#WrestleOslo

#TBT: Sadulaev and Snyder Square off in #WrestleTokyo 97kg Olympic Finals

By Eric Olanowski

Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RWF) and Kyle SNYDER (USA) collided in Tokyo with 97kg Olympic gold on the line. It was the third time the pair of Rio Olympic champions clashed. ‘The Russian Tank’ fell in their first meeting but won two straight matches and gained the 2-1 series advantage after securing a 6-3 finals win.

Sadulaev, the now-two-time Olympic champ and Snyder are seeded first and second, respectively, at 97kg for the #WrestleOslo World Championships (October 2-10). They'll meet for a fourth time if they stay undefeated until the finals.

#WrestleOslo ➡️ 16 Days.

#WrestleBelgrade

World Championships: Sadulaev forfeits, to undergo scans for neck injury

By Vinay Siwach

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 19) -- Tokyo Olympic champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) will undergo medical scans on Tuesday for a neck injury that forced him to end the World Championships.

The 27-year-old flew to Moscow on Monday night soon after his 97kg semifinal retirement against Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) with the Bahrain wrestler leading 9-2 at the World Championships.

The five-time world champion was expected to wrestle for a bronze medal and qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics as an Individual Neutral Athlete but the medical staff decided to not worsen the injury.

Sadulaev is suffering from a neck hernia, towards the end of his spinal cord. Medical scans will determine if it is a tumor or if Sadulaev can return to the mat without surgery.

He became the second Olympic champion to pull out of the World Championships repechage as 65kg champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) also pulled out due to a foot injury he has been carrying for one year.