Núñez's 2-0 win over the Turk moves him level with Russian great Valery Rezantsev on five World Championship titles and two Olympic gold medals.

The Cuban won world titles in 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2010 while also claiming Olympic gold at Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

Another Russian, Alexander Karelin, leads the way on the all-time list with nine World Championships and three Olympic titles.

Defending champion Heiki Nabi of Estonia had to settle for bronze seeing off Bulgarian Lyubomir Dimitrov, while Bilial Makhov of Russia comfortably overcame Germany's Eduard Popp.

Mijaín López Núñez's win over Turkey's Riza Kayaalp in Tashkent draws him level with the great Valery Rezantsev of Russia in terms of international titles
©Martin Gabor/United World Wrestling




Meanwhile, the Gymnastics Palace in Tashkent will hold special memories for Serbia's Davor Stefanek after he defeated 2011 world champion Omid Haji Noroozi of Iran in an entertaining 66kg decider.

Stefanek, who turned 29 years old yesterday, hit a four-pointer front headlock and tilt in the first period and frustrated Noroozi, who began to lose his cool and became frustrated.

"I've dreamed about winning the gold medal all of my life, and finally all my hard work and dreams came true," said Stefanek.

"This is the best present I could ever imagine for my birthday."

Lithuania's Edgaras Venckaitis secured a fall over Azerbaijani Hasan Aliyev, while Tamas Lorincz of Hungary beat German Frank Staebler for the bronze medals.

Serbian Davor Stefanek is head over heels after winning his first World Championship gold at the Gymnastics Palace in Tashkent ©Martin Gabor/United World Wrestling




Lorincz's compatriot Peter Bacsi will also treasure his visit to the Uzbekistan capital as he bagged his maiden win at World Championship level by overcoming Russian Evgeny Saleev in the 80kg final.

After trading par terre chances in the first period, Bacsi got a force-out on Saleev and kept the pressure on the rest of the way for a 2-1 victory.

A 4-0 win for Jim Eric Filip Pettersson of Sweden saw him get the better of Poland's Tadeusz Michalik, with the other bronze going to Selcuk Cebi of Turkey after a narrow 1-0 win over Croatian Bozo Starcevic.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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