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Mavlet Batirov of Russia celebrates victory during the men's freestyle 60kg gold medal match at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games wrestling event in Beijing, China, Aug. 19, 2008. Mavlet Batirov won the bout over Vasvl Fedoryshyn of Ukraine and got the gold medal. [Xinhua]
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Russian Mavlet Batirov won the Beijing Olympic 60kg freestyle wrestling gold medal, beating Unkainian Vasyl Fedoryshyn in the final on Tuesday.
World champion Batirov took down European champion Fedoryshyn from the clinch in the first period and snatched 2-1 in the second of the best-of-three bout.
Batirov, the 55kg winner at Athens, earlier defeated Athens 2004 gold medallist Yandro Quintana of Cuba and 2006 world champion Seyedmorad Mohammadi of Iran to reach the final.
"This is my second Olympic gold medal," said Batirov. "I felt better in the 60kg here than when I won in Athens 2004. It felt easier. The competition was over so fast.
"I felt a certain responsibility to win a second title and it gave me pressure.
"I think I could have performed a litter better. I felt good in the final but I could have wrestled better in the first two rounds."