Vinesh Phogat and World number 3 Seema have both been handed lifelines despite defeats after their victors booked a berth in the finals of the 53 kg and the 50 kg categories respectively.
Vinesh had lost to 7-0 to three-time World Championship Mayu Mukaida in the pre-quarters while Seema Bisla had lost her match 2-9 to three-time Olympic medallist Mariya Stadnik.
Both Maya and Mariya won their respective semi-finals and booked a berth in the finals, clearing the way for the Indians to fight for the bronze in the repechage round tomorrow.
In wrestling, the repechage rule ensures all wrestlers who have lost to eventual finalists get a shot at the bronze medal. Only, they have to beat all other wrestlers who have also lost to that same wrestler in the span of the tournament.
In non-Olympic categories, Komal Gole was too defensive against Turkey's Beste Altug and lost her 72kg Qualification bout 1-4, while Lalita was outplayed 3-10 by Mongolia's Bolortuya Bat Ochir in 55kg. Both Lalita and Komal are now out of the championship since Bolortuya and Altug later lost their respective quarterfinals.
Vinesh Lost to World Champ Maya
Vinesh’s defeat to Maya was her second consecutive loss against the 2016 and 2018 World Champion this season after losing to her at the Asian Championship in China.
Both of Mukaida’s golds however were won in the 55 kg category which is a non-Olympic event and so the wrestler has dropped a weight category to make the cut for the Tokyo Olympics.
Vinesh has Commonwealth Games and Asian Games titles to her name but is yet to win a medal at the Worlds which, this time, comes with the added bonus of a Tokyo Olympics qualifying spot for the top six wrestlers in each category.
With Mukaida winning her semi-final, the Indian will need to beat three wrestlers in the Repechage round - Yuliia Khavaldzhy Blahinya from Ukraine, world number one Sarah Ann Hildebrandt and then Maria Prevolaraki from Greece.
“Japan is a wrestling powerhouse. It takes some time to attack these girls. It’s about one technique, one move one point that changes the bout. I tried, it did not happen and she succeeded.”Vinesh Phogat to PTI
Placed in an extremely tough 53kg bracket, Vinesh made a dominating start earlier in the day by outclassing Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sofia Mattsson, winning 13-0 in her opening round.
However, in the much-anticipated clash against world number two Mukaida, Vinesh could not be her usual attacking self and lost 0-7.
The first 60-70 seconds remained without scores as they measured each other. Vinesh lost a point on passivity and from there on, the Japanese began to dominate.
A quick take-down, followed by an expose and another take-down gave the Japanese a commanding 7-0 lead.
Vinesh needed to attack but Mukaida's defence was like an immovable rock. The Indian made two double-leg attacks and also got hold of Mukaida's left leg but could not convert those moves into points.
Against Mattsson, Vinesh followed a strategy of staying away from the Swede.
Vinesh did not allow her to come close to play her hold-game. In no time, she raced to a 4-0 lead and made it a commanding 8-0 with a double leg attack and a takedown from a waist attack.
A healthy lead in her pocket, Vinesh just needed to stay calm and save some energy in the second period. She ended the bout with a four-point throw near the edge of the mat.
Vinesh had recently beaten Sofia, the six-time World Championship medal winner, en route the Poland Open title-win last month.
Seema Awaiting Semis Results As Well
In another Olympic weight category, world number Seema had lost to the seasoned Stadnik in the 50kg event. Not allowed to take charge, the consistent double leg attacks by Stadnik always had Seema on the run as she lost points for stepping out.
A take-down followed by a gut-wrench gave Stadnik a 6-0 lead at the break. Seema could only score two points with a take-down towards the end of the bout.
“It’s not that Mariya was more powerful than me. She is more experienced than me. I have just competed in 5-6 competitions in 50kg. I am learning and will get better.”Seema Bisla
In the 72kg, Komal waited too long to attack. With just 40 seconds to go at 1-1, Komal made two double-leg attacks but only to lose points.
In one last desperate attempt, she attacked the right leg of the Turk but could not convert it into points with Beste staying strong in her defense.
India's campaign in the Greco-Roman style folded after Naveen lost his 130kg repechage round by technical superiority to Estonia's Heiki Nabi.
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