Russian wrestler Lyubov Ovcharova has moved up to 62kg for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The 2019 world championship silver medallist in 59kg says that she always wanted to compete in her new weight class but the head coach saw a potential in me at 57kg. “Now the coach and I have consulted and decided that after all at the 62kg, I will be new and it will be more convenient for me to fight, as that is my usual body weight,” she told WRESTRUS.RU.
The recently concluded Russian Women’s Championship was Ovcharova’s second time in 62kg, first being the 2019 Russian nationals. Representing Krasnodar territory, St. Petersburg, she won gold by beating Alina Kazymova 8-0 on technical superiority. On her win, she said: “I expected to see a more experienced rival in the final”. “There are many strong athletes in this weight class, and I was preparing to fight with any of them, but they preferred to fight in another category”.
Russia is yet to confirm its berth for the Olympics in 62kg. Mariia Kuznetsova was their entry in the weight class but she failed, getting knocked out by Gantuya Enkhbut of Mongolia in the pre-quarterfinals. Ovchorova, however, is confident that she will qualify for the delayed-games. She has also set her eyes at getting revenge from Canada’s Linda Morais against whom she lost at the worlds. “Since March, I have been living just one dream, to qualify for the Olympics. Of course, if the world championship takes place in December, I will have a chance to take revenge against Canada’s Linda Morais this year, but if not now, then at the Olympics for sure”.
European and World Olympic Qualifiers dates confirmed
United World Wrestling (UWW) confirmed the dates for the deferred European Olympic Qualifiers and World Olympic Qualifiers. While the European event will be held in Budapest, Hungary from March 18-21, the Worlds will be at Sofia, Bulgaria from April 29 to May 02. It means, Ovcharova still have two chances to fulfil her dream of representing Russia at the Olympics.
Currently eight slots have been booked. Six wrestlers — Kyrgyzstan’s Aisuluu Tynbekova, Bulgaria’s Taybe Yusein, Sweden’s Henna Johansson, Japan’s Yukako Kawai, Hungary’s Marianna Sastin, and North Korea’s Rim Jong-sim — confirmed the Olympic berth at Nur-Sultan worlds. Brazil’s Lais Nunes and the USA’s Kayla Miracle booked the flight by reaching Pan-American Qualifiers finals.