65kg – Zane Retherford
Olympic Playoff Match – Niurgun Skriabin (Individual Neutral Athlete) won 7-0
Retherford went first with a shot clock point two minutes into the first period. He exploded with a single leg and sent Scriabin the length of the mat, taking a 3-0 lead into the break. Scriabin took a tough shot and his forward pressure again paid off as Retherford responded in the opening seconds of the second period. With a 5-0 lead, Retherford returned to tilt from the top to right flanker and added a series of exposed points to extend the lead to seven. He displayed strong defense for the remainder of the match, earning him the title of Olympian.
Bronze medal match – Sujeet Sujeet (India) wins 2-2
Retherford relentlessly continued to put pressure on the front line throughout the match. Midway through the first period, Retherford went deep with a low single and went past Sujeet for a finish, but was countered and given back two points. Leading 2-0 heading into the second period, Retherford’s pace paid off. He took advantage of Sujeet’s errant shot and got a reversal takedown to take a 2-2 lead on the criteria. His defense held strong for the rest of the match, cementing his place in the Olympic playoff match for the win and bronze medal.
Note: Sujeet is the 2022 U20 World Championship bronze medalist and has won the Asian Championships at U20 and U23 age levels.
Repechage #2 – Abdulmadjid Kudiyev (Tajikistan) won 5-2
Retherford took a single-leg shot just after the whistle and ended up hitting Kudyev wide of the target for a point. Kudiyev penetrated deep with a single leg, but a solid scramble from Retherford prevented him from scoring. Retherford took advantage of Kudiyev’s relentless attack on his right leg and hit a well-timed single leg to add two more points before the break. Retherford opened up a 5-0 lead with a strong double leg takedown 30 seconds into the second period. He played the remainder of the match in a hand-fighting game. With eight seconds remaining, Kudiyev scored a takedown, making the final score 5-2.
Note: Kudiyev finished 9th at the 2023 Senior World Championships. He was the U23 Asian Championship gold medalist in 2023.
Repechage #1 – Win Alibeg Alibegov (Bahrain), fall, 2:37
Retherford took the lead with a front headlock toss 45 seconds into the game, scoring four points. During the exchange, Alibegov was exposed and countered, resulting in a 4-2 score in Retherford’s favor. Returning to a neutral position, Retherford countered Alibegov’s knee pick attempt to get his first chance to get on top and made the most of it. Retherford returned to his folkstyle roots, throwing in a boot from the right side and tipping Alibegov three times before sliding off the boot into a half nelson and falling in 2 minutes and 37 seconds.
Note: Alibegov was a bronze medalist at the 2021 U20 World Championships and finished with bronze at the 2022 U23 Asian Championships.
