Yasmani Acosta

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Acosta and the second or maternal family name is Fernández.

Yasmani Acosta Fernández (born 16 July 1988) is a Chilean-Cuban^[2] Greco-Roman wrestler competing in the 130-kilogram weight class. Born in Cuba, he now represents Chile in international competitions, though he has previously competed for Cuba.

Yasmani Acosta

Acosta at the 2017 World Wrestling Championships
Personal information
Full name	Yasmani Acosta Fernández
Nationality	Chilean
Born	(1988-07-16) 16 July 1988 (age 36)[1] Agramonte, Cuba
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight	130 kg (290 lb)
Sport
Sport	Amateur wrestling
Event	Greco-Roman
Medal record Men's Greco-Roman wrestling Representing  Chile Olympic Games 2024 Paris 130 kg World Championships 2017 Paris 130 kg Pan American Games 2019 Lima 130 kg 2023 Santiago 130 kg Pan American Championships 2024 Acapulco 130 kg 2017 Lauro de Freitas 130 kg 2018 Lima 130 kg 2022 Acapulco 130 kg South American Games 2018 Cochabamba 130 kg 2022 Asunción 130 kg Bolivarian Games 2022 Valledupar 130 kg Representing  Cuba Pan American Championships 2011 Rionegro 120 kg 2015 Santiago 130 kg

While representing Cuba, Acosta was the 2011 Pan American champion and won bronze at the 2015 edition held in Santiago, where he defected from the Cuban team and remained in Chile.^[3] Since he began competing for Chile in 2017, he has won gold medals at the 2024 Pan American Wrestling Championships, the 2018 and 2022 South American Games, and the 2022 Bolivarian Games. He boasts a silver medal from the 2024 Olympic Games^[4] and the 2017 Pan American Wrestling Championships. He also won bronze medals at the 2017 World Championships, and the 2019 and 2023 Pan American Games.^[5][6][7][8] He finished fifth at the 2020 Summer Olympics.^[9]

Career

Acosta started wrestling in Cuba when he was 10 years old. While representing Cuba, he won multiple medals in South American competitions such as the Pan American Championships and the Cerro Pelado International.^[10] After competing at the 2015 Pan American Championships in Santiago, Chile, Acosta never returned to Cuba, stating that, since three–time Olympic Champion Mijaín López was always the wrestler who represented Cuba at the biggest tournaments in his weight class, he would have more opportunities if he represented Chile. However, Acosta was not able to represent Chile, as he did not have Cuba's permission.^[11] As a result, Acosta worked as a security guard for two years without training of any kind while trying to get permission. When he got consent in 2017, he started competing internationally again, residing in the Chilean Olympic Center.^[12]

He quickly saw results during his first year officially competing for Chile, earning a silver medal from the Pan American Championships and a bronze medal from the World Championships.^[12] In 2018, Acosta was granted Chilean citizenship.^[11] During the year, he went on to win a bronze medal at the Pan American Championships, a gold medal at the South American Games, and placed eighth at the World Championships. In 2019 he earned a bronze at the Pan American Championships and competed at multiple Grand Prix around Europe. In 2020, he won the Pan American Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament and earned a spot at the 2020 Summer Olympics.^[13] He competed in the men's 130 kg event.^[14]

He won one of the bronze medals in his event at the 2022 Pan American Wrestling Championships held in Acapulco, Mexico.^[15] He won the gold medal in his event at the 2022 Bolivarian Games held in Valledupar, Colombia.^[16] He competed in the 130 kg event at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia.^[17] He won the gold medal in his event at the 2022 South American Games held in Asunción, Paraguay.^[18]

He won the gold medal in his event at the 2024 Pan American Wrestling Championships held in Acapulco, Mexico.^[19] A few days later, at the Pan American Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament held in Acapulco, Mexico, he earned a quota place for Chile for the 2024 Summer Olympics held in Paris, France.^[20][21] At the 2024 Olympic Games, he won a silver medal in the 130 kg Greco-Roman final, where he faced Cuba's Mijaín López.^[4][22]

Achievements

Year	Tournament	Location	Result	Event
2010	Wrestling World Cup	Yerevan, Armenia	5th	Greco-Roman 120 kg
2011	Wrestling World Cup	Minsk, Bielorussia	8th	Greco-Roman 120 kg
2011	Pan American Wrestling Championships	Rionegro, Colombia	1st	Greco-Roman 120 kg
2015	Pan American Wrestling Championships	Santiago, Chile	3rd	Greco-Roman 130 kg
2017	Pan American Wrestling Championships	Lauro de Freitas, Brazil	2nd	Greco-Roman 130 kg
2017	World Wrestling Championships	Paris, France	3rd	Greco-Roman 130 kg
2018	Pan American Wrestling Championships	Lima, Perú	3rd	Greco-Roman 130 kg
2018	South American Games	Cochabamba, Bolivia	1st	Greco-Roman 130 kg
2018	World Wrestling Championships	Budapest, Hungary	8th	Greco-Roman 130 kg
2019	Pan American Games	Lima, Perú	3rd	Greco-Roman 130 kg
2019	World Wrestling Championships	Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan	12th	Greco-Roman 130 kg
2020	Pan American Wrestling Championships	Ottawa, Canada	8th	Greco-Roman 130 kg
2020	Pan American Wrestling Olympic Qualification	Ottawa, Canada	1st	Greco-Roman 130 kg
2020	Individual World Cup	Belgrade, Serbia	7th	Greco-Roman 130 kg
2021	Henri Deglane Challenge	Nice, France	1st	Greco-Roman 130 kg
2021	Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series	Rome, Italy	5th	Greco-Roman 130 kg
2022	Pan American Wrestling Championships	Acapulco, Mexico	3rd	Greco-Roman 130 kg
2022	Bolivarian Games	Valledupar, Colombia	1st	Greco-Roman 130 kg
2022	South American Games	Asunción, Paraguay	1st	Greco-Roman 130 kg
2024	Olympic Games	Paris, France	2nd	Greco-Roman 130 kg

References

1. "ACOSTA FERNANDEZ Yasmani".
2. Tercera, La (21 December 2017). "Diputados aprueban otorgar la nacionalidad por gracia a Yasmani Acosta". La Tercera. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
3. Alonso, Nicolás (6 August 2024). "El campeón que no puede ser: la historia de Yasmani Acosta". La Tercera. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
4. AlAireLibre.cl. "Yasmani Acosta le da a Chile una medalla de plata en unos Juegos Olímpicos inolvidables". alairelibre.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 August 2024.
5. Comunicaciones, Compañia Chilena de. "Yasmani Acosta ganó un nuevo oro para Chile en los Juegos Sudamericanos de Cochabamba". alairelibre.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 May 2021.
6. "Yasmani Acosta ganó medalla de bronce en la Lucha Olímpica de Lima 2019 – El Deportero". eldeportero.cl. 8 August 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
7. Comunicaciones, Compañia Chilena de. "Yasmani Acosta clasificó a los Juegos Panamericanos". alairelibre.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 May 2021.
8. Tercera, La (6 May 2017). "Yasmani Acosta logra plata en Panamericano de Lucha". La Tercera. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
9. Hermosilla, Diego (14 March 2020). "Yasmani Acosta, campeón y clasificado a los Juegos Olímpicos". La Tercera. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
10. Senado. "Nacionalidad por gracia para el luchador cubano Yasmani Acosta será visto en Sala - Senado - República de Chile". Senado (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 May 2021.
11. S.A.P, El Mercurio (1 July 2018). "Yasmani Acosta se confiesa: Cuando competía por Cuba decía "ojalá me toque con un chileno, le gano con un dedo" | Emol.com". Emol (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 March 2020.
12. Robinson, Circles (30 August 2017). "Yasmany Acosta, el luchador cubano que brilla en Chile". Havana Times en Español (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 March 2020.
13. Comunicaciones, Compañia Chilena de. "Yasmani Acosta se quedó con la medalla de oro en el Preolímpico que le dio los pasajes a Tokio". alairelibre.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 March 2020.
14. "Wrestling Results Book" (PDF). 2020 Summer Olympics. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
15. Berkeley, Geoff (5 May 2022). "US claim four golds on first day of Pan American Wrestling Championships". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
16. "2022 Bolivarian Games Results Book" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
17. "2022 World Wrestling Championships Results Book" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 September 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
18. "2022 South American Games Results Book" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
19. "2024 Pan American Wrestling Championships Results Book" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
20. "Qualified NOCs at 2024 Pan American Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
21. "2024 Pan American Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament Results Book" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
22. "Wrestling Results Book" (PDF). 2024 Summer Olympics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.

External links

• Yasmani Acosta Fernandez at the International Wrestling Database
• Yasmani Acosta Fernandez at United World Wrestling
• Yasmani Acosta Fernandez at Olympics.com
• Yasmani Acosta at Olympedia
• Yasmani Acosta at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games