With the clock winding down and the score locked at 1-1 in a tense bout between Reetika Hooda and Aiperi Medet Kyzy of Kyrgyzstan, both wrestlers, visibly exhausted, faced the end of their contest. Reetika, taking a moment to gather herself, walked off the mat and touched it one last time, marking the end of her journey at the Paris Olympics.
As one of the few Indian competitors in the higher weight class, Reetika had held her own against the seasoned Kyzy. The quarter-final match was closely contested, with both wrestlers scoring their points due to the other's passivity, and Kyzy ultimately securing the decisive point to win.
Reetika's hopes of advancing to the repechage round, where she could have competed for a bronze medal, depended on Kyzy winning her semi-final bout. If Kyzy, a two-time World Championships medallist, had advanced to the final, Reetika would have had the chance to enter the repechage. However, Kyzy was defeated by American Kennedy Alexis Blades in the 76kg semi-final with a score of 8-6. This loss dashed Reetika’s hopes and ended her Olympic campaign.
In wrestling tournaments, a quarter-final loss does not always mean the end of a competitor's chances. Wrestlers who lose in the quarter-finals can sometimes compete for a bronze medal through the repechage, provided their opponent reaches the final. With Kyzy's defeat, Reetika was unable to qualify for the repechage.
Reetika’s elimination also marked the end of India’s Paris Olympics campaign, with the country finishing with six medals—five bronze and one silver—one medal short of the Tokyo Games' total and without a gold. India remains in 71st place in the medal tally.
However, there is still a possibility of a seventh medal—a silver—if the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rules in favor of Vinesh Phogat tomorrow.
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