Wrestler Wendle tragically misses bronze
Three years ago, the German Wrestling Federation exceeded expectations at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, winning three medals. This year in Paris, the federation is still waiting for its first podium place. Wrestler Annika Wendle injures her knee during the bronze medal match and loses.
Annika Wendle limped off the mat and bravely waved to the audience after her bitter defeat in the bronze medal match. Her coach, however, already feared the worst: "You could hear a noise," he whispered after the debutant's Olympic match.
After 19 seconds, Wendle screamed and hit the mat, her North Korean opponent Choe Hyo Gyong twisted her left knee. The 26-year-old from ASV Altenheim tried again - but could not resist any longer. After 96 seconds, the duel was decided, 0:10, over.
The German Wrestling Federation (DRB) must continue to wait for its first medal in Paris. Wendle (freestyle class up to 53 kg) gave her all in the fully packed Marsfeld Arena at the Eiffel Tower, but she left the hall with a grimace of pain. In the semi-finals, she lost 0:10 against the top-seeded Lucia Yepez from Ecuador, third in the 2023 World Championships in Belgrade, but managed to slip into the bronze medal match through the repechage.
Crazy Story without a Happy Ending
For Wendle, this meant the end of a crazy story without a happy ending: The former European bronze medalist had initially missed her ticket to Paris. Because Russia's wrestling federation decided at short notice not to send any athletes under a neutral status to Paris, Wendle got a chance - and was bitterly stopped.
Before Wendle, Sandra Paruszewski (Sulgen) had to accept the feared opening defeat today, the fourth day of the wrestling competitions, but she can still hope for the bronze medal. The twice European bronze medalist lost in the class up to 57 kg against the second-seeded vice-world champion Anastasia Nichita clearly 0:9.
Because the Moldavian fought her way into the final, the 30-year-old Olympic debutant Paruszewski can still compete in the repechage on Friday morning. Then she will first face the Brazilian Giullia Penalber. The last German participants to start are Luisa Niemesch (62 kg/Weingarten), fifth in the World Championships, on Friday, and Erik Thiele (freestyle/97 kg/Mansfelder Land) on Saturday.
Three years ago in Tokyo, the DRB exceeded expectations with three medals. Aline Rotter-Focken won the Olympic gold in her last competition, Frank Stäbler and Denis Kudla each won bronze at the end of their active careers.
Despite her valiant efforts, Annika Wendle's Olympic journey in the 2024 Games in Paris took an unfortunate turn when she suffered an injury during the bronze medal match. The German Wrestling Federation (DRB) now faces another challenge in securing its first medal in Paris, as Wendle's chances of bringing home a medal have been weakened.
