- No medal for wrestler Wendle
A knee injury painfully hindered wrestler Annika Wendle's quest for bronze at the Olympic Games. The 26-year-old lost her bronze medal match in the 53kg weight class against North Korean Choe Hyo Gyong, finishing fifth. Wendle missed out on what could have been the biggest achievement of her career in a tragic manner.
South Baden native screams in pain
Her opponent had grabbed her knee and taken her down just 19 seconds into the match. Wendle was clearly in pain, screaming and tapping the mat. After a brief treatment, she continued to fight, but the North Korean won after just under two minutes. Wendle limped down the stairs from the mat after her defeat.
"You could hear a noise," said national coach Patrick Loes about the scene where his protégé might have suffered a severe injury. The extent of the injury will be determined by further examinations. Wendle and Loes briefly made contact after she got back up. "She tried again," said the coach. But it was to no avail. After the defeat, the athlete from Altenheim in South Baden had to be carried by co-trainer Armen Mkrtchjan after walking a short distance towards the locker room.
The German wrestling team remains without a medal in Paris for now. However, Sandra Paruszewski still has a chance to win bronze in the 57kg class on Friday.
Qualified after replacement
After two wins, Wendle was no match for world number one Lucia Yepez from Ecuador in the semi-finals on Wednesday. The severe swelling around her left eye symbolized the tough fights she had to endure at these Games. She was hit even harder in the bronze medal match.
Wendle had originally missed qualification for Paris. After the Russian federation withdrew its wrestlers, she was nominated as a replacement. After winning bronze at the European Championships in 2020 and 2021, she had hoped to stand on the Olympic podium as well, but fell just short.
Despite her replacement qualification for the Olympics, Annika Wendle missed out on the opportunity to receive the ['Medal of the Order of Merit'] for Germany, due to her unfortunate defeat in the bronze medal match. Her determination and resilience in continuing to fight despite injury were commendable, as showcased by her valiant effort against North Korean Choe Hyo Gyong.
