LONDON, England – Three more Olympic gold medals were awarded in men’s freestyle wrestling at the ExCel Center on Saturday.

The gold medal at 60 kg/132 lbs. went to Toghrul Asgarov of Azerbaijan, the European Olympic Qualifier champion, had the best performance of his career, defeating three-time World champion Besik Kudukhov of Russia, 1-0, 5-0. It was the second Olympic medal for Kudukhov, 

At 84 kg/185 lbs., 2011 World champion Sharif Sharifov of Azerbaijan won this weight class for the second straight year, beating Jaime Espinal of Puerto Rico in the Olympic finals, 6-1, 2-0. His nation’s first Olympic wrestling finalist, Espinal was second in the Pan American Olympic Qualifier this year. Espinal trains full-time with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club at Penn State.

At 120 kg/264.5 lbs., Artur Taymazov of Uzbekistan became a three-time Olympic champion and four-time Olympic medalist, beating 2011 World bronze medalist Davit Modzmanashvili of Georgia, 1-0, 1-0.

Taymazov, 33, won Olympic golds in 2004, 2008 and 2012 and won an Olympic silver medal in 2000. He also boasts two World titles.

The other men’s freestyle wrestlers to win three Olympic gold medals are Alexander Medved of the Soviet Union and Bouvaisa Saitiev of Russia.

Claiming the first bronze medal at 60 kg/132 lbs. was Coleman Scott of the United States, who dropped the first period but came back to defeat 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Kenichi Yumoto of Japan, 0-1, 3-0, 3-1. Scott was competing on this first Senior World-level team for the USA. Yumoto was also third in the 2011 World Championships.

The other bronze medal at 60 kg/132 lbs. went to India’s Yogeshwar Dutt, who stopped Ri Jong Myong of North Korea, 0-1, 1-0, 6-0. Dutt opened it up in the deciding third period, scoring a technical fall to take the medal. Dutt was fifth in the 2006 World Championships, and ninth at the 2008 Olympics.

The first Olympic bronze at 84 kg/185 lbs. went to 2011 World bronze medalist Dato Marsagishvili Georgia, who controlled the match all the way to a 3-0, 3-1 win over  Soslan Gattsiev of Belarus. Marsagishvili was also a 2011 Junior World champion and 2012 European champion. Gattsiev’s best previous finish was ninth in 2005 World Championships.

The other bronze at 84 kg/185 lbs. went to two-time Asian champion Ehsan Lashgari of Iran, who needed just two periods to stop Ibrahim Bolukbasi of Turkey, 3-2, 3-0. After winning a tight first period, Lashgari controlled the way in the second period.

The first 120 kg/264.5 lbs. bronze went to Komeil Ghasemi of Iran, who stopped 2009 World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev of the United States, 4-0, 0-1, 1-0. Ghasemi was a 2011 Asian silver medalist and a 2008 Junior World bronze medalist.

Three-time World champion Bilyal Makhov of Russia won an Olympic bronze medal at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., with a three-period victory over three-time Asian bronze medalist Daulet Shabanbay of Kazakhstan, 5-0, 0-3, 3-0.

OLYMPIC GAMES
At London, England, August 11

Men’s freestyle results

60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold – Toghrul Asgarov (Azerbaijan)
Silver – Besik Kudukov (Russia)
Bronze – Coleman Scott (USA)
Bronze – Yogeshwar Dutt (India)
5th – Kenichi Yumoto (Japan)
5th – Ri Jong Myong (North Korea)
7th – Masoud Esmailpourjouybari (Iran)
8th – Hassan Ibrahim Madani (Egypt)
9th – Malkhaz Zarkua (Georgia)
10th – Tim Schleicher (Germany)

Medal Match results
Gold –Toghrul Asgarov (Azerbaijan) dec. Besik Kudukov (Russia), 1-0, 5-0
Bronze – Coleman Scott (USA) dec. Kenichi Yumoto (Japan), 0-1, 3-0, 3-1
Bronze – Yogeshwar Dutt (India) dec. Ri Jong Myong (North Korea), 0-1, 1-0, 6-0

84 kg/185 lbs.
Gold – Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan)
Silver – Jaime Espinal (Puerto Rico)
Bronze – Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia)
Bronze – Ehsan Lashgari (Iran)
5th – Soslan Gattsiev (Belarus)
5th – Ibrahim Bolukbasi (Turkey)
7th – Jake Herbert (USA)
8th – Anzor Urishev (Russia)
9th – Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine)
10th – Armands Zvirbulis (Latvia)

Medal Match results
Gold – Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan) dec. Jaime Espinal (Puerto Rico), 6-1, 2-0
Bronze –Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia) dec. Soslan Gattsiev (Belarus), 3-0, 3-1
Bronze – Ehsan Lashgari (Iran) dec. Ibrahim Bolukbasi (Turkey), 3-2, 3-0

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Gold – Artur Taymazov (Uzbekistan)
Silver – Davit Modzmanashvili (Georgia)
Bronze – Komeil Ghasemi (Iran)
Bronze – Bilyal Makhov (Russia)
5th – Tervel Dlagnev (USA)
5th – Daulet Shabanbay (Kazakhstan)
7th – Chuluunbat Jargalsaikhan (Mongolia)
8th – Alexei Shemarov (Belarus)
9th – Taha Akgul (Turkey)
10th – Rares Chintoan (Romania)

Medal Match results
Gold – Artur Taymazov (Uzbekistan) dec. Davit Modzmanashvili (Georgia), 1-0, 1-0
Bronze – Komeil Ghasemi (Iran) dec. Tervel Dlagnev (USA), 4-0, 0-1, 1-0
Bronze – Bilyal Makhov (Russia) dec. Daulet Shabanbay (Kazakhstan), 5-0, 0-3, 3-0