India’s Vinesh Phogat made an emphatic run to the Paris Olympics women’s wrestling 50kg category semi-final on the back of two successive wins at the Champ-de-Mars Arena on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old made up for her lacklustre campaigns at the Tokyo Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics – both ending with quarter-final defeats – with a stunning win over Japan’s Yui Susaki in the Round of 16 bout.
Susaki is a bona fide champion in the 50kg category and was the defending champion at the Games after she won the gold at home in Tokyo without dropping a single point in her campaign. Susaki held a 2-0 lead after Vinesh dropped successive points for passivity. However, with only seconds left on the clock, Vinesh unleashed her best with a sensational takedown and stupefied Susaki.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE VINESH!!!
Vinesh Phogat has defeated the Tokyo Olympics GOLD medalisthttps://t.co/IPYAM2ifqx#OlympicsonJioCinema #OlympicsonSports18 #JioCinemaSports #Wrestling #Olympics pic.twitter.com/RcnydCE3mk
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) August 6, 2024
Giant takedown
It was the 25-year-old Japanese’s first defeat against a fighter outside her home country as she held an 82-0 international win-loss record while also stacking up a jaw-dropping points tally of 733-34 in her career.
Vinesh marched on to take on Ukrainian Oksana Livach in the quarter-final and emerged victorious 7-5 on points. Vinesh was put under early pressure by the 27-year-old Livach, a 2018 World Championship bronze medallist and 2019 European champion. The win marked Vinesh’s place in the semi-final as she attempts to become only the second Indian woman after Sakshi Malik to clinch a wrestling Olympic medal.
Who is Vinesh’s semi-final opponent?
Vinesh will take on Yusneylys Guzman Lopez in the semi-final after the Cuban won her quarters clash 10-0 against Lithuania’s Gabija Dilyte.
Interestingly, Guzman had lost to the Indian’s quarter-final opponent Livach during the Repechage round of the Tokyo Olympics. The 27-year-old from Havana won the gold medal at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago and is currently ranked 12th in the 50kg category world rankings.
Guzman had defeated Gabija Dilyte of Lithuania 10-0 in her quarter-final on Tuesday. (REUTERS)
Vinesh and Guzman had crossed paths recently during the opening round of the Grand Prix of Spain in July. Vinesh trumped Guzman 3-1 before going onto claim the 50kg category gold medal in Madrid.
The semi-final bout between Vinesh and Guzman is due to take place around 10:15 PM IST on Tuesday.
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