Serbia first-ever medal in Olympic wrestling gold Davor Stefanek
Serbia’s first-ever medal in Olympic wrestling will be gold thanks to Davor Stefanek.
Stefanek, the 2014 world champion, defeated Armenia’s Migran Arutyunyan in the Gold Medal Match of the 66kg Greco-Roman wrestling tournament. The bout ended in a 1-1 score, but Stefanek got the win on criteria because he was the last one to be awarded a point.
Stefanek’s third Olympic appearance, he had never won a match but his success has changed and improved to win medal today. In 2004, representing Serbia and Montenegro, Stefanek went 0-2; in 2008, Serbia’s first Olympics as an independent nation since 1912, he lost his only bout.
The gold medal is just the second ever for Serbia in any Olympic sport.
“From the moment I stepped into the competition, I felt like I would give all that I have,” Stefanek said. “This is so special, and to be honest, I feel a little bit drunk right now, told to the press.
Stefanek was demonstrative in his celebrations. After pinning Georgian wrestler Shmagi Bolkvadze less than 90 seconds into their semifinal match, Stefanek turned to the crowd and shouted “Serbia!” before launching into a backflip. He again landed another backflip after clinching the gold medal in his next bout.
Highlights to those matches, Stefanek also had to defeat the German who dethroned him for the 66kg world title last year. Frank Staebler beat Stefanek in the semifinals of the 2015 World Championships en route to gold, but Stefanek returned the favor in Rio with a 6-2 victory in a quarterfinal showdown between the division’s two most recent world champions.
