Wrestling Champion Tamás Lőrincz Is One Step Away From Olympic Gold

By defeating Iran’s Mohammadali Geraej, Hungary’s Tamás Lőrincz made it one step closer to Olympic gold, qualifying for the finals of Greco-Roman wrestling in the men’s 77kg category at the Tokyo Olympics. The current world champion of his weight class, Lőrincz may see his first Olympic gold medal in Tokyo if he is able to defeat Kyrgyzstan’s Akzsol Mahmudov.

Following an excellent display of skill and athleticism, Tamás Lőrincz will be representing Hungary at the Tokyo Olympics finals in men’s 77kg Greco-Roman wrestling. Making it past the round of 16 without a fight but also without a warmup, since his opponent was not able to attend due to a coronavirus infection, Lőrincz was able to defeat Japan’s Jabiku Sohei 3:1 and Iran’s Mohammadali Geraej 6:5, putting him one match away from gold.

The road to victory is definitely not easy, as the Hungarian can be seen noticeably out of breath in his interview with M4 sport following the Geraej matchup. He states that it was his routineness, his heart, and the mental image of his family that won him the battle.

I was very confident that I would leave the matt with this success, and I am very confident that I will be able to overcome one more match.”

Lőrincz was able to secure a silver medal after the London 2012 Olympics in the 66 kg category, but now, 11 kilograms heavier, he contends as the reigning world champion of the 77 kg weight class. With the support of Hungarians behind him, this final match on Tuesday at 12:30 (CET) will hopefully bring him his first Olympic gold medal.

In the featured photo, Tamás Lőrincz smiles after his win against Iran’s Mohammedali Geraei on August 2. Lőrincz has made it into the finals. Featured photo by Tamás Kovács/MTI