US Goes 0-3 at the Olympic Games in Wednesday's First Session

Wednesday’s morning session at the 2024 Olympic Games saw Team USA experience a rough round of competition. Two American wrestlers started their tournaments and dropped their initial bout, while another was eliminated in repechage. 

97 kg Greco-Roman representative, Joe Rau had the opportunity to participate in repechage after his opponent Mohammadhadi Saravi (Iran) advanced to the Olympic finals. That pitted Rau against Kyrgyzstan's Uzur Dzhuzupbekov. 

Rau appeared to take the lead early in the contest; however, a potential takedown was called a “slip-throw” by the on-mat official. Shortly after that call, Rau was hit for passivity. In addition to the point for the passive call, Dzhuzupbekov was able to capitalize on the ensuing par terre restart and used a high gut to turn Rau for four points and a huge 5-0 lead. 

The second period began and the official hit Dzhuzpbekov for passivity and gave Rau the chance to work from par terre. As Rau was looking to work from a head pinch, the official determined that Dzhuzupbekov committed a foul which made the score 5-3.

Late in the period, Rau was able to earn another point via step out to pull within one point. As he was pushing for a potential score, Dzhuzupbekov got a throw of his own for four points and that sequence clinched a 9-4 victory - ending Rau’s tournament. 

2022 World Champion Dom Parrish was next to take the mat and she had the toughest possible first-round opponent in the women’s 53 kg freestyle bracket, Akari Fujinami of Japan. Fujinami is a two-time world champion who won her most recent title without surrendering a point. 

The match began favorably for Parrish who was able to fend off the initial offensive surge from Fujinami. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to stop a low leg attack for a takedown and a 2-0 lead for the Japanese star. Fujinami used a similar attack to get a second takedown shortly thereafter. In the action that followed the second takedown, Fujinami was able to catch Parrish on her back and never let her back to her feet before a fall. 

Fujinami won her quarterfinal bout and has a semifinal contest slated for this afternoon against China’s Qianyu Pang. Should Fujinami win, Parrish will get pulled into tomorrow’s repechage. 

The final American to hit the mat in Wednesday’s opening session was Payton Jacobson at 82 kg in Greco. Jacobson and Aleksander Komarov (Serbia) engaged in some strong handfighting early in the bout before Komarov locked up a body lock and took Jacobson straight to his back for four points. A

After the initial scoring sequence, Jacobson was called for passivity and Komarov got to work from par terre. Komarov locked up a gut wrench and took Jacobson off the mat after two exposures. Initially, only one was called. The Serbian corner then challenged the hold and the second exposure was awarded ending the match with a 9-0 tech in favor of the Serbian wrestler. 

In his next match, Komarov dropped a 2-2 match to Hungary’s David Losonczi, which eliminated Payton Jacobson from medal contention.

The American squad will not be in action again until later this afternoon when Sarah Hildebrandt wrestles for gold at 50 kg in women’s freestyle.