World and London 2012 champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) was tripped up Friday along with four other world champions as fireworks marked the opening session of freestyle wrestling at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Burroughs was tripped up, 3-2, in the 74kg quarterfinals by world bronze medalist Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS), who advanced to the gold medal final with a 5-4 win over Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE) in the semifinals.
Burroughs tumbled into the repechage bouts and meets Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB) in one consolation bracket match with the winner advancing to the bronze medal bout with Hasanov.
In the gold medal finals at Carioca Arena 2, Geduev squares off with world silver medalist at 70kg Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) at 74kg, while world champion Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) is paired with Japanese upstart Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) at 57kg.
Yazdanicharati advanced to the gold medal final with three wins, including a pair of technical falls, with a combined score of 27-0. In the quarterfinals, Yazdanicharati defeated European champion Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR), 7-0.
At 57kg, Khinchegashivili edged fellow world champion at 61kg Haji ALIEV (AZE), 5-3, in the quarterfinals and shook off a four-point deficit to defeat former world silver medalist Vladimir DUBOV (BUL), 8-4.
In the gold medal final, the London 2012 silver medalist will square off with 20-year-old Higuchi, who began his day with a technical fall over 2014 world champion YANG Kyong-Il (PRK) and capped the morning session with an 10-5 triumph over 2013 world champ Hassan RAHIMI (IRI).
Earlier, Rahimi fashioned a 6-1 win over two-time world champion Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) in the quarterfinals.
Freestyle 57kg (20 entries)
Gold Medal Final
Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) v Rei HIGUCHI (JPN)
Bronze Medal Finals
Winner A – v Vladimir DUBOV (BUL)
Winner C – v Hassan RAHIMI (IRI)
Semifinals
Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) df. Vladimir DUBOV (BUL), 8-4
Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) df. Hassan RAHIMI (IRI), 10-5
Repechage
RpA – Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ) v Haji ALIEV (AZE)
RpB – YANG Kyong-Il (PRK) v Asadulla LACHINOV (BLR)
RpC – Winner RpB v Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB)
Freestyle 74kg (20 entries)
Gold Medal Final
Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) v Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI)
Bronze Medal Finals
Winner RpA v Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE)
Winner RpB v Galymzhan USSERBAYEV (KAZ)
Semifinals
Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) df. Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE), 5-4
Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) v Galymzhan USSERBAYEV (KAZ) by TF, 10-0, 1:43
Repechage
RpA – Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB) v Jordan BURROUGHS (USA)
RpB – Asnage CASTELLY (HAI) v Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR)
