Bommarito, Loethen, Benjamin lead strong U.S. team at Beach World Series in France, June 28-29

The United States sends a talented and experienced team of Senior Beach athletes to compete in the Beach World Series Saint-Laurent-du-Var, which will be held at Plage Cousteau in Saint-Laurent-du-Var, France, June 28-29. This is the second of five UWW Beach World Series events for the 2024 season.

Team USA is led by Eliana Bommarito, who became the first U.S. wrestler to win a Senior UWW World title with a dominant Beach World Series season in 2023. She scored the most points at the Over 70 kg women’s weight class in the 2023 Beach World Series events, with victories in two events, in Constanta, Romania in September and the Beach World Series Final in Mugla, Turkey in October.

Also competing is 2023 Beach World bronze medalist Ty Loethen at 80 kg in men’s Beach wrestling. Loethen competed in four of the five 2023 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 team also features Justin Benjamin at men’s 70 kg, who became the first U.S. Senior men’s Beach wrestler to win a gold medal at a Beach World Series event, with his title at the 2024 Beach World Series Acapulco in Mexico earlier this year. Benjamin finished with a No. 9 ranking at his weight in the 2023 Beach World Series.

The team features four champions from the 2024 Carolina Beach Nationals, held earlier this month in Carolina Beach, N.C., Bommarito and Benjamin, plus Mariah Anderson at 50 kg in women’s Beach Wrestling and Kyle Ferriter at Over 90 kg in men’s Beach Wrestling. A Carolina Beach Nationals runner-up will also compete, Mitch Brown at 70 kg in men’s Beach Wrestling.

The team also includes past U.S. Beach Nationals champion Jamal Morris at 90 kg in men’s Beach Wrestling. Morris finished with a No. 20 ranking in his weight class in the 2024 Beach World Series.

Saint-Laurent-du-Var is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone.

The event will be broadcast live on FloWrestling.

BEACH WORLD SERIES SAINT-LAURENT-DU-VAR

At Saint-Laurent-du-Var, France, June 28-29

U.S. men’s freestyle roster

70 kg: Justin Benjamin, St. Charles, Ill.  

70 kg: Mitch Brown, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Air Force RTC)

80 kg: Ty Loethen, Columbia, Mo. (Purler Wrestling Academy) 

90 kg: Jamal Morris, Miami, Fla. (Cardinal Gibbons HS)

Over 90 kg: Kyle Ferriter, Colorado Springs, Colo.  

U.S. women’s freestyle roster

50 kg - Mariah Anderson, Houston, Texas (Air Force RTC)

Over 70 kg - Eliana Bommarito, Brighton, Mich. (Michigan Revolution WC)

Coach - Tim Box, Oceanside, Calif.

Official - Morgana Landrum, New Albany, Ind.

Team Leader - Ed Duncan, Spruce Pine, N.C.

Event Schedule, local time

(Saint-Laurent-du-Var is 6 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone)

Friday, June 28

10:00 a.m. – Group Rounds

3:00 p.m. – Group Rounds

Saturday, June 29

10:00 a.m. – Group Rounds

3:00 p.m. – Elimination rounds and finals