Elor Sets Tone For Team USA: Advances to Olympic Finals

Elor in Paris. Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo / WrestlersAreWarriors.com

by Derek Levendusky

PARIS, FRANCE - The United States’ Amit Elor put on a dominant performance on Day 1 of women’s wrestling at the Olympic Games, cruising her way to the 68 kg finals with three lopsided victories, including an opening round win over the returning world champion. Her remarkable day set the tone for Team USA women, as she was the first to step on the mat at this year’s Olympics.

That first round win was a 10-2 over Turkey’s Buse Cavusoglu Tosun, the returning world champion at 68 kg. Elor won her world titles in 2022 & 2023 at 72 kg. Her second round quarterfinal was an 8-0 win that was never close over Poland’s Wiktoria Choluj. In the semi, the American made quick work of North Korea’s Sol Gum Pak with a first period technical fall.

Every match looks the same, a glorious script that has given Elor success over and over again. She doesn’t shoot on legs. She controls matches with superior upper body ties and brick wall positioning, using underhooks and 2-on-1’s to create overwhelming pressure and wither her opponents into bad shots and vulnerable scoring positions. Slowly, the points go up—1 for a step out, 2 for a takedown, 1 for passivity, 2 for a turn. Before you know it, Elor works her way up to an insurmountable lead. Her opponents get frustrated, forcing scoring attempts and playing right into the teeth of her offense. Anyone who has followed Elor’s career knows that her matches so far look much the same as matches at other world events she’s won, where she’s gone undefeated internationally for the last four years.

By virtue of making the final, Elor has assured herself a silver medal, putting her one match away from being an Olympic gold medalist. She’ll wrestle tomorrow night for gold.

50 kg Sarah Hildebrandt will begin her Olympic journey tomorrow morning at 5 a.m. EST.