Saytiev wins third straight freestyle wrestling gold

BEIJING – Russian wrestler Buvaysa Saytiev won a record-tying third Olympic freestyle gold medal on Wednesday having fought his way back into the national team two just months ago by beating the reigning world and European champion. Saytiev matched his golds of 1996 and 2004 by defeating Soslan Tigiev of Uzbekistan 0-1, 1-0, 3-1 in the 74 kilograms (163 pounds) finals. The only previous three-time freestyle gold medalist was the Soviet Union's Alexander Medved in 1964, 1968 and 1972, but Saytiev is the first to win his three golds over four Olympics. The bronzes were won by Murad Gaidarov of Belarus and Kiril Terziev of Bulgaria. After his come-from-behind gold-medal win, one achieved by two point-producing single-leg takedowns in the third period, Saytiev invoked former American gold medalist Rulon Gardner's on-mat retirement in Athens. Then, Gardner took off his shoes and left them in the middle of the mat; this time, Saytiev carefully placed the Russian flag he wore during his victory celebration at center mat as hundreds of Russian fans chanted "Sy-tee-ah! Sy-tee-ah!" What a way to go out, too, against a rising, 24-year-old wrestler who appeared to have the edge against a tiring Saytiev after winning the first period. Saytiev, who fell to eighth in the world in 2006, regained his Olympic spot after defeating world and European champion Makhach Murtzaliev in the Russian nationals in June. "He got ill in 2006 and had a bad time," Russian coach Dmitry Mindiashvili said. "But now he has fully recovered from his illness and regained his power." Saytiev won his first gold at Atlanta in 1996, only to be upset by eventual gold medalist Brandon Slay of the United States in the first round in Sydney. Saytiev came back to win in Athens in 2004, but it was uncertain until several months ago if he would be in Beijing because most countries find it difficult to sit a 24-year-old world champion. Even for a wrestler as revered in Russia as Saytiev, who now has won nine world-level titles: three Olympics and six world championships. Saytiev justified his selection in his first three matches Wednesday, beating Ahmet Gulhan of Turkey 1-0, 4-1 and 2004 silver medalist Ivan Fundora of Cuba 2-0, 2-1, a match after Fundora eliminated United States rookie Ben Askren 3-0, 4-0. Askren promised at the U.S. trials in June he would win the gold and, he hinted, would beat Saytiev while doing so. Askren would have met Saytiev if he had beaten Fundora, but was never competitive in the match. "I lost — I don't know what to say," a crying Askren said. Maybe it was too much to expect two Americans with scant international experience to meet and beat Saytiev in the span of three Olympics. Saytiev nearly met Murad Gaidarov of Belarus in a rematch of their Athens bout that ended with Saytiev winning and the two wrestlers fighting as they left the mat, a fracas that briefly involved spectators. But Gaidarov lost to Tigiev 1-0, 1-0 in the semifinals. – AP