Josiane Patricia Soloniaina (born 25 April 1978 in Itasy) is a female wrestler who represented Madagascar at the 2012 Summer Olympics. [1] She is one of three sports-people on the team to qualify for the Olympics rather than win a wild-card spot. [2]
Wrestling is a martial art and combat sport that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves different grappling-type techniques, such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins, and other grappling holds. Many different wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat sports, and military systems.
Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term welterweight was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify the opponents. If used, welterweight is typically between lightweight and middleweight.
A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat. In many combat sports, a contestant wins by scoring more points than the opponent, submitting the opponent with a hold, disabling the opponent, or attacking the opponent in a specific or designated technique. Combat sports share a long history with the martial arts.
Wrestling at the Olympic Games first appeared at the first modern Olympics, in the form of Greco-Roman wrestling, held in Athens in 1896. Wrestling would appear at every Summer Olympics held since then, with the exception of the 1900 Summer Olympics when wrestling did not appear on the program. Freestyle wrestling and weight classes both made their first appearance at the 1904 Summer Olympics. Women's freestyle wrestling competition was first held at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Fight Network is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel owned by Anthem Sports & Entertainment. The network broadcasts programming related to combat sports, including mixed martial arts, boxing, kickboxing, and professional wrestling.
Jean de Dieu Soloniaina Razanadrakoto is an amateur boxer from Madagascar who qualified for the 2008 Olympics at lightweight at the 2nd AIBA African 2008 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Colombia competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics. The country sent 68 athletes to compete in 15 sports, making this Colombia's largest ever delegation to the Olympics.
Clarissa Kyoko Mei Ling Chun (陳美玲) is the head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes Women's wrestling program, formerly, the USA Wrestling assistant National coach and an American Olympic women's freestyle 48 kg (105.5 lbs) wrestler. Chun was the first female wrestler from Hawaii to win a medal at the Olympics. She was inducted into the 2018 Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame and 2022 National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member.
Sushil Kumar is a former Indian wrestler and two-time Olympic medallist. His 2008 Olympic medal was only the second for India in wrestling, and the first since Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav's bronze medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics. In July 2009, he received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna – India's highest honour for sportspersons. On 3 October 2010, Kumar handed the Queen's Baton to Prince Charles in the Queen's Baton Relay for the 2010 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony. He carried the Indian flag at the opening ceremony of 2012 London Olympics. Sushil won the gold medal in the 74 kg division at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Sushil won the gold medal in the 74 kg division at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He is the first and only Indian to win a gold medal at World Wrestling Championships.
Gene Petit was an American professional wrestler best known for his portrayal of Cousin Luke in the World Wrestling Federation. He also competed under several other gimmicks and competed for several promotions in the United States as well as Australia, Japan, Nigeria and Puerto Rico.
India competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. A total of 83 athletes, 60 men and 23 women, competed in 13 sports. Men's field hockey was the only team-based sport in which India was represented in these Olympic Games. India also marked its Olympic return in weightlifting, after the International Weightlifting Federation imposed a two-year suspension for the nation's athletes because of a doping scandal in Beijing.
Toghrul Shahriyar oghlu Asgarov is an Azerbaijani wrestler. He is an Olympic and European champion in freestyle wrestling.
Elena Sergey Pirozhkova is a Russian-born American wrestler who competed for the United States Olympic team in 2012 and 2016. She was the 2012 World Champion, wrestling in the 63 kg weight class. She won the gold medal at the Pan American championships in 2008, 2009, and 2010. She won the silver medal in 2010 and 2014, and won the bronze medal in 2013, at the World Championships. She placed 5th at the 2011 World Championships. She made eight straight U.S. World Teams (2008–15), and won seven straight U.S. Open titles (2009–15).
Elif Jale Yeşilırmak, née Yulia Guramievna Rekvava, is a former Russian-Turkish female wrestler. She is the first woman wrestler to represent Turkey at the Olympics. She is a member of Trakya Birlikspor.
Ben Provisor is an American wrestler. He won the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials at 74 kg GR, and competed at the 2012 Olympics. He also competed at the 2016 Olympics.
Kelsey Campbell of Colorado Springs, Colorado is an American Olympic Wrestler who won the 2012 at 55 kg FS and 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials at 57 kg FS and competed at the 2012 Olympics. She is an actress represented by South West Artists Group, musician, author, and owns the non-Profit Repurposed by Kelsey LLC
Vladimer Khinchegashvili is a Georgian freestyle wrestler who competes in 55–61 kg categories. He won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics and a gold at the 2016 Olympics. He also won a world title in 2015 and European titles in 2014, 2016 and 2017. In 2015, he was selected as Male Georgian Athlete of the Year by the Georgian Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs. Mayor of Gori Municipality since 2021.
Elmurat Tasmuradov is an Uzbekistani Kazakh Greco-Roman wrestler. He competed in the 55 kg event at the 2012 Summer Olympics and was eliminated in the 1/8 finals by Péter Módos. He won a bronze medal in the 59 kg division at the 2016 Olympics. He won a gold medal four times at the Asian Championship and a silver medal (2012).
Josiane da Silva Tito is a Brazilian sprinter and middle-distance runner.
Maria Laura Almirão is a Brazilian sprinter, who specialized in the 400 metres. She is a two-time Olympian and a five-time medalist for the 400 metres and sprint relay at the Ibero-American Championships.