By The Star Staff
Wrestler Sebastián Rivera, one of the Puerto Rican delegation’s two flag bearers, won the second medal for the island on Sunday, the day of the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Puerto Rico finished with two bronze medals, both earned by its flag bearers, hurdler Jasmine Camacho Quinn and Rivera. Boxer Ashleyann Lozada and wrestler Darian Cruz earned Olympic diplomas.
Rivera defeated Mongolia’s Tulga Tumur 10-9 in the 65-kilogram bronze medal match in freestyle wrestling on the main mat at Champs de Mars Arena.
“I was down by six. I was down by four. Everything was going to be fine. It took me a while to get my offense going,” Rivera said in a written statement. “He’s very good at stopping people, but I found out that I was a little bit stronger than him in some of those positions that I wanted to be in. And we got it.
“I thought it was two when we got there [for the challenge points],” he added. “So I wasn’t nervous. I knew something had fallen. I felt it. He wasn’t on all fours. So I wasn’t worried about it, but I’m happy that [corner trainer] Jeff held on to that challenge. I wanted a challenge, because I needed a break. And he said: ‘No. Go out there and fight.’ And it worked. So as soon as they saw that. As soon as it was seen.”
With the match tied at 8-8. Tumur swept Rivera out of the circle to “finish” the fight 9-8.
However, the Puerto Rican asked for a review of the video to make sure that his key above his rival’s arms was correct. So it was. Rivera won the video challenge, adding two points for his technique to move ahead,10-9.
“When I saw his knee on the screen, we knew we won,” Rivera said.
In the match for a place in the final on Saturday afternoon, Rivera, 25, exited in pain when Japanese Kotaro Kiyooka hurt him with a knee lock.
“And yes, this morning I couldn’t move my knee and here we are. I got it,” he said. “Adrenaline. It’s a great thing.”
“Yes, it was bad. And thanks to Carlos [Rivera, a doctor in physical therapy for the Puerto Rican delegation] and everyone who is there [trainers and medical service personnel in the mixed media area],” Rivera said. “They saved my life. My elbow and my knee. It’s the only reason I’m here now.”
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