RIO DE JANEIRO (August 14) – World champion Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB) won his first Olympic Games gold medal and Roman VLASOV (RUS) his second Sunday to launch the Rio 2016 Greco-Roman events.
Borrero added Olympic champion to his wrestling CV with an 8-0 technical fall over Japanese upstart Shinobu OTA (JPN) in the 59kg gold medal final at Carioca Arena 2.
Borrero converted a par terre chance in the first period with a lift and throw combination to a gut wrench for a 6-0 lead over Ota and added a drag to takedown in the second for an 8-0 technical fall at 4:53.
In the 75kg final, London 2012 gold medalist Vlasov, meanwhile, launched Mark MADSEN (DEN) for four points early in their 75kg final and forged a 5-1 victory for his second Olympic Games gold medal to go with world titles in 2011 and 2015.
Madsen collected his first medal in three trips to the Olympic Games and a fifth silver medal to go with his four at the world championships. Still, the hard-nosed grappler was Denmark’s first gold medal finalist since Los Angeles 1932.
In the bronze medal matches at 59kg, Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) launched a four-point throw in the last 90 seconds of the bout and cruised to a 13-8 win over Arsen ERALIEV (KGZ).
The medal was only the second Olympic Games medal in Greco-Roman for Uzbekistan after Alexander DOKTURISHVILI (UZB) won gold at 74kg at Athens 2004.
Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR) earned the final chance in par terre for a 1-1 victory win on last-point criteria over two-time Olympic Games silver medalist Rovshan BAYRAMOV (AZE).
The medal was Norway’s first wrestling medal at the Olympic Games in 24 years. Jon ROENINNGEN (NOR) won the gold medal at 52kg at Barcelona 1992.
At 75kg, 2013 world champion KIM Hyeon-Woo (KOR) slipped behind for two points in the second period and lifted for two more to come from behind and defeat wild card entry Bozo STARCEVIC (CRO) in the first bronze medal final.
Saeid Mourad ABDVALI (IRI) earned a pair of passivity points in the second period to cap a 5-2 win over 2014 world champ Peter BACSI (HUN) in the second.
Earlier in the day, Vlasov won the battle of London 2012 gold medalists with the aid of another four-point life to edge Kim, the London 2012 gold medalist at 66kg, 7-6, in their opening bout.
At 59kg, Ota rallied for five points in the second period of his opening bout with London 2012 champion Hamid SORYAN (IRI) to kick off his charge to the gold medal final with a 5-4 win over the six-time world champion.
Ota also defeated world bronze medalist Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ), 6-0, before pinning two-time Olympic Games silver medalist Rovshan BAYRAMOV (AZE) in the first period of the semifinals before falling to Borrero in the final.
Greco-Roman 59kg (19 entries)
Gold Medal Final
Ismael BORRERO MOLINA df. Shinobu OTA (JPN) by TF, 8-0, 4:53
Bronze Medal Finals
Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) df. Arsen ERALIEV (KGZ), 13-8
Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR) df. Rovshan BAYRAMOV (AZE), 1-1
Repechage
Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) df. Hamid SORYAN (IRI) by Fall, 4:17 (6-7)
Arsen ERALIEV (KGZ) df. WANG Lumin (CHN), 4-2
Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR) df. Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ), 2-0
Semifinals
Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB) df. Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB), 4-1
Shinobu OTA (JPN) df. Rovshan BAYRAMOV (AZE) by Fall, 2:31 (4-2)
Greco-Roman 75kg (20 entries)
Gold Medal Final
Roman VLASOV (RUS) df. Mark MADSEN (DEN), 5-0
Bronze Medal Finals
KIM Hyeon-Woo (KOR) df. Bozo STARCEVIC (CRO), 6-4
Saeid Mourad ABDVALI (IRI) df. Peter BACSI (HUN), 5-2
Repechage
KIM Hyeon-Woo (KOR) df. YANG Bin (CHN), 3-1
Saeid Mourad ABDVALI (IRI) df. Viktor NEMES (SRB), 2-2
Semifinals
Roman VLASOV (RUS) df. Bozo STARCEVIC (CRO), 6-3
Mark MADSEN (DEN) df. Peter BASCI (HUN), 1-0
