Eight wrestlers to be flagbearers for their nation at Rio Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Two-time Olympic champion Mijian Lopez of Cuba is a flagbearer in Rio. UWW photo.
The International Olympic Committee has announced the Olympic athletes who will serve as flagbearers for their country during tonight’s Opening Ceremonies in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. There are eight wrestlers who will be flagbearers for their country at this year’s Summer Olympics.
Among the flagbearers is two-time Olympic champion and five-time World champion Greco-Roman star Mijian Lopez Azcuy of Cuba. Lopez wrestles at 130 kg.
Lopez’ top rival at 130 kg, two-time World champion and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Riza Kayaalp of Turkey is also a flagbearer.
2012 Olympic men’s freestyle silver medalist Jamie Espinal of Puerto Rico, who wrestles at 86 kg, is the flag-bearer for his nation. Espinal has trained much of his Senior career in the USA at Penn State.
Another U.S. resident will be carrying his nation’s flag, freestyle wrestler Asnage Castelly of Haiti who wrestles at 74 kg. Castelly lives and coaches in Springfield, Mass.
There are two flagbearing wrestlers from Africa, men’s freestyle wrestler Augusto Midana of Guinea-Bissau, who wrestles at 74 kg, and women’s freestyle 53 kg star Isabelle Sambou of Senegal.
Nicolae Ceban, a men’s freestyle wrestler at 97 kg from Moldova, and Florian Skilang Temengil of Palau, a men’s freestyle wrestler at 125 kg, are also Rio flagbearers.
Tonight's Opening Ceremonies will be shown live on NBC.
The wrestling competition in Rio de Janeiro runs August 14-21, starting with Greco-Roman, followed by women’s freestyle and concluding with men’s freestyle wrestling.
2016 RIO OLYMPIC GAMES FLAGBEARERS WHO ARE WRESTLERS
Mijian Lopez Azcuy, Cuba, Greco-Roman wrestling 130 kg
Augusto Midana, Guinea-Bissau, men's freestyle wrestling 74 kg
Asnage Castelly, Haiti, men's freestyle wrestling 74 kg
Nicolae Ceban, Moldova, men's freestyle wrestling 97 kg
Florian Skilang Temengil, Palau, men's freestyle 125 kg
Jaime Espinal, Puerto Rico, men's freestyle wrestling 86 kg
Isabelle Sambou, Senegal, women's freestyle wrestling 53 kg
Riza Kayaalp, Turkey, Greco-Roman wrestling 130 kg
The International Olympic Committee has announced the Olympic athletes who will serve as flagbearers for their country during tonight’s Opening Ceremonies in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. There are eight wrestlers who will be flagbearers for their country at this year’s Summer Olympics.
Among the flagbearers is two-time Olympic champion and five-time World champion Greco-Roman star Mijian Lopez Azcuy of Cuba. Lopez wrestles at 130 kg.
Lopez’ top rival at 130 kg, two-time World champion and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Riza Kayaalp of Turkey is also a flagbearer.
2012 Olympic men’s freestyle silver medalist Jamie Espinal of Puerto Rico, who wrestles at 86 kg, is the flag-bearer for his nation. Espinal has trained much of his Senior career in the USA at Penn State.
Another U.S. resident will be carrying his nation’s flag, freestyle wrestler Asnage Castelly of Haiti who wrestles at 74 kg. Castelly lives and coaches in Springfield, Mass.
There are two flagbearing wrestlers from Africa, men’s freestyle wrestler Augusto Midana of Guinea-Bissau, who wrestles at 74 kg, and women’s freestyle 53 kg star Isabelle Sambou of Senegal.
Nicolae Ceban, a men’s freestyle wrestler at 97 kg from Moldova, and Florian Skilang Temengil of Palau, a men’s freestyle wrestler at 125 kg, are also Rio flagbearers.
Tonight's Opening Ceremonies will be shown live on NBC.
The wrestling competition in Rio de Janeiro runs August 14-21, starting with Greco-Roman, followed by women’s freestyle and concluding with men’s freestyle wrestling.
2016 RIO OLYMPIC GAMES FLAGBEARERS WHO ARE WRESTLERS
Mijian Lopez Azcuy, Cuba, Greco-Roman wrestling 130 kg
Augusto Midana, Guinea-Bissau, men's freestyle wrestling 74 kg
Asnage Castelly, Haiti, men's freestyle wrestling 74 kg
Nicolae Ceban, Moldova, men's freestyle wrestling 97 kg
Florian Skilang Temengil, Palau, men's freestyle 125 kg
Jaime Espinal, Puerto Rico, men's freestyle wrestling 86 kg
Isabelle Sambou, Senegal, women's freestyle wrestling 53 kg
Riza Kayaalp, Turkey, Greco-Roman wrestling 130 kg
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