Death or glory gets Taymazov to third gold

LONDON (AFP) –

Uzbekistan’s Artur Taymazov celebrates after defeating Georgia’s Davit Modzmanashvili in their nen’s 120kg gold medal match during the wrestling event of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Taymazov completed a hat-trick of Olympic heavyweight freestyle wrestling titles.

Uzbekistan’s Artur Taymazov said he’d been prepared to die in his ultimately successful bid for a third consecutive Olympic heavyweight freestyle wrestling gold medal.

The 33-year-old, also the runner-up at the 2000 Games, completed a hat-trick of Olympic titles with a dominating 3-0 defeat of Georgia’s Davit Modzmanashvili in the 120 kg final at London’s Excel Arena on Saturday.

“I came on the mat with a decision: I win here or I die here,” Taymazov explained. “He was a very strong opponent.”

Taymazov, asked how it felt to set a new Olympic freestyle record of three golds and one silver, replied: “To be honest, it hasn’t sunk in yet.”

Greco-Roman great Alexander Karelin of Russia is the only other wrestler in either style with three gold medals and a silver medal from the Olympics.

L-R: Silver medallist Georgia’s Davit Modzmanashvili, gold medallist Uzbekistan’s Artur Taymazov, bronze medallists Iran’s Komeil Ghasemi and Russia’s Bilyal Makhov pose on the podium of the men’s 120kg during the wrestling event of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Silver though was no consolation for Modzmanashvili.

“I don’t know what to say…I wanted a gold medal.”

Taymazov began his London campaign with 3-0 wins over Germany’s Nick Matuhin and Iran’s Komeil Ghasemi.

And in the semi-final Taymazov was too strong for the USA’s Tervel Dlagnev after the Bulgarian-born American beat world champion Aleksei Shemarov of Belarus in the quarter-finals.

Ghasemi and Russia’s Bilyal Makhov took bronze.

Saturday’s penultimate day of freestyle wrestling action also saw an Azerbaijan double, with Sharif Sharifov (84kg) and Toghrul Asgarov (60kg) winning the other two gold medals on offer.

Gold medalist Azerbaijan’s Toghrul Asgarov poses on the podium of the men’s 60kg freestyle.

Sharifov, the reigning world champion, sealed gold with a convincing win over Jaime Espinal, the first Puerto Rican to reach a Games wrestling final.

An elated Sharifov paid tribute to Espinal by saying: “I was surprised by him. This is the Olympic Games. The opponents here are all serious.

Espinal added: “I came to give all I have inside my heart and I’ve done that. That’s why I’m celebrating my silver medal. I have the surprise factor.”

Georgia’s Dato Marsagishvili and Iran’s Ehsan Lashgari won bronze.

In the 60kg final, Asgarov upset the formbook as this year’s European champion and last year’s world junior title winner defeated the reigning world champion, Besik Kudukhov of Russia.

“I’m so glad,” said Asgarov. “I put everything into being Olympic champion.”

Azerbaijan’s Sharif Sharifov celebrates after defeating Puerto Rico’s Jaime Yusept Espinal in their men’s 84kg freestyle gold medal match during the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Meanwhile there was no silver lining for Beijing bronze medallist Kudukhov.

“No, that was no step forward,” he said. “The gold medal would have been a step forward.”

Bronze medals went to Coleman Scott of the United States and India’s Yogeshwar Dutt, the Asian champion, who came through the repechage after an early loss to Kudukhov.

“My group was very tough and I had to fight with the world champion,” said Dutt. “I was very down after I lost in the morning, but when I got the chance to compete in the repechage the whole country wanted a medal from me.

“I didn’t want to lose this occasion.”