RIO DE JANEIRO (August 19) – Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) held on for a 4-3 win at 57kg to upgrade to a gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Friday, while Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) grabbed his first gold medal in his Olympic Games debut.

Khinchegashvili, a silver medalist four years ago in London, edged world champion at 61kg Haji ALIEV (AZE), 5-3, in the semifinals and held on for criteria decision win over Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) in the final to claim the gold medal at 57kg.

Khinchegashvili spotted Higuchi a three-point lead on a “shot-clock” point in the first period and double-leg takedown in the second, then roared back with a chestlock and turn for two points and a “shot-clock” point for a 3-3 lead with the tie-break advantage.

He then fought off the attempts of the 20-year-old challenger to score over the final 30 seconds to secure his upgrade to the gold medal.

“This is the best feeling ever. My dream just came true,” Khinchegashvili told reporters.

The Japanese corner, however, charged that Khinchegashvili was hanging on to Higuchi’s arm and preventing him from wrestling, but the challenge was rejected making the final score 4-3.

At 74kg, Yazdanicharati quietly advanced into the gold medal final while Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) forged wins over world and London 2012
champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) and two-time world bronze medalist Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE).

The gold medal final was marred, however, as Geduev was forced to take repeated medical breaks as doctors tried to control the bleeding from a cut over his eye. Despite the breaks, Geduev built up a 6-0 lead in the first period.

In the second period, Yazdanicharati, a junior world champion in 2014, began with a leg attack to go-behind for two and capped his comeback with a final go-behind in the closing seconds for a 6-6 last-point tie-break victory.

In the bronze medal matches at 59kg, world champion Haji ALIEV (AZE) dumped 2013 world silver medalist Vladimir DUBOV to his back off a leg attack and pressed for the fall at 4:50.

Hassan RAHIMI (IRI), 2013 world champion, blocked a throw attempt in the first period for four points and came back with a dump to the back for a win by fall over Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) and the second bronze medal.

In the bronze medal matches at 74kg, two-time world bronze medalist Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE) forged an 8-2 lead over the first half of the match and then held on for a 9-7 win over Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB).

European champion Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) forged a 6-0 win over Galymzhan USSERBAYEV (TUR) by spinning behind for points and step-outs.

Freestyle 57kg (20 entries)

Gold Medal Final
Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) df. Rei HIGUCHI (JPN), 4-3

Bronze Medal Finals
Haji ALIEV (AZE) df. Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) by Fall, 4:50 (5-4)
Hassan RAHIMI (IRI) df. Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) by Fall, 5:04 (9-0)

Semifinals
Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) df. Vladimir DUBOV (BUL), 8-4
Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) df. Hassan RAHIMI (IRI), 10-5 

Repechage
Haji ALIEV (AZE) df. Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ), 10-8 
YANG Kyong-Il (PRK) df. Asadulla LACHINOV (BLR), 6-2
Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) df. YANG Kyong-Il (PRK) by TF, 11-1, 3:36

Freestyle 74kg (20 entries)

Gold Medal Final
Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) df. Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS), 6-6

Bronze Medal Finals
Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE) df. Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB), 9-7
Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) df. Galymzhan USSERBAYEV (KAZ), 6-0

Semifinals
Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) df. Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE), 5-4 
Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) df. Galymzhan USSERBAYEV (KAZ) by TF, 10-0, 1:43

Repechage
Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB) df. Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) by TF, 11-1, 5:42 
Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) df. Asnage CASTELLY (HAI) by TF, 12-0, 1:10

همچنین در مسابقه مدال برنز وزن 59 کیلوگرم نیز حاجی علی‌اف از آذربایجان، ولادیمیر دوبوف نایب قهرمان سال 2013 جهان از بلغارستان را با ضربه فنی شکست داد. همچنین حسن رحیمی قهرمان سال 2013 جهان با حملات پی در پی یولیس بونه رودریگز از کوبا را ضربه فنی کرد و دومین مدال برنز را به دست آورد.

در مسابقه رده‌بندی وزن 74 کیلوگرم نیز جبرئیل حسن‌اف آذربایجانی در حالیکه وقت اول 8 بر 2 پیش بود در نهایت با حساب 9 بر 7 بکزود عبدالرحمانف از ازبکستان را شکست داد.

همچنین سونر دمیرتاش قهرمان اروپا از ترکیه با حساب 6 بر صفر گالیمجان اسربایف از قزاقستان را مغلوب کرد و صاحب مدال برنز شد.

نتایج دیدارهای فینال و رده‌بندی:

57 کیلوگرم:

مدال طلا: ولادیمیر خینچگاشویلی (گرجستان) 4 ـ ری هیگوچی (ژاپن) 3

مسابقه های رده‌بندی:

حاجی علی‌اف آذربایجان با ضربه فنی  ولادیمیر دوبوف (بلغارستان) را شکست داد.

حسن رحیمی (ایران) با ضربه فنی یولیس رودریگز (کوبا) را مغلوب کرد.

74 کیلوگرم:

مدال طلا: حسن یزدانی (ایران) 6 ـ آنوار گدویف (روسیه) 6

یزدانی به دلیل گرفتن امتیاز آخر پیروز شد.

مسابقه های رده‌بندی:

جبرئیل حسن‌اف (آذربایجان) 9 ـ بکزود عبدالرحمانف (ازبکستان) 7

سونر دمیرتاش (ترکیه) 6 ـ گالیمجان اسربایف (قزاقستان) صفر