BEIJING: Islam-Beka Albiev won Russia’s second Greco-Roman wrestling gold medal in as many Olympic matches yesterday, defeating Vitaliy Rahimov of Azerbaijan in the 60-kilogram final. The 19-year-old Albiev is the second youngest wrestling gold medalist in Olympic history and the youngest Greco-Roman champion, according to governing body FILA.
The youngest to win any wrestling gold was Saban Trstena, who was slightly younger than Albiev currently is when he won at 52 kg for Yugoslavia in 1984.
But Albiev had no idea.
“It’s news to me,” he told The Associated Press, speaking through an interpreter. “I would have thought someone was younger. It makes me proud.” Albiev, eighth at last year’s world championships, swept the two periods of the best-of-three match against Rahimov, winning the first 2-0 and the second 4-0. In the European championships a few months ago, Albiev was 16th.
“I felt I needed something more in that match,” 23-year-old Rahimov said. “He is one of the greatest wrestlers in the world. He is very strong.” Rahimov is a former European champion, but the silver was easily his best finish in a world championship competition.
The bronze medals were won by Ruslan Tiumenbaev of Kyrgyzstan and Nurbakyt Tengizbayev of Kazakhstan.
Albiev said his toughest match came against Cuba’s Roberto Monzon, although he swept the best-of-three match by taking the first two periods 6-0 and 2-0.
The teenager’s victory came minutes after compatriot Nazyr Mankiev emerged the surprise winner at 55 kg. He had defeated three-time defending world champion Hamid Soryan of Iran in the quarterfinals.
With Russian troops in Georgia in an ever-heightening conflict, Mankiev said, “I am very proud of my country, although is not an easy time for the Russian wrestling delegation, but we are a very strong team.” Armen Nazarian of Bulgaria failed to become only the sixth wrestler to win four Olympic medals when he lost twice at 60 kg, first to Rahimov in the quarterfinals and again to Sheng Jiang of China in the repechage round. It was a disappointing finish on a day that began with so much promise for the 34-year-old Nazarian after he had defeated world champion David Bedinadze of Georgia in a qualification match. Nazarian, who had looked past his prime in Athens four years ago, had drawn Bedinadze early because wrestlers aren’t seeded and brackets are determined by a blind draw.
Bedinadze had been favored to win Georgia’s first Olympic wrestling gold medal.
