ACOG - News - IBM

(2 August 1996; Day 14)

DIMITROV JORDANOV Finally Wins Elusive Gold Medal in Freestyle Wrestling

He has won seven world championship gold medals and also a pair of silver medals in the world championships at 52kg. He was recognized as one of the greatest lightweight wrestlers of all time.

But it wasn't until age 35, an age when most world-class wrestlers are long retired, that Valentin DIMITROV JORDANOV finally won a gold medal in the event the truly great wrestlers are measured by: the Olympic Games.

DIMITROV JORDANOV had come close before. He won the silver medal in 1988 and the bronze medal in 1992. His Olympic gold medal gave him 12 world-level medals, temporarily tying him with U.S. heavyweight Bruce BAUMGARTNER -- until pulling ahead by winning the bronze medal at 130kg.

Like so many U.S. wrestlers, DIMITROV JORDANOV was touched by the memory of Dave SCHULTZ, the veteran U.S. freestyler who was slain on John E. DU PONT's Team Foxcatcher estate January 26.

"I'm devoting this victory to my friend Dave SCHULTZ," DIMITROV JORDANOV said. "We were very close. His son (Alexander, age 10) was one of the first to come up and congratulate me. We are very close families."

But DIMITROV JORDANOV's gold medal didn't come without a fight, or without controversy.

NAMIK ABDULLAYEV of Azerbaijan, the 1994 world silver medalist, stayed close to DIMITROV JORDANOV and scored a dramatic takedown with just 4 seconds remaining in regulation time to tie the match at 3-3 and force overtime.

With 45 seconds gone in overtime, ABDULLAYEV shot in on a single-leg takedown attempt. DIMITROV JORDANOV countered with a crotch lift. After trying to lift ABDULLAYEV three times but failing each time to expose his shoulders to the mat for the winning points, DIMITROV JORDANOV tried a different tactic: he drove ABDULLAYEV off his base and onto his hip. ABDULLAYEV countered with a whizzer to keep DIMITROV JORDANOV from gaining control as they went out of bounds after more than 40 seconds of scrambling. Nevertheless, the referee signaled a takedown for DIMITROV JORDANOV. The mat judge confirmed the call, and DIMITROV JORDANOV had his gold medal on a 4-3 victory, 6 minutes and 29 seconds into overtime.

ABDULLAYEV expressed his displeasure by refusing to shake hands with DIMITROV JORDANOV after the match was over, though he later greeted him warmly during the victory ceremony some 15 minutes later.

Still, ABDULLAYEV felt DIMITROV JORDANOV's sparkling record may have played a role in the decision to award the winning point in overtime.

"I think that the last point by Mr. JORDANOV was not fair because the takedown didn't occur," ABDULLAYEV said. "Mr. JORDANOV has won many world titles, seven, and hadn't won an Olympics. I think it was perhaps time for him to win and be an Olympic champion. I wish to add, I wish him the best of luck as a wrestler and also in life."

Life in the future, though, won't include wrestling -- at least as a competitor.

"I would like to coach and will not be competing in tournaments any more," DIMITROV JORDANOV said. "I would like to coach the Bulgarians and use the American way of coaching."

This is an official publication of The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department. Written by Robert Sherrill.


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