Turkey’s Taha Akgul and Kyrgyzstan’s Aiaal Lazarev wrestled for the Paris 2024 Olympics bronze, then both retired from the sport.
Akgul won the 125-kilogram freestyle match 7-0 on Saturday. Both then removed their shoes after the match, a gesture that symbolizes retirement.
Both joined and raised an arm, each holding his shoes in his outside hand as the crowd cheered.
The 33-year-old Akgul won the Olympic gold in 2016 and a bronze in Tokyo three years ago before finishing with a bronze on Saturday. He’s a three-time world champion.
Lazarev, 38, has a gold two silvers and three bronzes in the Asian championships.
Earlier in the week, Cuba’s Mijain Lopez retired after winning his record fifth gold medal and Ukraine’s Zhan Belenuik retired after earning bronze, his third Olympic medal.
Kyle Dake’s frantic comeback for bronze and Kennedy Blades’ push into the finals highlighted the day for the United States.
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Dake trailed Serbia’s Hetik Cabolov 4-3 late before rallying to win 10-4 to win his men’s 74 kg freestyle match.
American Kennedy Blades beat Kyrgyzstan’s Aiperi Medet Kyzy 8-6 to reach the final in the women’s 76 kg class. She will face Japan’s Yuka Kagami for gold.
Blades, 20, is aiming to join Sarah Hildebrandt and Amit Elor as American women’s gold medalists in Paris.
“One more sleep and my body is going to be feeling really good, although it isn’t right now,” Blades said. “The rest is going to make a huge difference.”
American Kyle Snyder lost his semifinal at 87 kg 6-4 to Bahrain’s Akhmed Tazhudinov. He will wrestle Kazakhstan’s Alisher Yergali or Iran’s Amirati Azarpira for bronze on Sunday. He was trying to become the fourth American to win more than one gold. He won in 2016 and then earned silver in Tokyo.
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