site.btaBulgarian Wrestler Kiril Milov Exits Olympic Greco-Roman Wrestling in Round of 16

Bulgarian wrestler Kiril Milov was defeated in the round of 16 at the Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling tournament in the 130 kg category by Chile's Yasmani Acosta Fernandez on Monday.

The match final score was 1:1, but 36-year-old Pan-American champion Acosta Fernandez clinched the victory on last point scored. Milov faced misfortune when the referee first penalized his opponent for passivity, awarding Milov an automatic point. Subsequently, Acosta Fernandez earned a point after Milov was penalized in a similar manner. Towards the end, the significantly lighter Milov stood no chance.

Acosta Fernandez, a bronze medallist at the 2017 World Championships in Paris and fifth at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, will face Abdellatif Mohamed of Egypt next.

This marked the second Olympic appearance for 27-year-old Milov. He secured eighth place in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, advancing to the quarterfinals in his usual 97 kg category, where he has achieved his best results. In it, Milov secured the European championship in Budapest in 2022 and has twice been the runner-up at the World Championships. He might have a chance to compete for the bronze through repechage, but only if Acosta Fernandez makes it to the final.