SANTIAGO, Chile (April 24) – Cuba reaffirmed its position as the preeminent Greco-Roman nation west of the Black Sea Friday night, winning five of eight gold medals at the Pan American Championships in Santiago.
Despite advancing five of their six wrestlers to the finals, the often high-flying Cubans were unable to overtake team champion United States who won three weight classes, but earned points at eight weight classes. The Americans finished with 68 points while Cuba placed second with 58 points and Venezuela third with 54 points.
Among the Cubans fistful of champions was Miguel PALACIOS (CUB) who used a half dozen four-point throws to help him outscore his opponents 28-0 en route to four technical falls and the 66kg gold medal.
Maykel ANACHE LAMOUTH (CUB) had kickstarted the Cubans finals performance at 59kg, defeating Spenser MANGO (USA) 2-1. The match, which featured plenty of drama with Mango almost scoring a lift from par terre, was decided when 2011 Pan-Am champion Lamouth earned a late pushout late in the second period to secure the gold.
Julio MENDOZA (CUB) followed up Palacios’ championship at 66kg with a thrilling 2-1 win over Juan Angel ESCOBAR (MEX) at 75kg. Mendoza controlled much of the match, but after a second caution was placed in par-terre fighting off a last second exposure attempt by the motivated Escobar.
The United States progressed three wrestlers to the competition finals, but only heavyweight Robbie SMITH (USA) was able to secure a win, taking a razor close 1-0 decision over Ramon Antonio GARCIA (DOM).
The Americans also won championships at 71kg and 80kg, with Pat SMITH and Joseph RAU taking gold respectively. The two weights will not be included in the Olympic Games and many nations, including Cuba, chose not to enter athletes.
Cuba and America met again at 85kg with Gilberto PIQUET HERRERA (CUB) besting Gabriel DEAN (USA), 4-0. Dean, an NCAA wrestling champion for the Cornell University, was competing in his first international Greco-Roman event having previously earning bronze in freestyle at the 2014 Junior World Championships. Herrera dominated the duo’s encounter, earning two pushouts and an exposure late in the first.
Cuba wrapped up their impressive day in the “classic style” with a 98kg championship from Reinier MONTEAGUDO ROMERO (CUB) who pinned Davi ALBINO (BRA) in the first period of their gold medal final.
The Cubans took bronze at 130kg where they rested two-time Olympic champion Miljian LOPEZ for July’s Pan-American Games in Toronto. The Pan-American Championships serve as a qualifier for both the Pan-American Games and the 2015 World Championships with the latter serving as the first qualifier for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
The Pan-American Wrestling Championships continue Saturday at 10am local time with women’s wrestling and conclude Sunday with men’s freestyle.
Medal Results
59kg
GOLD: Maykel ANACHE LAMOUTH (CUB) df. Spenser Thomas MANGO (USA), 3-1
BRONZE: Jansel Rafael RAMIREZ (DOM) df. Ali SOTO MACIAS (MEX), 4-2
BRONZE: Juan Carlos LOPEZ (COL) df. Cristobal TORRES (CHI) by TF, 9-0
66kg
GOLD: Miguel MARTINEZ PALACIOS (CUB) df. Alexis CUERO (COL) by TF, 9-0
BRONZE: Wuileixis de Jesus RIVAS ESPINOZA (VEN) df. Alejandro SANCHO (USA), 2-0
BRONZE: Mario MOLINA CORTEZ (PER) df. Jefrin Benito MEJIA (HON) by DQ, 5-5
71kg
Round 5: Pat Smith (USA) df. Josh PROCTOR (CAN) by TF, 9-0
Round 5: Jose OLIVEROS (VEN) df. juan carlos VILLARROEL (BOL) by FALL, 6-3
Round 4: Pat Smith (USA) df. Guilleon SILVA (BRA) by TF, 9-0
Round 4: Jose OLIVEROS (VEN) df. Josh PROCTOR (CAN), 11-8
Round 3: Jose OLIVEROS (VEN) df. Guilleon SILVA (BRA) by TF, 8-0
Round 3: Josh PROCTOR (CAN) df. juan carlos VILLARROEL (BOL) by TF, 9-0
Round 2: Guilleon SILVA (BRA) df. Josh PROCTOR (CAN), 3-1
Round 2: Pat Smith (USA) df. juan carlos VILLARROEL (BOL) by TF, 9-1
Round 1: Guilleon SILVA (BRA) df. juan carlos VILLARROEL (BOL) by TF, 10-2
Round 1: Pat Smith (USA) df. Jose OLIVEROS (VEN) by TF, 8-0
75kg
GOLD: Julio BASTIDA MENDOZA (CUB) df. Juan Angel ESCOBAR (MEX), 2-2
BRONZE: Maximiliano PRUDENZANO (ARG) df. Luis Eduardo AVENDANO ROJAS (VEN), 1-0
BRONZE: Carlos MUNOZ (COL) df. Geordan Aaron SPEILLER (USA), 5-2
80kg
Round 3: Josef Patrick RAU (USA) df. Victor MONTERO (VEN) by TF, 8-0
Round 3: Uber ESCOBAR (COL) df. Carlos ROJAS (CHI) by TF, 8-0
Round 2: Josef Patrick RAU (USA) df. Carlos ROJAS (CHI) by FALL, 4-0
Round 2: Victor MONTERO (VEN) df. Uber ESCOBAR (COL) by TF, 13-
Round 1: Josef Patrick RAU (USA) df. Uber ESCOBAR (COL) by TF, 8-0
Round 1: Victor MONTERO (VEN) df. Carlos ROJAS (CHI) by FALL, 4-2
85kg
GOLD: Gilberto PIQUET HERRERA (CUB) df. Gabriel Curtis DEAN (USA), 4-0
BRONZE: Alfonso LEYVA YEPEZ (MEX) df. Cristian MOSQUEDA (COL), 4-3
BRONZE: Querys Jose PEREZ MORA (VEN) df. Luis Angel BETANCOURT MEDINA (PUR) by Injury Default, 0-0
98kg
GOLD: Reinier MONTEAGUDO ROMERO (CUB) df. Davi ALBINO (BRA) by FALL, 4-0
BRONZE: Caylor Ryan WILLIAMS (USA) df. Kevin MEJIA CASTILLO (HON), 4-0
BRONZE: Luillys Jose PEREZ MORA (VEN) df. Jose Yair ROCHA (MEX), 8-4
130kg
GOLD: Robert Timothy David SMITH (USA) df. Ramon Antonio GARCIA GARCIA (DOM), 1-0
BRONZE: Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CUB) df. Moises Salvador PEREZ HELLBURG (VEN) by TF, 9-0
BRONZE: Luciano DEL RIO (ARG) df. Charles Frederick THOMS (CAN) by TF, 8-0
