Ernesto Peña

{{short description|Cuban Greco-Roman wrestler}}

{{Infobox sport wrestler

| name = Ernesto Peña

| image =

| imagesize =

| caption =

| fullname = Ernesto Peña Williams

| nickname =

| nationality = {{CUB}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|10|8|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Nueva Gerona, Cuba

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = {{height|m=1.82|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|96|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}

| website =

| country =

| style = Greco-Roman

| club = Cerro Pelado

| coach = Carlos Ulacia

| medaltemplates=

{{MedalSport | Men's Greco-Roman wrestling}}

{{MedalCountry|{{CUB}}}}

{{MedalCompetition|World Championships}}

{{MedalSilver|2001 Patras|96 kg}}

{{MedalCompetition|Pan American Games}}

{{MedalGold|2003 Santo Domingo|96 kg}}

| show_medals = yes

}}

Ernesto Peña Williams (born October 8, 1978, in Nueva Gerona) is a retired amateur Cuban Greco-Roman wrestler, who competed in the men's heavyweight category.{{cite sports-reference|title = Ernesto Peña|url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pe/ernesto-pena-williams-1.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200418122514/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pe/ernesto-pena-williams-1.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = 18 April 2020|access-date = 31 July 2018}} He won the gold medal in the 96-kg division at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and was later selected to the Cuban team for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.{{cite news|title=Los cubanos se llevan todo el oro de la lucha grecorromana panamericana|trans-title=Cubans take all the gold in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Pan American Games|language=Spanish|url=http://arch1.cubaencuentro.com/deportes/noticias/20030804/a0e4c0c6bab0f35c561355f381dcf7c8.html|publisher=Cuba Encuentro|date=3 August 2003|accessdate=2 June 2014}} Throughout his sporting career, Pena trained for the wrestling team at Cerro Pelado Sports Club in Havana, under his personal coach and mentor Carlos Ulacia.

Pena emerged himself into the global scene at the 2001 World Wrestling Championships in Patras, Greece, where he picked up a silver medal on his first ever final match against Russia's Aleksandr Bezruchkin.{{cite news|title=Gardner beats two-time bronze medalist Saldadse|url=http://a.espncdn.com/oly/news/2001/1208/1292235.html|publisher=ESPN|date=8 December 2001|accessdate=2 June 2014}} He continued to reach the summit of the world rankings, by finishing fourth at the 2002 World Wrestling Championships in Moscow, Russia, and by overpowering U.S. wrestler Justin Ruiz to snatch the heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestling title at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.{{cite news|title=Panamericanos: Cuba arrasa en la lucha con siete oros|trans-title=Pan American Games: Cuba sweeps the fight with seven golds|language=Spanish|url=http://www.emol.com/noticias/deportes/2003/08/03/119236/panamericanos-cuba-arrasa-en-la-lucha-con-siete-oros.html|publisher=Emol Deportes|date=3 August 2003|accessdate=2 June 2014}}

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Pena qualified for the Cuban team in the men's 96 kg class by receiving a berth from the first Olympic Qualification Tournament in Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro.{{cite news|last=Abbott|first=Gary|title=Olympic Games preview at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. in men's Greco-Roman|url=http://www.themat.com/section.php?section_id=3&page=showarticle&ArticleID=10345|work=USA Wrestling|publisher=The Mat|date=27 July 2004|accessdate=21 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521184218/http://www.themat.com/section.php?section_id=3&page=showarticle&ArticleID=10345|archive-date=21 May 2014|url-status=dead}} In the preliminary pool, Pena upset U.S. wrestler and 2000 Olympic bronze medalist Garrett Lowney on his opening bout, and then threw out Hungary's Lajos Virág into the ring for a spot in the quarterfinals.{{cite news|title=Gardner thrown in OT, loses bid for repeat wrestling gold|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?section=oly&id=1867207|publisher=ESPN|date=25 August 2004|access-date=2 June 2014}}{{cite news|last=Abbott|first=Gary|title=Gardner to compete in bronze-medal match in Greco-Roman Olympic Wrestling; Gruenwald wins opening bout|url=http://themat.com/section.php?section_id=3&page=showarticle&ArticleID=10597|work=USA Wrestling|publisher=The Mat|date=25 August 2004|accessdate=2 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605052420/http://themat.com/section.php?section_id=3&page=showarticle&ArticleID=10597|archive-date=5 June 2014|url-status=dead}} Pena suffered his major defeat from Turkey's Mehmet Özal in the quarterfinal match on the next day's session, but offered a chance to redeem himself in the ring by ousting Kyrgyzstan's Gennady Chkhaidze for a fifth place finish. When Iran's Masoud Hashemzadeh was disqualified for a bronze medal protest, Pena uplifted his position to fourth, and nearly missed out the podium.{{cite web|title=Wrestling: Men's Greco-Roman 96kg|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/wrestling/results/3532810.stm|work=Athens 2004|publisher=BBC Sport|date=15 August 2004|accessdate=23 September 2013}}