Fresno State Athletics
Stephen Abas Claims Olympic Silver
8/28/2004 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Aug. 28, 2004
FRESNO, Calif. - On the biggest and grandest stage of them all, Bulldog All-American and three-time national champion Stephen Abas came away with his first world-level medal when he claimed Olympic silver at the Ano Liossia Olympic Hall in Athens, Greece. Dropping a 9-1 decision to Russia's Mavlet Batirov in the grand finale, Abas did guide the United State's men's freestyle Olympic team to its first medal of the day en route to posting a 4-1 mark in his Olympic debut at the XXVIII Olympiad. Batirov scored quickly as he opened with a counter crotch lift for a 2-0 lead after 40 seconds into the match. He then collected a single leg takedown for a 3-0 lead before Abas scored his only point on a fleeing the mat call late in the first period. With Abas two points down, Batirov did not allow him to strike again. Batirov dominated the second half with a counter tilt, a pair of takedowns and a gut wrench turn for a 9-1 win. While neither Abas or Batirov were picked to be gold medal contenders by experts, both came away with their first world-level medal at these Summer Olympic Games. At the 2003 Worlds in New York, Abas and Batirov faced each other as Abas won 4-2 in pool play. In a sport where individual efforts determine a team's outcome, the United States still can add to its medal count in freestyle wrestling as the team still has two medal contenders in the mix. For the United States, it was the country's first men's freestyle team that did not boast a world or Olympic champion since 1968. Abas is the university's first Olympic medalist in the sport of wrestling. Medal match results from Saturday, August 28 at 5:30 p.m. session 55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold - Mavlet Batirov (Russia) dec. Stephen Abas (USA), 9-1
Bronze -Chihara Tanabe (Japan) dec. Amiran Karntanov (Greece), 7-0
66 kg/145.5 lbs
Gold - Elbrus Tedeyev (Ukraine) dec. Jamill Kelly (USA), 5-1
Bronze - Makhach Murtazaliev (Russia) won by ref. dec. over Leonid Spiridonov (Kazakhstan), 2-1, ot, 9:00
84 kg/185 lbs.
Gold - Cael Sanderson (USA) dec. Moon Eui Jae (Korea), 3-1
Bronze - Sajid Sajidov (Russia) dec. Yoel Romero (Cuba), 5-3
120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Gold - Artur Taymazov (Uzbekistan) dec. Ali Reza Rezaei (Iran), 4-0
Bronze - Aydin Polatci (Turkey) vs. Marid Mutalimov (Kazakhstan), 3-1, ot, 6:12
U.S bouts from the 5:30 p.m. session on Saturday, August 28 55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold medal finals - Mavlet Batirov (Russia) dec. Stephen Abas (USA), 9-1
60 kg/132 lbs.
David Pogosian (Georgia) dec. Eric Guerrero (USA), 3-1, ot, 6:21
66 kg/145.5 lbs
Gold medal finals - Elbrus Tedeyev (Ukraine) dec. Jamill Kelly (USA), 5-1
74 kg/163 lbs.
Joe Williams (USA) dec. Mehdi Hajizadeh Joybari (Iran), 3-0
84 kg/185 lbs.
Gold medal finals - Cael Sanderson (USA) dec. Moon Eui Jae (Korea), 3-1
96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Daniel Cormier (USA) dec. Bartolomej Bartnicki (Poland), 10-1
U.S. matches on Sunday, August 28 in the morning session 74 kg/163 lbs.
Quarterfinals - Joe Williams (USA) vs. Gennadiy Laliev (Kazakhstan)*
96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Semifinals - Daniel Cormier (USA) vs. quarterfinal winner (Khajimurad Gatsalov of Russia vs. Aleksandr Shemarov (Belarus)
*If Williams wins, he will compete in a semifinal match. If he loses, he may compete in a match for fifth and sixth place.
