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Each Vinesh and Susaki have been in disbelief after the ultimate whistle. Vinesh, thumping the mat after which laying flat with tears in her eyes, was maybe amazed how the almighty scripted her redemption — from protest on the streets to a transparent path to the rostrum, from getting dragged on the highway to taking down the unbeaten, from rehab room publish surgical procedure only a yr in the past to sparring periods.
Robust life, however she wrestled on.
The primary response on Susaki’s face after the defeat was like she did not know what it means when the referee raises the opponent’s hand. She had by no means skilled that on the finish of a global match she fought in her profession earlier than going through Vinesh in Paris.
However that was that. A 3-2 win. Vinesh progressed, then beat Ukraine’s former European champion Oksana Livach within the quarters and Pan American Video games champion Yusneylis Lopez Guzman of Cuba within the semis to develop into the primary Indian feminine wrestler to achieve an Olympic last.
Medal confirmed, however greater than that, an opportunity to develop into the primary Indian lady to win a person Olympic gold medal now simply six minutes away.
A comfort for Susaki as effectively. Vinesh reaching the ultimate made the Japanese alive for repechage and bronze.
The one individual on the earth who can now cease Vinesh from turning into an Olympic gold medallist is Sarah Hildebrandt — her American opponent within the last, with a powerful file.
WHO IS SARAH ANN HLDEBRANDT
The 30-year-old Sarah, a bronze medallist from Tokyo Video games and four-times World Champoinships medallist, made her worldwide debut in 2013 within the 55kg weight class and went on to win the primary of her seven Pan American Championships gold as a 19-year-old — after taking over the game impressed by her two brothers who have been additionally wrestlers.
Sarah selecting to wrestle was towards the want of her mother and father, who eventully got here to phrases along with her resolution after insistence by her center faculty that wrote to them about their daughter’s abilities in wrestling, based on data obtainable on the Paris Olympics web site.
Such was her build-up that her mom would find yourself being her sparring companion throughout apply periods.
“After I began wrestling, my mum would come over to look at practices with simply me and my coach and I’d find yourself wrestling her. This candy lady let me beat her up at 5:30 within the morning, for the sake of my enchancment,” Sarah, who’s the reigning Pan American champion in addition to being the bronze medallist from the 2023 Budapest World Championships, is talked about as saying on the Paris 2024 web site.
Through the years since arriving on the worldwide mat 11 years in the past, Sarah has switched from 55kg to 53kg, after which to her present weight division, 50kg.
SARAH’S ROAD TO THE FINAL
She started her Paris journey with a powerful 10-0 victory by technical superiority towards Ibtissem Doudou of Algeria.
Sarah adopted that up with a 7-4 conquer China’s 2023 World Championships bronze medallist Feng Ziqi within the quarters.
Within the semis, she defeated the 2023 World Championships silver medallist Otgonjargal Dolgorjav of Mongolia with a cushty 5-0 win.
SARAH’S WRESTLING RITUALS AND THE FLASH CARDS
Earlier than taking the mat in a match, Sarah’s favorite music is the AC/DC band, along with her walkout quantity being the tremendous hit track ‘Thunderstruck’.
Sarah, who trains on the US Olympic and Paralympic Coaching Heart in Colorado, has an fascinating ritual relating to finding out her opponents — she makes flash playing cards.
“I actually make flash playing cards on opponents like I am in class, simply sort of examine them when I’m within the sauna, and stuff like that,” she informed FloWrestling earlier than arriving to Paris.
“Simply going over issues like what their first tie is, which approach do I need to circle, their strikes which may be frequent, some no-no’s at my finish, like ‘let’s not even do this’…It simply sort of retains you contemporary as a result of I need my wrestling to be the principle star once I step on the mat, the principle factor I’m centered on.
“Clearly I’m going to return ready. There are issues particularly that I’m going to do and never going to do towards individuals. So simply have an concept like let’s circle proper after the whistle, or they’re gonna do that after the whistle…simply having these concepts at the back of your thoughts,” she added.
“When stuff begins rolling, it simply comes naturally.”
On Wednesday, it will not be the most important match of the profession for under Vinesh. Sarah, too, will probably be competing to win her first ever Olympic gold.
It is going to be a contest.
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