#ThrowBackThursday

#TBT​ Slay Stuns Eventual Three-Time Olympic Champ Saitiev

By Eric Olanowski

Brandon SLAY ?? scored one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history after stunning eventual three-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time world champion, Buvaisar SAITIEV ??, 4-3, en route to the 76kg gold medal at the ’00 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

Coming into the ’00 Olympic Games, Saitiev was arguably the best freestyle wrestler in the world. He was the defending Olympic gold medalist and a three-time world champion. Saitiev entered the Sydney Games riding a perfect 19-0 combined record in world championship and Olympic action.

UWW Partners With Snow Leopard Foundation in Kyrgyzstan

By United World Wrestling Press

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 2) -- The Asian Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan from April 6-12 will bear the logo with a snow leopard. Being the national symbol of Kyrgyzstan, the animal holds significant reference in the culture of the country.

Like in wrestling, success isn't just about strength, it’s about the combination of power, precision, and an unbreakable mind. Snow leopard in the high-altitude "arenas" of 12 countries in Central and South Asia, including Kyrgyzstan, lives by these same rules.

United World Wrestling is partnering with the Snow Leopard Foundation in Kyrgyzstan to promote the preservation of the animal of which around 300 adult individuals remain around the country.

With the Asian Championships in Bishkek, the tournament was the ideal opportunity to raise the awareness around the national symbol of Kyrgyzstan.

Snow Leopard Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in the Kyrgyz Republic in 2012. It conducts research across snow leopard habitats, implements community-based conservation programs, builds awareness and education, and assists government agencies in the Kyrgyz Republic in addressing policy issues pertaining to snow leopard conservation.

SLFK is the country partner of the International Snow Leopard Trust which was established in 1981 and is based in Seattle, US with the goal to protect the endangered snow leopard and its mountain ecosystem through a combination of advanced scientific research and community-based conservation programs.