TORONTO, Canada (July 17) – Canada’s “Young Guns” rolled into the women’s gold medal finals on Friday while a pair of U.S. and Cuban showdowns loom on the first day of freestyle events at the Pan American Games wrestling competition.
Braxton STONE (63kg), Dorothy YEATS (69kg) and Justina DI STASIO (75kg) had Canadian fans out of their seats throughout Friday’s afternoon session as they notched wins over seasoned opponents to advance to the evening’s finals at Mississauga Sports Center.
Two-time junior world champ Yeats, 21, recorded wins over Pan American championships winner Yudaris SANCHEZ (CUB) by fall and Pan Am runner-up Luz VAZQUEA (ARG) by technical fall to book a spot in the 69kg final opposite Maria ACOSTA (VEN).
Meanwhile, 20-year-old Stone overcame a five-point deficit against two-time Olympic Games bronze medalist Jackeline RENTERIA (COL) for a 6-5 win in the semifinals and will face 2011 Pan Am Games gold medalist Katerina VIDIAUX LOPEZ (CUB) in the 63kg final.
Pan Am champ Di Stasio, 22, took a hard slap in the face from another 2011 gold medalist Lisset HECHEVARRIA (CUB) in their semifinal at 75kg for a penalty point and a 4-4 win. Di Stasio squares off in the final against reigning world champ Adeline GRAY (USA).
In the quarterfinals, Gray fashioned a 10-0 technical fall over Aline FERREIRA (BRA) in a rematch of their world championship final in Tashkent last September.
In the first two men’s freestyle categories, world bronze medalist Yowlys BONNE (CUB) rolled into the 57kg finals with a fall and technical fall to meet Angel ESCOBEDO (USA), who also owns a fall and technical fall from the afternoon session.
At 65kg, 2013 Pan American champ Franklin MAREN (CUB) held on for a 2-0 win in the semifinals over local favorite Haislan GARCIA (CAN) while Brent METCALF (USA) scrambled from behind for a 10-8 win over former world silver medalist Franklin GOMEZ (PUR) in the other semifinal.
Women’s Wrestling
63kg
GOLD: Braxton STONE (CAN) v Katerina VIDIAUX LOPEZ (CUB)
BRONZE: Jessica OLIVARES (PER) v Jackeline RENTERIA (COL)
BRONZE: Erin CLODGO (USA) v Dennisse ANTES (ECU)
69kg
GOLD: Maria ACOSTA (VEN) v Dorothy YEATS (CAN)
BRONZE: Dayanara RIVERA (PUR) v Diana MIRANDA (MEX)
BRONZE: Yudaris SANCHEZ (CUB) v Luz VAZQUEZ (ARG)
75kg
GOLD: Justina DISTASIO (CAN) v Adeline GRAY (USA)
BRONZE: Jarismit WEFFER GUANIPE (VEN) v Lisset HECHEVARRIA (CUB)
BRONZE: Aline FERREIRA (BRA) v Ana GONZALEZ (PUR)
Freestyle
57kg
GOLD: Angel ESCOBEDO (USA) v Yowlys BONNE (CUB)
BRONZE: Emir HERNANDEZ (COL) v Pablo BENITEZ (PER)
BRONZE: Kevin BONILLA (HON) v Pedro MEJIAS (VEN)
65kg
GOLD: Brent METCALF (USA) v Franklin MAREN (CUB)
BRONZE: Marvin MIRANDA (GUA) v Franklin GOMEZ (PUR)
BRONZE: Hernan GUZMAN (COL) v Haislan GARCIA (CAN)
