But at the 2016 Olympics, a pair of Mongolian coaches took their protests to new heights, stripping off their clothes in opposition to a ruling by officials that resulted in the bronze medal being awarded to Ikhtiyor Navruzov of Uzbekistan instead of their wrestler, Mandakhnaran Ganzorig.
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After appearing to have bested Uzbekistan’s Ikhtiyor Navruzov in a bronze freestyle wrestling match Sunday afternoon, Mongolia’s Mandakhnaran Ganzorig was penalized for celebrating before the match had actually finished, which swiftly turned his victory into a defeat.
Tserenbaatar Tsogtbayar and his assistant Byambarenchin Bayaraa made a decision to strip on the mat after their wrestler Ganzorigiin Mandakhnaran lost to an opponent from Uzkebistan after a penalty point was awarded. This proved costly for both Ganzorig’s medal hopes and his coaches’ public images.
Rio Olympic Games has been marked by remarkable events but none was more freakish than a protest which saw one angry coach strip down to his underpants.
The judges added a point to Navruzov which angered the coaches, Byambarenchin Bayaraa and Tserenbaatar Tsogtbayar, who approached the judges, stripped their shoes and shirts and threw it to the floor. Tsenrenbataar Tsostbayar followed suit and one-upped him by also taking off his trousers. The Mongolian coaches were eventually removed from the mat by security. While this incident is unsurprisingly drawing a lot of attention for the silliness of the spontaneous strip show on the mat, this is actually not the first time wrestling referees have come under fire for making controversial decisions like this one.
The whole ordeal lasted for more than five minutes after the match ended. “Three million people in Mongolian waited for this bronze medal and now we have no medal”. Wrestling’s worldwide federation removed all three officials from competition after Navruzov’s quarterfinal.
Gomez had tied the match at 5-5 and held the lead based on criteria. “They only supported the Uzbek”, Bayaraa said, according to the Wall Street Journal. I think the situation is much better than we had before – much, much better.
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Snyder fought and won a cagey, low-scoring contest in the 97kg category against Azerbaijan’s Khetag Goziumov, hanging in for a 2-1 win as his opponent pressed hard in the closing seconds.
