International Journalist Olympic Prediction Contest: Day Two Results

After the first day of the Olympic Wrestling, four journalists saw all three of their picks reach the finals with nine others going 2-for-3. 

Well, that success was fun while it lasted as Day 2 started off in the least conceivable way: Japan’s Yui Susaki (50kg), the reigning World Champion suffered her first international defeat of her entire career as Vinesh (IND) stung her at the buzzer to win 2-2.

Susaki was selected by eighteen of the twenty-one prognosticators in TheMat.com’s annual International Journalist Pick Contest. Two journalists selected Sarah Hildebrandt (USA) who reached tomorrow’s finals. 

But Susaki wasn’t the only overwhelming pick that went down. Akzhol Makhmudeov (KGZ), the reigning world champion in Greco at 77kg lost to Kazakhstan's Demeu Zhadrayev in Round 2 erasing the pick of eleven. Only five journalists have a finalist alive at 77, and all five took Japan’s Nao Kusaka who will face Zhadrayev. 

Selections in Greco at 97 saw much better results for the journalists. Artur Aleksanyan (ARM) and Mohammad Saravi (IRI) will meet in tomorrow’s finals with the two combining for seventeen of the twenty-one picks: Aleksanyan with thirteen and Saravi with four.

In the semi’s, Aleksanyan beat Gabriel Rosillo (CUB) in a rematch of last year’s World finals won by Rosillo. Despite being the defending World Champ, Rosillo only garnered two pre-tournament picks here.