Uzbek, Azerbaijani Wrestlers Triumph In London

Uzbekistan's Artur Taymazov celebrating Olympic victory.

Uzbekistan's Artur Taymazov won a third consecutive wrestling gold at the London Games on August 11 to become the most successful freestyle competitor in Olympic history.

The 33-year-old Taymazov defeated Georgia's Davit Modzmanashvili in the final of the 120-kilogram freestyle wrestling.

After the fight, Taymazov said: "I came on the mat with a decision: I win here or I die here."

Bronze medals went to Iran's Komeil Ghasemi and Russia's Bilyal Makhov, a three-time world champion.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan won two wrestling gold medals to add to their two silvers and two bronzes from earlier in the week.

European champion Toghrul Asgarov won a surprise gold in the 60-kilogram freestyle wrestling final when he overcame the favorite, Russian four-time world champion Besik Kudukhov.

"I put everything into being Olympic champion," Asgarov said. "It was my destiny to win."

Azerbaijan's Sharif Sharifov added Olympic gold to the world title he won last year with a win over Puerto Rican Jaime Espinal in the men's 84-kilogram freestyle wrestling final.

Bronze medals went to European champion Dato Marsagishvili of Georgia and Iran's Ehsan Lashgari, the three-time Asian champion.

In other sports, Serbia's Milica Mandic won her country's first gold medal of the London Olympics by taking the taekwondo title in the women's over 67-kilogram division. Anastasia Baryshnikova of Russia took one of the bronze medals.

In boxing, Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk won the men's Olympic heavyweight gold medal with a victory over Italy's Clemente Russo. Teymur Mammadov of Azerbaijan took bronze.

The women's handball team of Montenegro earned a silver medal – the first-ever medal for their country -- following their defeat against Norway in the final. Montenegro's medal comes in the country’s second Summer Games competing as an independent nation.

On the pavement, Russia's Sergei Kirdyapkin won the men's 50-kilometer race walk in a new Olympic record time of 3:37:16, while Elena Lashmanova of Russia won the gold medal in the women's 20-kilometer race walk.

Russia's Mariya Savinova won the women's 800-meter title, while another Russian, Ekaterina Poistogova, took bronze.

Russian world champion Anna Chicherova won the women's Olympic high jump, while compatriot Svetlana Shkolina took bronze.

Russia's Evgeniya Kanaeva retained her Olympic rhythmic gymnastics title. Compatriot Daria Dmitrieva won the silver medal, while Liubou Charkashnya of Belarus took bronze.

Russia's Yuri Postrigay and Aleksandr Dyanchenko won the men's canoe sprint K2 200, edging out the Belarus duo who took the silver medal.

The United States was at the top of the overall medal table after the August 11 competition with 102 medals. China was in second place with 87 medals followed by Russia with 78 medals.

Based on reporting by AFP, AP, Reuters, and dpa