Paris Preview: World champion Dom Parrish returning to gold medal form as Paris Games approach

The No. 1 seed is Lucia Yepez Guzman of Ecuador, a 2023 World bronze medalist and two-time Pan American Games champion. Yepez also boasts a 2021 U13 World title, and competed in the 2020 Olympics. Her half-bracket will include No. 4 Antim of India, No. 5 Maria Prevolaraki of Greece and No. 8 Andreea Ana of Romania

Antim, a 2023 World bronze medalist, won U20 World titles in 2022 and 2023, and a 2021 U17 World bronze. Prevoloraki, the most experienced entry in the draw, won three Senior World bronzes (2012, 2017, 2022) and will be in her fourth Olympics. Ana has won three straight Senior European titles, was a 2021 U23 World champion and wrestled in the 2020 Olympics.

The No. 2 seed is Emma Malmgren of Sweden. Malmgren was fifth in the last two Senior Worlds (2022, 2023), won a 2021 U20 World title and was second in the Senior Europeans this season. Her half bracket features No. 3 Akari Fujinami of Japan, No. 6 Christianah Ogunsanya of Nigeria and No. 7 Quiyanu Pang of China.

Two-time World champion Fujinami, just 20, has pinned or scored a technical fall in all of her World matches. She won a 2018 U17 World title and most recently won the 2023 Asian Games. She has all pins or technical falls in her World matches. Ogunsanya has won two straight Senior African titles. 2020 Olympic silver medalist Pang also won World bronze medals in 2018 and 2019, and was a 2016 Asian champion.  

2022 World champion Dominique Parrish of the USA is unseeded and will be drawn in. Although not placing at the 2023 Worlds, Parrish has looked good in the 2024 season, earning the quota at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier and a adding a Poland Open title. Parrish made three U23 World teams on her way up the ladder.   

World medalists Mariana Dragutan of Moldova and Batkhuyag Khulan of Mongolia are unseeded. Dragutan won her World bronze in 2023 at 55 kg and was a European silver medalist this year. Khulan, a 2022 World silver medalist and Zeynep Yetgil of Turkey, a two-time European bronze medalist, are contenders. Others getting drawn in are 2023 Asian Games bronze medalist Hyo Gyong Choe of North Korea, 2019 Pan American Games silver medalist and 2016 Olympian Betzbeth Arguello Villegas of Venezuela, 2020 and 2021 European bronze medalist Annika Wendle of Germany and three-time Oceania champion Mia Aquino of Guam.

53 kg WFS Seeded Wrestlers

No. 1 Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU)

No. 2 Emma MALMGREN (SWE)

No. 3 Akari FUJINAMI (JPN)

No. 4 ANTIM (IND)

No. 5 Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE)|

No. 6 Christianah OGUNSANYA (NGR)

No. 7 Qianyu PANG (CHN)

No. 8 Andreea ANA (ROU)

53 kg WFS Olympians (to be drawn in)

Annika WENDLE (GER)

Mia AQUINO (GUM)

Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA)

Khulan BATKHUYAG (MGL)

Hyo Gyong CHOE (PRK)

Zeynep YETGIL (TUR)

Dominique PARRISH (USA)

Betzabeth ARGUELLO VILLEGAS (VEN)

(Local Paris time, six hours ahead of U.S. time zone)

Wednesday, August 7, 2024

11:00 a.m. – Repechage Men’s Greco Roman 77-97 kg and Women’s Freestyle 50 kg

11:30 a.m. - Round of 16 and Quarterfinals - Men’s Greco-Roman 67-87 kg and Women’s Freestyle 53 kg

6:15 p.m. - Semifinals - Men’s Greco-Roman 67-87 kg and Women’s Freestyle 53 kg

7:15 p.m. - Medal Rounds in Men’s Greco-Roman 77-97 kg and Women’s Freestyle 50 kg

Thursday, August 8, 2024

11:00 a.m. - Repechage Men’s Greco Roman 67-87 kg and Women’s Freestyle 53 kg

11:30 a.m. - Round of 16 and Quarterfinals - Men’s Freestyle 57-86 kg and Women’s Freestyle 57 kg

6:15 p.m. - Semifinals - Men’s Freestyle 57-86 kg and Women’s Freestyle 57 kg

7:15 p.m. - Medal Rounds in Men’s Greco-Roman 67-87 kg and Women’s Freestyle 53 kg