Pastoriza, Gomez and Elor advance to tomorrow’s Cadet World finals
by Mike Willis, USA Wrestling
Photo of Erica Pastoriza courtesy of Kadir Caliskan/United World Wrestling.
Budapest, Hungary – The women’s freestyle program went three for three in day two’s semifinals at the Cadet World Championships. Erica Pastoriza, Katie Gomez and Amit Elor all turned in dominant performances to secure their spots in tomorrow night’s finals.
At 40 kg, Pastoriza took out U15 Combat Games World champion Anastasiia Polska of Ukraine, 4-0. Pastoriza did all of her scoring in the first period with two step-out points and a go-behind takedown, then totally shut Polska’s offense down for the remainder of the match. Tomorrow, Pastoriza will wrestle Romania’s Alexandra Voiculescu, a 2021 Cadet European silver medalist, in the finals.
Gomez was next up at 53 kg. She put on an impressive display against Turkey’s Tuba Demir, a 2021 Cadet European silver medalist. At the break, Gomez led, 2-0, but in the second period she cracked the match wide open, going on to win, 9-1. In tomorrow’s final Gomez squares off with 2021 Cadet European champion Natalya Khramenkova of Russia.
Amit Elor closed out the round for Team USA at 69 kg. Elor, a 2019 World bronze medalist, showed her pedigree, earning a first period pin over 2021 Cadet European gold medalist Viktoryia Radzkova of Belarus. Elor nearly pinned Radzkova off the whistle with a headlock, but settled for turning her twice to build an eight point lead. When they were put on their feet, Elor went back to the upper body, and this time picked up the fall off of another big throw. Tomorrow, Elor wrestles Ukraine’s Yevheniia Siedykh for gold.
Ava Ward was pulled back into repechage at 46 kg after India’s Komal Komal, the wrestler that defeated her in the quarterfinals, won her semifinal bout. Tomorrow, Ward will wrestle Ukraine’s Anastasiia Zadvorna with a spot in the bronze medal match on the line.
At 61 kg, Korina Blades was not pulled into repechage after India’s Nikita Nikita failed to make the finals. Blades finished her tournament with a 2-1 record.
Tomorrow’s repechage will take place at 5:30 a.m. EST. The finals begin at 12:00 p.m. EST. All of the matches are streaming live on FloWrestling.
2021 Cadet World Championships
at Budapest, Hungary, July 19-25
Women’s Freestyle Results
40 kg: Erica Pastoriza (Phoenix, Ariz.)
WIN Aizhan Muratbay (Kazakhstan), 10-0
WIN Anastasiia Polska (Ukraine), 4-0
vs. Alexandra Voiculescu (Romania)
46 kg: Ava Ward (Centralia, Mo.)
WIN Yana Dimitrova (Bulgaria), FALL 2:22
LOSS Komal Komal (India) FALL, 3:36.
vs. Anastasiia Zadvorna (Ukraaine)
53 kg: Katie Gomez (Van Nuys, Calif.)
WIN Gerda Terek (Hungary), 8-1
WIN Antim Antim (India), 5-4
WIN Tuba Demir (Turkey), 9-1
vs. Natalya Khramenkova (Russia)
61 kg: Korina Blades (Broadview, Ill.)
WIN Emilia Hartmann (Austria), 10-0
WIN Nicola Wasilewska (Poland), 11-0
LOSS Nikita Nikita (India), 6-0
69 kg: Amit Elor (Walnut Creek, Calif.)
WIN Barbara Sere (Romania), 10-0
WIN Viktoryia Radzkova (Belarus), FALL :50
vs. Yevheniia Siedykh (Ukraine)