The American did not shake the Russian fighter’s hand after the final. But the main thing is that the victory is ours!
Batraz Tomaev September 19, 2023, 14:15 Moscow time
Zaurbek Sidakov won gold at the World Championships brilliantly. And Akhmed Usmanov added a second gold to the team’s treasure.
On the second medal day of the World Championships, Russian wrestlers finally showed everyone their strength. A year ago they were not in the main tournament of the year, but now in Belgrade they are winning gold medals again. Handsome boys!
Zaurbek: three times!
Zaurbek Sidakov won the third gold medal at the world championship. In the Olympic weight category up to 74 kg he again had no equal.
In the final match, Sidakov had to fight with the American Kyle Dake. The Americans attempted to exert additional pressure through challenges. And the judges seemed to be on Dake’s side. But you can’t fool the fans: that night the stands at Stark Arena chanted Zaurbek Sidakov’s name. And he did not disappoint. The victory went to the Russian 10:7.
And with his behavior the American clearly confirmed that the most worthy won.
“The American disrespected me. He still wanted to show my human attitude and I always show it both on the carpet and on the street. And that’s why God was on my side today.
After the fight the opponent did not shake my hand,” Sidakov said.
After the victory, the Russian continued to look up. He dedicated his victory to his late father. To my biggest fan.
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Akhmed Usmanov brought the second gold medal to the Russian team. In the final of the weight category up to 74 kg he left no chance for the representative of Georgia, Vladimir Gamkrelidze. The match ended with a score of 4:1. The Russian fighter says there might not have been a second chance to win.
“The World Cup final cannot be easy. I was determined to give the six minutes, there was no margin for error, because fighting in the World Championship final is a great opportunity that not everyone has. You never know if you will get another chance like this in life or not, you have to win. The team did not have a single gold before my final, there was a special responsibility.
Two days ago it was my birthday and I wanted to win gold at the World Championships. And he gave it to him. I want to dedicate the victory to my mother and my brothers: they believed in me a lot, they waited a lot. My mother is a fighting woman, a strong-spirited woman, many thanks to her, her name is Painusat. Thanks also to Makhmud Magomedov and Zelimkhan Guseinov. As they say in a play, the main thing is the foundation, and my foundation is my coaches.”
Drama by Abdulrashid Sadulayev
But the most star and titled wrestler of the Russian team, Abdulrashid Sadulayev, unfortunately could not secure his participation in the final. He suffered a neck injury and was unable to finish his 97kg semi-final.
But before reaching the semi-finals, Sadulayev had a whole roll of film.
In the quarterfinals, Abdulrashid had the role of catching the Iranian athlete Mojtaba Golej. Four seconds before the end, the Iranian took the lead, but the Russian wrestler pinned his opponent – bravo!
Sadulaev reached the semi-finals and met Akhmed Tazhudinov, a 20-year-old student at the school that bears his name, who decided to play for Bahrain a year ago.
In the quarterfinals, Tazhudinov faced the American world champion Snyder, and in the semifinals he defeated Sadulayev. Abdulrashid was clearly suffering from a neck injury and with the score 2:9, one minute before the end of the fight, he decided to retire. The injury did not allow the great Sadulaev to fight even for bronze.
What happened to Sadulayev at the 2023 World Cup?
The drama of the best Russian fighter at the world championship. Sadulaev surrendered due to injury
The fight almost escalated into a brawl.
As for other notable events, it is worth highlighting Zaur Uguev’s Olympic license. In the fight for fifth place in the weight category up to 57 kg he defeated the representative of Kazakhstan Meirambek Kartbay 4-0.
Unfortunately, the competition for the Russian girls did not go well. In the weight categories up to 55 and 59 kg, the Russians failed to qualify for the quarterfinals.
The second medal day was also remembered for its great conflict. The meeting between Armenian wrestler Vazgen Tevanyan and Azerbaijani Haji Aliyev in the quarterfinals of the weight category up to 65 kg almost ended in a big fight. In the end, the fighters started a brawl due to a conflictive situation. The referee and coach of the Azerbaijan national team, Khetag Gozyumov, intervened in the situation in time. The athletes were separated. And Tevanyan won 12:2.
On Tuesday, September 19, the final matches of men’s wrestling (up to 65 and up to 97 kg) will be held at the World Championship. The first medals at the World Championships will also be competed for by girls in the weight categories up to 55 and 59 kg.
Calendar of decisive fights of the 2023 World Cup, September 19
17:45. Women’s wrestling semi-finals (up to 65, 60, 67, 76 kg); 7:00 p.m. Finals, freestyle wrestling (up to 65 and 97 kg), including fights for the fifth Olympic license, women’s wrestling (up to 55 and 59 kg).
