#WrestleBelgrade

World Championships: Sadulaev forfeits, to undergo scans for neck injury

By Vinay Siwach

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 19) -- Tokyo Olympic champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) will undergo medical scans on Tuesday for a neck injury that forced him to end the World Championships.

The 27-year-old flew to Moscow on Monday night soon after his 97kg semifinal retirement against Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) with the Bahrain wrestler leading 9-2 at the World Championships.

The five-time world champion was expected to wrestle for a bronze medal and qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics as an Individual Neutral Athlete but the medical staff decided to not worsen the injury.

Sadulaev is suffering from a neck hernia, towards the end of his spinal cord. Medical scans will determine if it is a tumor or if Sadulaev can return to the mat without surgery.

He became the second Olympic champion to pull out of the World Championships repechage as 65kg champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) also pulled out due to a foot injury he has been carrying for one year.

#WrestleBelgrade

WATCH: 10 freestyle finals from World Championships

By Vinay Siwach

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 29) -- The World Championships in Belgrade concluded with freestyle action. The USA lived up to the expectation of winning the team title, outscoring Iran to claim the trophy. Japan finished third with two gold medals. The USA won four gold, Iran won two while Albania and Turkey shared one each.

Watch all the 10 freestyle gold medal bouts from the World Championships.

GOLD: 57kg - Thomas GILMAN (USA) vs. Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB)

 

GOLD: 61kg - Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) vs. Reza ATRI (IRI)

 

GOLD: 86kg - Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) vs. David TAYLOR (USA)

 

GOLD: 92kg - Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) vs. Jden COX (USA)