Bommarito, Loethen, Cook, Shalack headline USA team at Beach World Series Final in Mugla, Turkey, Oct. 14-15

The United States will be represented by a talented team of eight athletes at the Beach World Series Final on Sarigerme Beach in Mugla, Turkey, October 14-15. This is the fifth and final Beach World Series event of the 2023 season. Team USA will include five men and three women.

Leading the U.S. team will be Eliana Bommarito, who made history by become the first U.S. Senior athlete to ever win a UWW Senior Beach Wrestling world-level event when she captured the gold medal at Over 70 kg in women’s Beach wrestling at the UWW Beach World Series Constanta in Romania in September. Bommarito added to her legacy by becoming the first U.S. Senior athlete to win two Beach gold medals in the same year, claiming the Over 70kg title at the U20 Beach World Championships two days later in Constanta, Romania.

Joining Bommarito on the trip are a pair of successful U.S. men on the international Beach wrestling scene, Mitch Cook at 70 kg and Ty Loethen at 80 kg. Both Cook and Loethen will be competing in their fourth Beach World Series event of the 2023 season. Another experienced U.S. Beach wrestling star is Isabeau Shalack at Over 70 kg in women’s Beach Wrestling, who has competed often over the last two Beach Wrestling seasons.

Others on the tour who have previous Beach World Series experience are Justin Benjamin (70 kg men) and Wayne LaMont (80 kg men). Wrestling in their first Senior Beach World series event are Jennesis Martinez (50 kg women) and Gabriel Rangel (Over 90 kg men).

This is the final event of the Beach World Series season, and athletes who compete in the final will score four-times the number of points in the final Beach World Series rankings. Based upon points scored throughout the season, World Champions will be determined in each of the eight Beach wrestling weights (four for women and four for men). United World Wrestling provides prize money at the end of the season based upon the Beach World Series rankings.

Going into the Beach World Series Final, U.S. athletes who are competing and hold high Beach World Series rankings are Ty Loethen (No. 5 at 80 kg men), Mitch Cook (No. 9 at 70 kg men), Isabeau Shalack (No. 7 at Over 70kg women) and Eliana Bommarito (No. 11 at Over 70kg women).

The United States has shown excellent improvement in its Beach World Series results this season, and has high hopes for winning more medals and scoring big points in the Beach World Series ranking system.

Mugla is seven hours ahead of the U.S. Eastern time zone. The event will be broadcast live by FloWrestling.

BEACH WORLD SERIES FINAL

At Mugla, Turkey, October 14-15

U.S. Senior Women:

50 kg: Jennesis Martinez, Albuquerque, N.M.

+70 kg: Eliana Bommarito, Brighton, Mich.  

+70 kg: Isabeau Shalack, Evergreen Park, Ill.  

U.S. Senior Men: 

70 kg: Mitch Cook, Orland Park, Ill. 

70 kg: Justin Benjamin, St. Charles, Ill.  

80 kg: Ty Loethen, Columbia, Mo.   

80 kg: Wayne Lamont, Coram, N.Y.

+90kg: Gabriel Rangel, Moline, Ill.

Coach: Tim Box, Oceanside, Calif.

 UWW Beach Commission Delegate: Ed Duncan, Spruce Pine, N.C.

Delegate: Rusty Davidson, Grants, N.M.  

Referee: Jay Watkins, Temecula, Calif.

Event Schedule

(Seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone)

Saturday, October 14

10:00 a.m. – Group Rounds

3:00 p.m. – Group Rounds

Sunday, October 15

10:00 a.m. – Group Rounds

3:00 p.m. – Elimination rounds and finals