#Tokyo2020

Ecuador, Romania Earn Olympic Tickets as North Korea Withdraws from Tokyo 2020

By United World Wrestling Press

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea provided official notice that they won't be attending the Tokyo Games, thereby giving Ecuador and Romania additional Olympic allocations.

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (June 15) -- Officials from The Democratic People's Republic of Korea have notified United World Wrestling and the International Olympic Committee that they will not be attending the Summer Olympics this year in Tokyo.

Due to their absence, North Korea's Olympic qualification allocations at 53kg and 62kg in women's wrestling must be reassigned according to the established United World Wrestling's Olympic qualification system.

The Olympic qualifications will now be allotted to Ecuador (53kg) and Romania (62kg).

Ecuador's Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES, who finished seventh at the 2019 Wrestling World Championships in Nur-Sultan, will earn the award for her home nation as she was the next highest finisher at 53kg after the removal of world champion PAK Yong Mi (PRK).

At 62kg RIM Jong Sim (PRK) placed 6th at the world championships leaving Kriszta INCZE (ROU) as the next highest, non-qualified, finisher at the weight category. Wrestlers ahead of her from Ukraine and the United States later qualified at their respective continental qualification events.

Wrestling at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games is set to begin August 1, 2021, at the Makuhari Messe in Tokyo.

#WrestleTirana

WATCH: Sadulaev vs Taylor World Championships 2024

By United World Wrestling Press

TIRANA, Albania (October 30) -- The Non-Olympic Weight Classes World Championships witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime bout between Olympic champions David TAYLOR (USA) and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) at 92kg.

The two had never wrestled each other and it was Sadulaev who managed to beat Taylor at 92kg in the opening round at 92kg in the World Championships in Tirana.