#BudaWrestle2018

Sadulaev Exacts Revenge on Snyder; Russia, Japan Sweep Gold Medals

Tuesday, October 23, 2018 - 18:57 By Andrew Hipps

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (October 23) -- The Russian Tank is back on top.

Olympic champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) earned a first-period fall over returning world and Olympic champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) in the 97kg gold-medal match at the World Championships on Tuesday, exacting revenge from last year's gold-medal match in Paris. 

The highly-anticipated showdown, which was billed as Snyderlaev II, lasted just over a minute. Sadulaev fired off a single leg thirty-five seconds into the match. Snyder fought the position and quickly found himself in danger. Sadulaev kept Snyder on his back and secured the fall. 

"Everybody knows Sadulaev is a very talented wrestler," Snyder said after the match. "He hit me in a good move and it worked out well for him tonight."

Sadulaev has now won three senior world titles to go along with an Olympic gold medal in Rio. He has suffered just one international loss since 2013. That loss came against Snyder at last year's World Championships.

Russia won the freestyle team title and crowned both freestyle gold medalists on Tuesday. The United States finished second in the team standings, while Georgia finished third.

Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) claimed Russia's other freestyle gold medal on Tuesday with a 7-6 come-from-behind victory over Adam BATIROV (BRN) in the gold-medal match 70kg. It is Gazimagomedov's second world title and first since 2015.  

The 33-year-old Batirov, formerly of Russia, controlled the early part of the match, jumping out to a 6-0 lead at the break after scoring a takedown and turning Gazimagomedov twice with a leg lace. 

Gazimagomedov came out strong in the final period. First, he scored a takedown to cut the deficit to four, then two step outs in a span of 10 seconds made the score 6-4 in favor of Batirov with just over a minute remaining. Gazimagomedov continued to force the action against a tired Batirov, and with three seconds left scored a takedown on the edge of the mat to take the victory.

While Russia swept the freestyle gold medals on Tuesday, Japan won both gold medals in women's wrestling. 

At 55kg, Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) cruised to a 12-2 technical fall over Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR) to win her second world title. After surrendering the first two points of the match off a crotch lift, Mukaida dominated. A couple takedowns and a gut wrench turn made the score 6-2 at the break. Twenty seconds into the second period Mukaida picked up another takedown before locking up a gut wrench and turning Sidakova twice for the technical fall. 

Risako KAWAI (JPN) captured her third world-level title in three years with an 8-0 victory over Elif YESILIRMAK (TUR) in the gold-medal match at 59kg. Kawaii led 2-0 at the break before breaking the match wide open in the second period. Five seconds into the period she scored a takedown to go up 4-0. Then with just over a minute remaining she took a shot and dumped Yesilirmak to her back for four points to extend her lead to 8-0, which is how the match would end. 

In the bronze-medal bouts at 70kg, 2017 world champion Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) picked up a 10-0 technical fall victory over Byambadorj BAT ERDENE (MGL). The other bronze medal at 70kg was won by Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB), who defeated Andriy KVYATKOVSKYY (UKR) 11-1. 

Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) won his first world medal after placing fifth at the World Championships three times and fifth at the Olympic Games in 2016. He won by fall in his bronze-medal match over Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB). 

In women's wrestling, Myong Suk JONG (PRK) won her third world bronze medal, beating Qi ZHANG (CHN) 2-1 at 55kg. Lianna MONTERO HERRERA (CUB) won the other bronze medal at 55kg, beating Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) 5-4. 

2016 world champion Xingru PEI (CHN) earned a bronze medal at 59kg with a 7-1 win over Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS). Mongolia picked up a bronze in women's wrestling as Shoovdor BAATARJAV topped Alejandra ROMERO BONILLA (MEX) at 59kg. 

Freestyle

70kg
GOLD: Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Adam BATIROV (BRN) by VPO1, 7-6
BRONZE: Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) df. Byambadorj BAT ERDENE (MGL) by VSU, 10-0
BRONZE: Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB) df. Andriy KVYATKOVSKYY (UKR) by VSU1, 11-1

97kg
GOLD: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) df. Kyle SNYDER (USA) by VFA, 2-0
BRONZE: Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) df. Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) by VFA, 5-2
BRONZE: Abraham CONYEDO RUANO (ITA) df. Pavlo OLIINYK (HUN) by VPO1, 2-2

Women's Wrestling

55kg
GOLD: Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) df. Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR) by VSU1, 12-2
BRONZE: Myong Suk JONG (PRK) df. Qi ZHANG (CHN) by VPO1, 2-1
BRONZE: Lianna MONTERO HERRERA (CUB) df. Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) by VPO1, 5-4 

59kg
GOLD: Risako KAWAI (JPN) df. Elif YESILIRMAK (TUR) by VPO, 8-0
BRONZE: Shoovdor BAATARJAV (MGL) df. Alejandra ROMERO BONILLA (MEX) by VPO1, 4-2
BRONZE: Xingru PEI (CHN) df. Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS) by VPO1, 7-1
 

#WrestleParis

Paris 2024: Lopez confident in his quest for fifth Olympic gold

Sunday, July 21, 2024 - 06:14 By United World Wrestling Press

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PARIS (July 21) -- In the history of the Olympic Games, only one athlete has won the gold medals five consecutive times: Ireen Wüst. At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, the Dutch speed skater completed the milestone and etched her name into the history books when she won the 1,500m race.

No Summer Olympian has ever won gold medals in the same individual event five consecutive times. No wrestler has ever won five gold medals. All that could change in Paris. And the man sniffing at the record is Mijain LOPEZ (CUB).

The man they fondly call ‘Gigante de Herradura’ and ‘El Terrible’ currently holds the record of winning the same individual Olympic event four times along with swim legend Michael Phelps, track hero Carl Lewis, the American discus throw hero Al Oerter, the sailor from Denmark Paul Elvstrom and Kaori ICHO (JPN) who, like Lopez, has four gold medals.

Mijain LOPEZ (CUB)Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) winning the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Born on August 20, 1982, the super heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestler made his first appearance at the Olympics in 2004. He was accompanied in the contingent by his elder brother Michel, a boxer (his other older sibling, Misael, was a rower). Michel won a bronze medal in the super-heavyweight division in Athens, a medal that continued Cuba’s historic dominance in boxing.

Lopez observed everything quietly at his maiden Games and when he returned to the biggest stage of all, in Beijing four years later, he would take the field by storm. The 6-foot-5-inch tall wrestler won a gold and repeated that feat in 2012, then in 2016 and the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

“I feel like it is a dream,” Lopez said. “I believe that it's a goal that I have had throughout my career. I have won four gold medals. I believe winning an Olympic gold medal is hard. So winning four and five is exceptional.”

Mijain LOPEZ (CUB)Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) defends his gold medal at 2012 London Olympic Games (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

His stranglehold in the super heavyweight division at the Olympics has played side-by-side with his dominance at the World Championships – where he has five titles and three silver medals – and the nine Pan American Championships crowns that are to his name.

Lopez last competed at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. After beating Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) in the gold medal bout on superiority, he stayed away from the mat before resurfacing last year to renew his bid for a fifth Olympic gold.

In May 2023, he announced his intention to come back but didn’t straightaway dive into competition mode although he would have been the favorite to defend his Pan American Games title.

Mijain LOPEZ (CUB)Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) won his third gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

But due to a personal loss in the weeks leading up to the Pan-Am Games, Lopez opted out of the competition and chose to prepare himself for the bigger battle. He watched from the sidelines as for the first time since 2003, a new face stood on the top of the podium at the Pan-Am Games.

All the while, Lopez had been training with single-minded focus at his bases in Varadero, the scenic beach resort roughly 150 km from Havana, and the Pelado High-Performance Centre in Havana.

In Paris, he might have to fight two battles simultaneously. The first against his aging body — he is 41 years old at the moment. And once he manages that, the Cuban will have to navigate through a tough field, especially since he isn’t among the seeded wrestlers in the 130kg category.

Mijain LOPEZ (CUB)Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) won his fourth gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

Lopez has sounded unfazed. If anything, he is itching to better the record of one of his favorite athletes, someone he has called the greatest Olympian of all time – Phelps.

“The preparation is done. I feel in optimal condition and all wrestlers are motivated both in Cuba and internationally. It has been a very important time for me to keep the motivation to get to my sixth Olympic Games and fight for my fifth medal,” he said. “Something I am doing with great focus to be able to show the world that everything you have in mind, and want to achieve, can be achieved. I know it's in my mind, and I believe the possibility of achieving that result is high.”

Lopez wrestles in Paris on August 5 and 6.