Hildebrandt Downs World Medalist Feng to Move into Olympic Semifinals

Day two of wrestling at the 2024 Olympic Games started off with a bang - and it had nothing to do with any American wrestlers. In the very first match of the 50 kg weight class, 2020 Olympic champion Yui Susaki (Japan) who is also a three-time world champion, riding an 82-match winning streak was stunned by India’s Vinesh Phogat, 3-2. Phogat hung close to Susaki for the entire match and attacked late in the final period to shock Susaki and the entire wrestling world. It marked the first loss by Susaki to a non-Japanese opponent. 

Staying in the 50 kg weight class, American Sarah Hildebrandt got her tournament started with a dominant 10-0 tech fall over Algeria’s Ibtissem Doudou. Early in the opening period, Hildebrandt got to Doudou’s legs and earned a takedown. She quickly ended the contest with four of her trademark leg laces. 

That win set up a quarterfinal clash with fellow 2023 World bronze medalist Ziqi Feng (China). Feng got on the scoreboard first with a double-leg for a takedown. Hildebrandt never gave up and bellied out, rather choosing to wrestle through the position. After deftly avoiding exposure points, Hildebrandt was able to gain a reversal and trailed 2-1. 

Shortly after a restart, the two found themselves in a position that would come up time and again in this contest. Hildebrandt with a front headlock. In this instance, the American unleashed a beautiful shuck which resulted in a takedown and a 3-2 lead. Later in the period, that position came up again and Hildebrandt tried another shuck. This time, Feng was ready and held strong before getting to Hildebrandt’s legs for a takedown. Near the end of the opening period, Hildebrandt unleashed a picture-esque ankle pick. That shot did not directly lead to a takedown; however, Hildebrandt was able to spin behind her stunned opponent for a takedown and a 5-4 lead heading into the break. 

For most of the final period, Hildebrandt was able to prevent Feng from getting to an advantageous position. The biggest flurry of the period came with about :45 seconds left in the contest, as the pair ended up in that familiar front headlock position again. Instead of going back to the shuck, Hildebrandt showed her variety of short offense and blocked off an arm and spun for an insurance takedown. 

That 7-4 lead held up and Hildebrandt advanced to this afternoon’s semifinals. 

In the semis, Hildebrandt will meet a familiar foe - Mongolia’s Otgonjargal Dolgorjav. The two met in the world semifinals in each of the last two years. In 2022 Dolgorjav was victorious 6-2. Last year, she won 7-5. Sandwiched in between those two matches was a 10-0 win for Hildebrandt at the 2023 Hungarian Ranking Series event. 

Turning our attention to the men’s Greco-Roman portion of the tournament, the first American to take the mat on Tuesday was Kamal Bey at 77 kg. Bey also had an opponent he’s met multiple times over the years - Akzhol Makhmudov. The two-time world champion and 2020 Olympic silver medalist from Kyrgyzstan lost to Bey in the 2017 Junior World finals. 

In this meeting, there was little action in the first period which led to a passivity call on Bey. Makhmudov was given plenty of time to work from the par terre position, but couldn’t add to his lead and the match went into period two, 1-0. 

In the second, Makhmudov turned up the heat on Bey and would not allow him near the center of the mat, garnering back-to-back push-out points and a 3-0 lead. A second passivity call on Bey made the match 4-0. Once again, Makhmudov couldn’t turn Bey from the par terre restart. Late in the contest, Bey was able to get on the board with a push-out of his own; however, it was not enough and he fell 4-1. 

In his next bout, Makhmudov was shocked by Demeu Zhadrayev (Kazakhstan) late in the second period. Zhadrayev was able to expose Makhmudov from a front head-pinch maneuver which gave him a 3-1 win. The loss from Makhmudov eliminated Bey from medal contention. 

Also in action was Joe Rau at 97 kg. Like Bey, Rau drew a past world champion in Iran’s Mohammadhadi Saravi. In the opening period, Rau was able to hold his position and drew a passivity on Saravi, resulting in a 1-0 lead for the American. Rau couldn’t add to his lead from par terre and the pair were brought back to their feet. Later in the first, Saravi would push ahead on a step-out. 

In the second period, the Iranian was able to break open the match after a passivity call on Rau and his opportunity from par terre. Saravi proceeded to turn Rau twice with a gut wrench which led to an insurmountable 6-1 advantage. Soon after, Saravi got a takedown with a duck under and a gut wrench to seal the match at 10-1. 

Saravi teched his quarterfinal opponent Uzur Dzhuzupbekov (Kyrgyzstan) 8-0 and moved into the semifinals. Should Saravi defeat Egypt’s Mohamed Gabr, Rau will be pulled back into repechage tomorrow. 

 

Women’s Freestyle 

50 kg

Round of 16: Sarah Hildebrandt over Ibtissem Doudou (Algeria)  10-0

Quarterfinals: Sarah Hildebrandt over Ziqi Feng (China)  7-4
 

Men’s Greco-Roman

77 kg

Round of 16: Akzhol Makhmudov (Kyrgyzstan) over Kamal Bey  4-1
 

97 kg 

Round of 16: Mohammadhadi Saravi (Iran) over Joe Rau  10-1