#WomensDay2022

Olympic Champ Focken: Women Inspire Women

Monday, March 7, 2022 - 19:00 By Aline Focken

Share this article

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (March 8) -- Happy International Women's Day to all the great women wrestlers worldwide! And to those great people who empower these women to live their dreams -- the mothers, grandmothers, sisters, coaches and friends who support our strong women in their internal and external development -- we could not do this wonderful sport without you. 

Now, to all of you strong girls and women worldwide; I know there's resistance, and there are so many obstacles that you have to overcome. I know that not everyone supports what you do and that it is much harder for women to convince people of our great potential. However, do not worry about them. I have experienced this for many years. Just know that these are not your limitations but theirs.

Germany is a modern and progressive country but women who wrestle are still a minority.

I started wrestling when I was four years old and was the only girl wrestling with 40-50 boys for over 15 years. Of course, it was hard. Many boys were always trying to beat me up, and they did. Nevertheless, I worked harder and listened to my coaches, ultimately becoming my country, state and club's most successful wrestler ever.

Moreover, I married, had many friends -- inside and outside the sport -- and earned a master's degree without being "a right woman."

Suddenly, I earned everyone's respect.

Smile at those critical people, pick the right individuals willing to help and work professionally with you, and show them what you got.

Yes, we are far from having the same rights and chances as men anywhere in the world but I think we are on the right path. It's getting better and better.

Just 18 years ago, the Olympic Games welcomed women's wrestling as a sport with four weight classes. Nine years later, we grew to six Olympic weight classes and our style is growing faster than ever. More and more countries are promoting and developing women's wrestling, which excites me to see where we'll be in 10 years.

But we need more strong and brave women going this way to show every critic that we are worth being promoted.

Despite the obstacles and years of hard work, I will never regret choosing this way. Nothing else has taught me more in life than wrestling. There's no better feeling than beating up on the boys and showing the entire world our capabilities!  

So, keep going, tell all the little girls how beautiful wrestling is and enjoy every minute of your journey! You are already the best role models for so many people out there and you should be proud of how far you have come!

[Aline FOCKEN (GER) won the 76kg gold medal at the Tokyo Games and became Germany's first-ever Olympic champion]

#WrestleParis

Paris 2024 Wrestling Day 4: Yazdani, Lee, makes semis; Sakurai vs Maroulis set

Thursday, August 8, 2024 - 08:30 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

Share this article

PARIS (August 9) -- Freestyle action kicks off in Paris with 57kg and 86kg as Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) and Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) look to change their silver medals from past Olympics to gold. In 57kg, Helen MAROULIS (USA) is trying to do the same but world champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) is in her way.

LIVE MATCH ORDER | PARIS 2024 DAY 3

13:31: Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) is back in the Olympic semifinals! He got thrown for a huge four from Dauren KURGULIEV (GRE) but he comes back to break Kurguliev and win 9-4 and book a spot against Myles AMINE (SMR)

13:20: A bout for the ages as returning bronze medalist Myles AMINE (SMR) beats Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) 16-14 to book his spot in the semifinal! Nurmagomedov took the lead using a leg lace but Amine hit the same and reclaimed the lead. At 16-12, Amine was happy to keep his distance from Nurmagomedov even if that meant giving up a takedown.

13:08: Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL) pins Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB) in the second period. What a win for Ramazanov and he moves into the semifinal at 86kg. He will face Aaron BROOKS (USA) for a spot in the final

13:06: Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) with a first-period fall of Giullia PENALBER (BRA) to book her spot in the women's 57kg semifinals. The former 59kg world champion will face Hong.

13:04: Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) gets a 4-point counter and three takedowns in a 12-5 victory over Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) and he's into the freestyle 57kg semifinal and a date with Lee.

13:00: Kexin HONG (CHN) wins a thriller in the women's 57kg quarterfinals over Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR), finishing off the Nigerian with a cradle for a fall with :44 left after she had just surrendered the lead. Adekuoroye strikes first with a pair of takedowns, but Hong responds with a takedown and three lace-lock rolls to go up 8-4. In the second period, Adekuoroye goes ahead on criteria with a takedown and lace lock, but Hong strikes back by getting her into a cradle and securing the fall.

12:55: Aaron BROOKS (USA) is on mission today! He takes out Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN) 11-1 at 86kg. The pace of that bout was unreal and completely broke Ishiguro

12:51: Helen MAROULIS (USA) scores three takedowns and she's into the women's 57kg with a 7-4 victory over Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR). She will face Sakurai in a rematch of the semifinals at last year's worlds in Belgrade, which Sakurai won 6-0.

12:49: Spencer LEE (USA) gives up an early takedown to Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) in their freestyle 57kg quarterfinal, but then he gets to work. He twice gets a takedown-exposure combo, then finishes off a 12-2 win with a 4-point takedown with 58 seconds left in the first period.

12:45: Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) has been spotted. He begins with a 10-0 win over Jayden LAWRENCE (AUS) who has scored two points over Yazdani at the World Championships.

12:41: AMAN (IND) earns a clash with Higuchi in the freestyle 57kg semis after using the lace lock to chalk up a 12-0 victory over Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB).

12:39: Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) is at her dominating best, piling up the points with both offensive and defensive takedowns and a pair of stepouts against Luisa VALVERDE (ECU). When it hits 11-0, she is in the middle of applying an arm bar that puts Valverde onto her back for a fall at 4:35.

12:28: Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) is coming in hot! He moves into the quarterfinals with an 11-0 win over Ethan RAMOS (PUR). His likely quarterfinal opponent -- Hassan YAZDANI (IRI)

12:33: Rio Olympic silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) takes the mat for the first time in the freestyle 57kg quarterfinals after his first-round opponent, Alireza SARLAK (IRI), failed to make weight. Higuchi dominates Darian CRUZ (PUR), scoring with some creative exposures to finish off a 12-2 victory early in the second period.

12:30: World silver medalist Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) easily gets past Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER) 9-0 to secure a place in the women's 57kg quarterfinals.

12:26: Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) makes his Olympic debut with a win over Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL) at 86kg. A top 12-2 win to advance to the quarterfinals.

12:22: Three-time world bronze medalist Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) grabs the final place in the freestyle 57kg quarterfinals with a 13-3 win over Roman BRAVO (MEX).

12:19: Giullia PENALBER (BRA) makes short work of Rckaela AQUINO (GUM), slamming to her back for a 4-point takedown and securing the fall in 1:02 to advance at women's 57kg.

12:16: Returning bronze medalist Myles AMINE (SMR) shows why he is a threat. Top defense as he beats Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR) 7-4 to move into the quarterfinals at 86kg.

12:15: Kexin HONG (CHN), a winner this year in Budapest and Zagreb, wins a lively clash with Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL), advancing at women's 57kg with a 16-12 victory. Hong takes an 8-0 lead, but Boldsaikhan cuts the lead to 2 in the second period. Hong puts up 6 with a takedown-lace lock combination, only for Boldsaikhan to get 4 with a counter lift. But Hong gets a final 2-point exposure to notch the win.

12:11: Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) gets a 4-point throw in the first period, then gets a pair of exposures countering a front headlock roll in the second in an 11-4 win over Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE) at freestyle 57kg.

12:04: World bronze medalist Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR), looking for her first Olympic medal in a thrid appearance, advances at women's 57kg by injury default when Chaimaa AOUISSI (ALG) suffers a head gash and is unable to continue.

12:02: Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL) pulls out his 'A' game to beat Alexander MOORE (CAN) 12-2 in the opening round. He will face Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB) who defeated Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) 5-2 in the other bout.

12:00: Spencer LEE (USA), competing on a top world stage for the first time since winning back-to-back world junior titles in 2015-16, scores a takedown and activity point in the first period, and holds on for a 3-2 win over Wanhao ZOU (CHN) at freestyle 57kg. Zou gets a pair of stepouts late in the second period but just ran out of time.

11:59: In a wild clash of 2022 world bronze medalists, Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR) rallies out of an eight-point hold to defeat Anhelina LYSAK (POL) 16-13 at women's 57kg. Lysak had three 4-point moves and led 13-5 when Hrushyna Akobiia hit a 4-pointer of her own. In the final 30 seconds, she picked up a takedown and a stepout to go ahead, then added a late takedown. Whew!

11:47: Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) scores a second-period takedown with Asian bronze medalist Meirambek KARTBAY (KAZ) on the activity clock to take a 3-1 lead, then adds a stepout for a 4-1 victory at freestyle 57kg.

11:45: Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN) has no trouble disposing of Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG) via technical superiority and sets up a 86kg quarterfinal with Aaron BROOKS (USA).

11:41: Helen MAROULIS (USA), looking for her second Olympic gold and third medal overall, repeats her victory from the 2021 world final over ANSHU (IND) to advance to the women's 57kg quarterfinals 7-2. Maroulis uses an effective single-leg attack to score three takedowns

11:38: Aaron BROOKS (USA), who defeated David TAYLOR (USA) in the U.S. trials, gave up an early stepout but bounced back with two takedowns and beat top seed Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) 4-1 in the opening round at 86kg. 

11:36: Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS), only the third wrestler in Guinea-Bissau history to appear in the Olympics, looks like a seasoned pro in taking a 6-0 lead against world bronze medalist Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB) at freestyle 57kg. But the match is six minutes, and Abakarov comes back with two takedowns, adding a lace lock after the second. An unsuccessful challenge adds a point as Abakarov advances 7-6.

11:33: An impressive start for Luisa VALVERDE (ECU), who opens with a 4-point takedown against Aurora RUSSO (ITA) at women's 57kg, then scores a takedown to the back and secures the fall at 2:34.  

11:27: Two-time reigning world champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) opens her Olympic debut at women's 57kg with an activity point, then a slick ankle pick for a takedown against Hannah TAYLOR (CAN), but gets reversed going for a lace lock. She adds a stepout and another takedown in the second period for a hard-fought 6-1 win.

11:26: 2023 Asian champion AMAN (IND) uses a shrug-by to get behind Russian-born 2021 European champion Vladimir EGOROV (MKD) for the clinching takedown in a 10-0 win at freestyle 57kg.

11:17: Khulan BATKHUYAG (MGL) spots Dominique PARRISH (USA) a four-point lead in their women's 53k repechage, then storms back to go ahead 10-4 with a back trip before latching onto a cradle for a fall.

11:14: Darian CRUZ (PUR) picks up a big win for the Caribbean nation, locking up Gamal MOHAMED (EGY) in a cradle and securing the fall in their freestyle 57kg opener.

11:09: Luis ORTA (CUB), denied in his bid for a second straight Olympic gold, will get a chance for a bronze after storming to a 9-0 victory over Ishak GHAIOU (ALG) in the 67kg repechage.

11:08: Hyogyong CHOE (PRK) stays on track to give the DPR Korea its first-ever women's Olympic medal with an 11-0 repechage victory over European champion Andreea ANA (ROU) at 53kg. Choe will take on Annika WENDLE (GER).

11:04: In the opening match on Mat A, Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ) uses an arm throw for a quick 4-pointer, then lifts and throws Mate NEMES (SRB) for 4 more and an 8-0 win in their Greco 67kg repechage. He will face Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) in a bid for Kyrgyzstan's third bronze medal in Greco later tonight.

10:45: We are beginning with Freestyle at Paris 2024 in two weight classes and women's wrestling will continue with 57kg.