Attao happy with performance in Worlds despite loss

CNMI son and wrestler Aden Attao is happy with his performance despite his loss in the 2023 U20 World Championships on Monday in Amman, Jordan. 

Attao, the favorite to win the 130-kg weight class in the Greco-Roman portion, lost in the quarterfinals when he fell ill before his competition. With his loss in the quarterfinals, he placed seventh overall.

The 18-year-old member of the U.S. World Team first defeated Japan’s Ayumu Iwasawa as Attao scored three clarification and technical points. Attao then beat Hungary’s Koppany Laszlo with eight technical points and three clarification points. 

However, in the quarterfinals, Attao lost to Greece’s Achilleas Chrysidis with four technical points and one clarification point.

Despite not winning a gold medal as he had hoped, Attao said, “I am happy with my performance because even with dealing with sickness… I did the best I could and I am proud of how I did.” 

Attao said that the competition itself was good, but that it “sucked having such high expectations and goals and not reaching them but it is what is what it is. I put my best foot forward for what I was dealing with.”

He said when he was sick, he didn’t wrestle well because he wasn’t able to recover enough and his cardio wasn’t there, along with being fatigued. Even with that, he said “it’s OK. I’ll be back and better next year.”

As for his team’s performance, he said, “I think overall our team did pretty good for the cards we had dealt, especially since we all had gotten sick… but overall, I think our team did good.” 

In the 2023 wrestling season so far, Attao is at five wins and one loss.

Attao is already looking forward to the Elite 8 Duals on Sept. 16 and 17. 

Other than that, he said he’ll be training for his senior level tournaments this year, along with the next World Championships. 

He is also training to make the cut for the U.S. Olympic wrestling team.