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Can Zain Retherford still win a medal at the Paris Olympics after suffering defeat in first round? Exploring American's chances
The 2023 World Championships gold medalist, Zain Retherford, suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Iran's Rahman Amouzad during the first round of the men's freestyle 65 kg event on Saturday.
However, the 29-year-old still has a window to qualify for the bronze medal match and such a case can occur only if Retherford's first-round opponent, Amouzad, qualifies for the event's finals.
A former world champion, Amouzad has paved a dominating performance so far at the French capital with convincing victories over Retherford whom he defeated by a margin of 8-0 that included two takedowns.
Following this win over one of the reigning World Champions, Amouzad clinched another win in the second round with a win over Albania's Islam Dudaev by a margin of 11-0 via technical superiority.
This victory also booked Amouzad's place in the Men's 65 kg freestyle semifinals, where he will be up against Hungary's Ismail Musukaev. This match scheduled on Saturday, August 10, at 6:25 PM local time will also decide Zain Retherford's fate in the first Olympics of his career.
If Amouzad wins this match against Musukaev, Retherford will qualify for the repechage round of the competition, and if he manages to clinch a victory in the repechage round, he will play the bronze medal match and will be in probable contention for a medal in the men's 65 kg competition.
However, the 29-year-old has pulled off such a miracle in the past during the World Olympic qualifier games in Istanbul, where he clinched four consecutive victories to finish third in the event and qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
All you need to know about Zain Retherford's road to the wrestling mat
Zain Retherford undoubtedly has been one of the most high-performing wrestlers when it comes to the 65 and 70 kg categories. However, the reason for the successes that he is reaping now in his collegiate and elite career traces way back to his childhood days in Wisconsin.
In an interview with Olympic.com, Retherford credited his childhood days as a reason for his successful wrestling career.
"I remember that whenever I would have the opportunity to go to wrestling practice, I would go and do it because it was easier than working on the farm," he said.
During the interview, Zain Retherford also mentioned that his childhood has helped him to not take wrestling for granted and strive hard for success.
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