GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLERS SECURE TICKETS TO PARIS 2024 AT PAN AMERICAN OLYMPIC QUALIFIER

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Seven countries earned the chance to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics at the Pan American Wrestling Olympic Qualifier thanks to great performances by their wrestlers. Two more days of competition remain to determine the final 24 continental qualifiers at the tournament that concludes on March 1.

An incredible day of action kicked off the Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier for wrestlers of the Americas that is taking place in Acapulco, Mexico. The site of the Continental Championship just a few days ago welcomed back the best wrestlers of the region with a spot at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on the line.

On February 28, greco-roman wrestlers took to the mat to fight for Olympic qualification for their country. All greco-roman weight classes were decided yesterday, with an outstanding seven countries qualifying to the Olympics in France this July and August.

The sport of wrestling determines qualification by country instead of by individual athletes, with each NOC determining which athlete it will send to the Games in the qualified weight classes.

The seven countries earning qualification yesterday are: Venezuela, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, United States and Honduras. The United States led all countries by qualifying in three different weight classes, including Spencer Woods in the 87kg division, Alan Vera in the 97kg tournament and Cohlton Schultz in the heavyweight 130kg competition.

Cuba, Chile and Colombia all earned qualification in two weight classes. For Cuba, Kevin de Armas qualified his country in the 60kg division while Yosvanys Peña did the same in the 77kg event. Chile was led by Nestor Almanza in 67kg and Yasmani Acosta in 130kg. Colombia’s two qualifications came thanks to Jair Cuero in the 77kg division and Carlos Muñoz in 87kg.

Venezuela, Ecuador and Honduras will all send at least one athlete to the Olympic Games in greco-roman wrestling. Raiber Rodriguez qualified for Venezuela in 60kg, Andres Montaño followed suit for Ecuador in 67kg, while Kevin Mejia earned Honduras a place in the Games in the 97kg division.

These 12 athletes join a trio of Cubans who already qualified their country to Paris 2024 at the 2023 Wrestling World Championships — Luis Orta (67kg), Gabriel Rosillo (97kg) and Oscar Pino (130kg).

The women’s freestyle wrestling qualifier is currently underway, with the final matches taking place tonight at 7:30pm local time (Mexico). Wrestlers will seek qualification for their country in six weight classes, with the 62kg and 68kg divisions representing the only two which an athlete of the Americas has yet to qualify to the Olympics.

Team USA has already secured qualification in the 50kg, 57kg and 76kg divisions thanks to performances by Sarah Hildebrandt, Helen Maroulis and Adeline Gray, respectively, at the 2023 World Championships. Tatiana Renteria and Milaimys Marin also secured qualification for Colombia and Cuba in the 76kg event at the World Championships, while Lucia Yepez earned qualification for Ecuador in the 53kg competition at the global event.

The men’s freestyle qualifying tournaments will then take place on March 1 to conclude the continental qualifier. The top wrestlers of the Americas will seek to join Sebastian Rivera (PUR – 65kg), Kyle Dake (USA – 74kg), David Taylor (USA – 86kg), Kyle Snyder (USA – 97kg) and Mason Parris (USA – 125kg) with tickets for their countries to Paris 2024. Each of the athletes listed above earned qualification for their countries at the 2023 World Championships.