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Aden bags bronze in Worlds Championships
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Posted on Aug 25 2022
Aden Attao poses with his bronze medal in the U20 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. (USA WRESTLING)
Aden Attao took the bronze medal in the heavyweight division at the U20 World Championships held last weekend in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Making his U20 World Championship debut, the 17-year-old defeated two-time age-group African champion Fekry Eissa of Egypt in the battle for the bronze to secure the podium finish.
In a report from USA Wrestling, Attao put 8 points on the board in the first period with a massive head pinch and a head lock to take an 8-2 lead into the break.
After the two exchanged step-out points, Attao countered an arm spin from Eissa to ice the match, 11-3.
Attao, who is the grandson of Jesus and Ramona Attao of Saipan, dedicated the bronze medal in the U20 World Championships to everyone who supported his wrestling career.
“This medal isn’t just for me, this was for my friends, family, and country. It’s for everyone who has had my back since I started this journey,” he said.
Aden Attao grapples with Egypt’s Fekry Eissa in the bronze medal heavyweight match of the U20 World Championships held last weekend in Sofia, Bulgaria. (USA WRESTLING)
The Boise, Idaho native said competing in the U20 World Championships was the stuff dreams are made of.
“It was an amazing experience and I am glad I got the opportunity to show what I have and what I bring to the table. It was such a cool experience,” said Attao.
As for future plans, the USA Greco-Roman national champion said he will take a much-deserved break and ponder what college he will attend.
“I am taking a couple of weeks off to recover and just spend time with family and friends but also get caught up with school, then I have my college visits so I can see which school I wanna spend the next 4-5 years of life at,” he said.
Last month, Attao completed a triple crown in junior wrestling after winning gold in the 2022 USMC Junior Greco-Roman Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota.
He defeated Sebastian Lopez of Kansas in the finals of the weightlifting division (285 lbs) to earn the coveted triple crown.
To complete a triple crown, a wrestler must win a folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman national championship in the same calendar year, according to USA Wrestling.
The son of Jesse Attao and Stacey Hammar, Aden last visited the CNMI in 2011 when he was 6 years old.
