Cejudo, Hrovat, Rowlands are in the finals; Schwab going for bronze as Pan American Games freestyle competiton starts
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by Craig Sesker
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - The United States men's freestyle team is treating the Pan American Games as an event to build momentum for the World Championships.
Mission accomplished so far.
Americans Henry Cejudo, Andy Hrovat and Tommy Rowlands powered their way into the gold-medal round with two wins apiece on Friday morning at the Riocentro Sports Complex.
The three United States wrestlers are scheduled to compete in the finals at 6 p.m. (5 p.m. Eastern) Friday in Rio. Doug Schwab of the U.S. will wrestle for a bronze medal on Friday night.
The slick, athletic Cejudo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) put on a show with his vast arsenal of leg attacks in his two wins at 55 kg/121 lbs. The 20-year-old Cejudo, the youngest U.S. World Team member in freestyle in 36 years, outscored Colombia's Fredy Sanchez and Brazil's Vinicius Pedrosa by a combined 14-1 margin.
Cejudo advances to meet Cuba's Andy Moreno in the finals. It's a rematch of their wild encounter earlier this year at the Pan Am Championships where Cejudo staged a brilliant comeback to win in three periods.
Hrovat (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC) relied on his big-move capability and his ability to counter effectively in reaching the finals at 84 kg/185 lbs. He downed Cuba's Roerlandy Zuniga 8-6, 5-0 in the semifinals.
Next up for Hrovat is a finals matchup against Canada's Roozbah Banihashemi.
Rowlands (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) pulled out a 1-0, 1-0 semifinal win over Canada's Arjan Bhullar at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Rowlands advances to meet past World champion Alexis Rodriguez of Cuba in the final round.
Schwab (Iowa City, Iowa/Gator WC) ran into an explosive, slick opponent in the semifinals in 2006 World bronze medalist Geandry Garzon of Cuba at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Garzon shot in on a leg attack early in the match and then promptly turned Schwab three times in succession with a gut wrench to win the period 7-0. He then held off Schwab's late comeback attempt in the second period to win it 3-2.
Schwab now will face Venezuela's Ricardo Roberty in a bronze-medal bout.
The U.S. medal count in wrestling now stands at 13 after Day 4's first session of the five-day competition. It could jump to 14 if Schwab wins his match for the bronze.
The final day of competition is set for Saturday with the final three freestyle weight classes being contested. World silver medalist Mike Zadick (Solon, Iowa/Gator WC), Joe Heskett (Columbus, Ohio/Gator WC) and Daniel Cormier (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) are scheduled to wrestle. Zadick competes at 60 kg/132 lbs., Heskett at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Cormier at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Cormier, a four-time World Team member and 2004 Olympian, won the Pan American Games in 2003. Heskett made his first World Team this year.
U.S. MATCH-BY-MATCH RESULTS
55 kg/121 lbs. - Henry Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Fredy Serrano (Colombia) 2-1, 3-0
WIN Vinicius Pedrosa (Brazil) 3-0, 6-0
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Doug Schwab, Iowa City, Iowa (Gator WC)
WIN Cleopas Ncube (Canada) 3-2, 2-2, 1-0
LOSS Geandry Garzon (Cuba) 7-0, 3-2
84 kg/185 lbs. - Andy Hrovat, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC)
WIN Jesus Gonzalez (Venezuela) fall
WIN Roerlandy Zuniga (Cuba) 8-6, 5-0
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Tommy Rowlands, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Gustavo Gattareo (Argentina) 7-0, 7-0
WIN Arjan Bhullar (Canada) 1-0, 1-0
Mission accomplished so far.
Americans Henry Cejudo, Andy Hrovat and Tommy Rowlands powered their way into the gold-medal round with two wins apiece on Friday morning at the Riocentro Sports Complex.
The three United States wrestlers are scheduled to compete in the finals at 6 p.m. (5 p.m. Eastern) Friday in Rio. Doug Schwab of the U.S. will wrestle for a bronze medal on Friday night.
The slick, athletic Cejudo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) put on a show with his vast arsenal of leg attacks in his two wins at 55 kg/121 lbs. The 20-year-old Cejudo, the youngest U.S. World Team member in freestyle in 36 years, outscored Colombia's Fredy Sanchez and Brazil's Vinicius Pedrosa by a combined 14-1 margin.
Cejudo advances to meet Cuba's Andy Moreno in the finals. It's a rematch of their wild encounter earlier this year at the Pan Am Championships where Cejudo staged a brilliant comeback to win in three periods.
Hrovat (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC) relied on his big-move capability and his ability to counter effectively in reaching the finals at 84 kg/185 lbs. He downed Cuba's Roerlandy Zuniga 8-6, 5-0 in the semifinals.
Next up for Hrovat is a finals matchup against Canada's Roozbah Banihashemi.
Rowlands (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) pulled out a 1-0, 1-0 semifinal win over Canada's Arjan Bhullar at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Rowlands advances to meet past World champion Alexis Rodriguez of Cuba in the final round.
Schwab (Iowa City, Iowa/Gator WC) ran into an explosive, slick opponent in the semifinals in 2006 World bronze medalist Geandry Garzon of Cuba at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Garzon shot in on a leg attack early in the match and then promptly turned Schwab three times in succession with a gut wrench to win the period 7-0. He then held off Schwab's late comeback attempt in the second period to win it 3-2.
Schwab now will face Venezuela's Ricardo Roberty in a bronze-medal bout.
The U.S. medal count in wrestling now stands at 13 after Day 4's first session of the five-day competition. It could jump to 14 if Schwab wins his match for the bronze.
The final day of competition is set for Saturday with the final three freestyle weight classes being contested. World silver medalist Mike Zadick (Solon, Iowa/Gator WC), Joe Heskett (Columbus, Ohio/Gator WC) and Daniel Cormier (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) are scheduled to wrestle. Zadick competes at 60 kg/132 lbs., Heskett at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Cormier at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Cormier, a four-time World Team member and 2004 Olympian, won the Pan American Games in 2003. Heskett made his first World Team this year.
U.S. MATCH-BY-MATCH RESULTS
55 kg/121 lbs. - Henry Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Fredy Serrano (Colombia) 2-1, 3-0
WIN Vinicius Pedrosa (Brazil) 3-0, 6-0
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Doug Schwab, Iowa City, Iowa (Gator WC)
WIN Cleopas Ncube (Canada) 3-2, 2-2, 1-0
LOSS Geandry Garzon (Cuba) 7-0, 3-2
84 kg/185 lbs. - Andy Hrovat, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC)
WIN Jesus Gonzalez (Venezuela) fall
WIN Roerlandy Zuniga (Cuba) 8-6, 5-0
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Tommy Rowlands, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Gustavo Gattareo (Argentina) 7-0, 7-0
WIN Arjan Bhullar (Canada) 1-0, 1-0
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