Wrestling Day 2 – August 6 - Elor goes for gold, Hildebrandt, Bey and Rau get started

On the day before each competition day of the wrestling competition at Olympic Games Paris 2024, USA Wrestling will preview the next day, with a focus on the Team USA athletes who will be on the mat that day. The idea is to allow fans and journalist to be prepared for each day as it unfolds.

U.S. wrestlers competing on Tuesday, August 6 (with bio link)

68 kg women’s freestyle – Amit Elor (Walnut Creek, Calif./Titan Mercury WC/NYC RTC)

77 kg Greco-Roman – Kamal Bey (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP)

97 kg Greco-Roman – Joe Rau (Chicago, Ill./Titan Mercury WC)

50 kg women’s freestyle – Sarah Hildebrandt (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC)

USA Wrestling Olympics Media Guide

Who do they compete against in their first bout on Tuesday?

Unseeded Amit Elor powered past three opponents on Monday to qualify for the gold-medal finals against Meerim Zhumanazarova of Kyrgyzstan in the finals on Tuesday night. Zhumanazarova, a 2020 Olympic bronze medalist and a three-time age-group World medalist, was also unseeded.

No. 6 seed Sarah Hildebrandt will open against four-time African bronze medalist Ibtissem Doudou of Algeria in the opening match.

Unseeded Kamal Bey against No. 3 seed Akzhol Makhmudov of Kyrgyzstan, a 2022 and 2023 World champion and a 2020 Olympic silver medalist.

Unseeded Joe Rau opens against No. 3 seed Mohammadhadi Saravi of Iran, a 2021 World champion and two-time World bronze medalist (2022 and 2023).

Who might they face later in the day?

Sarah Hildebrandt

Should Hildebrandt win his/her first match, she would wrestle the winner of the match between No. 3 seed Ziqi Feng of China and Nada Mohamed of Egypt in the quarterfinals. Feng, a 2023 World bronze medalist, was second in the 2024 Asian Championships and a 2019 U23 World silver medalist. Mohamed is a two-time age-group World medalist.

If Hildebrandt reaches the semifinals, the athletes in the quarter bracket who could emerge as semifinalists include No. 2 seed Otgonjargal Dolgorjav of Mongolia, No. 7 seed Mariya Stadnik of Azerbaijan, Anastasia Blayvas of Germany and Emanuela Liuzzi of Italy. Dolgorjav is a three-time Senior World medalist, with silver medals in 2022 and 2023. Stadnik is a four-time Olympic medalist (silvers in 2012 and 2016, bronzes in 2008 and 2020) and two-time World champion, Blayvas was a 2023 World bronze medalist and has won two age-group World medals.

Liuzzi was on the 2023 Italian Senior World Team and has competed in eight age-group World Championships without a medal.

If Hildebrandt wins the semifinals, she is guaranteed a gold-medal match on Wednesday. If she loses in the semifinals, she is guaranteed a bronze-medal match on Wednesday. With a loss prior to the semifinals, Hildebrandt would only get drawn into the Tuesday repechage if the opponent who beat her won the semifinals. 

Kamal Bey

If Bey wins his first match, his quarterfinal opponents would be the winner of the match between No. 6 seed Demeu Zhadrayev of Kazakhstan and Jair Cuero of Colombia. Zhadrayev was a 2017 World silver medalist and a 2020 Tokyo Olympian. Cuero, who has not won a medal in seven World Championships, qualified through the 2024 Pan American Olympic Qualifier.

Should Bey reach the semifinals, the athletes in the other quarter bracket who could emerge as semifinalists include No. 2 seed Sanan Suleymanov of Azerbaijan, No. 7 seed Zoltan Levai of Hungary, Burhan Akbudak of Turkey and Aik Mnatsakanian of Bulgaria. Suleymanov has collected two World silver medals in 2021 and 2023. Levai was a 2022 World silver medalist and won four age-group World medals. Akbudak was a 2022 World champion and 2021 World silver medalist. Mnatsakanian is a two-time World bronze medalist (2018 and 2019).

If Bey wins the semifinals, he is guaranteed a gold-medal match on Wednesday. If he loses in the semifinals, he is guaranteed a bronze-medal match on Wednesday. With a loss prior to the semifinals, Bey would only get drawn into the Tuesday repechage if the opponent who beat him won the semifinals. 

Joe Rau

Should Rau win his first match, his quarterfinal opponent will be the winner of the match between No. 6 seed Mindaugas Venckaitis of Lithuania, a European Olympic Qualifier finalist, and Uzur Dzhuzupbekov of Kyrgyzstan. Venckaitis was fifth in the 2023 Senior Worlds. Dzhuzupbekov was a 2020 Olympian and was a 2019 Asian champion.

If Rau makes the semifinals, athletes in the other quarter bracket who could emerge as semifinalists are No. 2 seed Abubakar Khaslakhanau, an Individual Neutral Athlete, No. 7 seed Mihail Kajaia of Serbia, Mohamed Ali Elsayed Gabr of Egypt and Roberti Kobliashvili of Georgia. Khaslakhanau was a 2023 U20 World champion. Kajaia is a two-time World bronze medalist. Gabr was a 2022 African champion, and qualified through the African/Oceania Qualifier. Kobliashvili is a two-time World bronze medalist (2017 and 2018).

If Rau wins the semifinals, he is guaranteed a gold-medal match on Wednesday. If he loses in the semifinals, he is guaranteed a bronze-medal match on Wednesday. With a loss prior to the semifinals, xxxx would only get drawn into the Tuesday repechage if the opponent who beat him won the semifinals. 

First Round Mat Assignments

Mat A, Bout 7 – Kamal Bey (USA) vs. Akzhol Makhmudov (Kyrgyzstan)

Mat B, Bout 8 – Sarah Hildebrandt (USA) vs. Ibtissem Doudou (Algeria)

Mat C, Bout 7 – Joe Rau (USA) vs. Mohammadhadi Saravi (Iran)

Note: Elor’s finals match order against Meerim Zhumanazarova has not yet been assigned.

Note: Wrestling does not assign a specific time for each match, as they run the matches consecutively according to the day’s start sheet. If you wish to see a specific athlete, it is recommended to follow the entire session.

Official brackets on UWW Arena

Some background on each USA wrestler competing on Tuesday

Amit Elor is competing in her first Olympic Games, at just 20 years old. She is already a two-time Senior World champion (2022 and 2023), with her 2022 victory making her the youngest U.S. Senior World champion in any discipline or gender at 18 years old. A star at the age-group level, Elor has six age-group freestyle World gold medals, giving her eight UWW World titles. She won three World titles (U20, U23, Senior) in both 2022 and 2023, the only wrestler in World history to reach this achievement. A native of Walnut Creek, Calif., Elor won a California high school state title in folkstyle as a freshman for College Park High School, then switched entirely to the international style, freestyle. Elor did not choose to wrestle on a women's team in college, although she does attend classes at Diablo Valley College. She trains in multiple locations, including California, New York City and at the USOPTC in Colorado. Elor is being coached in Paris by the legendary Sara McMann, who won a 2004 Olympic silver medal and has had a successful career in Mixed Martial Arts.

Kamal Bey is competing in his first Olympic Games, at 26 years old. He has competed on three Senior World Teams, and was a U20 World champion in 2017. Bey got his love for Greco-Roman as a youth in Illinois, competing for national power Oak Park River Forest High School and with Illinois USA Wrestling. His senior year in high school, he moved to Colorado and began full-time Greco-Roman training at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. He later joined the U.S. WCAP program. Bey is considered “last man in” at 77 kg. He was fourth in the final Olympic Qualifier in May, just one match from going to Paris. When the IOC announced AIN athletes were eligible for Paris, the Russian at 77 kg was not eligible and Bey was added during quota reallocation. Bey wrestles an exciting style, with a tendency to get big throws. A popular athlete within USA Greco-Roman and with wrestling fans, Bey looks to cash in on the opportunity he received.  

Joe Rau is competing in his first Olympic Games, at 33 years old. He has been a Greco-Roman specialist going back early in his career out of Chicago, but also enjoyed freestyle and folkstyle. He was an NCAA Div. III national champion at Elmhurst, coached by past NCAA champion Steve Marianetti. Small school wrestlers take pride in Rau’s rise to an Olympic Team. Rau had been close to making previous Olympic Teams, winning the 2016 Olympic Trials, but unable to compete in Rio de Janiero because he did not qualify the weight class. He was second in the 2020 Olympic Trials. His training journey included a stint with the Minnesota Storm in Minneapolis, with time training with college programs in Illinois, as well as the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado. His humor is legendary (stand-up comedy is a hobby), but his perseverance has paid off with a chance at an Olympic medal in Paris.

Sarah Hildebrandt is competing in her second Olympic Games, at 30 years old. She won a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. She also boasts four Senior World medals, with silvers in 2018 and 2021 and bronzes in 2022 and 2023. Hildebrandt was an early girls wrestling star out of Indiana, and went on to be a four-time WCWA finalist and two-time national champion for King University. After moving to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center, Hildebrandt made a move down to 50 kg, and has thrived ever since. Known for her ability to turn her opponents on the mat, she

The final seeds (after weigh in) for each weight class starting on Tuesday

Women’s Freestyle 50 kg

No. 1 - Yui SUSAKI (JPN)

No. 2 - Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL)

No. 3 - Ziqi FENG (CHN)

No. 4 - Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR)

No. 5 - Alisson CARDOZO REY (COL)

No. 6 - Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA)

No. 7 - Mariya STADNIK (AZE)

No. 8 - Oksana LIVACH (UKR)

Greco-Roman 77 kg

No. 1 - Nao KUSAKA (JPN)

No. 2 - Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE)

No. 3 - Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ)

No. 4 - Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)

No. 5 - Yosvanys PENA FLORES (CUB)

No. 6 - Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ)

No. 7 - Zoltan LEVAI (HUN)

No. 8 - Aram VARDANYAN (UZB)

Greco-Roman 97 kg

No. 1 - Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM)

No. 2 - Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN)

No. 3 - Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI)

No. 4 - Gabriel ROSILLO KINDELAN (CUB)

No. 5 - Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN)

No. 6 - Mindaugas VENCKAITIS (LTU)

No. 7 - Mihail KAJIA (SRB)

No. 8 - Kevin MEJIA CASTILLO (HON)

Wrestling Schedule on Tuesday, August 6

11 a.m. – Repechage (GR 60 kg, 130 kg; WFS 68 kg)

11:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds (GR 77 kg, 97 kg; WFS 50 kg)

6:15 p.m. – Semifinals (GR 77 kg, 97 kg; WFS 50 kg)

7:30 p.m. – Medal matches (GR 60 kg, 130 kg; WFS 68 kg)

All times local. Paris, France, is located six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time Zone. (GMT+2)

NBC Television schedule for U.S. viewers

https://www.themat.com/2024-olympic-broadcast-schedule

• All of Tuesday’s sessions are streamed live on Peacock (5 a.m. ET, and 12:15 p.m. ET)
• USA Network – Day 2 elimination rounds, 8:00 a.m. ET
• USA Network – Day 2 semifinals/Medal Matches, 5:15 p.m. ET

USA Wrestling Weight Class Previews

Paris Preview: Hildebrandt seeded sixth, aims for second Olympic medal in Paris at 50 kg in women's freestyle

Paris Preview 77 kg GR: Team USA's “last man in” Kamal Bey ready for opportunity at hand

Paris Preview 97 kg GR: From retirement to Olympian, Rau takes aim at elusive medal

UWW Day 2 preview

UWW feature: Paris 2024 Wrestling Day 2 Preview: GR 77kg, 97kg; WFS 50kg

FloWrestling complete coverage site