Pan Am Games Women’s freestyle will be held October 22.

The top two powers in Pan American women’s wrestling is Canada and the United States. Women’s freestyle was added at the 2004 Pan Am Games, with the four Olympic weight class. The USA swept all four gold medals. At the 2008 Pan Am Games, the USA won two golds, Canada won one gold and Colombia won the other gold. 

Going into 2011, Canada would have the edge on the field, with all four of their entries having won past World or Olympic medals, including Olympic champion Carol Huynh at 48 kg. The USA has three entries, with two World medalists on its roster. The rest of the field has shown improvement in women’s wrestling in recent years, with a number of young talents coming from a variety of nations. 

48 kg/105.5 lbs. preview

This weight boasts two World-level champions, 2008 Olympic champion Carol Huynh of Canada and 2008 World champion Clarissa Chun of the USA. Huynh was a 2007 Pan Am Games champion, and has won four World Championships medals, a silver and three bronze medals. Chun was fifth at the 2008 Olympics, and has won the Pan American Championships three times. There is considerable depth in this division. Carolina Castillo of Colombia was fifth at the 2011 World Championships and a 2010 Pan American Championships champion. Ingrid Xiomara Medrano of El Salvador was a 2007 Pan Am Games silver medalist and Flor Quispe of Peru was a 2003 Pan Am Games bronze medalist. Others who have won medals at past Pan American Championships include Patricia Bermudez of Argentina, Luisa Valverde of Ecuador and Guadalupe Perez of Mexico.

48 kg/105.5 lbs. entries and achievements

Argentina - Patricia Alejandra Bermudez – Second in 2011 Pan Am Champs… Fourth in 2010 Pan Am Champs… Third in 2011 Grand Prix of Spain… Age: 24

Canadá - Carol Huynh – 2008 Olympic champion… 2001 World silver medalist… Three-time World bronze medalist (2000, 2005, 2010)… Fifth in 2002, 2006, 2007 and 2011 World Championships… 2010 Commonwealth Games champion… 2007 Pan Am Games champion… Age: 30

Colombia - Carolina Castillo – Fifth in 2011 World Championships… Third in 2011 Pan Am Champs… 2010 Pan Am Champs champion…Second in 2010 Central American & Carribean Games…Third in 2009 Pan Am Champs… Age: 21

Ecuador - Luisa Elizabeth Valverde – Third in 2011 Junior World Championships… 2011 Junior Pan Am Champs champion… Third in 2011 Pan Am Champs… Second in 2008 and 2009 Junior Pan Am Champs… Age: 20

El Salvador - Ingrid Xiomara Medrano – Fifth in 2011 Pan Am Champs… Third in 2000, 2001, 2007 and 2009 Pan Am Champs… Ninth in 2008 Olympic Games…Second in 2008 Pan Am Champs… 2007 Pan Am Games silver medalist… Sixth in 2002 University World Championships… Age: 32

México - Guadalupe Perez – Third in 2010 Pan Am Champs… Seventh in 2009 Pan Am Champs… Seventh in 2003 Junior World Championships… Eighth in 2001 Junior World Championships… Age: 28

Perú - Flor Quispe – Eighth in 2009 and 2011 Pan Am Champs… Third in 2002 and 2010 Pan Am Champs… Third in 2003 Pan Am Games… Fourth in 2003 Pan Am Champs… Age: 36 

Puerto Rico - Nesmarie Rodriguez – Sixth in 2011 Junior Pan Am Champs… Fifth in 2011 Pan Am Champs… Third in 2010 Central American & Carribean Games…. Third I 2008 and 2009 Cadet Pan Am Champs… 2007 Cadet Pan Am Champs champion… Age: 19

United States – Clarissa Chun – 2008 World champion… Fifth in 2008 Olympic Games… Seventh in 2011 World Championships… 2008, 2009 and 2010 Pan Am Champs champion… Fourth in 2004 World University Champs… Third in 2003 Pan Am Champs… Second in 2000 and 2001 Pan Am Champs… Fifth in 2001 Junior World Championships… Age: 30

Past Pan American Games medals – Huyhn (CAN, 2007 gold), Medrano (ESA – 2007 silver), Quispe (PER – 2003 bronze)

55 kg/121 lbs. preview

Two-time Olympic medalist Tonya Verbeek of Canada is the headliner at this division. Verbeek was second in the 2004 Olympics and third in the 2008 Olympics. She just came off her second place at the 2011 World Championships, where she had a controversial loss to Japan’s superstar Saori Yoshida. Verbeek has also been third in the World two times. She won a silver at the 2003 Pan Am Games and a bronze at the 2007 Pan Am Games, hoping to get her gold this time around. Her top competition could come from Helen Maroulis of the USA, who was fifth at the 2011 World Championships, a three-time Junior World medalist and third in the 2009 Pan Am Championships. Others in the weight who have won Senior Pan Am medals include Joice Da Silva of Brazil, Alma Valencia of Mexico and Jenny Mallqui of Peru.

55 kg/121 lbs. entries and achievements

Brazil - Joice Da Silva - Third in 2005, 2006 and 2011 Pan Am Champs… Tenth in 2010 World Championships… Second in 2010 Pan Am Champs… Third in 2009 Pan Am Champs… Fifth in 2008 Pan Am Champs… Eighth in 2007 Pan Am Games… Age: 28

Canadá - Tonya Verbeek – Second in 2011 World Championships… Third in 2008 Olympic Games… Second in 2004 Olympic Games… Third in 2005 and 2009 World Championships… 2003 and 2008 Pan Am Champs champion… Third in 2007 Pan Am Games… Second in 2005 World University Championships… Second in 2003 Pan Am Games… Third in 2002 World University Championships… Age: 34

Ecuador - Lissette Alexandra Antes – Fifth in 2011 Pan Am Champs… Fifth in 2011 Junior World Championships… 2009, 2010 and 2011 Junior Pan Am Champs champion… Age: 20

México - Alma Jane Valencia – Third in 2010 and 2011 Pan American Champs… Tenth in 2011 World Championships… Third in 2009 Junior Pan Am Champs… Age: 21

Perú - Jenny Vanessa Mallqui – Second in 2011 Pan Am Champs… Third in 2008 and 2010 Pan Am Champs… Fifth in 2009 Pan Am Champs… Seventh in 2003 Pan Am Games… Age: 29

Puerto Rico - Enid Rivera – Fifth in 2008 and 2011 Pan Am Champs… Ninth in 2008 World Championships… Ninth in 2007 Pan Am Games… Age: 30

United States – Helen Maroulis – Fifth in 2011 World Championships… Second in 2011 Junior World Championships… Third in 2008 and 2010 Junior World Championships… Third in 2009 Pan Am Champs… Eighth in 2008 World Championships… Age: 20

Venezuela - Marcia Andrades – Seventh in 2011 Pan Am Champs… Age: 27

Past Pan American Games medals – Verbeek (CAN, 2007 bronze, 2003 silver), 

63 kg/138.75 lbs. preview

This weight class has proven international competitors, including two past World medalists, Elena Pirozhkova of the United States and Justine Bouchard of Canada. Pirozhkova was second in the 2010 World Championships. She has won two World University titles, and three Pan American Championships titles. Bouchard was third in the 2009 World Championships and is also a past University World champion. Two other entries have been fifth at the World Championships, Sandra Roa of Colombia and Katerina Videaux of Cuba. Roa was a 2006 Junior World champion and 2004 Pan American Championships champion. Videaux is a two-time Pan American Championships runner-up. Adding depth here is past Pan Am Championships medalists Vanessa Torres of the Dominican Republic, Yanet Sovero of Peru and Gloria Zavala of Venezuela.

63 kg/138.75 lbs. entries and achievements

Argentina - Luz Clara Vazquez – Eighth in 2011 Pan Am Champs… Eighth in 2007 Pan Am Games… Second in 2006 Junior Pan Am Champs… Fifth in 2006 Pan Am Champs… 2005 Cadet Pan Am Champs champion… Age: 23

Canadá - Justine Bouchard – Second in 2011 Pan Am Champs… Second in 2011 World Cup… 2010 Commonwealth Games champion… Third in 2009 World Championships… 2009 World Cup champion… 2008 World University champion… Age: 25

Colombia - Sandra Viviana Roa – Third in 2007 and 2011 Pan Am Champs… 2010 Central American and Carribean Games champion… Second in 2005, 2006 and 2008 Pan Am Champs… Fifth in 2007 World Championships… 2006 Junior World champion… 2004 Pan American Championships champion… Eighth in 2003 Pan Am Games… Age: 25

Cuba - Katerina Vidiaux – Third in 2011 Pan Am Champs… Fifth in 2010 World Championships… Second in 2009 and 2010 Pan Am Champs… Age: 24

Dominican Republic - Vanessa Patricia Torres Batista – Fifth in 2011 Pan Am Champs… Third in 2009 Pan Am Champs… Fifth in 2007 Pan Am Games… Seventh in 2003 Pan Am Games… Age: 28

Perú - Yanet Ursula Sovero – Seventh in 2011 Pan Am Champs… Fifth in 2003 Pan Am Games… Second in 2002 Pan Am Champs… Age: 28

United States – Elena Pirozhkova – Second in 2010 World Championships… Fifth in 2011 World Championships… 2008 and 2010 University World champion… 2008, 2009 and 2010 Pan Am Champs champion… Seventh in 2009 World Championships… Second in 2007 Pan Am Champs… Age: 25

Venezuela - Gloria Zavala – Second in 2009 Pan Am Champs… Third in 2007 Pan Am Champs… Age: 33

Past Pan American Games medals – None

72 kg/158.5 lbs. preview

The athlete with the most experience and achievements in this field is 2010 World bronze medalist Ohenawa Akuffo of Canada. She won silver medals at both the 2003 and 2007 Pan Am Games, and was a 2005 World University champion. The other veteran in the field is Jaramit Weffer of Venezuela, a three-time Pan American Championships champion who was seventh in the 2008 World Championships. Lisset Hechevarria of Cuba won a 2007 Pan Am Games bronze medal, and two other Pan Am Championships medals. The rest of the field is relatively young and untested. Aline Ferriera of Brazil was second in the 2011 Pan Am Championships. Another Senior Pan Am Championships medalist is Elsa Sanchez of the Dominican Republic. Six of the entries are 25 years old or younger. The USA is not in this weight class, as it failed to place in the top eight at the 2011 Pan Am Championships.

72 kg/158.5 lbs. entries and achievements

Brazil - Aline Ferreira – Tenth in 2011 World Championships… Second in 2011 Pan Am Champs… Third in 2009 and 2010 Pan Am Champs… Age: 25

Canadá - Ohenewa Akuffo – Third in 2010 World Championships … 2010 Commonwealth Games champion… Tenth in 2008 Olympic Games… Second in 2003 and 2008 Pan Am Champs… Second in 2003 and 2007 Pan Am Games… Fifth in 2006 World Championships… 2005 World University champion… 2002 Pan American Championships champion… Age: 32

Cuba - Lisset Hechevarria – Third in 2011 Pan Am Champs… Third in 2009 Pan Am Champs… Third in 2007 Pan Am Games… Age: 27

Dominican Republic - Elsa Angelina Sanchez – Fifth in 2011 Pan Am Champs… Third in 2007 Pan Am Champs… Third in 2010 Central American & Carribean Games… Third in 2005 Junior Pan Am Champs…  Age: 25

México - Diana Crisanto – Eighth in 2011 Pan Am Champs… Age: 21

Panamá - Ashley Zarate – 12th in 2011 Pan Am Champs… Third in 2010 Central American & Carribean Games… Age: 20

Puerto Rico - Natalia Rodriguez – Second in 2011 Junior Pan Am Champs… Seventh in 2009 Cadet Pan Am Champs… Third in 2008 Cadet Pan Am Champs… Age: 18

Venezuela - Jaramit Weffer – Third in 2006 and 2011 Pan Am Champs… Second in 2010 Pan Am Champs… Seventh in 2008 World Championships… Fourth in 2008 Pan Am Champs… 2003, 2004 and 2007 Pan Am Champs champion… Second in 2006 Central American and Carribean Games… 2004 Junior Pan Am champion… Age: 25

Past Pan American Games medals – Akuffo (CAN, 2007 silver, 2003 silver), Hechevarria (CUB – 2007 bronze)