Bakbergenova won a bronze medal at the World Wrestling Championships, joining the ranks of Kazakhstan's most decorated athletes. Leading the national team, Bakbergenova triumphed in the battle for third place by defeating Poland's Natalia Strzalka with a score of 4-1, QazMonitor reports.
This marks the third consecutive year that the 27-year-old Bakbergenova has earned a medal at the World Championship. She previously won silver in 2019 in Oslo and in 2022 in Belgrade. Zhamila is the first Kazakh woman to achieve such results.
Bakbergenova began her championship journey in the 1/8 finals, where she defeated bronze medalist Fann Nagy Nad from Serbia with a convincing victory. She then defeated Russia's Ksenia Burakova with a score of 7-1 but was bested by Davaanasan Enkh Amar from Mongolia in the semifinals.
Zhamila Bakbergenova, competing in the 72 kg weight category, is Kazakhstan's first three-time Asian champion in wrestling. She now boasts five medals from continental championships, including three golds, one silver, and one bronze.
Following the World Championship, Bakbergenova will start preparing for the 19th Asian Games in China. In Hangzhou, she will replace the experienced Elmira Syzdykova and compete in the Olympic weight category under 76 kg.
The World Championship in Serbia will conclude on September 24th, with nearly a thousand athletes from 77 countries participating in the competition.