Jaime Yusept Espinal: Wrestling, Olympics & Net Worth
Jaime Yusept Espinal is a Dominican-born American freestyle wrestler. The wrestler has also made history in the Olympic games.
Often people follow the trend of the world, whereas certain people dare to be the trendsetters.
Similar is the story of the Puerto-Rican wrestler Jaime Yusept Espinal.
He became the first Olympic medalist in wrestling for Puerto Rico by winning a silver medal in the 84 kg division.
In the article, you will find detailed information about Jaime Yusept Espinal.
Quick Facts:
Here are some quick facts about the free-style wrestler Jaime Yusept Espinal:
| Full Name | Jaime Yusept Espinal Fajardo |
| Also known as | Jaime Yusept Espinal, Jaime Fajardo |
| Date of Birth | October 14, 1984 |
| Age | 39 Years Old |
| Place of Birth | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
| Current residence | Carolina, Puerto Rico |
| Nationality | American, Dominican, Puerto Rican |
| Religion | Christian |
| Ethnicity | Black |
| Height | 5 feet 10 inches(178 cms) |
| Weight | 190 lbs (84kgs) |
| Body type | Athletic |
| Gender | Male |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Horoscope | Libra |
| Birthstone | Opal |
| Lucky Number | Six |
| Lucky Color | Jade Green |
| Father’s Name | Jaime Felix Espinal |
| Mother’s Name | Alejandrina Fajardo Hernanadez |
| Siblings | Rosemary Espinal, Stanley Espinal |
| Marital Status | Un-married |
| Girlfriend | Alma Jane Valencia Escoto |
| Children | Joy Espinal Valencia |
| Education | Baptist College, gabriela Mistral High School, Universidad de Puerto Rico-Recinto de Bayamon |
| Profession | Professional Wrestler, Breakdancer |
| Years Active | 2010-present |
| Debut | 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games |
| Events | Freestyle |
| Club | Sparta, Nittany Lion Wrestling |
| Coached By | Pedro Rojas |
| Olympics Record | Silver |
| Other Records | Bronze (Pan American games), Gold and Bronze (Central American and Caribbean games) |
| Sports Country | Puerto Rico |
| Hobbies | Traveling, Swimming |
| Awards and Medals | Wrestling at the 2012 Summer Olympics-Men’s freestyle 84kg |
| Net Worth | $1million – $3million |
| Social Media | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter |
| Wrestling Merch | Shoes, Mug, T-Shirt |
| Last Update | April, 2024 |
Jaime Yusept Espinal: Early life
Jaime Yusept Espinal was born on October 14, 1984, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
When he was five years old, the athlete’s family moved to Puerto Rico.
In fact, he was just nine years when he started wrestling. He was also interested in cheerleading and dancing from a very young age.
Pedro Rojas coached the young wrestler.
Actually, the coach approached him and other kids to Club Sparta in Rio Piedras and Franklin Gomez.
Again, when the wrestler was 15 years old, he moved to Brooklyn, New York, with his mother. He also stated that he had to deal with issues related to racial discrimination.
Jaime often had fights every two or three days. It must be really heartbreaking to face racism at such young age. But, these incidents made him strong and aggressive too.
Consequently, his mother decided to send him back to Puerto Rico alone. The young lad also stopped wrestling and began cheerleading and dancing.
Additionally, the wrestler also practiced baseball and worked as a model too.
Jaime Yusept Espinal: Height, Weight, and Ethnicity
The wrestler has a fit athletic body type. He stands 5 feet 10 inches tall. And he weighs 190 lbs.
Also, Jaime Yusept has black eyes, curly hair, and brown skin, giving him a fierce appearance.
The athlete holds multiple nationalities as he was born in the Dominic Republic and moved to the United States.
As a result, he has American, Dominican, and Puerto Rican nationality. Also, he follows Christianity.
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Jaime Yusept Espinal: Educational Background
Jaime did his pre-schooling in San Diego before his family moved out. Then he studied at the Baptist college.
Later, he switched to Gabriela Mistral High School, where he completed his high school studies.
After giving up on wrestling due to fights, Jaime decided to opt for cheerleading.
He also received a scholarship in cheerleading from the University of Puerto Rico at Bayamon. This is a public university that offers undergraduate programs.
It also administers an Extended University program for those unable to comply with a regular daytime schedule.
Later, he continued his college degree at Walden University. In addition, the athlete completed a Bachelor’s degree in computer design.
Jaime Yusept Espinal: Family
Jaime has a very supportive family who always encourages him to do better in his life and career.
His father’s name is Jaime Felix Espinal, and his mother’s name is Alejandrina Fajardo Hernandez.
In fact, the wrestler got his name, joining the first & last parts of his father and mother’s middle name.
The athlete also has two siblings, a brother, and a sister. His brother’s name is Stanley Espinal, and his sister’s name is Rosemary Espinal.
Apart from the family he was born into, Jaime also has a family he made with his beloved. He is in a relationship with Alma Jane Valencia Escoto (aka Jane Valencia).
Moreover, the coupled had their first child, a daughter named Joy Espinal Valencia, on 31st May of 2017.
Who is Jane Valencia?
Jane Valencia is a Mexican freestyle wrestler who was born on October 18, 1990.
She has won the silver medal at the Pan American games of 2015 in the 55 kgs category.
Additionally, the lady also won three bronze medals at the pan Wrestling Championships.
In fact, she won the medals in the championship in 2010, 2011, and 2013.
Similarly, Jane is also a gold medalist at the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games. She also won a silver in the 2010 season in the 55 kgs category.
Likewise, the phenomenal wrestler also qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics in the 57 kgs category.
In addition, the athlete qualified for the 2020 pan American Qualification Tournament in Ottawa, Canada.
Jaime Yusept Espinal: Career
Although the athlete began his wrestling career at the young age of nine, he paused because of the issues he faced related to racism in his high school.
After switching to cheerleading and dancing, he spent three years as a breakdancer.
After that, Jaime worked for the Time machine Squad after winning a contest.
The athlete also went by the name of Olimpic Jumps as part of the group in 2008.
He also served as a backup dancer for hip-hop artists like Daddy Yankee and Tego Calderon.
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Switching Back to the Wrestling
The athlete’s coach Rojas later managed to convince him to return to the wrestling.
Jaime then decided to prepared for the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games. His coach sent him to train in Cuba for nine months.
As a result of the hard training ad dedication, the wrestler won gold at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.
Similarly, he also participated in the 2011 Pan American games held in Guadalajara, Mexico. There he finished in fifth place.
But later in the same year, he won silver at the Pan American Wrestling Qualifying Tournament in Florida.
He also excelled at the Romanian international Tournament by finishing in third place.
The following year, the wrestler won gold at the Citta di Sassari Wrestling Championship in Italy.
Similarly, he won the 2012 Pan American Wrestling Tournament held in Kissimmee, Florida. There he also qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
In the 2012 Olympics held in London, England, Jaime was doing good till the semi-finals.
Then, however, he lost to Azerbajanian athlete Shariff Sharifov in the final round by 3-1.
Hence, he was just limited to the silver medal. In fact, Jaime’s medal was Puerto Rico’s second silver in the 17 Summer Olympics.
Continually, Jaime also participated in the 2016 Sumer Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro.
However, he was defeated by Turkish athlete Selim yaar in the first round of 86 kgs.
The athlete was also defeated in the repechage by Cuban athlete Reineris Salas.
Jaime Yusept Espinal: Social Media
The Olympiad is active on several social media platforms, where he shares news about his professional matches and his personal life.
His Instagram handle is @jaimeespinalpr. It is, in fact, a verified Instagram account with over 45.2K followers.
Most of the pots are his pictures of participation in several competitions. It also has the link to his official Facebook page.
He also endorses his nutrition merchandise on his Instagram posts.
Likewise, his Twitter handle is @jaimerespinalpr. It is a verified Twitter account with over 18.2K followers. He joined Twitter in September 2012.
His Twitter bio sys, ‘Atlete Olimpico comprometido con impactar positivamente nuestra sociedad con fe, education y el deporte”.
Similarly, his official Facebook page is @Jaime Fajardo. His Facebook bio says he is a B-Boy, professional dancer, Model, Actor, Olympic Wrestler, Cheerleader, and Coach.
This Facebook page has over 19.8k followers. And it also has links to his Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat handle.
Jaime Yusept Espinal: Net Worth
The estimated net worth of the wrestler Jaime Yusept Espinalis is about $1million – $3million.
Besides the wrestling competition, the earnings from merchandise which the athlete endorses add up to his total worth.
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Interesting facts about Jaime Yusept Espinal
- Jaime Yusept was the flag bearer for Puerto Rico during the parade of Nations in the 2016 Summer Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro.
- In the first round of the 2012 Olympics, the athlete defeated Nigerian wrestler Andrew Dick and Georgian wrestler Dato Marsagishvii. He then defeated the wrestler from Belarus, Soslan Gattisev, in the semi-finals.
- Jaime has good bondage with the wrestler Franklin Gomez who is also a Puerto Rican. They have been together in sports since their childhood.
FAQs
Is Jaime Yusept Espinal married?
No, Jaime Yusept Espinal hasn’t yet tied the knot, but he is with the Mexican wrestler Jane Valencia.
However, the couple also has a beautiful daughter. Even if they married secretly, they haven’t revealed any details about it.
Did Jaime Yusept Espinal participate in the 2020 Olympics?
No, Jaime Yusept Espinal didn’t participate in the 2020 Olympics Games Tokyo.
However, he did attend the ceremony and competition to support his fellow members.
