Reetika Hooda’s Olympic Journey Cut Short in Quarterfinals

Wrestler Reetika Hooda faced a tough match at the Paris Olympics, as she took on the top-seeded Aiperi Medet Kyzy from Kyrgyzstan in the quarterfinals of the Women’s 76kg Freestyle event.

The match started off intensely, with Kyzy quickly taking control and putting Reetika on the mat within the first minute. However, Reetika showed her resilience by getting back up and engaging in a wrestling struggle with Kyzy.

Two minutes into the bout, both wrestlers were still neck-and-neck until Kyzy was hit with a hit-clock violation while trying to attack. Reetika then seized the opportunity and managed to score the first point, leading 1-0 as they headed into halftime.

In the second half, things took a turn when Reetika received a hit-clock violation herself, allowing Kyzy to score her first point. With the match now level, Kyzy increased the pressure on Reetika, taking advantage of her technical skills.

Despite her efforts to defend herself and counterattack, Reetika ultimately couldn’t hold off the top-seeded wrestler, and Kyzy advanced to the semifinals.

Hooda made history by being the first Indian woman to qualify for the 76kg heavyweight wrestling category at the Olympics, earning her spot in the competition during the Asian Wrestling Olympic Qualifiers in Bishkek earlier this year. She had a strong start in the tournament, winning her pre-quarter-final match against Bernadett Nagy of Hungary with a dominant score of 12-2.