Indian wrestler Reetika Hooda was defeated 1-1 on technical criteria by top-seeded Aiperi Medet Kyzy of Kyrgyzstan in the quarterfinal of the women’s 76kg freestyle wrestling event at the Paris Olympics 2024 on August 10 (Saturday). However, Reetika still has a chance to compete for the bronze medal through the repechage round, provided Kyzy advances to the final.
The women's 76kg semifinal will commence at 10:30 PM IST on August 10, with Aiperi Medet Kyzy facing Kennedy Alexis Blades of USA. Should Kyzy win, Reetika Hooda will progress to the repechage round, which is set for August 11 (Sunday). Notably, India's only female Olympic wrestling medallist, Sakshi Malik, earned her bronze through the repechage round.
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How Can Reetika Hooda Still Win Bronze Medal
In Olympics wrestling, there are two bronze medals awarded to the participants. One is given to a loser from the semifinal, while the other is decided through the repechage round. In the repechage, all wrestlers defeated by the finalists compete in separate matches to determine the second bronze medallist.
For the women’s 76kg category, if top seed Aiperi Medet Kyzy reaches the final, Reetika Hooda will advance to the repechage round. If Reetika wins in the repechage, she will secure a bronze medal. However, if Reetika Hooda is eliminated from the Olympics 2024, it will mean that none of India’s six female wrestlers at the event will secure a medal.
Earlier, Indian wrestler Aman Sehrawat clinched country's first wrestling medal at the Paris Olympics 2024, winning bronze with a dominant 13-5 triumph over Puerto Rico’s Darian Cruz. This win brought India’s total medal count to six, just one short of the seven medals won at Tokyo 2020.