Caucasian derby: wrestler Sidakov won gold in a fight with a former Russian at the Tokyo Olympics

Continuation of the golden series

The competition among domestic freestyle wrestlers is so great that sometimes they have to compete for the gold of the Olympic Games among themselves.

Of course, while representing different countries.

Since the collapse of the USSR, Russians have faced their former compatriots in six finals and have always won victories over them.

The Tokyo Olympics were no exception.

In the weight category up to 74 kg, Zaurbek Sidakov won one of the lucky tickets the day before.

The Ossetian wrestler did not lose to any foreigner for four years and managed to become a two-time world champion during this time, so there was no reason to be surprised at his qualifications for the final.

He was accompanied by Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov, a Dagestan wrestler who has been representing Belarus for a year and a half.

His path to the golden fight was not an easy walk, but neither Kyle Dyck of the United States nor Frank Chamiso of Italy could stop the former Russian.

He fought very aggressively with each of them and received the legal right to challenge Sidakov.

The Ossetian athlete should have prepared for a very difficult fight, but the Belarusian athlete started cautiously.

So much so that the judge even gave him a 30-second countdown for passivity.

At the end of this time, Kadimagomedov went on the attack and grabbed Sidakov's thigh, but the Russian himself responded with a grab and was able to go upstairs after that.

A double-edged situation arose, which did not benefit anyone, although Sidakov still kept the penalty point for himself.

In the second period, a native of Beslan was threatened with a countdown for inaction, but he caught his leg in time and threw Kadimagomedov off the carpet.

In the next episode, Sidakov almost knocked his opponent down, but at the same time allowed him to be in a good position for a counterattack.

Fortunately, Zaurbek calculated everything and retreated in time, content with a five-point advantage.

In the end, the Russian received a warning for avoiding the fight and, as if apologizing for his behavior, caught the Belarusian wrestler on a mistake and again forced him to leave the mat.

Sidakov won with a clean sheet and brought Russia the third gold in the fight.

Impeccable Sadulayev

Before the final fights, all the fans' attention was drawn to one of the main stars of freestyle wrestling - Abdulrashid Sadulayev. After he conquered Rio de Janeiro and won Olympic gold at the age of 20, the wrestler from Dagestan became the unsurpassed leader in the 97 kg category. For five years, Sadulayev allowed himself to lose only once - to the American Kyle Snyder in the 2017 World Cup final. This was his second official defeat in his career.

However, all the old regalia did not facilitate Sadulayev's path to the second gold medal. Although he was divorced from Snyder in different parts of the tournament grid, he had to start with a duel with Sharif Sharifov, the 2012 Olympic champion and a rival in the final of the last championship of the planet. The Azerbaijani, however, never found a way to overcome the Russian giant. Sadulayev won the fight with a score of 5: 0, and then easily pushed the Georgian Elizbar Odikadze aside. Their fight in the quarterfinals did not last even four minutes.

In the semifinals, Sadulayev faced one of the most unpleasant rivals for him.

With 34-year-old Cuban Reineris Salas, he met in the final of the 2014 World Cup.

That fight ended in a scandal - Salas raised his hand to a very young opponent, but he did not flare up in response, but only laid the Cuban on his shoulder blades.

Seven years later, they had to determine the finalist of the Olympics.

This fight turned out to be extremely difficult for Sadulayev.

Although Salas could not get close to him, the Russian himself scored points bit by bit - for the passivity of the opponent and his exit from the carpet.

In total, there were only four.

Sadulayev never gave his rivals a single point.

To win the Games in Tokyo, he only had to defeat Snyder, who also dreamed of becoming a two-time champion since the Olympics in Rio.

The American also impressed, giving his opponents only two points in three fights.

At first, another Russian wrestler Gadzhimurad Rashidov walked just as confidently on the tournament grid.

During the entire previous Olympic cycle, the athlete from Dagestan did not fall below second place in the world championships.

At the beginning of 2019, he moved to the Olympic weight up to 65 kg and suffered only one defeat in it, so he could be considered the main favorite in Tokyo.

During this time, Rashidov did not win only the 2020 World Cup, being injured on it.

It was with a fight with the winner of that tournament, Vazgen Tevanyan, that the Russian began his performance in Japan.

The world champion confidently won this fight with a score of 6: 0, following the example of Sadulayev.

Then Rashidov passed the former Dagestan wrestler Magomedmurad Hajiyev, who was able to earn two points, but not six, as the Russian did.

In the semifinals, Rashidov faced the Japanese Takuto Otoguro. He won the 2018 World Cup, but not in the category in which the Russian then became the silver medalist, namely in the Olympic category up to 65 kg. At the next world championship, they still ended up in the same grid, and then the Russian was stronger. In Tokyo, their fight did not start according to Rashidov's plan. The Japanese managed to get in the legs in the first period and earn two points.

In the second, Otoguro once again captured and dragged Rashidov to the edge of the carpet. The Russian managed to dodge at the last moment and himself pressed the opponent to the floor. The judges initially awarded him two points, but the hosts of the Olympics protested the decision and won, allowing the Japanese to further increase his score. Rashidov had enough time to recoup, only Otoguro was not going to risk a ticket to the finals and get involved in the battle. The judges encouraged him to return to the fight with the help of penalty points, but first of all, the Russian himself had to do it with his passes, and he never did anything.

But Rashidov will compete for bronze, and the last Russian girl to appear on the Olympic carpet will not have this chance. Stalvira Orshush in the first fight in the weight category up to 48 kg hit the Ukrainian Maria Stadnik, representing Azerbaijan. A very intense fight ensued between them, but in the end the victory was celebrated by a three-time Olympic medalist. She herself lost to the Japanese Yui Susaki in the semifinals, so she will fight for the bronze instead of the Russian.