Four Americans going for gold on final night of Pan American Games
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by Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
American Jordan Burroughs fires in on a shot against Cuba’s Livan Lopez in a battle of Olympic and World medalists at the Pan American Games on Saturday in Toronto. Robbert Wijtman photo.
TORONTO, Canada – The United States freestyle team flexed its muscles with a near-flawless performance in Saturday’s first session at the Pan American Games.
American wrestlers Jordan Burroughs, Jake Herbert, Kyle Snyder and Zach Rey came out strong and each advanced to the gold-medal finals on Saturday at the Hershey Centre.
The finals are set for 8 p.m. Eastern here in Toronto and will be shown on a live webcast on ESPN3.
The U.S. team went a combined 8-0 on Saturday, recording six technical falls, one fall and a decision in a dominant showing.
Burroughs and Herbert are looking to repeat as Pan American Games champions on the last night of the four-day wrestling tournament.
The U.S. has clinched first place in the Pan Am Games medal count in freestyle along with winning the overall medal count in wrestling.
The U.S. will medal in 15 of the 16 weight classes it competed in here. American wrestlers have won five gold medals entering Saturday night’s finals.
Burroughs opened with a dominating 13-3 technical fall over Olympic medalist and three-time World medalist Livan Lopez of Cuba in the quarterfinals at 74 kg/163 lbs.
Burroughs followed with an 11-0 technical fall over 20-year-old Jevon Balfour of Canada in the semifinals.
Burroughs will face Ecuador’s Yoan Blanco in the finals. Blanco placed seventh at the 2014 Worlds at 70 kg/154 lbs.
Burroughs, an Olympic gold medalist and two-time World champion, now has a remarkable 107-2 career record at the international level.
Herbert, a World silver medalist, opening by rolling to an 11-0 technical fall over Argentina’s Ricardo Baez in the quarterfinals at 86 kg/189 lbs.
Herbert then dominated Olympic silver medalist Jaime Espinal of Puerto Rico 10-0 in the semifinals.
“Jaime is an unbelievable wrestler with his upper body, so I stayed away from his strength and attacked him down on his legs,” Herbert said. “I avoided the big throws and made it my match. It was a big win.”
Herbert will face two-time World silver medalist Reineris Salas of Cuba in the finals. Salas is 3-0 against Herbert, including a win over him at the Beat the Streets dual earlier this year.
“This is great – this is a big test,” Herbert said. “What matters is who wins at the World Championships in September. I’ve got a couple new game plans and strategies I’m going to try.”
Snyder, a Junior World champion, started with a business-like 11-1 tech over Argentina’s Yuri Maier in the quarters at 97 kg/213 lbs.
Snyder then put on a takedown clinic in an 11-0 thrashing of Venezuela’s Jose Diaz in the semifinals.
Snyder will face Canada’s Arjun Gill in the finals.
“I felt good out there,” Snyder said. “It’s been a while since I competed at the Trials, but I’m seeing some improvement in my offense and I’m trying to get better on top.”
Rey started with a quick first-period fall over Nicaragua’s Rene Silva Rios at 125 kg/275 lbs.
Rey then earned a 2-0 semifinal win over Cuba’s Andres Ramos. He will face Canada’s Korey Jarvis in the finals.
“Anytime you wrestle with guys like Jordan Burroughs, Jake Herbert and Kyle Snyder, it’s motivating,” Rey said. “They go out there and they put it all on the line. Watching those guys is pretty fun.”
Pan American Games, July 15-18
Hershey Centre, Toronto, Canada
Gold-medal matchups
Men’s freestyle
74 kg/163 lbs.
Jordan Burroughs (USA) vs. Yoan Blanco (Ecuador)
86 kg/189 lbs.
Jake Herbert (USA) vs. Reineris Salas (Cuba)
97 kg/213 lbs.
Kyle Snyder (USA) vs. Arjun Gill (Canada)
125 kg/275 lbs.
Zach Rey (USA) vs. Korey Jarvis (Canada)
U.S. results
Men’s freestyle
74 kg/163 lbs. – Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Livan Lopez (Cuba), tech. fall 13-3
WIN Jevon Balfour (Canada), tech. fall 11-0
vs. Yoan Blanco (Ecuador) in gold-medal match
86 kg/189 lbs. – Jake Herbert, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC)
WIN Ricardo Baez (Argentina), tech. fall 11-0
WIN Jaime Espinal (Puerto Rico), tech. fall 10-0
vs. Reineris Salas (Cuba) in gold-medal match
97 kg/213 lbs. – Kyle Snyder, Woodbine, Md. (Titan Mercury WC)
WIN Yuri Maier (Argentina), tech. fall 11-1
WIN Jose Diaz (Venezuela), tech. fall 10-0
vs. Arjun Gill (Canada) in gold-medal match
125 kg/275 lbs. – Zach Rey, Bethlehem, N.J. (Lehigh Valley WC)
WIN Rene Silva Rios (Nicaragua), fall 1:41
WIN Andres Ramos (Cuba), 2-0
vs. Korey Jarvis (Canada) in gold-medal match
TORONTO, Canada – The United States freestyle team flexed its muscles with a near-flawless performance in Saturday’s first session at the Pan American Games.
American wrestlers Jordan Burroughs, Jake Herbert, Kyle Snyder and Zach Rey came out strong and each advanced to the gold-medal finals on Saturday at the Hershey Centre.
The finals are set for 8 p.m. Eastern here in Toronto and will be shown on a live webcast on ESPN3.
The U.S. team went a combined 8-0 on Saturday, recording six technical falls, one fall and a decision in a dominant showing.
Burroughs and Herbert are looking to repeat as Pan American Games champions on the last night of the four-day wrestling tournament.
The U.S. has clinched first place in the Pan Am Games medal count in freestyle along with winning the overall medal count in wrestling.
The U.S. will medal in 15 of the 16 weight classes it competed in here. American wrestlers have won five gold medals entering Saturday night’s finals.
Burroughs opened with a dominating 13-3 technical fall over Olympic medalist and three-time World medalist Livan Lopez of Cuba in the quarterfinals at 74 kg/163 lbs.
Burroughs followed with an 11-0 technical fall over 20-year-old Jevon Balfour of Canada in the semifinals.
Burroughs will face Ecuador’s Yoan Blanco in the finals. Blanco placed seventh at the 2014 Worlds at 70 kg/154 lbs.
Burroughs, an Olympic gold medalist and two-time World champion, now has a remarkable 107-2 career record at the international level.
Herbert, a World silver medalist, opening by rolling to an 11-0 technical fall over Argentina’s Ricardo Baez in the quarterfinals at 86 kg/189 lbs.
Herbert then dominated Olympic silver medalist Jaime Espinal of Puerto Rico 10-0 in the semifinals.
“Jaime is an unbelievable wrestler with his upper body, so I stayed away from his strength and attacked him down on his legs,” Herbert said. “I avoided the big throws and made it my match. It was a big win.”
Herbert will face two-time World silver medalist Reineris Salas of Cuba in the finals. Salas is 3-0 against Herbert, including a win over him at the Beat the Streets dual earlier this year.
“This is great – this is a big test,” Herbert said. “What matters is who wins at the World Championships in September. I’ve got a couple new game plans and strategies I’m going to try.”
Snyder, a Junior World champion, started with a business-like 11-1 tech over Argentina’s Yuri Maier in the quarters at 97 kg/213 lbs.
Snyder then put on a takedown clinic in an 11-0 thrashing of Venezuela’s Jose Diaz in the semifinals.
Snyder will face Canada’s Arjun Gill in the finals.
“I felt good out there,” Snyder said. “It’s been a while since I competed at the Trials, but I’m seeing some improvement in my offense and I’m trying to get better on top.”
Rey started with a quick first-period fall over Nicaragua’s Rene Silva Rios at 125 kg/275 lbs.
Rey then earned a 2-0 semifinal win over Cuba’s Andres Ramos. He will face Canada’s Korey Jarvis in the finals.
“Anytime you wrestle with guys like Jordan Burroughs, Jake Herbert and Kyle Snyder, it’s motivating,” Rey said. “They go out there and they put it all on the line. Watching those guys is pretty fun.”
Pan American Games, July 15-18
Hershey Centre, Toronto, Canada
Gold-medal matchups
Men’s freestyle
74 kg/163 lbs.
Jordan Burroughs (USA) vs. Yoan Blanco (Ecuador)
86 kg/189 lbs.
Jake Herbert (USA) vs. Reineris Salas (Cuba)
97 kg/213 lbs.
Kyle Snyder (USA) vs. Arjun Gill (Canada)
125 kg/275 lbs.
Zach Rey (USA) vs. Korey Jarvis (Canada)
U.S. results
Men’s freestyle
74 kg/163 lbs. – Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Livan Lopez (Cuba), tech. fall 13-3
WIN Jevon Balfour (Canada), tech. fall 11-0
vs. Yoan Blanco (Ecuador) in gold-medal match
86 kg/189 lbs. – Jake Herbert, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC)
WIN Ricardo Baez (Argentina), tech. fall 11-0
WIN Jaime Espinal (Puerto Rico), tech. fall 10-0
vs. Reineris Salas (Cuba) in gold-medal match
97 kg/213 lbs. – Kyle Snyder, Woodbine, Md. (Titan Mercury WC)
WIN Yuri Maier (Argentina), tech. fall 11-1
WIN Jose Diaz (Venezuela), tech. fall 10-0
vs. Arjun Gill (Canada) in gold-medal match
125 kg/275 lbs. – Zach Rey, Bethlehem, N.J. (Lehigh Valley WC)
WIN Rene Silva Rios (Nicaragua), fall 1:41
WIN Andres Ramos (Cuba), 2-0
vs. Korey Jarvis (Canada) in gold-medal match
