#Tokyo2020

Women’s Wrestling at Center Stage as Tokyo 2020 Announces Detailed Competition Schedule

By Tim Foley

TOKYO (April 16) – The Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) has announced the detailed competition schedule for the sport of wrestling at the 2020 Olympic Games. The two-day competition format will feature women’s wrestling as the final gold medal bout on each day of competition. 

Japan is the most dominant women’s wrestling nation in the world having won 11 of 18 Olympic gold medals since 2004, the first year the sport was included on the Olympic programme. The island nation has also won 22 world team titles since the first women’s wrestling world championships in 1987, including 11 of the last 13.

“The schedule announced by Tokyo 2020 will help wrestling ensure high attendance for each day of the competition,” said United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic. “We saw nice crowds in Brazil and expect that this schedule will help us reach even more fans and create a positive and energetic environment for all our competitors. The stars of women’s wrestling will guarantee that interest-level.”

Greco-Roman will join women for the first half of the schedule, with freestyle set to wrap up the Games alongside the aforementioned women’s weight categories.

Days 1/2: GR: 60kg, 130kg | WW: 76kg
Days 2/3: GR: 77kg, 97kg | WW: 68kg
Days 3/4: GR: 67kg, 87kg | WW: 62kg
Days 4/5: FS: 57kg, 86kg | WW: 57kg
Days 5/6: FS: 74kg, 125kg | WW: 53kg
Days 6/7: FS: 65kg, 97kg | WW: 50kg

Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) embraces fans after winning the 74kg gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

The full schedule is as follows

Day 1 (Sunday, August 2)
11:00-12:20 – 1/8 action (GR: 60kg, 130kg | WW: 76kg)
12:20-13:00 – Quarterfinals (GR: 60kg, 130kg | WW: 76kg)
18:15-19:15 – Semifinals (GR: 60kg, 130kg | WW: 76kg)

Day 2 (Monday, August 3)
11:00-11:30 – Repechage (GR: 60kg, 130kg | WW: 76kg)
11:30-12:50 – 1/8 action (GR: 77kg, 97kg | WW: 68kg)
12:50-13:30 – Quarterfinals (GR: 77kg, 97kg | WW: 68kg)
18:15-19:15 – Semifinals (GR: 77kg, 97kg | WW: 68kg)
19:30-22:00 – Gold and Bronze Medal Finals (GR: 60kg, 130kg | WW: 76kg)

Day 3 (Tuesday, August 4)
11:00-11:30 – Repechage (GR: 77kg, 97kg | WW: 68kg)
11:30-12:50 – 1/8 action (GR: 67kg, 87kg | WW: 62kg)
12:50-13:30 – Quarterfinals (GR: 67kg, 87kg | WW: 62kg)
18:15-19:15 – Semifinals (GR: 67kg, 87kg | WW: 62kg)
19:30-22:00 – Gold and Bronze Medal Finals (GR: 77kg, 97kg | WW: 68kg)

Day 4 (Wednesday, August 5)
11:00-11:30 – Repechage (GR: 67kg, 87kg | WW: 62kg)
11:30-12:50 – 1/8 action (FS: 57kg, 86kg | WW: 57kg)
12:50-13:30 – Quarterfinals (FS: 57kg, 86kg | WW: 57kg)
18:15-19:15 – Semifinals (FS: 57kg, 86kg | WW: 57kg)
19:30-22:00 – Gold and Bronze Medal Finals (GR: 67kg, 87kg | WW: 62kg)

Day 5 (Thursday, August 6)
11:00-11:30 – Repechage (FS: 57kg, 86kg | WW: 57kg)
11:30-12:50 – 1/8 action (FS: 74kg, 125kg | WW: 53kg)
12:50-13:30 – Quarterfinals (FS: 74kg, 125kg | WW: 53kg)
18:15-19:15 – Semifinals (FS: 74kg, 125kg | WW: 53kg)
19:30-22:00 – Gold and Bronze Medal Finals (FS: 57kg, 86kg | WW: 57kg)

Day 6 (Friday, August 07)
11:00-11:30 – Repechage (FS: 74kg, 125kg | WW: 53kg)
11:30-12:50 – 1/8 action (FS: 65kg, 97kg | WW: 50kg)
12:50-13:30 – Quarterfinals (FS: 65kg, 97kg | WW: 50kg)
18:15-19:15 – Semifinals (FS: 65kg, 97kg | WW: 50kg)
19:30-22:00 – Gold and Bronze Medal Finals (FS: 74kg, 125kg | WW: 53kg)

Day 7 (Saturday, August 08)
18:45-19:05 – Repechage (FS: 65kg, 97kg | WW: 50kg)
19:30-22:00 – Gold and Bronze Medal Finals (FS: 65kg, 97kg | WW: 50kg)

#development

UWW, Olympic Solidarity Scholarship Wrestlers Shine at African Championships

By United World Wrestling Press

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (May 7) -- The African Championships in Alexandria, Egypt was another milestone in the United World Wrestling and Olympic Solidarity partnership.

U17, U20 and Senior African Championships were held from April 28 to May 2 and wrestlers with Olympic Solidarity scholarship shining on the mat. The tournament also saw participation of 143 wrestlers in the U17 age-group, making it one of the most highly participated U17 African Championships.

Recipients of the Olympic Solidarity scholarship won eight medals at the continental championships including two in Beach Wrestling.

The most successful wrestler was Kavelishimwe ABRAHAM (NAM) who won silver medal in the 59kg weight class of Women's Wrestling and then the same medal at 60kg in Beach Wrestling. Abraham also created history, becoming first-ever wrestler from Namibia to win silver in Women's Wrestling. She was also the first woman wrestler from Namibia to ever medal internationally when she won the silver medal at the U20 African Championships in 2023. She repeated in 2024 and last week she made history at the senior level.

Lec ANDE (CAF) also won a bronze medal in Women's Wrestling at 65kg. She later returned to Beach Wrestling in the same weight class.

Two more wrestlers won medals in Women's Wrestling. At the U20 level, Lynca NIYONKURU (BDI) won a bronze medal at 59kg while Foula KABA (GUI) managed to claim a silver medal at 57kg at the U17 level.

In Freestyle, Wotna NDOC (GBS) won a silver medal at 70kg while Raby BAPELEKIA (CGO) won a bronze medal at 65kg.