#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 Greco-Roman finals from World Championships

By Vinay Siwach

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 27) -- The World Championships began with Greco-Roman at the Stark Arena in Belgrade. Host nation Serbia claimed four gold medals out of the 10 on offer. However, it finished third in the team rankings with Turkey, led by legend Riza KAYAALP (TUR), finishing first. Azerbaijan finished second, just seven points behind Turkey.

Apart from Serbia, Turkey and Kyrgyzstan won two gold medals each while two others were shared by Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Watch all the 10 Greco-Roman gold medal bouts from the World Championships.

GOLD: 55kg - Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) vs. Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO)

 

GOLD: 63kg - Leri ABULADZE (GEO) vs. Sebastian NAD (SRB)

 

GOLD: 67kg -  Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) vs. Mate NEMES (SRB)

 

GOLD: 72kg - Ali ARSALAN (SRB) vs. Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE)

 

GOLD: 97kg - Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) vs. Kiril MILOV (BUL)

 

GOLD: 130kg -  Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) vs. Riza KAYAALP (TUR)