Conder strikes gold; Lampe, Smith earn bronze at Pan American Games
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by Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
American Whitney Conder (center) captured a Pan American Games gold medal on Thursday night in Toronto. Tony Rotundo photo.
TORONTO, Canada – Gold-medal celebrations never get old.
Just ask American Whitney Conder.
A smiling Conder ran around the mat with a U.S. flag raised over her head after she captured a Pan American Games gold medal Thursday night at the Hershey Centre.
Conder downed a tough opponent in Mexico’s Alma Valencia 3-2 in the women’s freestyle finals at 53 kg/116.5 lbs.
“It felt so amazing to run around with that flag and be able to support the U.S., and know that I won a gold medal,” Conder said. “Winning this is definitely a springboard for me going into Worlds.”
Conder scored a first-period takedown and added a second-period passivity point to build a 3-0 lead. Valencia scored a double-leg takedown with 10 seconds left, but was unable to turn Conder and time ran out.
Valencia placed seventh at the 2014 World Championships. This was their first meeting.
“She was definitely a tough opponent,” Conder said. “I just had to stay in good position, wrestle tough and keep my focus.”
Conder’s teammate, Alyssa Lampe, and American Greco-Roman heavyweight Robby Smith both earned bronze medals on Thursday night. The U.S. went a combined 3-0 in the medal round Thursday.
The U.S. won the Greco-Roman wrestling medal count at the Pan Am Games for the first time since 1975. The U.S. Greco squad finished with two gold medals, one silver medal and two bronze medals in Toronto.
“I’m really proud of my team,” Smith said. “This team is awesome. It’s a great group of guys. Those guys are extraordinary.”
Lampe rolled to a 12-2 technical fall over Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman in her bronze bout at 48 kg/105.5 lbs.
“I came out with a relentless attack,” Lampe said. “I need to keep a fast pace going. No one can keep up with my pace. I had to come back and take a bronze and end on a good note.”
Smith won by medical forfeit over Venezuela’s Moises Perez in his bronze match at 130 kg/286 lbs.
“I wanted to put on a big show for everyone and do something instead of just taking a forfeit,” Smith said. “But a bronze medal at the Games is awesome. It’s an honor and a privilege to be here for Team USA.”
American Caylor Williams fell short of a medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at 98 kg/216 lbs.
Conder becomes the third U.S. champion in the first two days of the event. Greco-Roman wrestlers Andy Bisek and Jon Anderson won gold on Wednesday night.
Cuban Greco-Roman legend Mijain Lopez, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time World champion, captured his record-tying fourth Pan Am Games title. Lopez rolled to the title at 130 kg/286 lbs.
Day 3 of the four-day tournament is set for Friday in Toronto. Americans Erin Clodgo and Adeline Gray are scheduled to compete in women’s freestyle with men’s freestyle wrestlers Angel Escobedo and Brent Metcalf also taking the mat for Team USA.
Gray is a two-time World champion for the U.S.
Pan American Games, July 15-18
Hershey Centre, Toronto, Canada
Medal winners
Greco-Roman
98 kg/216 lbs.
Gold – Yasmany Lugo (Cuba)
Silver – Kevin Mejia (Honduras)
Bronze – Luilys Perez (Venezuela)
Bronze – Davi Albino (Brazil)
130 kg/286 lbs.
Gold – Mijain Lopez (Cuba)
Silver – Adres Ayub (Chile)
Bronze – Robby Smith (USA)
Bronze – Josue Encarnacion (Dominican Republic)
Women’s freestyle
48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Gold – Genevieve Morrison (Canada)
Silver – Thalia Mallou (Peru)
Bronze – Alyssa Lampe (USA)
Bronze – Carolina Castillo (Colombia)
53 kg/116.5 lbs.
Gold – Whitney Conder (USA)
Silver – Alma Valencia (Mexico)
Bronze – Yamilka Alvarez (Cuba)
Bronze – Betzabeth Arguello (Venezuela)
58 kg/128 lbs.
Gold – Joice Silva (Brazil)
Silver – Yaquelin Estornell (Cuba)
Bronze – Lissette Antes (Colombia)
Bronze – Yanet Sovero (Peru)
Gold-medal matchups
Greco-Roman
98 kg/216 lbs.
Yasmany Lugo (Cuba) pinned Kevin Mejia (Honduras), 1:31
130 kg/286 lbs.
Mijain Lopez (Cuba) won by tech. fall over Andres Ayub (Chile), 8-0
Women’s freestyle
48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Genevieve Morrison (Canada) dec. Thalia Mallou (Peru), 5-4
53 kg/116.5 lbs.
Whitney Conder (USA) dec. Alma Valencia (Mexico), 3-2
58 kg/128 lbs.
Joice Souza (Brazil) dec. Yaquelin Estornell (Cuba), 6-5
U.S. results
Greco-Roman
98 kg/216 lbs. – Caylor Williams, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
LOSS Luilys Perez (Venezuela), 11-4
130 kg/286 lbs. – Robby Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) – BRONZE MEDAL
WIN Edgardo Lopez (Puerto Rico), 0:40
LOSS Mijain Lopez (Cuba),
WIN Moises Perez (Venezuela), injury default
U.S. women’s freestyle
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) – BRONZE MEDAL
LOSS Genevieve Morrison (Canada), 12-8
WIN Yusneylis Guzman (Cuba), tech fall 12-2
53 kg/116.5 lbs. – Whitney Conder, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) – GOLD MEDAL
WIN Yamilka Alvarez (Cuba), fall 3:22
WIN Alma Valencia (Mexico), 3-2
TORONTO, Canada – Gold-medal celebrations never get old.
Just ask American Whitney Conder.
A smiling Conder ran around the mat with a U.S. flag raised over her head after she captured a Pan American Games gold medal Thursday night at the Hershey Centre.
Conder downed a tough opponent in Mexico’s Alma Valencia 3-2 in the women’s freestyle finals at 53 kg/116.5 lbs.
“It felt so amazing to run around with that flag and be able to support the U.S., and know that I won a gold medal,” Conder said. “Winning this is definitely a springboard for me going into Worlds.”
Conder scored a first-period takedown and added a second-period passivity point to build a 3-0 lead. Valencia scored a double-leg takedown with 10 seconds left, but was unable to turn Conder and time ran out.
Valencia placed seventh at the 2014 World Championships. This was their first meeting.
“She was definitely a tough opponent,” Conder said. “I just had to stay in good position, wrestle tough and keep my focus.”
Conder’s teammate, Alyssa Lampe, and American Greco-Roman heavyweight Robby Smith both earned bronze medals on Thursday night. The U.S. went a combined 3-0 in the medal round Thursday.
The U.S. won the Greco-Roman wrestling medal count at the Pan Am Games for the first time since 1975. The U.S. Greco squad finished with two gold medals, one silver medal and two bronze medals in Toronto.
“I’m really proud of my team,” Smith said. “This team is awesome. It’s a great group of guys. Those guys are extraordinary.”
Lampe rolled to a 12-2 technical fall over Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman in her bronze bout at 48 kg/105.5 lbs.
“I came out with a relentless attack,” Lampe said. “I need to keep a fast pace going. No one can keep up with my pace. I had to come back and take a bronze and end on a good note.”
Smith won by medical forfeit over Venezuela’s Moises Perez in his bronze match at 130 kg/286 lbs.
“I wanted to put on a big show for everyone and do something instead of just taking a forfeit,” Smith said. “But a bronze medal at the Games is awesome. It’s an honor and a privilege to be here for Team USA.”
American Caylor Williams fell short of a medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at 98 kg/216 lbs.
Conder becomes the third U.S. champion in the first two days of the event. Greco-Roman wrestlers Andy Bisek and Jon Anderson won gold on Wednesday night.
Cuban Greco-Roman legend Mijain Lopez, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time World champion, captured his record-tying fourth Pan Am Games title. Lopez rolled to the title at 130 kg/286 lbs.
Day 3 of the four-day tournament is set for Friday in Toronto. Americans Erin Clodgo and Adeline Gray are scheduled to compete in women’s freestyle with men’s freestyle wrestlers Angel Escobedo and Brent Metcalf also taking the mat for Team USA.
Gray is a two-time World champion for the U.S.
Pan American Games, July 15-18
Hershey Centre, Toronto, Canada
Medal winners
Greco-Roman
98 kg/216 lbs.
Gold – Yasmany Lugo (Cuba)
Silver – Kevin Mejia (Honduras)
Bronze – Luilys Perez (Venezuela)
Bronze – Davi Albino (Brazil)
130 kg/286 lbs.
Gold – Mijain Lopez (Cuba)
Silver – Adres Ayub (Chile)
Bronze – Robby Smith (USA)
Bronze – Josue Encarnacion (Dominican Republic)
Women’s freestyle
48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Gold – Genevieve Morrison (Canada)
Silver – Thalia Mallou (Peru)
Bronze – Alyssa Lampe (USA)
Bronze – Carolina Castillo (Colombia)
53 kg/116.5 lbs.
Gold – Whitney Conder (USA)
Silver – Alma Valencia (Mexico)
Bronze – Yamilka Alvarez (Cuba)
Bronze – Betzabeth Arguello (Venezuela)
58 kg/128 lbs.
Gold – Joice Silva (Brazil)
Silver – Yaquelin Estornell (Cuba)
Bronze – Lissette Antes (Colombia)
Bronze – Yanet Sovero (Peru)
Gold-medal matchups
Greco-Roman
98 kg/216 lbs.
Yasmany Lugo (Cuba) pinned Kevin Mejia (Honduras), 1:31
130 kg/286 lbs.
Mijain Lopez (Cuba) won by tech. fall over Andres Ayub (Chile), 8-0
Women’s freestyle
48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Genevieve Morrison (Canada) dec. Thalia Mallou (Peru), 5-4
53 kg/116.5 lbs.
Whitney Conder (USA) dec. Alma Valencia (Mexico), 3-2
58 kg/128 lbs.
Joice Souza (Brazil) dec. Yaquelin Estornell (Cuba), 6-5
U.S. results
Greco-Roman
98 kg/216 lbs. – Caylor Williams, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
LOSS Luilys Perez (Venezuela), 11-4
130 kg/286 lbs. – Robby Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) – BRONZE MEDAL
WIN Edgardo Lopez (Puerto Rico), 0:40
LOSS Mijain Lopez (Cuba),
WIN Moises Perez (Venezuela), injury default
U.S. women’s freestyle
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) – BRONZE MEDAL
LOSS Genevieve Morrison (Canada), 12-8
WIN Yusneylis Guzman (Cuba), tech fall 12-2
53 kg/116.5 lbs. – Whitney Conder, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) – GOLD MEDAL
WIN Yamilka Alvarez (Cuba), fall 3:22
WIN Alma Valencia (Mexico), 3-2
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