Vinesh Phogat was pushed out of the title race by reigning champion Mayu Mukaida of Japan but one of India's biggest hopes remained in bronze medal hunt in the 53kg category at the World Wrestling Championship at Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, on Tuesday.
Mukaida later reached the final to help Vinesh stay in the medal hunt as well as Tokyo Olympics qualification. Two victories will ensure her place in Tokyo Olympics.
She will now have to beat three wrestlers in the repechage—Yuliia Khavaldzhy Blahinya from Ukraine, world number one Sarah Ann Hildebrandt and then Maria Prevolaraki from Greece to win her first Worlds medal.
It was second consecutive defeat for Vinesh against the Japanese this season after losing to the two-time world champion at the Asian Championship in China.
Vinesh has CWG and Asian Games titles but is yet to win a medal at the Worlds.
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"Japan is a wrestling powerhouse. It takes some time to attack these girls. It's about one technique, one move, one point that changes the bout. I tried, it did not happen and she succeeded," Vinesh said after her bout.
]Vinesh said Mukaida was no different from the Asian Championship though she and her coach Woller Akos had plotted the fall of the formidable Japanese.
"It happens. But Mukaida is not the only target for me. We focus on all wrestlers. Everyone is tough in 53kg. It's not over yet," said Vinesh, competing in her fourth Worlds.
In another Olympic category, Seema Bisla (50kg) lost her pre-quarterfinal 2-9 to three-time Olympic medallist Mariya Stadnik.
Like Vinesh, she too remained in hunt for bronze and Olympic qualification as Stadnik reached the final.
"It's not that Mariya was more powerful than me. She is more experienced than me. I have just competed in 5-6 competitions in 50kg. I am learning and will get better," said Seema.
In the non-Olympic categories, Komal Gole was too defensive against Turkey's Beste Altug and lost her 72kg Qualification bout 1-4 while Lalita was outplayed 3-10 by Mongolia's Bolortuya Bat Ochir in 55kg.
Both Lalita and Komal are now out of the championship since Bolortuya and Altug later lost their quarterfinals.
Placed in an extremely tough 53kg bracket, Vinesh made a dominating start by outclassing Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sofia Mattsson, winning 13-0 in her opening round.
However, in the much-anticipated clash against the world no. 2 Japanese, Vinesh could not be her usual attacking self and lost 0-7.
