Two Mongolian wrestling coaches who stripped off in protest at the judging at last month’s Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games have been suspended for three years, the sport’s international federation said on Wednesday.
The Mongolia Wrestling Federation was also fined 50,000 Swiss francs (US$51,541), United World Wrestling said on Twitter.
Tserenbaatar Tsogtbayar and Byambarenchin Bayaraa undressed and hurled their shoes when their wrestler, Mandakhnaran Ganzorig, was denied victory for avoiding his Uzbek opponent in the dying seconds of a bronze medal contest.
Photo: AFP
Ganzorig, leading Ikhtiyor Navruzov by seven points to six, taunted his opponent by dancing around him in the last 18 seconds of their 65kg match and was then carried around the ring in triumph by one of the coaches.
However, the judges adjusted the score to 7-7, penalizing the Mongolian for “fleeing the hold,” and added a further point to the Uzbek’s score after a challenge from the Mongolian corner was rejected.
The two Mongolian coaches advanced toward the judges, stripped off their shirts and shoes and hurled them to the floor.
With the crowd erupting, one then took off his tracksuit bottoms and remonstrated with the judges wearing nothing but a pair of trunks.
The incident, on the final Sunday of the Games, provided one of the memorable moments of the Olympics.
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