WRESTLING – Bahrain's Akhmed Tazhudinov has received high praise from one of freestyle wrestling’s biggest stars for his historic triumph at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Two-time Olympic champion and five-time world champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev hailed Tazhudinov and their coach Shamil Omarov for capturing the men’s 97kg gold medal on Sunday, as part of the concluding day’s programme at the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad.
Tazhudinov claimed his maiden Olympic honour to add to the world title he won last year, and at just 21 years old, has more successes to come, says Sadulaev.
“Congratulations to Akhmed Tazhudinov and our coach Shamil Omarov on a bright and confident victory at the Olympics in Paris!” Sadulaev wrote in Russian on social media.
Sadulaev, nicknamed the ‘Russian Tank’, was the gold medallist of the same weight class at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. The 28-year-old is widely regarded as the most dominant active freestyle wrestler in the world, and he also happens to be Tazhudinov’s mentor.
“You have already written your name in history, Akhmed,” Sadulaev continued. “Keep up the good work; it’s just the beginning!”
Omarov is a renowned figure in the sport of wrestling. He helped guide Sadulaev to his back-to-back Olympic crowns in Rio 2016 and at the Japanese capital, and now has another champion in his care.
Omarov too expressed his pride for Tazhudinov. “My third Olympics and my students’ third gold,” Omarov wrote in Russian on social media. “Alhamdulillah, and we are not stopping there.”
Omarov also had words of praise for Bahrain’s mixed martial arts national team coach Eldar Khan. “My younger brother Eldar, who oversees the martial arts at the Bahrain Olympic Committee, contributed greatly to this victory,” Omarov wrote.
Khan himself is a world-class MMA fighter. He has described Tazhudinov as “the future of the sport”. Khan told the GDN leading up to the Paris 2024 Olympics: “He has won awards throughout his career. He is the future of the sport and I believe that he has the chance to become a two or even three-time Olympic champion.”
Tazhudinov entered Olympic immortality by winning his wrestling gold at the French capital. He secured his crown, which was Team Bahrain’s second gold in Paris, with a devastating win by pin against Givi Matcharashvili of Georgia, just about 90 seconds into the final.
Tazhudinov first beat Amirali Azarpira of Iran in the round of 16, and then made easy work of Alisher Yergali of Kazakhstan in the last eight. Tazhudinov then ousted American Kyle Snyder in the semi-finals, setting up his date with history against Matcharashvili.
Tazhudinov is only the second wrestler from Bahrain to ever compete at the Olympics, following in the footsteps of countryman Adam Batirov, who suited up for the national team in Rio. At last year’s world championships in Belgrade, Serbia, Tazhudinov defeated Magomedkhan Magomedov of Azerbaijan to claim his world gold. Magomedov took a share of the 97kg bronze in Paris along with Azarpira.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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