SANTIAGO, Chile (April 25) – Canada won gold at the lightest and heaviest weight categories Saturday in Santiago to edge past Venezuela and capture the 2015 Pan American Championship in women’s wrestling.
The nations each finished with 58 teams points, but Canada’s pair of gold medals was the tiebreaker that helped push them past a Venezuelan side that earned medals in five of eight categories.
Canada’s championship night wa s started by Genevieve MORRISON HALEY (48kg) and ended with a bookend win by 75kg champion Justina Renay DI STASIO. Haley looked dominant in the night’s opening salvo finding her offense early and staying aggressive on the mat to pin Jacqueline TOAZA AVELINO (ECU) in the first period.
Di Stasio had a much tougher task, having to work past a strong Lisette MEDINA (CUB), needing a later takedown to seal the back-and-forth affair. Medina opened the tournament by besting 2014 world silver medalist Aline FERREIRA, 7-0 in the first round.
Venezuela wrestled well, but failed to make the competition finals, settling for a lone silver medal at the round-robin styles 60kg category.
Buoyed by a roster of headlock-happy former judoka’s and cheered on by their men’s squads, Cuba left many in the stands shaking their head in amazement as the small island nation took home a pair of gold medals.
Katerina LOPEZ won the 63kg title, picking apart Breanne GRAHAM (CAN) with inside trips, arm spins and double legs while Yudaris RODRIGUEZ fought back from a 4-0 deficit to earn a second period fall over world No.9 Luz VAZQUEZ (ARG) at 69kg.
“They are very talented,” said Brazilian Wrestling Federation president Pedro Gama Filho. “We saw them for the first-time around 2009 and today everyone saw that they were the most impressive yet.”
“They’re getting better, that’s for sure,” echoed United States head coach Terry Steiner. “They’re just really, really tough.”
Americans Sarah HILLEBRANDT and Jennifer PAGE won gold medals at 55kg and 60kg respectively. Considered “non-Olympic” weights, the categories drew few entrants since they won’t be featured during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro.
The United States finished in fifth, choosing to sit world No.9 Victoria ANTHONY (48kg) after she suffered a minor injury in warm-ups.
Brazil and Colombia also crowned their first Pan American champions of 2015. At 58kg Joice SILVA (BRA) earned a technical fall over Jazmkyne BARKER (CAN), 13-2, while Colombia’s Sayury CARREON took the title 53kg with a by fall victory over . Carlene Ann SLUBERSKI (USA).
The Pan American Championships conclude Sunday, April 26 with men’s freestyle. Action begins at 9am local, with the finals at 3pm.
