The United States qualifies four Greco-Roman weight classes for Olympic Games at Pan Am Olympic Qualifier

Photo of Joe Rau courtesy of Tony Rotundo/Wrestlers are Warriors

Ottawa, Canada – The United States has four wrestlers going for gold at the 2020 Pan Am Olympic Qualifier. By reaching the finals, these wrestlers qualified the weight class for the U.S. at the 2020 Olympic Games.

One of the most dominant wrestlers in the tournament was G’Angelo Hancock at 97 kg. Hancock decimated the field on his way to the finals, recording 4 technical falls and outscoring his opponents, 35-0.

Hancock will wrestle Gabriel Alejandro Rosillo Kindelan of Cuba in the finals. The pair wrestled twice last weekend at the Pan Am Championships. Rosillo Kindelan pinned Hancock in their pool, but Hancock got revenge, defeating him, 10-0, in the finals to claim gold.

At 60 kg, Ildar Hafizov made the best of a tough draw. In the opening round, Hafizov defeated the 2019 Pan Am Games champion Andres Roberto Montano Arroyo of Ecuador, 4-3. That would be his closest match of the day. In the quarterfinals, Hafizov rolled over Brazil’s Marat Garipov, formerly of Kazakhstan, 9-0. To punch his ticket to the finals and qualify the weight class, Hafizov defeated Mexico’s Samuel Gurria Vigueras, 7-2.

In the finals, Hafizov will face two-time Pan Am Championships gold medalist and 2019 Pan Am Games bronze medalist Luis Alberto Orta Sanchez of Cuba.

Alejandro Sancho qualified 67 kg for the Olympic Games for Team USA. Sancho had a bye to the quarterfinals, where he would defeat Enyer Feliciano of the Dominican Republic, 7-1. In the semifinals, Sancho downed 2019 Pan Am Games silver medalist Manuel Alejandro Lopez Salcedo of Mexico, 8-1.

Waiting for Sancho in the finals is Julian Stiven Horta Acevedo of Colombia. Horta Acevedo placed fifth at last weekend’s Pan Am Championships.

In the 87 kg bracket, Joe Rau also received a bye to the quarterfinals, where he squared off with 2019 Pan American Games champion Luis Eduardo Avendano Rojas of Venezuela. Trailing 4-0 at the break, Rau got to work, forcing a passivity call. In par terre, he would expose Avendano Rojas to pick up two points. Trailing, 4-3, Rau would earn a step-out point to take the lead on criteria, 4-4. That score would hold as Rau fended off Avendano Rojas for the victory.

In the semifinals, Rau earned a, 9-1, technical fall over Lesyan Osvaldo Cousin Otomuro of Jamaica. In this evening’s finals, he will face two-time U23 World medalist Daniel Gregorich Hechavarria of Cuba. Gregorich, a 2018 Pan Am Championships gold medalist, finished fifth at last weekend’s Pan Ams.

Pat Smith went 1-1 at 77 kg. In his opening match he defeated John Yeats of Canada, 8-0. In the semifinals, he fell to 2020 Pan Am Championships gold medalist, Yosvanys Pena Flores of Cuba, 6-1.

At 130 kg, Adam Coon dropped his opening bout to Yasmani Acosta Fernandez of Chile, 3-2. Acosta Fernandez, who used to represent Cuba, is a 2017 World bronze medalist.

The U.S. will have one more shot to earn Olympic berths in the final two weight classes at the Last Chance Qualifier in Sofia, Bulgaria at a yet-to-be named date.

The finals will take place at 5 p.m. EST and can be streamed live on Track Wrestling.

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

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
vs. Luis Alberto Orta Sanchez (Cuba)

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

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

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
vs. Daniel Gregorich Hechavarria (Cuba)

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
vs. Gabriel Alejandro Rosillo Kindelan (Cuba)

130 kg: Adam Coon (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
LOSS Yasmani Acosta Fernandez, 3-2 (Chile)