With Mohammadhadi Saravi (IRI) advancing to the 97 kg final over Mohamed Gabr (IRI), American Joe Rau (TMWC) has received another chance to compete for an Olympic medal when action at the 2024 Paris Games resumes on Wednesday morning.
Earlier on Tuesday, Rau, 33, was defeated by Saravi, one of the bracket favorites, in the round-of-16 by a score of 10-1. Saravi went on to down Uzur Dzhuzupbekov of Kyrgyzstan in the quarterfinal before getting past Gabr this afternoon. Dzhuzupbekov will serve as Rau’s opponent in the repechage round tomorrow. The winner will meet Gabr in the bronze-medal round during Wednesday’s second session.
Rau, 33, has yet to face Dzhuzupbekov in competition. He has also not contended against Gabr, though there might be mutual familiarity between the two as Rau spent a portion of this past season training with the Egyptian team.
Payton Jacobson Goes on Day 3
The fourth and final United States athlete to compete at the 2024 Paris Games, Payton Jacobson (87 kg, Sunkist/NTS), will make his Olympic debut on Wednesday with ’24 European Championships gold Aleksandr Komarov (SRB) set as his first-round opponent. Komarov, who is originally from Russia, began representing Serbia this year. Previously, he was a U23 World champ (’21) in addition to having earned two World golds apiece at the Cadet and Junior levels, respectively.
Jacobson and Komarov have not shared match time together. As for common opponents, Komarov defeated ’23 co-World Champion Ali Cengiz (TUR, 4-1) and recent U23 winner Istvan Takacs (HUN, 1-1) en-route to earning his Euro title in ’24. Jacobson — who went up to 87 for the first time in the spring — fell in a physical affair to Takacs at Thor Masters in a 5-3 decision that was even closer than the tight margin indicates and was edged by Cengiz in June by a score of 3-1.
Day 3 Olympic Greco-Roman Schedule
*All times ET
*Streaming live on Peacock
Wednesday, August 7 (Jacobson, Rau in repechage)
5:00am-7:30am — Round-of-16; 97 kg repechage
12:15pm-4:00pm — Semifinals (87 kg); medal matches for 97 kg
2024 Olympic Games
August 5-8 — Paris, FRA
TEAM USA DAY 3 DRAWS
87 kg: Payton Jacobson (Sunkist/NTS)
vs. Aleksandr Komarov (SRB) — round-of-16
97 kg: Joe Rau (TMWC)
vs. Uzur Dzhuzupbekov (KGZ) — repechage
TEAM USA DAY 2 RESULTS
77 kg: Kamal Bey (Army/WCAP)
LOSS Azkhol Makhmudov (KGZ) 4-1
97 kg: Joe Rau (TMWC)
LOSS Mohammadhadi Saravi (IRI) 10-1, TF
TEAM USA DAY 1 RESULTS
130 kg: Adam Coon (NYAC/Cliff Keen)
LOSS Amin Mirzazadeh (IRI) 3-1
