Paris Olympics 2024: Indian wrestler Reetika Hooda loses quarter-final

Paris: Indian wrestler Reetika Hooda lost a close quarter-final bout against Aiperi Medet Kyzy of Kyrgyzstan in the women's 76 kg freestyle category at the Paris Olympics here on Saturday. The wrestlers were locked 1-1 after six minutes of top-quality defensive wrestling but the Kyrgyz won having logged home the last equalising point as per rules.

Both wrestlers played a defensive game and the solitary point each was scored through passivity across the two periods.

Reetika will now wait for Kyzy to enter the final which will give her a shot at competing in the repechage round.

If she doesn't then India's Paris Games campaign will end with six medals and without a gold.

Earlier, Reetika displayed power and skill in equal measure while outclassing Bernadett Nagy of Hungary 12-2 in the pre-quarterfinals.

She had shone brightly during the match, adopting an aggressive approach as she engaged with her opponent. She managed to subdue Nagy and earned two points. Remaining in an advantageous position, Reetika capitalised on the moment and extended her lead to four points.

Bernadett attempted a comeback by gripping Reetika's thigh and pinning her down to score two points. Despite her efforts, she couldn't turn Reetika over and had to settle for those two points. In response, Reetika launched a fierce counterattack, taking Bernadett down and extending her lead to 6-2. She continued to score by seizing Bernadett’s stomach and flipping her onto her back.

She sealed the victory by earning the final two points, finishing with a decisive 12-2 win by technical superiority and advancing to the next round.

(With inputs from PTI)