Burroughs wins third Pan Am Games gold medal

LIMA, Peru – Jordan Burroughs won his third Pan Am Games title in as many attempts on Saturday night in Lima, Peru. He was accompanied by two other USA champions, including Kyle Snyder and Nick Gwiazdowski.

Burroughs, a 2012 Olympic champion and four-time World champion, faced 2011 World silver medalist Franklin Gomez Matos of Puerto Rico in one of the most anticipated bouts of the night in the 74 kg title bout.

A tightly contested match, Burroughs took a 1-0 lead into the break with a step out. Gomez took over the lead, drawing a caution and one from Burroughs, who was penalized for fleeing the mat.

Moments later, Burroughs took back over the lead with a step out, and then added takedown with only 30 seconds left. He held on for an eventual 4-1 victory.

The feat comes on the seven-year anniversary of Burroughs winning his 2012 Olympic gold medal in London.

Winning his second Pan Am Games gold was Snyder, who represented the USA at 97 kg.

A 2016 Olympic champion and two-time World champion, Snyder went head-to-head with 2011 Pan Am Games bronze medalist and 2016 Pan Am champion Jose Diaz Roberti of Venezuela.

Snyder was down 3-0 after the first period as Diaz countered for a takedown early in the match and later was awarded one on a step out.

The American went on to score nine unanswered points in the second period, including two takedowns, for a 9-3 win.

Tallying the third gold medal of the night for the United States was two-time World bronze medalist Gwiazdowski at 125 kg.

Taking on two-time Greco-Roman World medalist, Gwiazdowski was completely dominant, scoring on multiple low-level attacks en route to a 10-0 shutout.

On the day, Gwiazdowski went 3-0 and outscored his opponents 30-0. He was the only wrestler in the building to not give up a point on Saturday.

The win marks his first Pan Am Games title.

Patrick Downey finished his Pan American debut with a win at 86 kg to secure a Pan Am Games bronze medal.

Bouncing back from a semifinal loss to Cuba, Downey went upper body with Alexander Moore of Canada for four points and secured a first-period pin in 2:52.

The U.S. men’s freestyle team took home a medal at every weight and tallied for four gold and two bronze.

Overall, the USA finished second in the medal count with 15 total wrestling medals – six in men’s freestyle, five in women’s freestyle and four in Greco-Roman. Cuba won the medal count with 16 and Venezuela was third with nine.

2019 PAN AMERICAN GAMES

at Lima, Peru, Aug. 7-11

Final medal count
1. Cuba – 16
2. USA – 15
3. Venezuela – 9
T4. Canada – 6
T4. Colombia – 6

Finals results
74 kg
GOLD - Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) df. Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR), 4-1
BRONZE - Geandry GARZÓN CABALLERO (CUB) df. Abel HERRERA PASTOR (PER), 10-0
BRONZE - Jevon BALFOUR (CAN) df. Jorge LLANO (ARG), 10-0

86 kg
GOLD - Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB) df. Pedro CEBALLOS FUENTES (VEN), 4-3
BRONZE - James Patrick DOWNEY III (USA) df. Alexander MOORE (CAN), fall 2:52
BRONZE - Carlos IZQUIERDO MENDEZ (COL) df. Christian ANGUIANO FLORES (MEX), 6-5

97 kg
GOLD - Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Jose DIAZ ROBERTI (VEN), 9-3
BRONZE - Reineris SALAS PÉREZ (CUB) df. Evan RAMOS (PUR), 10-0
BRONZE - Luis PÉREZ SOSA (DOM) df. Jordan STEEN (CAN), 10-0

125 kg
GOLD - Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) df. Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB), 10-0
BRONZE - Luis VIVENES URBANEJA (VEN) df. Antoine BRAGA ABOU JAOUDE (BRA), 11-0
BRONZE - Korey JARVIS (CAN) df. Andreus GUNNING ALEGRE (PER), 7-0

U.S. men’s freestyle results
74 kg: Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC) – GOLD
WIN Abel Herrera Pastor (Peru), 10-0
WIN Geandry Garzon (Cuba), 15-4
WIN Franklin Gomez (Puerto Rico), 4-1

86 kg: Pat Downey (Princeton, N.J./Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC) - BRONZE
WIN Angus Arthur (Jamaica), 14-4
LOSS Yurieski Torreblanca Queralta (Cuba), 7-2
WIN Alexander Moore (Canada), fall 2:52

97 kg: Kyle Snyder (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) - GOLD
WIN Evan Ramos (Puerto Rico), 10-0
WIN Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba), 3-1
WIN Jose Diaz Roberti (Venezuela), 9-3

125 kg: Nick Gwiazdowski (Raleigh, N.C./Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC) – GOLD
WIN Andrew Gunning (Peru), 10-0
WIN Korey Jarvis (Canada), 10-0
WIN Oscar Pino Hinds (Cuba), 10-0