YoungestToOldest

The Youngest/Oldest GR Gold Medalists in Olympic History

By Ikuo Higuchi

(This is the last of a three-part series that appeared on the Japan Wrestling Federation website. It was translated for UWW by Ken Marantz.)

A Style Dominated by Europeans
Compared with the United States and Asia, where most wrestlers start the sport in freestyle, many in Europe start out in the sport as youth in Greco-Roman style. This can account for the fact that out of 196 gold medals awarded at the Olympics so far, 168 have gone to Europeans (170 if wrestlers from current Asian countries who competed for the Soviet Union are included). 

Even so, it took more than a century of Olympics before a teenager would bring home a gold. Islambek ALBIEV (RUS) broke through the barrier at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he won the 60kg gold at 19 years 7 months 15 days. A world junior champion in 2006, Albiev added to his stature when he triumphed at both the European and World Championships the year after Beijing.

Albiev remains the lone teenager to win a Greco gold heading into the Tokyo Olympics, although such a feat might have more to do with timing than skill, given that the Olympics come only once every four years. A wrestler who is 16 or 17 in an Olympic year will likely never get a legitimate shot at a gold as a teenager (not that it really matters in the end if one wins a gold at 19 or 20; it is just being mentioned here for historical purposes). 

Take the case of legendary Hamza YERLIKAYA (TUR), who was just 17 years 3 months 16 days when he won the 82kg title at the 1993 World Championships. But his triumph at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics came 1 month 18 days after he had celebrated his 20th birthday. Yerlikaya would add another Olympic title in 2000 and world title in 2005 before going on to become a member of Turkey's Parliament.

The 1987 World Championships in Clermand-Ferrand produced a teenaged Greco champ in Pedro Favier ROQUE (CUB), who won the 52kg gold at 18 years 8 months 26 days. He would have still been 19 at the Seoul Olympics the following year, but it was not to be. Cuba, following the lead of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, did not participate in the Games in the south of the peninsula.

Comparatively, freestyle has eight Olympic champions who were in their teens or 20, while Greco has just half that number with four. Perhaps this shows how Greco relies more on experience to master. 

It looking at the oldest gold medalists, the world and Japanese media heralded the crowning of a 40-year-old champion at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Anatoli ROSCHTSCHIN (URS) was 40 years 6 months 0 days when he won the over-100kg crown. But there had been an older champion before that, back in the days before mass media. At the 1920 Antwerp Olympics, Adolf LINDFORS (FIN) was 41 years 6 months 12 days when he triumphed in the over-84kg class. And he certainly earned his medal--he won all five of his matches by fall, with his second-round victory take 23 minutes 43 seconds and his win in the final lasting a whopping 47 minutes 38 seconds. (In that era, the time limit for a match was reportedly 50 minutes.)

As in freestyle, the majority of champions on the oldest-ever list are in the upper weight classes. Of the top 15, the lone lightweight champions (68kg or lower) came in the pre-World War II era. Since the end of the war, there have been only six gold medalists aged 30 or over in the lightweight divisions, most recently Davor STEFANEK (SRB), who was 30 years 11 months 4 days when he won the 66kg gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

By the way, Japan has had four Greco champions in Olympic history. The youngest was Masamitsu ICHIGUCHI (JPN), who was 24 years 9 months 7 years when he took the 57kg gold at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The oldest, 1984 Los Angeles Olympic 52kg champion Atsuji MIYAHARA (JPN), was 25 years 7 months 13 days on the day of his triumph.

Why am I bringing this up? If the upcoming Tokyo Olympics had been held as scheduled this summer, current world 60kg champion Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) could have broken Ichiguchi's record as youngest-ever by winning the gold on Aug. 3, when he will be 24 years 7 months 16 days. But with the Games postponed for year, Fumita instead has a chance to become the oldest-ever. The final is tentatively slated for Aug. 2, 2021, when Fumita will be 25 years 7 months 15 days--just two days older than Miyahara.

TOP 15 YOUNGEST OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS (GRECO-ROMAN)
Name                                                        Age                               Olympics                       Wt.    Date of birth
1. Islambek ALBIEV (RUS)                    19 years 7 months 15 days         2008 Beijing       60kg     1988/12/28

2. Hamza YERLIKAYA (TUR)             20 years 1 month 18 days         1996 Atlanta         82kg     1976/06/03

3. Suren NALBANDYAN (URS)           20 years 1 month 21 days         1976 Montreal       68kg     1956/06/03

4. Shazam SAFIN (URS)                       20 years 3 months 20 days      1952 Helsinki         67kg     1932/04/07

5. Alexandre KARELINE (URS)          21 years 0 months 2 days           1988 Seoul           130kg     1967/09/19

6. Varteres SAMURGASHEV (RUS)   21 years 0 months 13 days         2000 Sydney          63kg     1979/09/13

7. Boris GUREVICH (URS)                    21 years 4 months 4 days       1952 Helsinki          52kg     1931/03/23

8. Ji-Hyun JUNG (KOR)                        21 years 5 months 0 days       2004 Athens            60kg     1983/03/26

9. Alexander KOLTSCHINSKI (URS) 21 years 5 months 4 days           1976 Montreal    +100kg   1955/02/20

10. Khassan BAROEV (RUS)                 21 years 8 months 24 days      2004 Athens          120kg     1982/12/01

11. Roman VLASOV (RUS)                    21 years 9 months 30 days      2012 London           74kg     1990/10/06

12. Jouko SALOMAEKI (FIN)              21 years 11 months 7 days         1984 Los Angeles   74kg     1962/08/26

13. Schamil CHISAMUTDINOW (URS)  21 years 11 months 21 days   1972 Munich           68kg     1950/09/20

14. Henri DEGLANE (FRA)                    22 years 0 months 18 days      1924 Paris              +82kg     1902/06/22

15. Vincenzo MAENZA (ITA)                 22 years 2 months 30 days      1984 Los Angeles      48kg     1962/05/02

TOP 15 OLDEST OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS (GRECO-ROMAN)
Name                                                        Age                                       Olympics                        Wt.    Date of birth
1. Adolf LINDFORS (FIN)                   41 years 6 months 12 days          1920 Antwerp           +82kg     1879/02/08

2. Anatoli ROSCHTSCHIN (URS)      40 years 6 months 0 days            1972 Munich          +100kg     1932/03/10

3. Johannes KOTKAS (URS)               37 years  5 months 24 days          1952 Helsinki           +87kg     1915/02/03

4. Kaaro ANTTILA (FIN)                   36 years  10 months 10 days         1924 Paris                   62kg     1887/08/30

5. Carl WESTERGREN (SWE)           36 years  9 months 25 days          1932 Los Angeles      +87kg     1895/10/13

6. Claes JOHANSON (SWE)               35 years  9 months 16 days          1920 Antwerp           82.5kg     1884/11/04

7. Erik MALMBERG (SWE)                35 years  6 months 23 days          1932 Los Angeles        66kg     1897/01/15

8. Eemeli VAERE (FIN)                      34 years  10 months 23 days         1920 Antwerp          67.5kg     1885/09/28

9. Axel GROENBERG (SWE)             34 years  2 months 18 days           1952 Helsinki              79kg     1918/05/09

10. Mijain LOPEZ NUNEZ (CUB)     33 years  11 months 26 days          2016 Rio de Janeiro  130kg    1982/08/20

11. Ahmet KIRECCI (TUR)                33 years 9 months 10 days            1948 London              +87kg     1914/10/27

12. Ivar JOHANSSON (SWE)             33 years  6 months 9 days            1936 Berlin                    79kg     1903/01/31

13. Rudolf SVENSSON (SWE)            33 years  4 months 11 days           1932 Los Angeles          87kg     1899/03/27

14. Vaeinoe KOKKINEN (FIN)          32 years  8 months 13 days           1932 Los Angeles          79kg     1899/11/25

15. Valentin NIKOLAEV (URS)          32 years  8 months 0 days            1956 Melbourne            87kg     1924/04/06

#wrestlebishkek

Asian Championships Day 4 Women's Wrestling Finals Set

By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 14) -- Women's Wrestling will continue at the Asian Championships on day four with world champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) wrestling in front of the home crowd for the first time. Japan will look to build on its three gold medals from day three.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 3 REPORT

14:27: Anastassiya PANASSOVICH (KAZ) was frantic at the start of the 72kg semifinal against HARSHITA (IND) but the Indian remained calm. Harshita with a double-leg and gets the four-pointer. Panassovich is put on the activity clock in the second period, making it 5-0 for Harshita. No more points in the semifinal as Harshita enters the 72kg final with a 5-0 win.

14:24: Qian JIANG (CHN), an Asian junior champion in 2019, will get a chance for a first senior gold by advancing to the 72kg final with a victory by fall over Bolortungalag ZORIGT (MGL). Jiang had a pair of 4-point takedowns in the match. First, she used a single-leg tackle to send Zoright directly to her back, although the Mongolian rolled through to get 2 points of her own. Jiang then used a 2-on-1 to whip Zorigt down for 4, but finished her off with the fall in 1:08.

14:07: Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL) with a fall over Irina KAZYULINA (KAZ) in the 65kg semifinal with 3:33 left on the clock. In a dramatic turn of events, Kazakhstan challenged for a stepout at 4:14. The result is reversed and Kazakhstan is given a point for stepout and the pin is canceled. Kazyulina with a takedown and a 4-0 lead at the break. Tuvshinjargal gets exposure in the second period to cut the lead to 4-2 and a go-behind soon to lead 4-4 on criteria. Kazyulina is out of steam and Tuvshinjargal has another takedown to lead 6-4. No more scores in the bout and Tuvshinjargal heads into the 65kg final with a 6-4 win.

14:06: Mahiro YOSHITAKE (JPN) will get a chance to improve on her silver-medal performance from a year ago when she barged to a first-period fall over teenager ANTIM (IND) in their 65kg semifinal. Yoshitake, a 2022 world U20 champion, scores a takedown and exposure for a 4-0 lead. She keeps the pressure on and flips Antim onto her back and records the fall at 1:31.

14:02: Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) sets up the highly anticipated clash in the 62kg final with Motoki, after using her counter lifts to great effect to build a big lead in a 13-3 victory over Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL). Her lone takedown in the second period led to a pair of rolls that ended the match.

13:56: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) was slow off the blocks but she pins MANISHA (IND) after the Indian was called for fleeing and was put in forced par terre. An arm-bar and pin for the victory.

13:51: Three-time world champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) is taken into the second period by Laura ALMAGANBETOVA (KAZ) in their 57kg semifinal, but the outcome is as expected as the Japanese records a fall with just over two minutes left. Sakurai gets an activity point, then fights through Almaganbetova's defenses late in the first period to score a takedown and two exposures for a 7-0 lead. In the second period, she gets a single-leg takedown and gains a lace lock. But instead of rolling, she lifts and pressures Almaganbetova onto her back for the fall.

13:44: Yongxin FENG (CHN) with that super strong Chinese gut wrench to take out Gantuya ENKHBAT (MGL) 10-0 in just 30 seconds. Feng will wrestle for the 57kg gold medal.

13:42: ANJU (IND) into the 53kg final! A stepout and fleeing from Chun LEI (CHN) gives Anju a 2-0 lead. But Lei answers with a low single and gut wrench to take a 6-2 lead at the break. Anju gets a stepout and another point for Lei's passivity in the second period to close the gap to 6-4. With 20 seconds left, Anju hits a cradle for two and two and holds Lei in danger as the clock expires. China challenged the call but lost and Anju won 9-6.

13:37: Ji Hyang KIM (PRK) is into the 53kg final with a victory by fall over Thi My Trang NGUYEN (VIE). Kim, a 2019 Asian cadet champion, gets a pair of takedowns, adding a gut wrench after the first one. Kim then uses a fireman's carry to put Nguyen directly to her back, transitions to a headlock and secures the fall at 2:44.

The semifinals begin at 13:30 local time. Mongolia and India lead with four wrestlers in the semifinals. Japan, China and Kazakhstan have three each in the semifinals. Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam and DPR Korea enter one each.

12:58: Returning silver medalist Sumire NIIKURA (JPN) takes back the lead in the second period, only to lose it and suffer a 10-6 defeat by Bolortungalag ZORIGT (MGL) in their 72kg quarterfinal. Niikura led 4-4 on criteria going into the second period when Zorigt scored a takedown with 1:12 left. Niikura came back with a stepout, and a fleeing point tacked on made it 6-6, her advantage. With :24 on the clock, Niikura loses her balance and Zorigt takes advantage to score the go-ahead takedown. A stop on a desperation throw accounts for the final score.

12:50: Qian JIANG (CHN) defies the home crowd and hangs on for a 10-8 victory in her 72kg quarterfinal over Asian Games 68kg silver medalist Nurzat NURTAEVA.

12:47: Paris-bound two-time world medalist Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) gets started at 62kg with a 10-0 victory over Arian CARPIO (PHI) to advance to the semifinals. Motoki opens with a double-leg takedown. She then uses a nice ankle pick for 2, then applies the lace lock and ends the match with three quick rolls.

12:41: Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL), a three-time bronze medalist and 2015 world silver medalist, is into the 62kg semifinals with a 5-0 victory over LILI (CHN), a world bronze medalist last year at 65kg.

12:40: A U20 world bronze medalist HARSHITA (IND) rolls to a 13-3 win over Ozoda ZARIPBOEVA (UZB) to enter the 72kg semifinals.

12:36: In a battle of 2021 world bronze medalists (in different weight classes), Gantunya ENKHBAT (MGL) used a whizzer counter to great effect to defeat SARITA (IND) 8-4. Ehkhbat's 4-point throw off a whizzer in the first period had her ahead on criteria when Sarita tied the match in the second period. As Sarita pressed for a go-ahead point, Ekhbat hit another whizzer for 4 at the buzzer.

12:31: In one of the wildest bouts of the session with the unlikeliest of finishes, MANISHA (IND) came out a winner on cautions over Su Gyong CHOE (PRK) in their 62kg quarterfinal. Manisha overcame an 8-2 deficit to lead 10-8, and then a flurry of action, including a 4-point takedown by Choe, put the Korean up 13-12. With 10 seconds left, Manisha charged Choe out of the ring, gaining a stepout point and a fleeing point to lead 14-13. But that was the third caution on Choe, ending the match.

12:30: Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) may be donning a new hairstyle but her dominance on the mat is still old. The world champion entertains the home crowd with a victory by fall over Subeen JO (KOR) and enters the 62kg semifinal.

12:25: Irina KAZYULINA (KAZ), a bronze medalist back in 2018, hangs on for a 4-3 victory over Dinora RUSTAMOVA (UZB) to advance to the 65kg semifinals.

12:23: A stepout to start but ANTIM (IND) gets a flurry of takedowns and counters to beat Dilnaz SAZANOVA (KGZ) 11-0 in four minutes and 19 seconds and advance to the 65kg semifinals.

12:19: Two-time reigning world champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) opens her campaign at 57kg for a second Asian gold (she also won in 2022) with a 37-second victory in the quarterfinals over Sezim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ). A takedown to a lace lock, four rolls and that was it.

12:17: Thi My Trang NGUYEN (VIE), a U17 Asian bronze medalist, moves into the semifinals of 53kg with a 4-1 win over Yi Jing CHEN (TPE).

12:17: ANJU (IND) has her hands full with Nethmi PORUTHOTAGE (SRI) in their 53kg quarterfinal and trails in the second period. But a 4-point takedown opens the floodgates and the Indian posts a 14-4 victory.

12:08: Yongxin FENG (CHN) with a quick 10-0 win over Hyon Ju YUN (PRK). A strong gut wrench to finish the bout at 57kg.

12:06: Ji Hyang KIM (PRK) is looking impressive at 53kg, rolling to a 12-2 victory over two-time Asian U20 silver medalist Dilshoda MATNAZAROVA (UZB).

12:05: A mixed result for Korea and Kazakhstan on MAt C. In the 62kg bouts, Subeen JO (KOR) pins Tynys DUBEK (KAZ) but in the 57kg bout, Laura ALMAGANBETOVA (KAZ) pins Bogyeong KIM (KOR).

11:59: A sad end for Soobin KIM (KOR) in her 65kg quarterfinal match with Mahiro YOSHITAKE (JPN). Yoshitake gets in on single second into the match and wrenches Kim's knee inward, causing her to cry out in pain. She is taken off the mat on a stretcher.

11:55: A quick pin for Qian JIANG (CHN) over Oguljan EGEMBERDIYEVA (TKM) at 72kg.

11:54: Sezim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ), 2021 world junior bronze medalist, goes ahead with a takedown and gut wrench midway through the second period, then adds a pair of late takedowns for a 10-4 victory over Ulmeken ESENBAEVA (UZB) at 57kg.

11:51: To the thrill of the home crowd Dilnaz SAZANOVA (KGZ) with a 12-0 win over Naziya JORAYEVA (TKM) at 65kg. Great start for the home wrestlers today.

11:45: Unheralded Nagisa HARADA (JPN), a late replacement on the Japan squad at 53kg for injured world champion Akari FUJINAMI (JPN), falls at the first hurdle, losing 4-0 to 2018 champion Chun LEI (CHN). In the first period, Lei uses an underarm spin for a takedown, adds a gut wrench, and fends off the attacks from Harada, a silver medalist at the 2023 Klippan Lady Open.

11:43: A rare and impressive victory for Sri Lanka on Mat B, as Nethmi AHINSA (SRI) chalks up a 12-1 victory over Ayazhan MARKASHEVA (KAZ) at 53kg. Sri Lanka is still looking for its first-ever senior Asian Championships medal.

11:36: In the opening match on Mat A, 2019 Asian cadet champion Ji Hyang KIM (PRK) scores a pair of takedowns in the first period, with a 2-point exposure after the second one, to lead 6-0 against Otgontuya CHINBOLD (MGL), the silver medalist last year at 55kg. Kim gains another takedown and exposure combination to end the match 10-0 with 25 seconds to spare.

11:30: Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) will be wrestling in Bishkek and she will renew her rivalry with Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) at 62kg. Tynybekova has won both the matches the two have wrestled. A potential third meeting in the final is on the cards.