The almost 100-year tradition of the western neighbor was rudely broken in Turkey. The disappointment was appropriate.
22:06•Updated 22:17
ISTANBUL. Sweden’s streak of almost a hundred years of Olympic representation in men’s wrestling was broken at the Istanbul World Qualifier.
The matter was confirmed when Niklas Öhlén, Albin Olofsson and Alex Kessidis lost their group stage match on Friday. It was the last chance to get a place at the Paris Olympics in July-August.
Albin Olofsson, wrestling in the 77-kilogram category, took his loss particularly hard. The 25-year-old Swede lost to the USA Kamal to Ameer I scored 7–1 and was inconsolable after the loss. Olofsson sat on the ground for a long time and cried at the media interview station.
– The Olympic place meant everything to me. I do this job every day. I have given wrestling my whole life, he could say.
Also the 2019 World Cup silver medalist Alex Kessidis was badly disappointed. Kessidis, who wrestles in the 87-kilogram category, lost the match, which ended in a tie 3-3, to Georgia Lasha Gobadze.
After the loss, Kessidis and the Swedish coaches were furious. According to the wrestler, the Georgian opponent came to the match oiled, so it was difficult to get a good grip on this. The opponent’s passive style of play also made the Swede burn out. He called Gobadze a kycking, loosely translated as a coward.
– The judges are completely useless. The system should favor wrestlers like me who are actively looking for points. Wrestling has become damn boring. Nobody wants to watch this shit, Kessidis opened up.
The result of the Olympic qualifiers in Istanbul was a massive disappointment for the Swedish team. According to the broadcasting company SVT, it is the first time since 1904 that Sweden is left without an Olympic place in men’s wrestling.
The team’s head coach, 2015 World Cup medalist Zakarias Tallroth was sad to the eyes.
– We have to be critical of ourselves. Especially those of us in leading positions. The boys have done everything we have asked of them. They have not complained, but have given their all.