By Gary Abbott
USA Wrestling
It was a historic year for the United States during the 2023 Senior Beach Wrestling season. Eliana Bommarito became the first American athlete to be declared a Senior Beach World champion, after a powerful performance in the 2023 Beach World Series season.

Bommarito, who became the first U.S. wrestler to win a Senior Beach World level event with her victory at Over 70 kg at the Beach World Series event in Constanta, Romania in September, added a second gold medal at the Beach World Series Final in Mugla, Turkey last weekend.

Each year, United World Wrestling declares a Beach World Champion in each of the eight Senior weight classes (four for men and four for women), based upon points scored during the five-event World Series. At Over 70 kg, Bommarito scored 55,800 points during the World Series, edging silver medalist Liudmyla Pavlovets Tychyna of Ukraine with 54,500 points and bronze medalist Catalina Axente of Romania with 49,000 points. In addition to her two World Series gold medals, Bommarito placed fourth at the Beach World Series in Buenos Aires, Argentina in May.

UWW calls the Beach World champions each year the kings and queens of the Beach, and Bommarito became our first Senior World champion, going all the way back to 2006, when the USA entered its first UWW Beach World-level competition.

The five stops on the 2023 Beach World Series were Buenos Aires (Argentina), Singapore, Saint Laurent du Var (France), Constanta (Romania) and Mugla (Turkey). The most points were awarded at the Beach World Series Final in Turkey, and Bommarito’s victory there was the difference in the final standings.

A native of Brighton, Mich., Bommarito was a 2023 U.S. Senior Beach Nationals champion. She was an NJCAA national champion for Indian Hills CC last year. Bommarito won two Junior National freestyle titles while in high school.

The United States added another Beach World medalist on the men’s side, with Ty Loethen of Missouri claiming the bronze medal at 80 kg with 32,800 points. World champion Hugo Cuenot of France scored 42,200 points, while silver medalist Hossein Ali Abbaspourreikandeh of Iran scored 40,000 points.

Loethen competed in four of the five Beach World Series events, placing in the top seven in every one of his events. He was fourth in Constanta, Romania, fifth in Singapore, and seventh in both Buenos Aires, Argentina and Mugla, Turkey.

The United States had seven athletes place in the top 10 of their Beach World Series standings for the year. Finishing No. 6 in the rankings were Mitchell Cook of Illinois (men’s 70 kg) and Wayne LaMont of New York (men’s 80 kg). Earning No. 7 was Isabeau Shalack of Illinois (women’s Over 70 kg). Placing No. 8 was Jennesis Martinez of New Mexico (women’s 50 kg). Finishing at No. 9 was Justin Benjamin of Illinois (men’s 70 kg). There were 24 U.S. athletes who finished the 2023 Beach World Series with a World ranking.

Finals Results Beach Wrestling World Championship

(based on all five 2023 Beach World Series events)

WOMEN

50 kg

1. Emine CATALOGLU (TUR)

2. Yuliia ZASULSKA (UKR)

3. Maia Abigail CABRERA (ARG)

60 kg

1. Daria MEDVETSKA (UKR)

2. Anastasiya KRAVCHENKO (UKR)

3. Sofiia KUSHNIR (UKR)

70 kg

1. Oksana HERHEL (UKR)

2. Adina Ionela IRIMIA (UKR)

3. Olena NIKITINSKA (UKR)

Over 70 kg

1. Eliana Rose BOMMARITO (USA)

2. Liudmyla PAVLOVETS TYCHYNA (UKR)

3. Catalina AXENTE (ROU)

MEN

70 kg

1. Yunus COSKUN (TUR)

2. Oleksii BORUTA (UKR)

3. Levan KELEKHSASHVILI (GEO)

80 kg

1. Hugo CUENOT (FRA)

2. Hossein Ali ABBASPOURREIKANDEH (IRI)

3. Tyler Mackenzie LOETHEN (USA)

90 kg

1. Ibrahim YUSUBOV (AZE)

2. Mahmut Seyfi OZKAYA (TUR)

3. Hadi Bakhtiar VAFAEIPOUR (IRI)

Over 90kg

1. Fatih YASARLI (TUR)

2. Mamuka KORDZAIA (GEO)

3. Oyan NAZARIANI (AZE)

U.S. Wrestlers in the Final 2023 Beach World Series Rankings

No. 1 at Over 70 kg women – Eliana Bommarito, 55,800 points

No. 3 at 80 kg men – Ty Loethen, 32,800 points

No. 6 at 70 kg men – Mitchell Cook, 27,800 points

No. 6 at 80 kg men – Wayne LaMont, 24,000 points

No. 7 at Over 70 kg women – Isabeau Shalack, 27,500 points

No. 8 at 50 kg women – Jennesis Martinez, 18,800 points

No. 9 at 70 kg men – Justin Benjamin, 17, 100 points

No. 13 at 90 kg men – Tyson Beauperthuy, 6.500 points

No. 13 at 50 kg women – Laura White, 6,600 points

No. 15 at 60 kg women – Mia Macaluso, 6,200 points

No. 17 at 70 kg men – Timothy Box, 5,000 points

No. 18 at Over 70 kg women – Katelyn Lewis, 4,000 points

No. 19 at 90 kg men – Nick Stemmett, 5,000 points

No. 20 at 80 kg men – Jamal Morris, 5,800 points

No. 20 at 90 kg men – Terrence Zeleski, 4,700 points

No. 22 at 89 kg men – Hunter Garvin, 5,000 points

No. 24 at 50 kg women – Halley Wheeler, 4,000 points

No. 25 at Over 90kg men – Mingo Grant, 3,500 points

No. 25 at 60 kg women – Josephine Wearmouth, 3,100 points

No. 26 at 50 kg women – Emma Lauter, 2,800 points

No. 27 at 80 kg men – Latrell Davis, 4,000 points

No. 27 at 60 kg women – Taylor Colangelo, 2,800 points

No. 28 at 80 kg men – Daniel Cardenas, 4,000 points

No. 31 at 70 kg men – Jamel Johnson, 3,100 points