#WrestleTokyo

Wrestling Launches Comprehensive Media Guide, Website Dedicated to Tokyo 2020

Tuesday, July 27, 2021 - 20:14 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (July 27) -- United World Wrestling, the international federation for the sport of wrestling, this week launched its media guide and website for Tokyo 2020, complete with biographies, photos, and videos of each competitor in an easy-to-navigate format.

TOKYO 2020 Page: https://uww.org/event/tokyo-2020

The site includes biographies for all 289 Olympians entered into the wrestling competition along with their headshots, action photos, and behind-the-scenes moments. Journalists and fans seeking to know more about the athletes will have everything they need in one easy-to-find location, including the top seeds, brackets, and emerging storylines. All photos can be used by the athletes, national federations, and media (with proper credit).


PHOTOS: https://uww.org/event/tokyo-2020?tab=photos

UWW.org's Tokyo 2020 page will also be home to all wrestling coverage at the Olympic Games. United World Wrestling's media team will also be providing news updates, blogs, interviews, bracket updates, event photos, headshots, and much more each day from the competition. There are even links to the social media pages for all wrestlers entered in the Games.

Perhaps most useful for fans and journalists are the 18 in-depth weight category previews which outline the favorites, dark horses, and back stories between the sport's top competitors. The site will also be navigable by the daily schedule, allowing the two-day competition to be easily divided and absorbed based on the progress of the event. 

For any questions on how to use the media guide, or insights on the upcoming competition please feel free to reach out to UWW's Head of Media Tim Foley at foley@unitedworldwrestling.org

#WrestleTokyo

#WrestleTokyo Women's Wrestling Previews

Thursday, June 24, 2021 - 02:31 By United World Wrestling Press

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Women’s Wrestling Previews

50kg
In one of those wild twists of fate that adds to the appeal of sports, Yanan SUN (CHN) and Mariya STADNIK (AZE) can be indirectly credited with helping Yui SUSAKI (JPN) get to the Tokyo Olympics.

Now those two and the rest of the field in the women's 50kg division will have to contend with the unintended result of their largesse. Although unseeded, Susaki will be the prohibitive favorite when they all take to the mat at Makuhari Messe on Aug. 6-7.

FULL PREVIEW

53kg
Vinesh PHOGAT (IND) got over the physical pain she suffered at the Rio 2016 Olympics long before the emotional scars healed. Five years later, that bitter memory is fueling her quest to become India's first-ever Olympic wrestling gold medalist.

FULL PREVIEW

57kg
In her bid for a second straight Olympic title, Risako KAWAI (JPN) had to beat a fellow champion from the Rio 2016 Olympics just to make the Japanese team. At the Tokyo Games, she might have to contend with yet another Rio gold medalist.

Kawai, the top seed and reigning world champion at women's 57kg, faces a possible showdown with unseeded Helen MAROULIS (USA), whose stunning victory over the legendary Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) in the 53kg final made her the first American woman to win an Olympic wrestling gold and was one of the highlights of the Rio competition.

FULL PREVIEW

62kg
Since women's wrestling was added to the Olympic program in 2004, only six countries have won gold medals, with Japan the dominant power by winning 11 of the 18 handed out. At the Tokyo Olympics, the country with the best chance of joining that elite group is a small former Soviet republic in central Asia.

FULL PREVIEW

68kg
Many athletes might cringe at the near-monastic life awaiting them under the harsh pandemic protocols at the Olympics. Tamyra MENSAH-STOCK (USA) can't wait.

"I'm going to be fine," Mensah-Stock told the Japanese press at the U.S. team's pre-Olympic camp in central Japan. "I'm a homebody. I play video games, I karaoke, I literally stay at home when I'm in the States. This is what I love. This is perfect."

FULL PREVIEW

76kg
Although the question from a Japanese reporter was clumsily translated as: "You didn't place in Rio, now this time is revenging against your loss...?", Adeline GRAY (USA) got the drift. But the normally outgoing, media-accommodating American only responded curtly, "Next question. We can move on."

Even with an American-record five world titles to her name, the mention of her quarterfinal loss at the 2016 Rio Olympics still manages to hit a nerve. Conversely, it also motivates Gray to rectify the lack of an Olympic gold when she takes the mat at the upcoming Tokyo Games.

Gray, the reigning world champion and No. 1 seed, is the favorite in win the women's 76kg class and finally claim that elusive gold, but she will have to do it in a stacked field just as determined to keep that from happening. 

Looking to deny Gray will be the three other medalists from the 2019 World Championships -- silver medalist Hiroe MINAGAWA (JPN) and bronze-medal winners Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER) and Epp MAEE (EST) --as well as defending Olympic champion Erica WIEBE (CAN),  former Olympic gold medalist Natalia VOROBIEVA (RUS), former world champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR)....the list goes on. It's not going to be easy.

FULL PREVIEW