Daria Rechkalova, second left, was one of five gold medallists in FIAS colours today ©FIAS

Neutral athletes competing under the International Sambo Federation (FIAS) flag and anthem finished top of the medals table at the World Sambo Championships, which ended today in Bishkek.

FIAS athletes won 14 gold medals, as well as five silver and 10 bronze, overall.

Most of these came from Russian sambists, with Belarus and France also competing neutrally and having athletes stand on the podium.

The flags and anthems of Russia and Belarus have been banned by the FIAS because of the invasion of Ukraine, but it has allowed athletes from the nations to compete.

A governance dispute is to blame for French athletes having to compete neutrally. 

Like yesterday, five FIAS athletes stood at the top of the podium today.

The first of these was Daria Rechkalova in the women's under-80 kilograms, who defeated fellow FIAS neutral Sviatlana Tsimashenka by a comfortable margin in regular time.

Both of the day's men's sport sambo categories were won by FIAS neutrals too, with both victors looking good throughout the tournament.

Tariel Abbasov, second left, won Israel's first gold medal of the World Championships ©FIAS
Tariel Abbasov, second left, won Israel's first gold medal of the World Championships ©FIAS

Stanislav Skryabin defeated Begench Baltayev of Turkmenistan by a single point in the men's under-79kg final, with the score finishing 1-0.

Anton Konovalov defeated Georgian Daviti Loriashvili in the under-98kg gold-medal bout after it went to technical points following a 0-0 draw.

Konovalov, Skryabin and Rechkalova are all Russian.

So is Said Saidov, who won the under-88kg combat sambo class, and Soslan Dzhanaev who was the over-98kg combat sambo champion.

Saidov was very convincing in his victory against FIAS athlete Yauheni Aleksiyevich; Dzhanaev forced Pasha Kharkhachaev to tap out in just a minute, not long after bursting the Bahraini's nose.

In the opening final of the night, Tariel Abbasov gave Israel a first gold of the World Championships by beating Asset Anarbayev from Kazakhstan in the combat sambo under-71kg final.

Georgia won a first gold of the World Championships too thanks to Elene Kebadze in the women's over-80kg final, where she defeated neutral Anzhela Gasparian on technical points.

Serbia and Egypt got onto the medals table on the final day thanks to bronzes for Stefan Zuparic and Khaled Zaki, respectively.