Olympics 2020: Romania's Ana to meet Belarusian Kaladzinskaya in women's freestyle 53 kg wrestling event

Romanian wrestler Andreea Beatrice Ana will enter the women's Olympic wrestling competition on Thursday at the Tokyo Olympic Games against Vanesa Kaladzinskaya of Belarus, in the 1/8 final of the women's freestyle 53kg event, agerpres reports.

Ana, 20, is a two-time European champion in 2019 and 2021 in the 55 kg category, and two-time bronze winner at the U23 World Championships in 2018 and 2019. She qualified for the Olympic Games for the first time via pre-Olympic Games in Sofia, in May.

Kaladzinskaya, 28, is a very experienced sportswoman, a 2012 Olympics contender, where she ranked 8th in 48 kg category. She is also a two-time world champion in 2012 (48 kg) and 2017 (53 kg), as well as two-time European champion in 2017 and 2020, both at 53 kg.

If she defeats the Belarusian, Ana will move to the quarter-finals against the winner between top player Indian Vinesh Phogat, and Swedish Magdalena Sofia Mattsson.

Romania has lined up five wrestlers for the Tokyo Olympics, with the other four being Alina Vuc (women's 50kg), Andreea Beatrice Ana (women's 53 kg), Kriszta Tunde Incze (women's 62 kg), and Albert Saritov (men's 97 kg), a bronze medalist at the Rio Olympics.