"That was an incorrect decision"

Pirmin Reichmuth from Cham was on the brink of entering the final round at the ESAF in Pratteln. But the judges denied him the victory in 7th round. Wrestling king Jörg Abderhalden believes the decision was wrong.

Central Switzerland is delighted that Joel Wicki won the title of Schwingerkönig (king of alpine wrestling). But according to "Pilatus Today", some fans are also annoyed about an incorrect decision to the detriment of Pirmin Reichmuth from Cham. He could have qualified for the final round with a victory in the 7th round against Bernhard Kämpf from Bern.

After a few moments of wrestling, the Central Swiss supporters were celebrating and the 27-year-old physiotherapist Pirmin Reichmuth also believed that he has just pressed both shoulder blades of his opponent into the sawdust. But the judges decided otherwise: no result. A few seconds later, it was Reichmuth who was lying  in the sawdust, with his dream of the final round gone.

Alpine wrestling king speaks of a wrong decision
Fans of the Zug athlete see this as a scandal, and wrestling king Jörg Abderhalden also spoke about an incorrect decision on Swiss TV: "The rules say that both shoulders must be on the ground, and if he (Kämpf) turned away over both his shoulders then that’s clearly a result."

Pirmin Reichmuth isn’t given the result against Bernhard Kämpf.                                Photo: Claudio Thoma

His expert colleague, alpine wrestling king Matthias Sempach, also agrees with Jörg Abderhalden. Royal support for Pirmin Reichmuth, therefore, which unfortunately did not change the outcome, but will certainly rekindle the discussion about a video referee in alpine wrestling.

Pirmin Reichmuth also made his feelings clear after the round: "The world collapsed for me after the 7th round. I could only weep behind the marquee." From his point of view, it was a clear result. Reichmuth didn’t seem bitter during the interview, however, nor did he hold a grudge against the judges. "Maybe I'll have luck on my side another time."

Wicki's closing round also caused discussions
In addition to Pirmin Reichmuth’s fight, the final round  also caused discussions. Joel Wicki's victory had a flaw. TV pictures show that Wicki was not holding onto Aeschbacher's wrestling trousers (Zwilchhose) during his decisive throw. Article 7a of the rules states that a fight must be interrupted if the attacking wrestler does not have a grip on the opponent’s trousers.

But the scene also shows that injustices often balance each other out within a wrestling career. Three years ago, when Joel Wicki lost the final round in Zug to Christian Stucki, many saw the Sörenberger at a disadvantage. There was a lot of debate about whether Wicki was actually lying in the sawdust with the required two-thirds of his back. I’s just to be hoped that Pirmin Reichmuth’s bad luck will also be compensated at some point.