#WrestleLondon

Five London 2012 Events to Have Medals, Diplomas Reallocated

Monday, November 15, 2021 - 19:57 By United World Wrestling Press

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Earlier today, the International Olympic Committee announced the updated list of placements from the 120kg bracket at the '12 London Olympic Games. The article, which was posted on www.olympics.org, laid out the top eight finishers after the removal of Artur TAYMAZOV (UZB) and Davit MODZMANASHVILI (GEO).

The decision was taken during today’s meeting of the International Olympic Committee Executive Board, following the previous disqualification of a number of athletes and the results of their events being adjusted accordingly by the International Federations involved.

The reallocations concern five events in three sports.

See the new rankings for these events below:

Olympic Games London 2012 - Wrestling – Men’s Freestyle 120kg

The following athletes have been disqualified from this event:
- Artur TAYMAZOV (UZB – 1st place, gold medal), by the IOC Disciplinary Commission in the decision dated 17 July 2019. 
- Davit MODZMANASHVILI (GEO – 2nd place, silver medal), by the IOC Disciplinary Commission in the decision dated 16 January 2019

Therefore, the new ranking for the athletes placed from first to eighth is as follows: 

1. Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) 
1. Bilyal MAKHOV (RUS)*
3. Daulet SHABANBAY (KAZ) 
3. Tervel Ivaylov DLAGNEV (USA) 
5. Chuluunbat JARGALSAIKHAN (MGL) 
6. Aleksei SHEMAROV (BLR) 
7. Taha AKGUL (TUR) 
8. Rares Daniel CHINTOAN (ROU)

*Additional Information

The reallocation of the medals, diplomas and medallist pins can be undertaken provided that the athletes concerned are not currently under suspension for an ADRV and/or no anti-doping proceedings are currently initiated against them.

Bilyal MAKHOV (RUS) is currently suspended for an ADRV until 27 January 2024. 

No immediate arrangements will  be made to present the gold medal to this athlete before the end of his suspension.

Athletics and canoeing also saw medals, diplomas and medallist pins reallocated. To read the full release, visit www.olympics.org.

#development

UWW conducts REDT program in Benin

Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:06 By United World Wrestling Press

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OUIDAH, Benin (December 20) -- United World Wrestling (UWW), in collaboration with the Benin Wrestling Federation, the Benin National Olympic Committee and the national sports authorities, successfully organized the Regional Education and Development Wrestling Tournament (REDT), which took place in Ouidah from November 23 to 30, 2025.

This event represents the first tournament ever organized in West Africa, marking a major milestone in UWW’s wrestling development strategy on the African continent.

Ten countries from the West African region took part in the tournament, contributing to a framework of technical and educational exchanges aimed at enhancing the competencies of wrestling stakeholders.

Deqa NIAMKEY, Director of Development at United World Wrestling, paid an official visit to Benin. She praised the progress achieved by the Benin Wrestling Federation and recalled the core objective of the REDT program.

"The REDT was initiated by United World Wrestling to support countries in the sustainable development of wrestling.”

Niamkey also conducted a sports administration education session with representatives of national federations, while Youssef BOUAZIZ delivered an online training session on ARENA.

Benin

Ahead of the competitions, a regional coaches’ education program was conducted from November 24 to 27, 2025, bringing together coaches, referees, athletes and technical staff from Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Senegal.

This program was delivered by Vincent AKA, UWW Expert and Development Officer, and concluded with theoretical and practical evaluations leading to the award of UWW International Coaching Certifications Levels 1 and 2.

Celestin PAVELESCU, UWW Expert, led the refereeing education program in Olympic Wrestling and Beach Wrestling, contributing to the improvement of technical standards and the harmonization of officiating practices across the region.

The competitions were held on November 29, 2025 at the IRSP Gymnasium, while the Beach Wrestling events took place on November 30, 2025 at the Door of No Return Beach, an emblematic site of Ouidah’s historical and cultural heritage.

The host nation particularly distinguished itself during this edition, winning a total of 35 medals (11 gold, 15 silver and 9 bronze).

The development strategy focused on youth and the introduction of wrestling in the school environment, with a strong representation of U17 wrestlers, illustrates the long-term vision pursued by the Benin Wrestling Federation.

At the conclusion of the competition, the President of the Benin Wrestling Federation, Adihunkpéto YVES AZIFAN, congratulated all wrestlers and coaches, while reaffirming the federation’s commitment to position Benin sustainably among the leading nations of African and international wrestling.