Kim and Rezaei win final Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling golds in London

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
08/07/2012


Ghasem Rezaei of Iran celebrates his 96 kg Greco-Roman Olympic gold medal, Iran's third Greco title in London. Jason Bryant photo

LONDON, England – Two more gold medals in wrestling were awarded at the ExCel Center on Tuesday with the final day of the Greco-Roman competition.

2011 World bronze medalist Hyeon-Woo Kim of Korea captured the gold medal at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., defeating Tamas Lorincz of Hungary, 1-0, 2-0.

Kim won the match in two straight. He defended on the bottom in par terre in the first period, and in the second period, he was on top in par terre and received a caution and two-point leg foul against Lorincz. It was the first World level medal for Lorincz, who was fifth in the World Championships two times.

Ghasem Rezaei, a 2007 World bronze medalist, won the gold medal at 96 kg/211.5 lbs., defeating 2011 World bronze medalist Rustam Totrov in the finals, 2-0, 1-0. 

It was Iran’s third Olympic gold medal in Greco-Roman in London. Coming into the Games, Iran had never won an Olympic Greco-Roman title.

Rezaie won the first period with a pushout point and an extra point for a failed protest. He took the second period by defending in par terre.

Winning the first Olympic bronze medal at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. was 2011 World silver medalist Manuchar Tskhaidia of Georgia, who stopped 2012 European champion Frank Staebler of Germany, 1-0, 2-0.

Winning his second career Olympic medal was 2008 Olympic champion Steeve Guenot of France, who won the other Olympic bronze medal at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. with a 4-0 1-0 decision over 2011 World bronze medalist Pedro Mulens of Cuba. 

2012 European champion Artur Aleksanyan of Armenia won the first Olympic bronze medal at 96 kg/211.5 lbs., defeating 2011 Pan American Games champion Yunior Estrada Falcon of Cuba, 2-0, 1-0. Aleksanyan scored a two-point gut wrench in the first period from par terre, and added a second period pushout.

Three-time World medalist Jimmy Lidberg of Sweden was the other 96 kg/211.5 lbs. bronze medalist, stopping  2010 World silver medalist Tsimafei Dzeinichenka of Belarus, 0-2, 1-0, 4-1. Dzeinichenka won the first period with a reversal and a point for defending in par terre. The second period went to Lidberg on a defense from par terre. In the par terre in the third period, Lidberg hit a two-point gut wrench, then was reversed by Dzeinkchenka. Lidberg added two more points on a two-point reversal. Coming into London, Lidberg won three straight World medals, with a 2011 silver and bronzes in 2009 and 2010.

It was the final day of Greco-Roman at the 2012 London Olympics. Women’s freestyle begins on Wednesday.

OLYMPIC GAMES
At London, England, August 7

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold – Hyeon-Woo Kim (Korea)
Silver – Tamas Lorincz (Hungary),
Bronze – Manuchar Tskhaidia (Georgia)
Bronze – Steeve Guenot (France)
5th – Frank Staebler (Germany)
5th – Pedro Mulens (Cuba)
7th – Edgaras Venckaitis (Lithuania)
8th – Justin Lester (USA)
9th – Darkhan Bayakhmetov (Kazakhstan)
10th – Amm El Garably (Egypt)

Medal Matches
Gold – Hyeon-Woo Kim (Korea) dec. Tamas Lorincz (Hungary), 1-0, 2-0
Bronze – Manuchar Tskhaidia (Georgia) dec. Frank Staebler (Germany), 1-0, 2-0
Bronze - Steeve Guenot (France) dec. Pedro Mulens (Cuba), 4-0, 1-0

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Gold – Ghasem Rezaei (Iran)
Silver – Rustam Totrov (Russia)
Bronze – Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia)
Bronze – Jimmy Lidberg (Sweden)
5th – Yunior Estrada Falcon (Cuba)
5th – Tsimafei Dzeinichenka (Belarus),
7th – Elis Guri (Bulgaria)
8th – Ardo Arusaar (Estonia)
9th – Hassine Ayari (Tunisia)
10th – Shalva Gadabadze (Azerbaijan)

Medal Matches
Gold – Ghasem Rezaei (Iran) dec.  Rustam Totrov (Russia), 2-0, 1-0
Bronze – Jimmy Lidberg (Sweden) dec. Tsimafei Dzeinichenka (Belarus), 0-2, 1-0, 4-1
Bronze –Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia) dec. Yunior Estrada Falcon (Cuba), 2-0, 1-0