Peter Hammer, head coach of Freestyle and Greco- Roman wrestling at the Madill Takedown Club, took thebronzemedalattheXXIII Grand Prix of Spain (57kg Freestyle), representing his native country of Costa Rica. In doing so, Hammer also made national history for Costa Rica according to the Costa Rican Olympic Committee.
In the Committee’s recent post [AI translation from Spanish], they noted that to win the bronze, Hammer defeated Raymel Cabello of Spain, who had extensive experience in U15 and U20 Olympic-level wrestling championships in Europe.
The President of Fedeluchas Costa Rica, Yojans Sanchez Perez noted the significance of Hammer’s win.
“Peter Hammer is the first Costa Rican wrestler to medal in the country of Spain,” Perez said. “This is an historic milestone for the Federation of Associated Fighting Styles. Thanks to athletes like Peter, the sport of wrestling in Costa Rica continues to have promising growth and a bright future.”
More than 200 wrestlers from 35 countries participated in this year’s Grand Prix of Spain. The level of wrestling was bar none. There were National champions, World medalists, and Olympic champions, one of which Hammer competed againstbythenameofDarian Cruz (PUR). The caliber of athletes confirms the Grand Prix’ status as one the leading tournaments in the run-up to the last of four United World Wrestling Ranking Series held from July 17-20 in Budapest, Hungary, as well as the Senior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia from September 13-20, 2025.
Hammer is becoming recognized internationally as a fierce competitor on the mat. His arrival on the wrestling scene for Costa Rica was initially treated much like the Jamaicanbobsledteam’sfirst appearance in the Calgary Winter Olympics. With one well-known coach in a rival Central American country yelling at his defeated wrestler, “You let a Tico beat you?!”
Hammer takes it all in stride. With each appearance, he focuses on changing the tide. His top-five finish previously at the Pan-American Championships in May 2025 and now his Bronze at the Grand Prix of Spain is putting a spotlight on and giving international credibility to Costa Rica and his Oklahoma-based wrestling club.
A native of Costa Rica adopted out of extreme poverty from an orphanage into the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Hammer has deep roots in both Texas and Oklahoma wrestling. Hammer has been coached by some of the finest in the sport: Roger Frizzell, John Smith, Andre Metzger, Zach Esposito, Jamill Kelly and Kenny Monday. His continued success not just in wrestling, but also in the academic and corporate verticals prove that excellence doesn’t stop at the whistle.
Hammer’s enthusiasm for his sport can be summed up with his thoughts on his one loss in the tournament to DarianCruz,ParisOlympian representing Puerto Rico.
“It was the most fun I’ve ever had in a tournament match,” Hammer said. “The fact that my defense kept Darian from scoring more than 3 points on me for most of the first period is a huge improvement for me since the last time we wrestled against each other in Sassari, Sardinia. He is an amazing athlete. I like to focus on what I can learn after a loss, especially one where a superior technician techs me. I’m blessed by the fact that Darian is a master teacher and for that match… a superior technician.”
He said his wins are never about him, but about the youth.
“Getting to wrestle internationally willneverbeabout me,” he said. “Getting on the podium will never be about me. Wrestling and winning will always be about showing the youth here in Oklahoma and in Costa Rica what true focus, commitment, and discipline look like - on and off the mat. That and for me, all of the glory of any win will forever belong to God the Father and Jesus Christ, the King of Kings.”
As summer training ends, the Madill Takedown Club coaching staff hopes to maintain this momentum into the Fall Folkstyle season.
For more information, to register, or to schedule an interview, please send an email to madilltakedownclub@ gmail.com or visit madilltakedownclub. com.
Forup-to-datenewsonthe Club, you can follow them on Instagram @madilltakedownclub.
About the Madill Takedown Club The Madill Takedown Club is revolutionizing youth wrestling for success on & off the mat. They believe in a unique training approach that promotes success in life for your children. The Club recognizes that performance depends on mindset... anyone's performance depends on how they think. To that end, they believe that coaching in a functional way creates champion wrestlers AND improves critical thinking patterns that enable: productive selfbelief, confidence, and the passionate life-long pursuit of continuous improvement. Consequently, the Club fully integrates elements of Freestyle and Greco-Roman Wrestling with Folkstyle to turn youth wrestlers into unstoppable warriors come winter for District, Regionals, and State competitions.