Jordan Burroughs gets his hand raised after winning a gold medal (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)LIMA, Peru -- The United States freestyle wrestling team closed out the Pan American Games with a bang, collecting three gold medals and a bronze on Saturday in Lima, Peru.
Olympic champions Jordan Burroughs (74 kilograms) and Kyle Snyder (97 kilograms), along with two-time world medalist Nick Gwiazdowski (125 kilograms), won gold medals. Pat Downey (86 kilograms) earned a bronze. Saturday's medal haul came a day after freestyle wrestlers Daton Fix (57 kilograms) won a gold and Jaydin Eierman (65 kilograms) claimed a bronze.
For Burroughs, it was his third Pan American Games gold medal and he accomplished it on the seven-year anniversary of winning gold at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
In the finals, Burroughs topped 2011 world silver medalist Franklin Gomez of Puerto Rico, 4-1, in the gold-medal match at 74 kilograms. The 31-year-old Burroughs scored the only point in the first period off a step out. In the second period, took the lead on criteria after scoring off a caution on Burroughs for fleeing the hold. Burroughs scored with a step out a short time later to retake the lead. He then added a takedown with 30 seconds left and held on for a three-point victory. Earlier in the day, Burroughs picked up a pair of technical superiorities to reach the finals.
Snyder, a 2016 Olympic champion and two-time world champion, found himself in a 3-0 hole at the break in his finals match at 97 kilograms against Jose Diaz Roberti of Venezuela. Diaz scored a takedown and added a step out in the first period. Snyder, though, dominated the second period, scoring nine unanswered points to win comfortably.
Snyder's run to the finals included a 3-1 semifinal victory over three-time world medalist Reineris Salas Perez of Cuba and a 10-0 technical superiority over Puerto Rico's Evan Ramos.
Gwiazdowski was unchallenged on Saturday, picking up three technical superiorities at 125 kilograms while outscoring his opposition 30-0. In the finals, Gwiazdowski dominated two-time world medalist (Greco-Roman) Oscar Pino Hinds of Cuba, 10-0.
Pat Downey finished with a 2-1 record, earning the bronze medal at 86 kilograms. He opened his tournament with a 14-4 technical superiority over Angus Arthur of Jamaica. In the semifinals, Downey was defeated by Cuba's Yurieski Torreblanca Queralta, 7-2. Facing Alexander Moore of Canada in the bronze-medal match, Downey locked up a throw and scored four points before securing the fall.
The United States finished the Pan American Games with 15 medals across all three styles of wrestling, which was second to Cuba.
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