lima.-Yaquelín Estornell and Yudaris Sánchez, with gold medals, and the four tickets won for the 2019 Pan American Games, were the best news for Cuban wrestlers at the Pan American Wrestling Championships.
Estornell, in the 62 kg division, prevailed in the final by 5-4 against Brazilian Lais Nunes de Oliveira, the 2017 champion, to announce her aspirations to be crowned again at the Pan American Games, set to be held in this city next year, and overcome her silver medal from Toronto 2015.
The Cuban also had victories in the semifinals by 9-3 against Canadian Linda Morais and by 6-2 against American Kayla Colleen, in the third day held at the Videna High Performance Center's Polideportivo 1.
In the 68 kg division, Sánchez had a lot of excitement against Venezuelan Soleymi Antonieta Caraballo before ending up with a 14-8 score in her favor. The Cuban had to make an effort to repeat a victory like the one at the qualifying event in Havana for the Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla.
Sánchez scored four points in two actions to secure her victory. Prior to that, she had won 12-2 against Canadian Temitope Lydia Ogunjimi and 10-3 against local athlete Yanet Úrsula Sovero.
Cuba celebrated the silver medal won by Lianna de la Caridad Montero in the 57 kg division, as well as the bronze medals won by Lilianet Duanes (53 kg) and Mabelkis Capote (76 kg), on a day in which only Leanne Mendoza (50 kg) couldn't advance past her first fight after losing 1-4 to Ecuadorian Jacqueline del Rocío Mollocana.
After securing their spots for the 2019 Pan American Games, Estornell, Sánchez, and Montero, Duanes and Capote had to compete in an extra fight against the other bronze medal winners in their divisions, as the tournament only granted three spots.
Capote managed to secure the fourth spot for Cuba by defeating Venezuelan Andrimar Daniela Lázaro, but Duanes lost 3-4 against another brunette competitor, Betzabeth Angélica Argüello.
According to Cuban commissioner Luis de la Portilla, there are still possibilities of achieving the maximum of six qualifiers, as there will be one more spot granted in Barranquilla and there will be two finals in a tournament without a date or host country yet.
In any of them, Portilla believes that Yusnelis Guzmán, in the 50 kg division, who did not attend this time due to injury, should obtain a passport, as well as Duanes, to complete the sextet as in the previous Canadian version.
At the end of this edition, Reineris Andreus (57 kg), Liván López (74 kg), Yurieski Torreblanca (86 kg), Reineris Salas (97 kg), and Yudenny Alpajón (125 kg) were competing for the title in their divisions, to be disputed at night, while Alejandro Valdés (65 kg) had a chance for a bronze medal after losing in the semifinals.