#WrestleTokyo

Sadulaev Tops Rival Snyder in 3rd Clash for Tokyo Olympics Gold

Saturday, August 7, 2021 - 12:22 By Ken Marantz

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CHIBA, Japan (August 7)---Abdulrashid SADULAEV (ROC) came out on top in his latest clash with fellow Rio Olympic champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) at freestyle 97kg, winning "Snyderlaev III" 6-3 on Saturday night.

In the highly anticipated battle at Makuhari Messe Hall A, reigning world champi0n Sadulaev scored twice on tilts in countering low singles by Snyder and held on to add a second Olympic gold to his four world titles.

"Unbelievable, awesome," Sadulaev said. "I know this feeling because five years ago I won. It’s more difficult to defend than to win. So it’s a dream today."

Sadulaev took a 2-0 lead in the second period after receiving an activity point and scoring on a stepout.

In the second period, Snyder shot for a low single and Sadulaev showed how he earned his nickame "The Russian Tank" when he lifted the American off the mat. While Sadulaev wasn't able throw Snyder for points, he managed to tilt him over.

A short time later, Snyder got in on the same single leg, and the result was exactly the same, giving the Russian a 4-0 lead.

Snyder, a two-time former world champion, put himself back into the match with a hard-earned takedown with 50 seconds left, then added a stepout point with :28 on the clock. But the 25-year-old Sadulaev wasn't budging after that, and held on for his second win in two career matches with Snyder.

Asked about how he felt about his historic victory, Sadualev said, "To be honest for now I don’t eel anything because I am too tired. Maybe after sometime I will tell you."

The two, born just six months apart, had been on parallel tracks throughout their careers, both winning senior world freestyle titles in 2015 and an Olympic gold at Rio 2016, all before their 21st birthdays.

Sadulaev won the 86kg gold in Rio, where Snyder triumphed at 97kg. Sadulaev moved up to 97kg the next year, and their paths first crossed in the final at the 2017 World Championships in Paris in a match immediately dubbed "The Match of the Century."

Snyder prevailed to take the gold, which also gave the U.S. the freestyle team title, scoring the winning points of a 6-5 decision in the final 30 seconds. A year later in Budapest, Sadulaev turned the tide turned in the world with an innovative fall in just 70 seconds.

At the 2019 World Championships, a highly anticipated third match never came about after Snyder lost in the semifinals to 2012 London Olympic champion Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) as Sadulaev went on to win his fourth world title.

#WrestleBelgrade

Aitmukhan: From volunteer at Worlds to Kazakhstan's first world champ

Tuesday, September 19, 2023 - 15:31 By Vinay Siwach

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BELGRADE, Serbia (September 19) -- Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) was hoping to become Kazakhstan's first-ever Freestyle world champion when he reached the 65kg final at the World Championships in 2019. He failed after losing to Gazdhimurad RASHIDOV.

In that final, Rashidov took a bleeding timeout. A volunteer, Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ), ran out to clean the blood dropped on the mat. Little did Niyazbekov or Kazakhstan know that the tall volunteer would go on to achieve what Niyazbekov failed to.

Born in Kyzyltu, a village with only 600 people in the northern region of Kazakhstan, Aitmukhan became the central Asian country's first-ever world champion in Freestyle on Monday as he defeated Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) in the 92kg final in Belgrade, Serbia.

In a thrilling final, Aitmukhan made a comeback after being down 2-0. He scored a stepout and caution with 30 seconds left. His criteria lead was threatened by Nurmagomedov in the final second when he almost scored a pushout. But Aitmukhan pushed the Azerbaijan wrestler out of bounds and won 6-2.

"The final match was very intense and tough," Aitmukhan said. "I noticed that he was getting tired. I used that moment and snatched the victory. We work hard, but all the success comes from God."

This victory was after five other wrestlers from Kazakhstan had tried to win the elusive Freestyle gold in the country's wrestling history to check out another box. With a Freestyle world champion, Kazakhstan is now without a world champion only in Women's Wrestling.

Aitmukhan's gold medal was also the first for Kazakhstan at the World Championships since Mkhitar MANUKYAN's (KAZ) won the last one in 1999 in Greco-Roman.

"This victory is the biggest in my life," Aitmukhan said. "I’ve been working for it for so many years. I would like to dedicate this win to my country and to my grandmother, she would have been 81 years old today [Monday]. But she passed away 3 years ago. This victory means a lot to me."

Back in 2019, Aitmukhan was the fourth-placer at the World School Combat Games and later won bronze at the U15 Asian Championships. He competed at the U23 Asian Championships as a 17-year-old and won gold at 92kg. Four months later, he was at the U23 World Championships but lost to Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) in the first round and to Feyzulla AKTURK (TUR) in the bronze medal bout. Akturk also defeated him in the bronze medal bout at the 2023 Ibrahim Moustafa Ranking Series.

But as fate would have it, he would return to Astana in April this year, for the Asian Championships and enter the final. The 19-year-old finished with a silver medal against another teenager Arash YOSHIDA (JPN). He stepped on the top of the podium at the U23 Asian Championships before adding bronze at the Budapest Ranking Series. In an agonizing close U20 World Championships final in Amman in August, he finished with a silver medal.

The run in Belgrade saw him beat European champion Akturk 11-0 in the quarterfinals and returning bronze medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) 8-1 in the semifinals.

For a wrestler who began only in 2014, the success meant that he was on the path to achieving something historic. Ironically, he had no liking for the sport as well.

"My dad made me wrestle by force nine years ago," he said. "I didn’t want to train at all, by the he made me do that. And then I liked it. And now, 9 years later I am a world champion, the first one in Kazakh history. I think it’s not a bad result for a 19-year-old."

The losses at the Asian and U20 World Championships fueled Aitmukhan's effort to win the gold in Belgrade.

"In the Asian championships final and in U20 Worlds, there was that moment when I had to push myself. But that wasn’t enough," he said. "This time I felt the same during the match. I realized that if I didn’t do it now, I might not ever get this chance again. So, I tried my hardest and I did it."

Now that one goal is achieved, Rizabek will move to the Olympic weight class of 97kg. 

"We’ve decided that it’s the last world championships in this weight class, next year I’ll move up to the Olympic weight 97kg," he said. "I’ll wrestle for an Olympic spot. I will try to become an Olympic champion."