Wrestler Vlasov ends Russia’s wait for gold

Russian wrestler Roman Vlasov ended his country’s three-day wait for a gold medal with victory in the men’s 74 kilogram Greco-Roman wrestling Sunday.

Stalled on three gold medals since Thursday, all of them in judo, Russia’s lack of success has been galling for the medal-table heavyweight, but Vlasov put his country back on track with a 3-0 win over Arsen Julfalakyan of Armenia, who was seeking his nation’s first gold since 1996.

“Of course I’m very happy,” Vlasov said in televised comments, adding that he hoped to inspire the rest of Russia’s wrestling team.

“The guys who are fighting tomorrow, they’re watching and I know they’re very happy.”

Bronze medals went to Lithuania’s Aleksandr Kazakevic and Azerbaijan’s Emin Ahmedov.

First published in RIA Novosti.

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