Kazakhstan wins 2 more golds at Olympics

LONDON - Kazakhstan racked up two more gold medals at the weekend in the London Olympics.

In the women’s triple jump final August 5, Olga Rypakova gained Kazakhstan’s sixth gold medal with a 14.98m effort, defeating Caterine Ibarguen (Colombia) and Olha Saladuha (Ukraine).

Uzbekistan remains the only other Central Asian country with a medal, Rishod Sobirov’s bronze in men’s judo.

Meanwhile, Tajik hammer thrower Dilshod Nazarov August 5 finished 10th out of 12 finalists, with Hungary’s Krisztian Pars winning gold. Nazarov threw 73.8m.

In men’s 94kg weightlifting, Ilya Ilyin August 4 set a world record with 418kg total lifted (185kg snatch and 233kg clean-and-jerk). Aleksandr Ivanov (Russia) and Anatoli Ciricu (Moldova) won silver and bronze. Ilyin also won gold in Beijing in 2008.

In men’s hockey, Pakistan defeated South Africa 5-4 August 5 and awaits Australia August 7 in Group A play.

In men’s canoe single (C1) 1,000m, Kazakhstan’s Aleksandr Dyadchuk and Uzbekistan’s Vadim Menkov August 6 both qualified for the August 8 finals.

A number of Central Asian competitors advanced to the quarter-finals or semi-finals in wrestling and boxing.

In men’s <60kg Greco-Roman wrestling, Kazakhstan’s Almat Kebispayev defeated Ukraine's Lenur Temirov August 6. He also defeated Venezuela’s Luis Ygnacio Liendo in the round of 16 later August 6 but lost to Iran’s Omid Haji Noroozi in the quarter-finals.

In the <84kg event, compatriot Danial Gajiyev also fell, losing to Russia’s Alan Khugaev in the quarter-finals.

Among the boxers, Tajikistan’s Mavzuna Chorieva August 6 defeated China’s Dong Cheng. She awaits Ireland’s Katie Taylor in the August 8 semi-final.

Other boxing quarter-final qualifiers include Kazakhstan’s Maria Volnova (women’s <75kg), Uzbekistan’s Fazliddin Gaibnazarov and Kazakhstan’s Gani Zhailauov (men’s <60kg), Kazakhstan’s Ivan Dychko (men’s >91kg [super-heavyweight]) and Uzbekistan’s Abbos Atoev (men’s <75kg).

In men’s water polo, Kazakhstan lost to Italy 9-6 August 4 and to Croatia 12-4 August 6. It will not advance to the quarter-finals.

August 7 events include canoeing, track and field, wrestling, boxing and swimming (synchronised duets).