Wrestling heats up; rivals take match off mat
Russian, Belarusan fight briefly on arena floor after point dispute
The Associated Press
Updated: 5:16 a.m. ET Aug. 29, 2004
ATHENS, Greece - Five-time world champion Bouvaissa Saitiev of Russia and Belarus’ Murad Gaidarov fought briefly off the arena floor minutes after their disputed 163-pound (74 kg) freestyle match on Sunday.
At least one spectator jumped from the grandstands and tried to get into the skirmish, which bystanders said was quickly controlled by police and Olympics volunteers.
Saitiev was awarded the decisive point in his 3-2 quarterfinal victory for escaping a clinch at the start of overtime. In a clinch, the two wrestlers lock hands behind each other’s backs and try to escape or throw their opponent for points.
Television replays appeared to show Gaidarov escaping first, but Saitiev was given the point. Gaidarov was so unhappy that he began arguing with the referee, and initially declined to shake hands or stand for the ceremonial end-of-the-match hand raising. He eventually stood for just a moment.
As he left the mat, Gaidarov, 24, screamed at his coach and again at referee Grzegorz Brudzinski of Poland. Their brief tussle took place in the mixed zone, an area just off the arena floor where wrestlers meet with reporters en route to their dressing areas.
John Fuller, a USA Wrestling spokesman, was standing nearby when the off-the-mat spat took place.
“Two wrestlers who don’t like each other met each other,” Fuller said. “That’s all you’re going to get out of me.”
The two have a history with each other, as Saitiev beat Gaidarov in overtime on criteria in the 2003 world championship finals in New York.
This is an important tournament for Saitiev, 29, who was beaten by America’s Brandon Slay in Sydney in one of the biggest upsets in Olympic wrestling history. Saitiev, a 1996 Olympic gold medalist, has won every major international championship he has entered since 1995 except for those 2000 Sydney Games.
Saitiev has won the last two world championships he has entered, 2001 and 2003.
After Saitiev lost in Sydney, his younger brother, Adam, won the gold medal at 187 pounds. Adam Saitiev has since lost his spot on Russia’s team to Sazhid Sazhidov, who took the bronze Saturday at 185 pounds, the class won by America’s Cael Sanderson.
Gaidarov, who lists his occupation as jurist, has wrestled for three countries since 1996 in an attempt to find a spot on a junior or senior level world team. He wrestled on a Russian junior team in 1996, then failed to qualify for the 2000 Olympics with Azerbaijan. He returned to the Russian team later that year, but switched to Belarus in 2001.
Despite often changing loyalties, Gaidarov has a long history of top finishes. He was second in the European championships in April — Saitiev did not wrestle — and in 2002 and third in the 2003 European championships.
© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
