Olympic wrestler Catalina Axente leaves mat on stretcher after scary fall

Concerns have been raised for Olympic wrestler Catalina Axente after she received medical attention on the mat on Saturday morning following a hard throw from her American opponent, Kennedy Blades.

The Romanian was taken out of the arena on a stretcher after being thrown to the mat by Blades. Axente landed on her neck and remained down, although she appeared to move her limbs.

The move gave Blades the win, but she was impressed by the medical staff who treated her opponent for several minutes.

The incident occurred during the last 16 of the women’s 76kg event. Both women are experienced wrestlers: Axente is a two-time bronze medallist at the European Championships, while Blades won the 2021 World Under-20 Championships, beating Tokyo silver medallist Adeline Gray to qualify for Paris 2024.