ALGIERS (April 3) – Sahit PRIZRENI (AUS) hopes his third trip to the Olympics Games will be the charm.
The former world bronze medalist notched three one-sided wins at the Africa-Oceania Olympic Games qualifying tournament on Sunday to secure a ticket to his third Olympic Games at Rio 2016.
“I’m excited about going,” Prizreni said after pinning Jason AFRIKANER (NAM) in the semifinals at 65kg. “And, I hope it will be ‘third time lucky’ for me.”
Prizreni went to the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Games for Albania and finished 17th and 16th. But the 33-year-old veteran looks ahead to a better finish in Rio de Janiero this coming August.
“I want to do my best for Australia and my coach,” said Prizreni. “My condition is not so good right now but I hope to do some training and get some more matches in Europe this summer (to get ready for Rio).”
Australia, which picked up a pair of Rio 2016 berths in Greco-Roman on Friday, got a second freestyle ticket from Talgat ILYASOV (AUS) at 74kg. Ilyasov flattened All-African Games champion Ayad IBRAHIM (EGY) in the semfinals for the ticket.
On Sunday evening, Prizreni and Ilyasov will both face Africa champions – Amas DANIEL (NGR) and Augusto MIDANA (GBA) – in their tournament championship finals.
Despite the semifinal loss by Ibrahim at 74kg, Egypt grabbed tickets for Rio with semifinal victories in the three heaviest freestyle categories from Mohamed Aly Zaghloul MOHAMED (86kg), Aly Hamdy MOUSTAFA (97kg) and Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (125kg).
At 86kg Mohamed will try to reverse a loss to Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN) at the African championships one month ago while Moustafa takes on African bronze medalist Soso TAMARAU (NGR) and Adbelmottaleb meets All-African Games gold medalist Slim TRABELSI (TUN).
At the lightest weight category of 57kg, Africa champion Adama DIATTA (SEN) turned away runner-up Welson EBIKEWENIMO (NGR) in the quarterfinals, 7-2. The Beijing 2008 Olympian then booked his return to the Games with a 4-0 win over the continental champ at 61kg Chedii METHLOUTHI (TUN).
-- Results --
Freestyle
57kg (11 entries)
Semifinal – Adama DIATTA (SEN) df. Chedii METHLOUTHI (TUN), 4-0
Semifinal – Chakir ANSARI (MAR) df. Mohamed HEGAB (EGY) by Fall, 2:11 (10-0)
Gold – Adama DIATTA (SEN) v Chakir ANSARI (MAR)
Bronze – Ebikewenimo WELSON (NGR) v Chedii METHLOUTHI (TUN)
Bronze – Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG) v Mohamed HEGAB (EGY)
65kg (12 entries)
Semifinal – Amas DANIEL (NGR) df. Ibrahim MOHAMED (EGY), 8-1
Semifinal – Sahit PRIZRENI (AUS) df. Jason AFRIKANER (NAM) by Fall, 2:31 (11-2)
Gold – Amas DANIEL (NGR) v Sahit PRIZRENI (AUS)
Bronze – Zohier IFTENE (ALG) v Ibrahim MOHAMED (EGY)
Bronze – Bilal EL OUARRAQE (MAR) v Jason AFRIKANER (NAM)
74kg (9 entries)
Semifinal – Talgat ILYASOV (AUS) df. Ayad IBRAHIM (EGY) by Fall, 2:54 (9-1)
Semifinal – Augusto MIDANA (GBS) df. Melvin BIBO (NGR), 4-0
Gold – Talgat ILYASOV (AUS) v Augusto MIDANA (GBS)
Bronze – Ali Ben Farhat AYARI (TUN) v Ayad IBRAHIM (EGY)
Bronze – Yassine SARDI (MAR) v Melvin BIBO (NGR)
86kg (11 entries)
Semifinal – Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN) df. Quintino INTIPE (GBS) by TF, 12-1, 3:49
Semifinal – Mohamed Aly Zaghloul MOHAMED (EGY) df. Cheikh NIANG (SEN) by TF, 10-0, 1:32
Gold – Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN) v Mohamed Aly Zaghloul MOHAMED (EGY)
Bronze – Connor EVANS (AUS) v Quintino INTIPE (GBS)
Bronze – Nathaniel TUAMOHELOA (ASA) v Cheikh NIANG (SEN)
97kg (8 entries)
Semifinal – Soso TAMARAU (NGR) df. Cedric NYAMSI TCHOUGA (CMR), 12-5
Semifinal – Aly Hamdy MOUSTAFA (EGY) df. Bedopassa BUASSAT DJONDE (GBS) by TF, 10-0, 0:24
Gold – Soso TAMARAU (NGR) v Aly Hamdy MOUSTAFA (EGY)
Bronze – Lounes BOUZID (ALG) v Cedric NYAMSI TCHOUGA (CMR)
Bronze – Alex Paul AKPI (CIV) v Bedopassa BUASSAT DJONDE (GBS)
125kg (8 entries)
Semifinal – Slim TRABELSI (TUN) df. Thiacka FAYE (SEN) by Fall, 1:07 (2-4)
Semifinal – Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY) df. Marcus CARNEY (AUS) by Fall, 0:52 (2-0)
Gold – Slim TRABELSI (TUN) v Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY)
Bronze – Mohamed BENDJILALI (ALG) v Thiacka FAYE (SEN)
Bronze – Florian TEMENGIL (PLW) v Marcus CARNEY (AUS)
