#ThrowBackThursday

#TBT: Olympic Champion Steveson Wins First World Title

Thursday, January 13, 2022 - 12:58 By United World Wrestling Press

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Gable STEVESON (USA) became an overnight sensation after winning a thrilling final and the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics with wins over former world champions Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) and Taha AKGUL (TUR). The American was trailing Petriashvili in the 125kg final in Tokyo but scored two takedowns in the final 10 seconds to win the coveted Olympic title at the age of 21.

But a three-time age-group world champion has a habit of punching about his weight. In 2015, a 15-year-old Steveson made a stunning run at the Cadet World Championships in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and won the gold medal with a 9-0 victory over Khasanboy RAKHIMOV (UZB). He outscored his opponents 47-12.

Since then he won the 2016 cadet world title, 2017 junior world title, 2021 senior Pan-Am Championships gold and the Tokyo Olympics gold with just the 2018 Junior World Championships being a lackluster event for him. The defending champion there finished fifth as Rakhimov avenged his loss from 2015 with a pin.

#Anti-Doping

CAS dismisses Datunashvili appeal against anti-doping violation

Thursday, November 20, 2025 - 02:28 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (November 22) -- The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has upheld the five-year ban imposed on Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB), dismissing his appeal against the sanction handed down last year.

The CAS Anti-Doping Division (CAS ADD) sanctioned Datunashvili with five years of ineligibility on September 19, 2024. He filed an appeal against the decision, but on November 17, 2025, CAS dismissed the appeal and confirmed the sanction. His period of ineligibility will run until April 10, 2028.

Datunashvili had been charged by the ITA with multiple anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs), including the use of urine substitution in the lead-up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the creation and use of a fabricated video as evidence to justify a missed out-of-competition doping control in 2022.

As a result of the sanction, all results obtained by Datunashvili from May 27, 2021, to April 11, 2023 (the date of his provisional suspension) were disqualified, including his bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics and the gold medals he won at the 2021 and 2022 World Championships.