Kazakh wrestler Shugyla Omirbek failed to win a bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Games, losing to China's Zhang Jin in the third-place bout in the 53 kg weight category, infohub.kz reports.
After the first period, the Kazakh athlete's opponent led 4-2. In the second three-minute period, Zhang scored four more points and then finished the match with a victory by fall.
Omirbek began the tournament with a 0-9 loss to India's Antim. After Antim reached the final, the Kazakh wrestler got a chance to continue her medal bid through the repechage round. There, with the score at 2-2, Omirbek defeated Uzbekistan's Sakibjamal Esbosynova thanks to the last scoring move and advanced to the bronze-medal bout.
Omirbek thus finished the 2026 Asian Games in fifth place. She had previously become the 2026 U23 world champion and the 2026 Asian champion.
A day earlier in women's wrestling, Elmira Syzdykova won silver and Zeinep Bayanova took bronze.
The national freestyle wrestling team claimed three bronze medals. They were won by Nachyn Kuular, Yedige Kasymbek and Nurkozha Kaipanov. Azamat Dauletbekov lost in his third-place bout.
Kazakhstan's Greco-Roman wrestling team won one medal at the Asian Games. Meirzhan Shermakhanbet took bronze. Shamil Ozhaev and Islam Evloev fell just short of the podium.
The XX Summer Asian Games in Japan officially opened on September 19. Athletes from 45 countries are competing for 460 sets of medals. Kazakhstan's team at the 2026 Asian Games includes 558 athletes in 35 sports.
2026 Asian Games reviews: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13.