"I made a mistake 40 seconds before the final," said Azerbaijani wrestler Gozel "Queen of the Cage" Zutova, who claimed the silver medal at the international belt wrestling tournament in Russia, in an interview with Report.
She shared that she had little time to prepare: "I usually compete in the 76 kg category, but in Russia, I fought in the +76 kg category. I was informed about the change shortly before the tournament, so I couldn’t prepare fully. Additionally, due to an injury, I didn’t want to lose weight. My opponents weighed between 130-140 kg. I defeated wrestlers from Russia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, but in the final, I faced a competitor from Kyrgyzstan. The Russian wrestler I defeated earlier was stronger. In the final, I made a mistake 40 seconds before the end. Also, due to the heavier weight, defending might have caused an injury. I could have executed a technique if I had competed in my usual weight class."
Zutova plans to compete in the World Kazakh Wrestling Championship in India on January 30: "I’ve already started training, and we’re working out twice a day. My goal is to become the champion. Last year, I won both the European and World Championships in my weight class, and I’m aiming to repeat that success this year."
Zutova earned the silver medal in the +76 kg category at the tournament held in Ufa, Russia.
Idman.biz
