In the 74kg final, Burroughs softened up South American Games champion Yoan BLANCO (ECU) with a series of force-outs in the first period, then wrapped up the technical fall with a single-leg attack and a pair of cross-ankle turns.

Lopez, the gold medalist at 66kg in Guadalajara, rebounded for a bronze medal after his loss to Burroughs.

Meanwhile, three-time Pan American championships winner Zach REY (USA) won his first Pan American Games crown to double up on the continental titles this year. Rey defeated Korey JARVIS (CAN), 3-0, in the 125kg final.

Former junior world champ Kyle SNYDER (USA) made a big splash with his third technical fall of the day, 10-0, over Arjun GILL (CAN) in the 97kg final for his first major senior title.

Jake HERBERT (USA), the Games’ defending middleweight champion, came out on the short end of a wide-open final at 86kg, falling 12-7 to world silver medalist Reineris SALAS (CUB) and his wicked double-leg attack.

With three gold medals on the final day of wrestling, the United States completed the freestyle competition with four of the six gold medals on offer along with a pair of silver medals for 58 points.

Cuba, meanwhile, grabbed the other two gold medals as well as a silver and two more bronze medals, to finish second in freestyle with 49 points. Canada was even more distant in third place with 40 points.

Freestyle
74kg
GOLD: Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) df. Yoan BLANCO (ECU) by TF, 11-0 
BRONZE: Cristian SARCO (VEN) df. Johnathan SCOTT (CRC) by Fall 
BRONZE: Livan LOPEZ (CUB) df. Jevon BALFOUR (CAN) by TF, 10-0

86kg
GOLD: Reineris SALAS (CUB) df. Jake HERBERT (USA), 12-7
BRONZE: Tamerlan TIGZIEV (CAN) df. Pool AMBROCIO (PER), 5-0
BRONZE: Jaime ESPINAL (PUR) df. Ricardo BAEZ (ARG) by TF, 12-0

97kg
GOLD: Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Arjun GILL (CAN) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE: Jose DIAZ (VEN) df. Yuri MAIER (ARG), 9-0 
BRONZE: Jesse RUIZ (MEX) df. Marcos SANTOS (PUR), 4-1

125kg
GOLD: Zach REY (USA) df. Korey JARVIS (CAN), 3-0
BRONZE: Edgardo LOPEZ (PUR) df. Hugo DE OLIVEIRA (BRA), 8-0
BRONZE: Andres RAMOS (CUB) df. Rene SILVA (NCA) by TF, 10-0

Jake HERBERT (USA), champion en titre de la catégorie de poids moyens, s’est incliné en finale à 86 kg face au médaillé d’argent au niveau mondial Reineris SALAS (CUB).

Avec trois médailles d’or remportées lors du dernier jour de compétition, les Etats Unis terminent la compétition de lutte libre avec quatre des six médailles d’or disponibles, ainsi que deux médailles d’argent pour un total de 58 points.

Cuba a remporté les deux autres médailles d’or, une médaille d’argent et deux médailles de bronze et termine second avec 49 points. Le Canada est loin derrière avec 40 points.

Lutte libre
74kg
OR: Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) df. Yoan BLANCO (ECU) par SP, 11-0 
BRONZE: Cristian SARCO (VEN) df. Johnathan SCOTT (CRC) par tombé 
BRONZE: Livan LOPEZ (CUB) df. Jevon BALFOUR (CAN) par SP, 10-0

86kg
OR: Reineris SALAS (CUB) df. Jake HERBERT (USA), 12-7
BRONZE: Tamerlan TIGZIEV (CAN) df. Pool AMBROCIO (PER), 5-0
BRONZE: Jaime ESPINAL (PUR) df. Ricardo BAEZ (ARG) par SP, 12-0

97kg
OR: Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Arjun GILL (CAN) par SP, 10-0
BRONZE: Jose DIAZ (VEN) df. Yuri MAIER (ARG), 9-0 
BRONZE: Jesse RUIZ (MEX) df. Marcos SANTOS (PUR), 4-1

125kg
OR: Zach REY (USA) df. Korey JARVIS (CAN), 3-0
BRONZE: Edgardo LOPEZ (PUR) df. Hugo DE OLIVEIRA (BRA), 8-0
BRONZE: Andres RAMOS (CUB) df. Rene SILVA (NCA) par SP, 10-0