He competed in the under 70 kg category and finished the competition in first place, winning four matches in a row.
“To be honest, I am not satisfied with my wrestling. I made mistakes in simple moments and gave points to my opponents. You can't wrestle like that,” he noted.
Akmataliev expected that the final against the American wrestler would be tougher. “I have been watching him for a long time, but we hadn't crossed paths on the mat before. He is indeed a strong opponent; next time will be different,” the athlete added.
Additionally, he mentioned that it was harder for him against Ibrahim Ibrahimov. “The first match is always tougher. Ibrahimov has a very interesting wrestling style,” Akmataliev shared his impressions in a conversation with journalist Vyacheslav Abdusalamov.
