Yogeshwar's Olympic bronze may be upgraded to silver

Star wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt's bronze medal from the 2012 London Olympics could be upgraded to silver after runner-up Besik Kudukhov of Russia was found guilty of doping violation.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had recently decided to retest samples from the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 Games which returned with several positive results.

According to a report by flowrestling.org, Kudukhov, who won silver in the men's 60 kg freestyle category in London, may now be stripped of his medal after his sample also tested positive for a banned substance.

As a result, Yogeshwar's bronze could now be upgraded to silver. The Haryana grappler had defeated Ri Jong-myong of North Korea in the bronze medal play-off who should now move up from the fifth position.

The 33-year-old will now join fellow Haryana wrestler Sushil Kumar as the second Indian silver medalist from the 2012 Olympics.

The results however, are yet to be officially confirmed by the United World Wrestling (UWW) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Yogeshwar's silver medal will only be confirmed when the UWW ratifies it in writing to the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

Kudukhov, who defeated Yogeshwar in the pre-quarterfinals at the 2012 Olympics, is considered to be one of the greatest icons of modern wrestling.

He was a four-time world champion across two weight divisions and had won gold in every World Championship he competed in from 2007 to 2011.

He burst onto the international stage in sensational style at the age of 20 when he reached the final of the 2006 World Championships in Guangzhou, China.

He also became European Champion in 2007.

Kudukhov died on December 29, 2013 in a car crash on a federal highway in southern Russia between Krasnodar Krai and Vladikavkaz.

--IANS

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