Besik Kudukhov 1986-2013

The Olympic torch relay continues to meander its way across Russia ahead of the Sochi Games next month but one man who was scheduled to help it along its way will no longer be able to take his place in that long line of torch bearers.

On the 29th December it was announced that Besik Kudukhov who has been the silver medalists at 60kg in Wrestling during the 2012 London Games having won bronze four years earlier at 55kg had died in a car crash in Southern Russia. As well as his Olympic medals he had been world champion four time in 2007 at 55kg and from 2009-11 at 60kg.

During his run from 2009 to 2011 he was considered by many in the wrestling world as the best pound for pound wrestler in the world, but his defeat by Toghrul Asgarov or Azerbaijan ended that period of dominance and in the end denied him an Olympic gold to add to his honours.

As it is the 27 year-old Russian has become another sad statistic of those killed on the roads in Russia instead of looking for a third attempt to win the elusive Gold at Rio 2016.

Below is his last gold medal winning performance in the 2011 World Championships



Besik Serodinovich Kudukhov 15 August 1986 – 29 December 2013

British Bronze in World Wrestling Championships

The one woman team that ended up representing Team GB on the Olympic wrestling mat has put the disappointment of her first round defeat at home behind her in the World Championships in Edmonton, Canada.

Olga Butkevych, who gained her British Citizenship earlier this year, defeated Kyoko Shimada of Japan 5-2 in the bronze medal bout to become the first British woman to secure a medal in the World Championships. The Ukrainian born wrestler had been brought in as a sparring partner to the GB programme in 2007 but ended up becoming the contender in the 59kg category lifting European bronze last year.

To manage to get the same gold at the Worlds is some achievement especially as she was in the tougher half of the draw. She is the only shining light of a programme that failed in its Olympic target (even though she was the only hope of acquiring the top eight finish required).

The Head Coach Nikolai Kornieiev who saw a couple of his athletes fail drug tests in the run up to the Games is leaving the programme. But hopefully this bronze from Butkevych may produce some legacy going forward and see some home grown talent aim to reach her level ahead of Rio 2016.