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Japanese wrestler Yui Susaki was about as close to a gold medal lock as you’ll find in any event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Susaki, 25, entered the 50 kilograms women’s freestyle wrestling tournament with a percent 82-0 record on her senior-level career. She won world championship gold in 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2023 with only COVID stopping her from winning more. In Tokyo, Susaki went 4-0, defeating her opponents by a combined score of 41-0 to win Olympic gold.
But on Tuesday, that all came crashing down when India’s Vinesh Phogat used a late takedown to claim a huge 3-2 upset and hand Susaki her first career loss.
Susaki led the match 2-0 with time winding down. But Phogat, a two-time world bronze medalist, drove her over for a two-point takedown with 10 seconds to go to tie the match essentially. But according to tiebreaker criteria, Phogat led thanks to having scored last and having scored the larger value move (Susaki scored on a pair of one-point shot clock violations).
Yui Susaki Could Still Medal After Shocking Loss To Vinesh Phogat
Phogat then won her next match 7-5 to advance to this afternoon’s semifinals. If she makes the finals, Susaki will still have a chance to medal. She squares off with Yusneylis Guzman of Cuba in the semifinals.
Off the mat, Phogat has also been the face of a movement to stop harassment of female wrestlers in India.
On the other side of the bracket, two-time world silver medalist Sarah Hildebrandt now becomes one of the favorites for gold. Hildebrandt won her first match, 10-0, in dominating fashion. She then took out third-seeded Feng Ziqi, 7-4, in the second round.
Hildebrandt faces second-seeded Dolgorjavyn Otgonjargal of Mongolia in the semifinals. Otgonjargal beat Hildebrandt in each of the last two world championship semifinals. But Hildebrandt did pick up a 10-0 victory over the Mongolian last summer.