Ruiz wins gold as U.S. claims four medals at Granma Cup in Cuba
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling
Justin Ruiz (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) claimed a gold medal at 96 kg/211.5 pounds, one of four U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers to win a medal at the Granma Cup in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, Feb. 21-22.
Claiming a silver medal for the U.S. was 2004 Olympian Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 84 kg/185 lbs.
Winning bronze medals were Lindsey Durlacher (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Ryan Cunningham (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marines) at 74 kg/163 lbs.
Ruiz won three matches on the way to his gold medal victory. He defeated Cuban opponents in all three bouts. Ruiz opened with a 3-0, 1-0 decision over Vallegas of Cuba. In the semifinals, he pinned Fuste of Cuba in 1:00. In the gold-medal finals, he defeated Lopez of Cuba, 1-0, 1-0.
Ruiz was a member of the 2003 U.S. World and Pan American Games teams. He placed second at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
Vering had a 2-1 record in the tournament. He opened with a 3-1, 3-0 decision over Sato of Chile. In the semifinals, he stopped Escobar of Cuba in three periods, 0-1, 1-0, 1-0. In the gold-medal finals, against former World champion Luis Mendez of Cuba, Vering dropped a 1-0, 1-0 decision. Mendez scored his point in the first period on a caution, and scored from the clinch after the second period.
Durlacher won two of his three matches in the tournament. He opened with a three-period win over an opponent from Venezuela, 1-0, 0-1, 1-0. In the semifinals, he lost to past World Champion Lazaro Rivas of Cuba, 1-0, 4-0. In the bronze-medal match, Durlacher stopped Ramires of the Dominican Republic, 0-5, 2-0, 1-0.
Cunningham opened the tournament with a loss by pin in the second period to Shorey of Cuba. U.S. wrestler Mike Ellsworth (Colorado Springs, Colo./Michigan WC) also lost to Shorey in the next round, 4-0, 4-0.
With a bronze medal on the line, Cunningham defeated Ellsworth by a 1-0, 5-1 margin. The loss placed Ellsworth in fifth place.
Under the new international rules, two bronze medals are awarded in each weight class.
Two U.S. wrestlers competed in two weight divisions and were allowed to wrestle both days. Ellsworth competed at both 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and 74 kg/163 lbs. Also wrestling in two divisions was Jeremy McLean (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marines), who wrestled at both 55 kg/121 lbs. and 60 kg/132 lbs.
The Cerro Pelado Tournament for freestyle wrestling is also being held in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, Feb. 23-24.
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