Four titles were won by Cuban freestyle gladiators. Cuba totaled 18 medals in this sport, 15 of them gold.
Havana, July 2 (RHC)-- Cuban freestyle gladiators joined the golden feast of wrestling at the XXIV Central American and Caribbean Games (JCC) in San Salvador on Saturday, where they won four titles, bringing the total number of medals in this discipline to 15.
The first to win the gold medal was 21-year-old Osmany Diversent, in the 57 kilogram (kg) category, who defeated Juan Ramírez, from the Dominican Republic, in the final with a close score of 7-6.
Diversent showed courage and a lot of attitude in this tough fight, in which he was down 2-6 on the scoreboard, but with two back passes and a failed claim by his rival's coaches, he was able to score five points and come back in his favor in the Cuna del Mágico, a facility that hosts the action of this combat sport.
That division was disputed by group phase, in which the Cuban fighter achieved three victories, two of them by technical superiority (ST) of 10-0 against the Honduran Brandon Escobar and the Mexican Pedro Flores, and then in one of the semifinals he eliminated the Puerto Rican Jacob Moran, who abandoned the fight due to injury.
Meanwhile, Alejandro Valdes (65 kg), owner of a world bronze medal, defeated Sebastian Rivera of Puerto Rico 10-0 by ST, who could do nothing to stop the thrust of the Cuban, who applied two back passes and two off-balances to add most units (8) in that success.
On his way to the crown, Valdés beat Colombia's Uber Cuero 10-4 in his debut, and in the semifinal stage he defeated Jamaica's Jordan Mitchell 10-0 by ST, according to the official website of the JCC.
Another gold medalist was Yurieski Torreblanca (86 kg), champion of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, who did not have to fight against injured Colombian Carlos Izquierdo.
Torreblanca opened with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Pedro Ceballos, from Venezuela, and in his next outing on the mat, he won 15-4 by ST against Yorfi Jimenez, from the Dominican Republic.
The golden booty was closed by Arturo Silot (97 kg) with an 8-6 win over Maxwell Lacey, from Costa Rica; he had previously beaten Cristian Sarco, from Venezuela, 7-0 in his debut, and in his next match he beat Luis Perez, from the Dominican Republic, 14-4 by ST.
Also in the fruitful day, Franklin Marén (74 kg) and Ibrahim Torres (125 kg) won the bronze medals in their respective weights.
On Friday, in women's wrestling, Yusneylis Guzmán (50 kg), Laura Herin (53 kg), Ángela Álvarez (57 kg), María F. Santana (62 kg) and Hangelen Yanes (68 kg) won gold medals, while Milaymis Marín (76 kg) won bronze.
