Amri, 5 Pan Am Champs from Canada Roll into Finals at Women’s German Grand Prix

DORMAGEN, Germany (June 3) – Rio 2016 bronze medalist Marwa AMRI (TUN) on Saturday rolled into the finals of the women’s German Grand Prix where she will be joined Sunday by six members of Team Canada, including five Pan American champions.

Amri, who recently won her ninth African championship title, wrapped three technical falls at 60kg in just over six minutes. In the semifinals, she locked up Paris Grand Prix winner Agnieszka KROL (POL) with a cross-ankle grip for a 10-0 win at 50 seconds.

Amri will face 2015 junior world bronze medal winner Therese PERSSON (SWE), wrestling in her first event of 2017, in the gold medal final.

Meanwhile, Team Canada sends six of its wrestlers to the gold medal matches, including 2012 world champion Jessica MacDONALD (53kg) as well as Pan American Games gold medalist Braxton STONE (63kg) and silver medalist Justina DiSTACIO (75kg).

In Sunday’s finals, MacDonald will meet hometown hero and European bronze medalist Nina HEMMER (GER) at 53kg while Stone takes on former world bronze medalist Henna JOHANSSON (SWE) at 63kg.

DiStacio will square off with 2014 world champion Aline FOCKEN (GER) in the tournament finale. Focken, who won her world title at 69kg, but is up at 75kg for the Grand Prix and notched a pair of technical falls in three bouts to advance to the final.

In another semifinal, European bronze medalist Alina VUC (ROU) overwhelmed Rio bronze medal finalist Patricia BERMUDEZ (ARG) in the second period of their 48kg pairing and scored a fall to advance to the final against Jade PARSON (CAN).

European junior champion Elena BRUGGER (GER) will meet European bronze medal winner Mathilde RIVIERE (FRA) at 55kg and Laura MERTENS (GER), another bronze medal winner from the last month’s European championships, takes on Pan American champ Michelle FAZZARI (CAN) in the 58kg final. 

Pan American champ Olivia DiBACCIO (CAN), winner of the last three events she has entered, meets 2015 junior world runner-up Moa NYGREN (SWE) in the 69kg final.

Semifinal Results

48kg (16 entries)
Alina VUC (ROU) df. Patricia BERMUDEZ (ARG) by Fall, 4:50 (8-1)
Jade PARSON (CAN) df. Julie SABATIE (FRA), 8-2

53kg (14 entires)
Jessica MacDONALD (CAN) df. Samantha STEWART (CAN), 6-3
Nina HEMMER (GER) df. Hilary HONORINE (FRA), by TF, 11-0, 4:34

55kg (13 entries)
Elena BRUGGER (GER) df. Johanna MEIER (GER) by TF, 10-0, 2:23
Mathilde RIVIERE (FRA) df. Hannah FRANSON (CAN), 8-0

58kg (12 entries)
Laura MERTENS (GER) df. Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) by TF, 11-0, 5:13
Michelle FAZZARI (CAN) df. Emma JOHANSSON (SWE) by TF, 10-0, 4:51

60kg (10 entries)
Therese PERSSON (SWE) df. Katarzyna MADROWSKA (POL), 8-2
Marwa AMRI (TUN) df. Agnieszka KROL (POL) by TF, 10-0, 0:50

63kg (15 entries)
Braxton STONE (CAN) df.  df. Natalia KUBATY (POL) by TF, 10-0, 3:33
Henna JOHANSSON (SWE) df. Viviane HERDA (GER) by Fall, 2:24 (6-0)

69kg (8 entries)
Olivia DiBACCO (CAN) df. Hedda STRAND (NOR) by TF, 10-0, 2:04
Moa NYGREN (SWE) df. Kendra DACHER (FRA), 5-1

75kg (10 entries)
Justina DiSTACIO (CAN) df. Francy RADELT (GER) by Fall, 3:00 (10-0)
Aline FOCKEN (GER) df. Natalie FRIDELL (SWE) by TF, 10-0, 0:35