Dávid Losonczi Wrestles for Bronze Medal at the Olympics Today

Dávid Losonczi, wrestler in the 87kg category, lost 3-1 in the semi-finals against his Bulgarian opponent and will compete for the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics on Thursday.

Dávid Losonczi arrived in Paris as an Olympic rookie, but he was clearly one of the favorites in the weight class, having won gold at last year’s World Championships and bronze the year before. He started yesterday as the favorite and very confidently defeated world and European 82kg champion and 77kg Olympic bronze medalist Rafig Huseynov of Azerbaijan 5-2. In the quarter-finals, he was also resilient against Serbia’s Russian-born star, this year’s European Champion Aleksandr Komarov in the 87kg category, whom he outclassed 2-2 in a huge battle and a nail-biting match.

After the match against Komarov, Losonczi had a longer rest before facing last year’s third-placed Bulgarian in the fourth pair of the evening’s program, Semen Novikov.

During the match, Novikov defended well and with only 20 seconds to go, he kicked the Hungarian wrestler out with a nice counter (1-2), who pushed his opponent off the mat, but as the Bulgarian slipped on his knee, the action was not worth a point, confirmed by the video recording requested by the Hungarians (1-3).

“I did my best. I put my heart and soul out there and now I am at a loss for what happened,” said the disappointed Dávid Losonczi after his defeat. I do not know if he was better prepared than before, but it was definitely a very small thing.”

He added that

he has to get over the setback because the medal will be at stake for him on Thursday.

“If I stay in this, I will not make it tomorrow. Thus, now I have to eat and mentally work off the defeat, because I have to win the bronze medal,” emphasized Dávid Losonczi, who will face Denmark’s Turpal Bisultanov in the semi-final on Thursday evening.

Via MTI; Featured image via MTI/Illyés Tibor