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The Cuban wrestler Geannis Garzón won the gold medal in the 74 kilograms category at the 2026 Pan American Wrestling Championship, held at the Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa, by defeating the American Phillip Webster with a score of 12-6.
The Santiaguero, a bronze medalist at the Under-23 World Championship, reached the final after defeating Mexican Raúl Palacios by technical superiority (10-0) in the quarter-finals and Canadian Adam Thomson in a close semi-final resolved 6-5, where he particularly excelled in defensive efforts during the final minutes of the match, reported the specialized portal Hit.
On the same day, the Havanan Milaimis Marín (76 kg) earned a bronze medal by defeating the Colombian Tatiana Rentería, an Olympic and World bronze medalist, in what the source described as "one of the best performances of her fruitful sports career."
Marín had reached the semifinals after applying her tackles and backward passes against the Brazilian Meiriele Charamba, defeating her by technical superiority (12-0), but she could not withstand the push from the American Kylie Welker, a two-time world bronze medalist, who surpassed her by technical superiority (11-0).
Garzón is the son of the four-time world medalist Geandry Garzón, and in his recent career, he also secured silver at the II Junior Pan American Games in Asunción 2025, as well as a bronze medal at the U23 World Championships in Novi Sad in the same year.
Marín, for her part, is one of the most decorated wrestlers in Cuba: world champion in 2022, Olympic bronze medalist in Paris 2024, and youth Olympic champion in Buenos Aires 2018.
With these results, Cuba accumulates in the 2026 Pan American Games a total of four gold medals, two silver medals, and two bronze medals.
Among the previous gold medals, the one from world champion Gabriel Rosillo (97 kg Greco-Roman) stands out, who defeated the Honduran Kevin Mejía on Friday by fall with a score of 6-2.
The tournament, which serves as a qualifier for the Pan American Games in Lima 2027, takes place from May 7 to 10 at the Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.
Before the competition began, the Cubans Héctor Milián and Luis Alberto Orta were inducted into the UWW Americas Hall of Fame on Thursday, in recognition of their Olympic careers.
Cuba is a historical powerhouse in the Pan American struggle: at the 2022 Pan American Games, the delegation finished with ten medals, including four golds, and at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, the discipline contributed crucial medals to the overall medal tally.
This Sunday, the tenth and final Cuban gladiator enters the ring: Arturo Silot (97 kg freestyle), champion of freestyle at the Central American and Caribbean Games San Salvador 2023, who seeks to improve upon the silver medal he won last year when he lost 4-5 in the final against American Justin Radamacher, who is also present now in Iowa.
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