Alma Jane VALENCIA ESCOTO (MEX) won her semifinal match at 57 kg, becoming the first woman in history from Mexico to qualify for the Olympic Games in wrestling. In the preliminary rounds, Valencia collected wins against Betzabeth SARCO COLMENAREZ (VEN), 5-1, and Nes Marie RODRIGUEZ TIRADO (PUR) by pin. To earn a spot in the Olympic Games, Valencia knocked off 2019 World champion Linda MORAIS (CAN) in the semifinal with another victory by fall. She went on to win the finals by injury default to take the gold medal.
In this weekend’s event, the top-two from each weight class will earn a bid for their countries to the 2020 Olympics. The United States women’s freestyle team qualified its remaining four weight classes for the Tokyo Olympics, advancing all of its athletes to the Pan American Olympic Qualifier finals. Thanks to medal-winning performances at 68 kg and 76 kg at the 2019 World Championships, the United States entered the weekend with two weights already qualified. On Saturday, it completed its team sending Sarah HILDEBRANDT (50 kg), Jacarra WINCHESTER (53 kg), Helen MAROULIS (57 kg) and Kayla MIRACLE (62 kg) to their respective finals.
Today was the first international competition for 2016 Olympic champion Maroulis since the 2018 World Championships. She took the 2019 season off due to injury. In her first bout, Maroulis defeated returning World champion Linda MORAIS (CAN) with a 12-2 technical fall. Maroulis wasn’t the only World medalist to qualify the weight for the USA. Hildebrandt is a 2018 World silver medalist at 53 kg. This year, she moved down to 50 kg for the Olympics, which is the weight she qualified today. In the semifinals, Hildebrandt defeated 2012 World champion and two-time World bronze medalist Jessica MACDONALD (CAN) with a dominant 11-0 performance. Similarly, Winchester, the 2019 World champion at 55 kg, moved down a weight class to compete at 53 kg this year.
To qualify, Winchester defeated 2016 Pan American champion Samantha STEWART (CAN), 8-4, in the semifinals. Brazil, Canada and Cuba also qualified multiple weight classes for the Tokyo Olympics. Earning three spots for Cuba were Yusneylis GUZMAN LOPEZ (50 kg), Lianna de la Caridad MONTERO HERRERA (53 kg) and 2018 U23 World champion Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (68 kg). Brazil picked up two spots with Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (62 kg) and 2014 World silver medalist Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (76 kg) advancing to the finals.
Nunes and da Silva were funded by the United World Wrestling Development Technical Assistance program, which allows athletes from developing countries the opportunities to compete at top-level events. Their qualifications for the Olympic Games would not have been possible without the support of UWW. Host country Canada also qualified two spots, thanks to 2018 World silver medalist Danielle LAPPAGE (68 kg) and 2016 Olympic champion Erica WIEBE (76 kg).
Women’s freestyle finals results
50 kg
GOLD – Yusneylis GUZMAN LOPEZ (CUB) df. Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA), injury default
BRONZE – Thalia MALLQUI PECHE (PER) df. Carolina CASTILLO HIDALGO (COL), injury default
BRONZE – Jessica MACDONALD (CAN) df. Rita Fatima ROJAS CHAVEZ (MEX), 10-0
53 kg
GOLD – Lianna de la Caridad MONTERO HERRERA (CUB) df. Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA), injury default
BRONZE– Samantha STEWART (CAN) df. Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU), 9-0
57 kg
GOLD – Alma VALENCIA ESCOTO (MEX) df. Helen MAROULIS (USA), injury default
BRONZE – Linda MORAIS (CAN) df. Gabriela Nicole RAMOS DIAZ (PUR), fall
62 kg
GOLD – Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) df. Kayla MIRACLE (USA), injury default
BRONZE – Michelle FAZZARI (CAN) df. Nathaly GRIMAN HERRERA (VEN), injury default
68 kg
GOLD – Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN) df. Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB), injury default
BRONZE – Luz VAZQUEZ (ARG) df. Leonela AYOVI PARRAGA (ECU), 3-2
BRONZE – Tatiana RENTERIA RENTERIA (COL) df. Yanet SOVERO NINO (PER), 4-2
76 kg
GOLD – Erica WIEBE (CAN) df. Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA), injury default
BRONZE – Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) df. Andrea OLAYA GUTIERREZ (COL), injury default
Women’s freestyle semifinals results
50 kg
Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) df. Jessica MACDONALD (CAN), 11-0
Yusneylis GUZMAN LOPEZ (CUB) df. Carolina CASTILLO HIDALGO, 6-4
53 kg
Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) df. Samantha STEWART (CAN), 8-4
Lianna de la Caridad MONTERO HERRERA (CUB) df. Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU), 5-4
57 kg
Helen MAROULIS (USA) df. Nes Marie RODRIGUEZ TIRADO (PUR), 11-0
Alma VALENCIA ESCOTO (MEX) df. Linda MORAIS (CAN), fall 3:45
62 kg
Kayla MIRACLE (USA) df. Michelle FAZZARI (CAN), 12-3
Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) df. Nathaly GRIMAN HERRERA (VEN), 3-1
68 kg
Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB) df. Yanet SOVERO NINO (PER), 5-0
Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN) df. Leonela AYOVI PARRAGA (ECU), 10-0
76 kg
Erica WIEBE (CAN) df. Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU), 5-0
Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA) df. Andrea OLAYA GUTIERREZ (COL), 2-1
