September 20-2013
Iran won a pair of gold medals and Russia had to settle for three bronze medals on the opening day Monday of this year’s wrestling World Championships held in Budapest.
The competition will continue through Sunday and the Iran Times will have the full results in next week’s issue.
Defending champion Reza Yazdani of Iran dominated the field at 96 kg to hold onto his title while teammate Hassan Rahimi won the match-up of Asian champions in the 55 kg final for his first world title.
The last time Yazdani was seen, he was being assisted out the London 2012 Olympics on a gimpy knee.
\On Monday, however, he eased past European champion Pavlo Olinyk of Ukraine in the semifinals and 2010 world champion Khetag Gazymov of Azerbaijan in the final.
Russia, meanwhile, had two of its top-ranked wrestlers knocked off in the semifinals and quarterfinals, but all three entries came through in the bronze medal finals to give Russia the first day lead, 24-20 over Iran, in the team rankings.
European champion David Safaryan of Armenia avenged a loss in the World University Games to Magomed Kurbanaliev of Russia with a 4-3 win in the quarterfinals at 66 kg and went on to take the third gold medal of the evening.