Even before her gold medal bout on Tuesday on Mat B at the Makuhari Hall A, Blessing Oborodudu is already blessed as the first individual Nigerian woman at an Olympic Games final event since the historic feat of Chioma Ajunwa 25 years ago.
She is also the first Nigerian woman in Olympic Games wrestling final.
By reaching the final against America’s world champion Tamyra Mensah, Oborodudu, a ten time African champion who beat Battsetsegbold of Mongolia 7-2 has assured Nigeria a first medal of the Olympics.
At 11 am, local time in Tokyo and 3am in Nigeria, it will be a packed day in wrestling as three gold medals will be at stake.
It will see several repechages for the men’s Greco-Roman 77kg, women’s freestyle 68kg and men’s Greco-Roman 97kg before 1/8 Finals and 1/4 Finals of the men’s Greco-Roman 67kg, women’s freestyle 62kg and men’s Greco-Roman 87kg.
The evening session gets underway from 18:15 and will see the semi-finals of the men’s Greco-Roman 67kg and 87kg divisions before the bronze medal matches and final for the women’s freestyle 68kg, men’s Greco-Roman 77kg and men’s Greco-Roman 97kg.
The United States’ world champion Tamyra Mensah will take on Commonwealth gold medallist Blessing Oborududu of Nigeria in the women’s 68kg final.
The men’s Greco-Roman 97kg sees the return of Armenia’s Artur Aleksanyan, who will grapple with the reigning world champion, the ROC’s Musa Evloev, for the gold medal.
Meanwhile, in the men’s Greco-Roman 77kg world no.3, Tamas Lorincz of Hungary will take on Kyrgyzstan’s Akzhol Makhmudov for top honours.
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