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Dávid Losonczi, wrestler in the 87kg category, surprisingly lost to his Danish opponent on Thursday evening, thus finishing fifth at the Paris Olympics.
The 24-year-old Losonczi arrived in the French capital as an Olympic rookie and defending world champion, where he was considered the biggest favorite in the weight class and reached the semi-final with two great wins in Wednesday morning’s program. First, he defeated the 82 kg world and European champion and 77 kg Olympic bronze medalist Rafig Huseynov of Azerbaijan 5-2 in a very confident manner. Then he beat the Russian-born Serbian star, this year’s European champion Aleksandr Komarov, 2-2 in a tremendous battle, thanks to a late point. In the semi-final, he then lost to Bulgaria’s Semen Novikov, and was matched for third place with 22-year-old Danish Turpal Ali Bisultanov.
He was disappointed on Wednesday evening, but immediately stressed that he had to get over the setback and prepare for Thursday night as he wants to leave Paris with a medal.
Dávid Losonczi (in blue) and Turpal Ali Bisultanov (in red). Photo: MTI/Czeglédi Zsolt
At the end of the match, he visibly collapsed and went to the warm-up room, needing a few minutes to make a statement. “I am not well, especially mentally,” he said when he had recovered. “I made a mistake because I was driving and then I missed a moment and he threw me off.”
The athlete, who won World Championship bronze a year before his World Championship title last year, said he was in a very deep place mentally on Wednesday night and had to rebuild himself from “zero” and almost succeeded but was not enough.
“My match last night definitely put a stamp on my performance this time, because I came here with the intention of making the final and becoming Olympic champion, but somehow it did not work out,” said Dávid Losonczi, who announced that he would donate his fifth place prize money to charity.
Photo: MTI/Czeglédi Zsolt
Péter Módos, the national captain, also expressed his disappointment, saying he was “touched by Losonczi’s defeat.” “We did not know beforehand how the Olympics would affect our athletes, and we have been on an emotional rollercoaster since yesterday’s defeat, which has absolutely left its mark on today’s match,” he told MTI. “I am very sorry, because David prepared professionally, he did everything for the success.”
Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Czeglédi Zsolt