#WrestleTokyo

Al Obaidi of IOC Refugee Team Makes Winning Olympic Debut at Tokyo 2020

Tuesday, August 3, 2021 - 04:37 By Tim Foley

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CHIBA, Japan (August 3) --- Aker AL OBAIDI (EOR) of the IOC's Refugee team earned the first victory in his Olympic career Tuesday morning at the Makuhari Messe Hall in Chiba.

Al Obaidi, an Iraqi refugee now living and training in Austria, looked superb in his first round 67kg weight class match besting Souleymen NASIR (TUN) by technical fall, 8-0.

"I felt really good in the bout," said Al Obaidi. "My wrestling was good and my mind and body were working perfectly together."

In his second match, Al Obaidi dropped the quarterfinal against Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO), 10-0. Should Zoidze win his semifinal match on Tuesday night, Al Obaidi will compete in the repechage.

"I am disappointed, but I will go step-by-step. I don't have enough words to thank UWW and the IOC. I am really happy to compete and that was because of them. I am very young and I look forward to competing for a long time."

UWW Playlist: Best of World and Olympic Champion Susaki

Monday, February 9, 2026 - 09:31 By United World Wrestling Press

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JAPAN (February 9) -- Yui SUSAKI (JPN) is on path to greatness. The Japanese wrestler managed to showed up on the wrestling when won three back-to-back U17 world titles from 2014 to 2016.

While many would take time to jump to senior level, Susaki wrestled at the 2017 Paris World Championships aged 17 years and won gold medal at 48kg. She would seen beat Mariya STADNIK (AZE) at the Klippan Lady Open before winning gold at 2018 World Championships. Two U20 world titles further strengthened Susaki's resume as she remained unbeaten in international wrestling.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Susaki claimed her first Olympic gold, without giving up a point and etched her name in history.

WATCH THE BEST OF YUI SUSAKI (JPN) HERE

And it had to be Susaki to complete the Golden Grand Slam of wrestling. After winning U17, U20 and senior world titles, and Olympic gold, she needed to win the U23 world title to complete the Slam. In October of 2022 in Pontevedra, Spain, Susaki would go on to become the first wrestler in history to achieve the feat.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, four-time world champion Susaki suffered her first international loss to Vinesh PHOGAT (IND), which remains her only loss in international career.