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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado — The wrestling federation of Cuba has provided its lineup for the 2018 Men’s Freestyle Wrestling World Cup at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa, on April 7-8.
The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships featuring eight of the top men’s freestyle wrestling teams in the world.
Cuba brings a veteran team with numerous past Olympic, World and Pan American medalists.
2012 Olympic bronze medalist Livan Lopez Azcuy will compete at 74 kg. He boasts three other World medals, including World silver medalist in 2011 and 2013 and a World bronze medal in 2014.
Three other World Championships medalists add firepower to the lineup.
2013 and 2014 World silver medalist Reineris Salas Perez, who was also fifth at the 2016 Olympics, will compete at 97 kg/213 lbs. Salas was a 2015 Pan American Games champion.
2014 and 2017 World bronze medalist Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez will compete at 61 kg. Bonne was fifth in the 2016 Olympic Games and also competed in the 2012 Olympic Games.
2016 Olympian Alejandro Valdes Tobier, who won a 2017 World bronze medal, will compete at 65 kg. Valdes Tobier has won three Pan American Championships.
Two other veteran stars for Cuba will also compete. Two-time Pan American champion Franklin Maren Castillo is entered at 70 kg, while 2015 Pan American champion Yurieski Torreblanca Queralta is on the team at 86 kg.
Ticket opportunities for the World Cup include standard all-session tickets ($75/$50), single-day tickets ($40/$25), and a “The Eastern Iowa Airport Family Four Pack” ($100). Tickets are now available on the University of Iowa Athletics website hawkeyesports.com.
Visit worldcupiowacity.com for more information on the event.
Cuban Freestyle World Cup Team Roster
57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Reineri Andreeu Ortega
61 kg/134 lbs. – Yowlys Bonne Rodriquez
65 kg/143 lbs. – Alejandro Enrique Valdes Tobier
70 kg/154 lbs. – Franklin Maren Castillo
74 kg/163 lbs. – Livan Lopez Azcuy
79 kg/174 lbs. – Yoan Zulueta Morales
86 kg/189 lbs. – Yurieski Torreblanca Queralta
97 kg/213 lbs. – Reineris Salas Perez
125 kg/275 lbs. – Yudenny Alapajon Estevez
Cuba World Cup bios
57 kg/126 lbs. – Reineri Andreeu Ortega
2017 U23 World champion… Third in 2017 Pan American Championship… Ninth in 2018 Cerro Pelado International (Cuba)…
61 kg/134 lbs. – Yowlys Bonne Rodriquez
Third in 2014 and 2017 World Championships… Fifth in 2016 Olympic Games… 2002, 2012, 2014 2017 and 2018 Cerro Pelado International Freestyle champion (Cuba)… 2012 Olympian… Third in 2016 Pan American Championships… Second in 2016 Golden Grand Prix of Spain… 2016 Canada Cup champion… Third in 2013 and 2016 Cerro Pelado International (Cuba)… Fourth in 2015 Cerro Pelado International (Cuba)… 2002 Junior Pan American champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman… 2005 Pan American Champion… Born November 11, 1983… Age: 34
65 kg/143 lbs. – Alejandro Enrique Valdes Tobier
2016 Olympian… Third in 2017 World Championships… 2013 and 2018 Granma Cup champion (Cuba)… 2010, 2013, 2014 Pan American champion… Seventh in 2010 and 2011 World championships… 2016 and 2017 Canada Cup champion… Second in 2016 Golden Grand Prix… 2016 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial champion (Poland)…Second in 2016 Cerro Pelado International (Cuba)… First place in Olympic Qualification Tournament… Second in 2016 Pan American Championships… Fifth in the 2015 Cerro Pelado International (Cuba)… Second in the 2015 Central American and Caribbean Games… Born November 18, 1988… Age: 29
70 kg/154 lbs. – Franklin Maren Castillo
2013 and 2017 Pan American champion… Second in 2015 Pan American Games… 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018 Cerro Pelado International champion (Cuba)… Seventh in 2018 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix (Russia)… 2017 Canada Cup champion… Third in 2015 Cerro Pelado International (Cuba)… Third in 2012 and 2013 Cerro Pelado International… Born March 9, 1987… Age: 31
74 kg/163 lbs. – Livan Lopez Azcuy
2011 and 2013 World silver medalist… Third in 2012 Olympics… Third in 2014 World Championship…
Second in 2018 Cerro Pelado International… Second in 2014 Pan American Championships… Seventh in 2017 World Championships… 2012, 2016 and 2017 Cerro Pelado International champion… Ninth in 2016 Golden Grand Prix… Tenth in 2016 Olympic Games… 2016 Grand Prix of Spain champion… 2016 Canada Cup champion…First place in 2016 Olympic Qualification Tournament… 2011 and 2016 Pan American champion…Seventh in 2015 World Championship… Third in 2015 Pan American Games… Seventh in 2015 World Cup… Third in 2015 Cerro Pelado International… 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games champion… Born January, 24, 1982… Age: 36
79 kg/174 lbs. – Yoan Zulueta Morales
Fifth at the 2018 Cerro Pelado International (Cuba)…
86 kg/189 lbs. – Yurieski Torreblanca Queralta
2015 Pan American Champion… 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2018 Cerro Pelado International champion (Cuba)… Fifth at the 2018 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix (Russia)…Eighth at the 2017 World Championship… 2017 Canada Cup champion…Fifth at the 2015 Cerro Pelado International… Third at the 2014 Cerro Pelado … Third at the 2013 Pan American Championship…
97 kg/213 lbs. – Reineris Salas Perez
Second in 2013 and 2014 World Championships… Fifth in 2016 Olympic Games… 2006 and 2007 Junior World bronze medalist…Fifth in the 2018 Cerro Pelado International (Cuba)… 2016 and 2017 Cerro Pelado International champion…Second in 2016 Golden Grand Prix… 2016 Grand Prix of Spain champion… 2016 Canada Cup champion… 2016 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial champion (Poland)…First place at the 2016 Olympic Qualification Tournament… Second in 2014 Pan American Games… 2015 Pan American Games champion… 2015 Cerro Pelado International champion…2014 Central American and Caribbean Games champion… 2014 Cerro Pelado International freestyle champion… 2011 Granma Cup Greco-Roman champion… 2006 Pan American champion… Born March, 17 1987… Age: 31
125 kg/275 lbs. – Yudenny Alapajon Estevez
Second in 2016 and 2017 Pan American Championships… 2016 and 2017 Cerro Pelado International champion… Third in 2018 Cerro Pelado International… Eighth in 2018 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix…
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