Commonwealth Games 2022 wrestling: Sakshi Malik completes hat-trick of CWG medals
Trailing 4-0 at one point, Sakshi Malik bounced back to win the gold medal in the women’s 62kg freestyle wrestling category at Birmingham 2022.
Indian wrestler Sakshi Malik bagged the gold medal in the women’s 62kg freestyle wrestling event at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, UK on Friday.
This was Sakshi Malik’s third straight medal at the CWG. She won the 58kg silver at Glasgow 2014 and a bronze at Gold Coast 2018.
Sakshi Malik, a Rio 2016 bronze medallist, beat Canada's Ana Godinez Gonzalez by fall in the gold medal match to secure her top podium finish at the Coventry Stadium and Arena.
"Feeling very very super happy, super excited – very happy," an ecstatic Sakshi Malik summed up.
Ana Gonzalez, the reigning Pan-American champion and former junior worlds gold medallist, started the bout strong and drew first blood with a two-point takedown after Sakshi Malik mistimed her counter-attack. The Canadian doubled her lead just before the break with a single-leg takedown.
With everything to play for in the final three minutes, the Indian -- trailing 4-0 -- came out fighting in the second period and ended the bout in one fell swoop.
The Indian wrestler opened her account with a single-legged takedown and took control over her opponent on the mat. Sakshi Malik then converted it into an armbar before pinning Gonzalez for an instant win.
"I'm continuously thinking that I'm the best, I will win, 100 percent," Sakshi Malik said about about her comeback from 4-0 down. "That's why after three minutes I went for an attack and it was successful."
Earlier, Sakshi Malik made quick work of England’s Kelsey Barnes via technical superiority in the quarter-finals to set up a semi-final bout against Berthe Etane Ngolle of Cameroon.
The former African champion was expected to present a steeper challenge to the Rio medallist, but Sakshi Malik defeated her with ease, again via technical superiority, in a bout that lasted just over a minute.
Nigeria’s Esther Kolawole and Berthe Etane Ngolle clinched the two bronze medals.