Indian wrestler Aman Sehrawat clinched a bronze medal in the 57 kg freestyle wrestling event at the ongoing Paris Olympics on Friday, defeating Puerto Rico’s Darian Cruz with a decisive 13-5 victory. The 21-year-old athlete secured India’s first wrestling medal at Paris 2024, marking an impressive debut at his first Olympic Games.
Aman Sehrawat’s achievement places him among the elite group of Indian wrestlers, making him the seventh Indian to win an Olympic wrestling medal.
The match saw a strong start from Cruz, who gained the first point by targeting Aman’s single leg and pushing him out of bounds. However, Aman quickly regained momentum, applying pressure on Cruz’s shoulders and earning two points. Cruz responded with a leg hold, briefly taking the lead.
Aman’s resilience shone through as he regained control by the end of the first period. With 37 seconds left in the match, he secured two additional points, nearly winning by technical superiority. In the closing moments, Cruz made a desperate attempt to recover, but Aman countered and added another point to seal his victory.
Earlier in the semi-final, Aman faced a tough opponent in Japan’s Rei Higuchi. The Japanese wrestler dominated the bout, advancing to the gold medal match with a 10-0 win by technical superiority. Despite this setback, Aman bounced back to secure his bronze medal.
Aman’s journey to the medal round included a dominant 12-0 victory over Albania’s Zelimkhan Abakanov in the quarterfinals, where he showcased his exceptional skillset. He also defeated former European champion Vladimir Egorov in the first round with a 10-0 technical superiority win.
