TASHKENT (September 13) – Davor STEFANEK (SRB) won his first gold medal and Mijain LOPEZ NUNEZ (CUB) collected his fifth on Saturday, the penultimate of day of the wrestling world championships in Tashkent.
Stefanek defeated London 2012 Olympic Games gold medalist Omid NOROOZI (IRI) for the 66kg crown and Lopez fought off a late gut wrench by 2011 world champ Riza KAYAALP (TUR) to preserve his win in the finale at 130kg at the Gymnastics Palace.
Stefanek’s victory also gave Serbia its first-ever gold medal in the world championships. Kristijan FRIS (SRB) won a bronze medal at 55kg at the 2007 world meet in 2007.
“I’ve dreamed about winning the gold medal all of my life, and finally all my hard work and dreams came true” said Stefanek, who turned 29 the previous day. “This is the best present I could ever imagine for my birthday.”
Meanwhile, the fifth world title for Lopez, along with two gold medals at the Olympic Games, lifted the massive Cuban into a second-place tie for most world-level titles for Greco-Roman wrestlers with Valery REZANTSEV (URS).
The legendary Alexander KARELIN (RUS) leads all Greco-Roman with 12 – nine world championships and three Olympic Games gold medals.
Also on Saturday night, European champion Peter BACSI (HUN) also claimed his first world title at 80kg and Hungary’s first since 2009.
Also, three-time freestyle world champion Beylal MAKHOV (RUS) made his debut on the world stage in Greco-Roman and won a bronze medal after falling to Lopez in the semifinals.
“I chose Greco-Roman to try and see if my power can be effective here, too,” Makhov said when asked why he switched styles. “I think that my name can attract some attention and I'm pleased that the Russian coaches allowed me this opportunity.”
Asked about his experience on the mats in Tashkent, Makhov remarked “The last time I wrestled Greco-Roman was in 2006 and with the old rules, it felt like the referees had all the power. Now the decisions are in the hands of the wrestler.”
Then, he offered: “I want revenge against Lopez. In the future I may try and do both styles.”
The championships conclude Sunday with competition in the final three Greco-Roman Weight categories – 59kg, 71kg, and 98kg.
Summaries of the medal finals:
66kg – Stefanek hit a four-point front headlock and tilt in the first period and frustrated 2011 world champ Noroozi with force-outs in the second. Stefanek appeared to win by disqualification after Noroozi lost his 
temper, but the wrestlers were allowed to continue, finishing with a 7-3 advantage for Stefanek.
In the bronze medal matches, European champion Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) scored with a go-behind counter-attack to a bodylock and then added two force-outs for a 5-0 win over Frank STABLER (GER), a bronze medal winner one year ago in Budapest.
Edgaras VENCKAITIS (LTU) threw a headlock right off the whistle and pressed for the fall only 17 seconds into the bout, stunning Hasan ALIYEV (AZE). It was his first medal ever at the senior world or continental medal for Venckaitis, and Lithuania’s first medals since 2007.
GOLD: Davor STEFANEK (SRB) df. Omid Haji NOROOZI (IRI), 7-3
BRONZE: Edgaras VENCKAITIS (LTU) df. Hasan ALIYEV (AZE) by FALL
BRONZE: Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) df. Frank STAEBLER (GER), 5-0
Semifinal: Davor STEFANEK (SRB) df. Hasan ALIYEV (AZE), 5-3
Semifinal: Omid Haji NOROOZI (IRI) df. Tamas LORINCZ (HUN), 4-1
80kg - After trading par terre chances in the first period, Peter BACSI (HUN) got a force-out on Evgeni SALEEV (RUS) at 3:40 and kept the pressure on the rest of the way for a 2-1 victory and his first world 
championships medal.
In the bronze medal bouts, two-time former world champion Selcuk CEBI (TUR) received a penalty point with the second passivity call against Bozo STARCEVIC (CRO) in the second period and made it stand for the 1-0 win.
Jim PETTERSSON (SWE) locked up for a throw with only a minute remaining and threw Tadeusz MICHALIK (POL) over for a 4-0 win and the bronze medal.
GOLD: Peter BACSI (HUN) df. Evgeny SALEEV (RUS), 2-1
BRONZE: Jim Eric Filip PETTERSSON (SWE) df. Tadeusz MICHALIK (POL), 4-0
BRONZE: Selcuk CEBI (TUR) df. Bozo STARCEVIC (CRO), 1-0
Semifinal: Peter BACSI (HUN) df. Tadeusz MICHALIK (POL) by TF, 10-2
Semifinal: Evgeny SALEEV (RUS) df. Selcuk CEBI (TUR), 4-0
130kg – Lopez took a 2-0 lead in the first period on a pair of gut wrenches in the first period and then fought off Kayaalp’s gut wrench attempt in the second for an 2-0 win.
For the bronze medals, returning world champion Heiki NABI (EST) received a penalty point for a second passivity call against Lyubomir DIMITROV (BUL) and held on for the 1-0 victory.
Makhov dropped Eduard POPP (GER) out of bounds from bear hugs to his back twice for four points each and a 9-0 technical fall at 2:22 to cap his Greco-Roman debut at the world championships.
GOLD: Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) df. Riza KAYAALP (TUR), 2-0
BRONZE: Bilial MAKHOV (RUS) df. Eduard POPP (GER) by TF, 9-0
BRONZE: Heiki NABI (EST) df. Lyubomir DIMITROV (BUL), 1-0
Semifinal: Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) df. Bilial MAKHOV (RUS), 1-0
Semifinal: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Lyubomir DIMITROV (BUL) by FALL, 4-0
