Luis Orta lost in quarterfinals at world wrestling championship

Cuban Greco-Roman gladiator Luis Orta, 63 kilograms (kg), Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion, lost Sunday in the quarterfinals of the World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

Orta, the summer champion in the 60 kg division, won two victories by technical superiority in his first bouts, but in the round of the best eight he lost 1-3 to Taleh Mammadov, from Azerbaijan, owner of two silver medals and one bronze medal in European tournaments.

Before that result, the Cuban wrestler debuted with a 10-0 win against Ukrainian Oleksandr Hrushyn, and in the round of 16 he defeated Neeraj Neeraj, from India, 9-0, according to the official website of the event.

The Cuban News Agency reported that the island's representative had one option left to try to reach the podium, but he could not reach the playoffs in search of one of the bronze medals, because he needed Mammadov to qualify for the final, which did not happen when he was defeated 5-0 by Serbian Sebastian Nad.

In the other semifinal, Leri Abuladze, from Georgia, beat Ali Reza Ayat, from Iran, 2-1.

Also on Sunday, Cuba's Juan Luis Conde (97 kg), silver medalist at the Pan American wrestling championships in Acapulco, Mexico, last May, lost his first fight.

Conde could do little against the Italian Nikoloz Kakhelashvili, who came out victorious in that duel with a wide score of 8-1.

This Saturday, in the opening of this universal competition, the Greco-Roman Yosvanys Peña (77 kg), lost 5-7 in his opening match against the Greek Georgios Prevolarakis, so he could not advance to the round of 16.

In the Greco-Roman category, Kevin de Armas (60 kg) has yet to make his debut in a competition in which three women and five men in the freestyle category will also compete for the Caribbean nation.

In the history of the World Wrestling Championships, Cuba has accumulated 30 gold medals, 28 silver medals and 48 bronze medals.