100 of the Most Influential Women in Sport >> Arabs

Marwa Amri, Tunisia

Wrestling

Sport is often defined by fine margins. Inches and seconds can be the minute gap between pain and glory, success and failure. Thousands of training hours are validated by mere seconds and there are 10 seconds for which Marwa Amri will replay in her mind for years to come. A legacy-clinching Olympic bronze medal was secured in the last 10 seconds of her third-placed 58kg wrestling clash against Azerbaijan’s Yuliya Ratkevich at the Rio Games. The Tunisian was chasing a 3-2 deficit when she launched Raktevich off her feet and pinned her to attain four points and propel her country into the spotlight. Amri became not just the first Tunisian, but the first African woman to win an Olympic medal in wrestling. The 30-year-old is now targeting similar success in Tokyo next year and it will be her fourth Olympics should she secure a spot.

– Amri is part of the Veer Marathas team in the immensely popular Indian Pro Wrestling league.

– The Tunisian government has played its part in helping to push Amri’s career forward by helping out financially to ensure she could attend World and African championships.

Did you know…

Amri’s father sadly passed away when she was nine and she took up wrestling two years later. She is the oldest of four children and proudly plays a maternal role for her siblings.

“I can lift about 60-70 kgs. I only train with the boys. I don’t have woman sparring partners because I am so strong.” – Amri (Source: SportsKeeda)

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