#Tokyo2020

Ecuador, Romania Earn Olympic Tickets as North Korea Withdraws from Tokyo 2020

Tuesday, June 15, 2021 - 15:08 By United World Wrestling Press

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The Democratic People's Republic of Korea provided official notice that they won't be attending the Tokyo Games, thereby giving Ecuador and Romania additional Olympic allocations.

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (June 15) -- Officials from The Democratic People's Republic of Korea have notified United World Wrestling and the International Olympic Committee that they will not be attending the Summer Olympics this year in Tokyo.

Due to their absence, North Korea's Olympic qualification allocations at 53kg and 62kg in women's wrestling must be reassigned according to the established United World Wrestling's Olympic qualification system.

The Olympic qualifications will now be allotted to Ecuador (53kg) and Romania (62kg).

Ecuador's Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES, who finished seventh at the 2019 Wrestling World Championships in Nur-Sultan, will earn the award for her home nation as she was the next highest finisher at 53kg after the removal of world champion PAK Yong Mi (PRK).

At 62kg RIM Jong Sim (PRK) placed 6th at the world championships leaving Kriszta INCZE (ROU) as the next highest, non-qualified, finisher at the weight category. Wrestlers ahead of her from Ukraine and the United States later qualified at their respective continental qualification events.

Wrestling at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games is set to begin August 1, 2021, at the Makuhari Messe in Tokyo.

#WrestleParis

Paris Olympics: Five wrestlers to be country's flagbearers at opening ceremony

Friday, July 26, 2024 - 17:48 By United World Wrestling Press

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PARIS (July 26) -- Five wrestlers will be the flag bearers of their respective nations at the opening ceremony at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Saturday.

The opening ceremony parade will take place in boats down the river Seine with Greece opening the parade followed by the Refugee Olympic Team and then the countries in alphabetic order. France, the host, will be the last in the parade. The United States and Australia, hosts for the next two Olympics, will come before France.

Albania's first world champion in wrestling Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB) will be the flagbearer for his country. He will wrestle in the 57kg weight class.

For Puerto Rico, world silver medalist in 65kg Sebastian RIVERIA (PUR) will be the flagbearer alongside Jasmine Camacho-Quinn from Athletics.

Rckaela AQUINO (GUM)Rckaela AQUINO (GUM) of Guam. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Guam has given the responsibility to its first-ever female wrestler Rckaela AQUINO (GUM). She will be wrestling in the 57kg weight class.

Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS) will be the flagbearer for Guinee-Bissau at the opening ceremony. He wrestled in Tokyo at 57kg and will perform in Paris in the same weight class.

Honduras has given the responsibility to its first-ever Greco-Roman wrestler Kevin MEJIA (HON).

Wrestling begins on August 5 in Paris and ends on August 11.