With her fists raised, Mamadassa Sylla cannot contain her joy. He has just qualified for the Paris Olympics in -67 kg Greco-Roman thanks to his success in the semi-final at the expense of the Pole Gevorg Sahakyan (3-3 with the advantage of the last point scored) during the TQO Europe in Baku (Azerbaijan).
Unlike his Greco-Roman teammates Léo Tudezca (-60 kg) and Ibrahim Ghanem (-77 kg) eliminated in the first round, Mamadassa Sylla had a perfect day by first winning in 8th in front of the Finn Matias Olavi Lisakki (10-1) then by winning in the quarter-final against the Turkish Selcuk Can (8-1), European champion in -72 kg, before his success against the Pole which opened the doors to the Paris Olympics. The final will not be played.
Licensed to the Bagnolet club
Aged 30, “Baba”, licensed at the Bagnolet club, has come a long way because he should never have participated in this first TQO. Thanks to a great start to the season, including a finalist place in the Zagreb tournament, the Habs of Armenian origin Gagik Snjoyan was chosen by the selectors of the French team to seek the Olympic quota in Baku in - 67 kg. But he ultimately gave up going to Azerbaijan to reassure his family due to the conflict between the two countries.
Also read “My family is worth more than medals”: why wrestler Gagik Snjoyan pushed back his Olympic dream
Mamadassa Sylla will therefore be the 2nd Tricolore to walk the carpets of the Arena Champs de Mars from August 5 to 11 in the company of Koumba Larroque, who won his ticket for the Paris Olympics thanks to his bronze medal at the last World Championships in Belgrade (Serbia) last September. Others could follow this weekend.
This Saturday, women's wrestling is on the program with Julie Sabatié (-50 kg), Tatiana Debien (-53 kg), Mathilde Rivière (-57 kg), Ameline Douarre (-62 kg) and Pauline Lecarpentier (-76 kg) for defend French chances. On Sunday, it will be the turn of freestyle wrestling with Ilman Mukhtarov (-57 kg) Khamzat Arsamerzouev (-65 kg), Zelimkhan Khadjiev (-74 kg), Rakhim Magamadov (-86 kg), and Adlan Viskhanov (-97 kg) . For those not qualified, a last chance will be offered at the World TQO in Istanbul next month.