Iran's Yazdani Wins Gold in 2011 World Wrestling Championship

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran's Reza Yazdani won another gold medal for Iran after defeating his Turkish rival in the final match of the 96kg category at the 2011 FILA World Wrestling Championships underway in Istanbul, Turkey.
Yazdani won the gold by beating Serhat Balci of Turkey, and the bronze went to Ruslan Sheikhau of Belarus and Jacob Stephen Varner of the United States.

Iran, Russia and Azerbaijan split the three freestyle gold medals offered on Saturday at the world wrestling championship in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

In the 60kg class, the gold went to Russian Besik Kudukhov who beat Franklin Gomez Matos of Puerto Rico, with the bronze being shared by Kenichi Yomoto of Japan and Dauren Zhumagazyev of Kazakhstan.

Azerbaijan's Sharif Sharifov won the 84kg title, with the silver snatched by Ibragim Aldatov of Ukraine, and both Albert Saritov of Russia and Dato Marsagishvili of Georgia placed third jointly.

The competitions are being held at Istanbul's Sinan Erdem Dome in the categories of men's freestyle, men's Greco-Roman and women wrestling.

The FILA 2011 senior world championship will run through Sep 18 and the top six in each Olympic weight category will secure a place for the London 2012 Olympics.

Over 800 wrestlers have participated in the event.