Rau takes gold and all six Americans medal in Greco-Roman at Pan Am Olympic Qualifier

Photo of Joe Rau in the semifinals courtesy of Tony Rotundo/Wrestlers are Warriors

Ottawa, Canada – Joe Rau was the lone American champion at the Pan Am Olympic Qualifier in Greco-Roman this afternoon. Rau received a forfeit from Cuba’s Daniel Gregorich Hechavarria in the finals to claim his gold medal. More importantly, reaching the finals means that Rau qualified the weight class for Team USA at the Olympic Games and punched his ticket to the finals of the Olympic Team Trials.

Three other Americans took silver, also qualifying their weight classes for the Olympic Games and earning finals berths at the Olympic Team Trials.

At 60 kg, Ildar Hafizov fell in the finals to Luis Alberto Orta Sanchez of Cuba, 7-0. Hafizov finished the tournament with a, 3-1, record. Alejandro Sancho was defeated by Julian Stiven Horta Acevedo, 4-0, in the 67 kg finals. Sancho went 2-1 overall.

G’Angelo Hancock was bested by rival Gabriel Alejandro Rosillo Kindelan of Cuba, 11-8, in the 97 kg finals. In a thrilling bout, Hancock threw Rosillo Kindelan for four points in the closing seconds to take a one point advantage. However, Cuba challenged that time had expired, and after the throw was reviewed, the points were removed from the board.

Pat Smith and Adam Coon both battled back to take bronze. Smith earned a, 3-2, victory over Jair Alexis Cuero Munoz of Colombia to claim his medal. The difference in the match was a Smith takedown at the end of the first period. Coon defeated Leo Dalis Santana Heredia of the Dominican Republic by injury default. At the time, Coon had just taken an 8-1 lead after turning Santana Heredia with a gut wrench. During the move, his opponent injured his ribs and was unable to continue.

The U.S. will have one more shot to qualify the two remaining weight classes at the Last Chance Qualifier in Sofia, Bulgaria. The date for the event is not set yet.

Women’s freestyle action will kick off tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. EST with four Americans trying to qualify their weight classes for the Olympic Games. Fans can tune in live on Trackwrestling.

2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier
at Ottawa, Canada (March 13-15)

Medal Match Results

60 kg
GOLD – Luis Alberto Orta Sanchez (Cuba) df. Ildar Hafizov (USA), 7-0
BRONZE – Dicther Hans Toro Castaneda (Colombia) df. Gustavo Jesus Rodriguez Martinez (Venezuela), 12-6
BRONZE – Andres Roberto Montano Arroyo (Ecuador) df. Samuel Gurria Vigueras (Mexico), 9-7

67 kg
GOLD – Julian Stiven Horta Acevedo (Colombia) df. Alex Sancho (USA), 4-0
BRONZE – Jolison De Brito Ramos Junior (Brazil) df. Cristhian Alberto Rivas Castro (Ecuador), 9-0
BRONZE – Manuel Alejandro Lopez Salcedo (Mexico) df. Enyer Manuel Feliciano (Dominican Republic), Fall, 4:12

77 kg
GOLD – Yosvanys Pena Flores (Cuba) df. Jose Andres Vargas Rueda (Mexico), 8-0
BRONZE – Pat Smith (USA) df. Jair Alexis Cuero Munoz (Colombia), 3-2
BRONZE – Wuileixis De Jesus Rivas Espinoza (Venezuela) df. Marciano George Ali (Puerto Rico), FFT

87 kg
GOLD – Joe Rau (USA) df. Daniel Gregorich Hechavarria (Cuba), FFT
BRONZE – Ariel Andres Alfonso Rodriguez (Honduras) df. Daniel Vicente Gomez (Mexico), 6-2
BRONZE – Luis Eduardo Avendano (Venezuela) df. Lesyan Osvaldo Cousin Otomuro (Japan), FALL, 5:58

97 kg

GOLD – Gabriel Alejandro Rosillo Kindelan (Cuba) df. G’Angelo Hancock (USA), 11-8
BRONZE – Luillys Jose Perez Mora (Venezuela) df. Kevin Mejia Castillo (Honduras), FFT

130 kg
GOLD – Yasmani Acosta Fernandez (Chile) df. Eduard Soghomonyan (Brazil), 9-0
BRONZE – Adam Coon (USA) df. Leo Dalis Santana Heredia (Dominican Republic), INJ, 5:04
BRONZE – Moises Perez Hellburg (Venezuela) df. Luis Alberto Roman Barrios (Mexico), 9-0

U.S. Greco-Roman Results

60 kg: Ildar Hafizov (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP)
WIN Andres Roberto Montano Arroyo (Ecquador), 4-3
WIN Marat Garipov (Brazil), 9-0
WIN Samuel Gurria Vigueras (Mexico), 7-2
LOSS Luis Alberto Orta Sanchez (Cuba), 8-0

67 kg: Alejandro Sancho (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP)
WIN Enyer Feliciano (Dominican Republic), 7-1
WIN Manuel Alejandro Lopez Salcedo (Mexico), 8-1
LOSS Julian Stiven Horta Acevedo (Colombia), 4-0

77 kg: Pat Smith (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm)
WIN John Yeats (Canada), 8-0
LOSS Yosvanys Pena Flores (Cuba), 6-1
WIN, Jair Alexis Cuero Munoz (Colombia), 3-2

87 kg: Joe Rau (Chicago, Ill./Titan Mercury WC/ Wildcat WC)
WIN Luis Eduardo Avendano Rojas (Venezuela), 4-4
WIN Lesyan Osvaldo Cousin Otomuro (Jamaica), 9-1
WIN Daniel Gregorich Hechavarria (Cuba), FFT

97 kg: G’Angelo Hancock (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)
WIN Luis Rivera Alvarado (Mexico), 8-0
WIN Luillys Jose Perez Mora (Venezuela), 9-0
WIN Thomas Barreiro (Canada), 9-0
WIN Kevin Mejia Castillo (Honduras), 9-0
LOSS Gabriel Alejandro Rosillo Kindelan (Cuba), 11-8

130 kg: Adam Coon (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
LOSS Yasmani Acosta Fernandez, 3-2 (Chile)
WIN Leo Dalis Santana Heredia (Dominican Republic), INJ, 5:04