Debut dreams come true as Beach Wrestling World Series newcomers hit medal trail in Argentina’s capital city
The first stop of the Beach Wrestling World Series 2023 culminated with a day full of thrills, spills, challenges, and surprises. A vibrant crowd gathered sand-side outside the Olympic Training Center in Buenos Aires, and they were treated to an amazing display of suppleness, strength and resolve as almost 130 wrestlers from four continents chased down the gold and those all-important ANOC World Beach Games ranking points.
The record-breaking entry numbers ensured that there would be plenty of Series debuts, and 11 of those debutants made the most of their unknown qualities by taking home medals once the sand settled. Let’s take a look at the action on the final day:
Stefania PRICEPUTU (ROU) is known as the “Princess of Power,” and as a two-time world champion in the women’s 50kg category, she knows her way to gold. After safely navigating her way through the groups and into the final, she blitzed the home sand star Maia CABRERA (ARG), picking up all 3 points within 30 seconds to claim another gold for her collection and get her 2023 season off to the best possible start. Venzuela’s Naiyeliz Silvana GUTIERREZ picked up the bronze with a win over Yusneiry Najai AGRAZAL of Panama.
Karla ACOSTA MARTINEZ of Mexico stunned the current 60kg bronze medallist Elena IONESCU (ROU) with a 3-1 victory in the gold medal match to give her the Series debut of her dreams. Another great debut was made by Betzabeth Angelica AGUELLO VILLEGAS from Venezuela, who finished with a third place.
The women’s 70kg class saw another big win in the when Venezuela’s Astrid MONTERO took home the gold in her first Beach Wrestling World Series event. She defeated the reigning champion Adina IRIMIA of Romania. Colombian Paula Montoya took the bronze, overcoming Hungary’s Viktoria FELHO in the 3-4 final.
It was an all-South American pairing in the final of the women’s 70+ kg division as Tatiana Renteria (COL) and Linda Mahcuca (ARG) would battle it out for the gold with the Colombian proving too much for her Argentinian rival to deal with and scooping the top prize. The 3-4 final saw Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) waste no time at all in defeating American Eliana BOMMARITO in only seven seconds on her way to the bronze.
