(Photo: Alexandre Loureiro/COB)
Brazilian Giullia Penalber is qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games! She secured her place in the women’s freestyle under-57kg category by winning three matches and reaching the final of the World Pre-Olympic wrestling, in Istanbul, Turkey, this Friday (10). Kamila Barbosa (50kg) will compete in the repechage, while Sabrina Game (53kg) and Laís Nunes (62kg) were eliminated.
Currently 11th in the world rankings, Giullia Penalber began her journey in the round of 16, beating the Italian Aurora Russo by a landslide (4-0). In the quarterfinals, she beat Kyrgyz Sezim Zhumanazarov by superiority (12 to 0). Finally, in the decisive dispute for the Olympic place, the Brazilian beat Uzbek Laylokhhon Sobirova 7-5, in an upset.
In this way, Giullia Penalber becomes the first Brazilian wrestling athlete to guarantee a place in Paris-2024. Sister of judoka Victor Penalber, the 32-year-old from Rio will make her debut at the Olympic Games. She has two medals at the Pan American Games: a bronze in Lima 2019 and a gold in Santiago-2023in what was a historic campaign for the sport.
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Another athlete who won gold in Santiago-2023 and who fought for an Olympic spot this Friday was Laís Nunes, in the under-62kg category. Unlike Giullia, however, she ended up defeated in her debut, losing to the Swedish Johanna Lindborg, by defeat (5-0). Lindborg fell in the quarterfinals and, as a result, the Brazilian was unable to return to the playoff race, leaving her without a place.
Who also fell on her debut was Kamila Barbosa (50kg), who lost to German Anastasia Blayvas 10-0. However, as the tormentor reached the decisive dispute for the Olympic place, the Brazilian will be able to return to the repechage this Saturday (11). Finally, Sabrina Gama (53kg) beat Vietnamese Nguyen Thi My Trang 5-0, but lost to Mongolian Khulan Batkhuyag 4-0 afterwards.
In addition to Kamila, only one other Brazilian will compete in the Pre-Olympic wrestling this Saturday. It will be Pedro Samuel Gonçalves, in the men’s freestyle under-86kg category. He will enter action from 4am (Brasília time) and will need to win four fights to achieve Olympic qualification for Paris-2024. This is the last opportunity to get a place for the mega event.
22 years old from São Paulo. Journalist graduated from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). I’ve been at Olimpíada Todo Dia since 2022. I covered the World University Games in Chengdu and the Pan-American Games in Santiago-2023.
