Elor to Wrestle for Olympic Gold in Paris

August 6, 2024August 6, 2024 Administrator 2024 Paris Olympics, California, freestyle wrestling, Olympics, Paris24, Team USA, Tech-Fall, USA, USA Wrestling, UWW, Women's Freestyle, wrestling

OLYMPIC GAMES PARIS 2024
Champ-de-Mars Arena, Paris, France
Photo: John Sachs/Tech-Fall.com

After defeating the current World Champion, Buse Tosun (TUR), in round one 10-2, Amit Elor showed more and more strength and dominance as the day wore on. In round two (quarter finals), Elor jumped out to a 5-0 and never looked back, cruising to an 8-0 decision. The quickest match of the day for the Walnut Creek, California native was her semi-final, vs Sol Gum Pak (PRK). Amit’s first takedown lead to a leg lace set of turns resulting in a first period technical fall 10-0.

“I’ve been training a lot with my coach to make sure that, after I get to takedown, I don’t overlook the thought of getting a turn. Turns make a huge difference. A lot of times, I’ll get a takedown and I’ll think, ‘let’s just go back up to her feet,’ but it makes a huge difference. And you saw that in a match like that. One takedown, four turns and the match is over. So, my immediate thought was ‘bring her legs together, you have to get the lace, at least one lace,’ and it worked for me.”

The 20 year old has been on quite a run, collecting age group and senior level titles seemingly with ease. While her focus is the Olympic Gold Medal she took a moment to take in ride so far. “I had goosebumps. I was staring at that crowd of people cheering for me, and I was like, ‘I can’t believe this is real. I can’t believe life is real.’

“That little girl that started wrestling at four years old is still inside me. She’s just looking out like, ‘What is happening right now? How did I go from local kid’s practice to the Olympic stage? It’s just insane.

Tuesday night she will get the opportunity to fulfill a dream when she meets Meerim Zhumanazarova of Kyrgyzstan, who won dramatic matches in both her quarter and semi-final to be in place to reach for gold. Amit will have the support of the entire USA wrestling community here in attendance. Support that she feeds off of. “When I’m stepping onto that mat, instead of there being nerves and doubt, the second I hear everybody cheering and I see those familiar faces I have this sharp focus that kicks in and this desire to fight the second the whistle blows.”