The Pan American Championships have high stakes for the USA wrestlers. The tournament, being a major stepping stone for the Paris Olympics, is slated to push the participants a few steps toward Paris. Understandably, the US contingency of freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers will go all out to put the opportunities to use. First in line was the Greco-Roman squad that opened the competition for Team USA on day one of the event. The competition in this style is conducted under ten weight classes, among which eight were fought today.
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On its very first outing, Team USA set the tone right toward its Paris Journey. In a staunch display of prowess, the day found seven Greco-Roman wrestlers making their way to the podium. Notably, some of them secured their berths for the US Olympic qualifiers. USA Wrestling updated the achievement on their social media.
Pan American Championships: medals of all colors on day one
After the recent showdowns, USA Wrestling took it to their Twitter account and announced, “The U.S. opened the Pan-American Championships in Acapulco, Mexico, with seven medals in Greco-Roman.” Team USA added two golds, three silvers, and two bronzes to their kitty.
The event was kicked off by Randon Miranda at the 60kgs. After dominating his first two opponents, Miranda fell to Raiber Rodriguez Orozco of Venezuela (8-7) to clinch the silver medal.
Followed by Miranda, Hayden Tuma clinched Pan American Gold in the 63kg category against Hector Sanchez Zapata of Mexico by 4-0. Tuma won all his bouts on the way to gold. Soon one more gold was added to the tally.
Alex Sancho locked horns against Equador’s Andres Montano Arroyo at 67 kgs. he defeated his opponent from Ecuador by 3-1 to win Pan American Gold. Another major attraction at the event was the bronze medal bouts, where Kamal Bey and Cohlton Shultz were illuminating on the wrestling mat.
The U.S. opened the Pan-American Championships in Acapulco, Mexico, with seven medals in Greco-Roman. Action resumes tomorrow at 10 a.m. CT.
— USA Wrestling (@USAWrestling) February 22, 2024
Kamal Bey at 77kgs secured Pan American bronze because of a technical fall against Wuileixix Rivas Espinoza by 11-1. Cohlton Schultz, on the other hand, secured victory within just 34 seconds, and cleaned a remarkable win by pinning Moises Perez Hellburg. Their achievements were backed up well by the silver medals from Randon Miranda (60kg) and Mahmoud Sebie (82kg). With all these, let us turn our focus on the Olympic qualification status.
Who secured an Olympic trials berth?
Although seven Greco-Romans found a place for themselves among the top 3, only two of them could accomplish the US Olympic Trials spot. As per rules specified by the USA Wrestling earlier, athletes who win gold in Acapulco will qualify for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in State College, Pennsylvania. Therefore, after the first day, only Sancho and Tuma secured their places. However, the battle is far from over.
The Greco-Roman fights for 72 kg and 97 kg resumes tomorrow at 10 a.m. CT. It will be followed by the women’s freestyle competitions. Also On the cards will be the heated men’s battle until the event ends on February 24. Stay tuned for more action!
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Written by
Edited by
Bhujaya Ray Chowdhury