Cruz earned the first point of the medal match in the first few minutes. However, Sehrawat very quickly earned 2 points, which Cruz beat by winning another point, pinning Sehrawat. The match went back and forth as Sehrawat earned two more points, taking the lead at 6 to Cruz’s 3.
In the final round, Cruz took two other points by again pinning Sehrawat to the ground, though Sehrawat quickly turned the tables and won two points – leading again with 8 points total. In the last two minutes, Sehrwat pulled his score to 13, securing the first wrestling medal for the country at the Paris Olympics.
Sehrawat had missed out on the gold medal after he failed to qualify for the finals on Thursday as he lost to Japanese wrestler top-seed Rei Higuchi in the 57kg free-style. Higuchi’s superior technique was evident in the first few seconds when he attacked Aman’s legs to take a 4-0 lead.
The Japanese, a former world champion in 2022 at Belgrade in the 61kg category, kept up the pressure on the Indian, targeting Aman’s legs and effecting regular throw downs with ease to garner six more points to end the contest.
The 21-year-old wrestler from Birohar, Haryana, however, made a significant mark on international wrestling by advancing to the Paris 2024 Olympics semifinals in the men’s 57kg freestyle category. Sehrawat, who earned his Olympic spot by defeating his idol Ravi Dahiya, showcased exceptional skill by winning his first two matches by technical superiority.In his Olympic debut, Sehrawat faced Macedonian wrestler Vladimir Egorov in the round of 16. He dominated the contest, winning by technical superiority with a score of 10-0 on August 8. Following this, he encountered former world champion Zelimkhan Abakarov in the quarterfinals and again prevailed by technical superiority, this time with a score of 12-0.