He reached the final in the weight category up to 77 kg, but in the decisive match, he lost to Hungarian athlete Tamas Lorincz, resulting in a second-place finish.
“In the final, I couldn’t realize even 10% of my abilities. I can’t understand how that happened. The Olympic Games are always full of surprises,” he noted.
According to Makhmudov, this match was the last in his opponent's career, while for him, everything was just beginning. Lorincz was the reigning world and European champion, and now he ended his career with the title of Olympic champion. “This is immense happiness, a dream for any athlete,” the wrestler added.
“Sometimes I feel sad about losing, but at the same time, I am genuinely happy for the athletes who can end their careers like this. Not everyone gets to do that,” Akjol Makhmudov shared his feelings in an interview with journalist Tahir Gafurov.
