Legendary Ukrainian wrestler wins Olympic bronze and ends his career

Today, the medals in the 87 kg Greco-Roman wrestling category at the 2024 Olympics were awarded, and one of the bronze medal bouts ended in a truly memorable fashion.

The legendary 33-year-old Ukrainian wrestler Zhan Beleniuk defeated Poland's Arkadiusz Kulinić with a score of 3-1. Following the match, Beleniuk placed his shoes in the center of the mat—a symbolic gesture among wrestlers signifying retirement.

Beleniuk has won Olympic medals three times. He became an Olympic champion in Tokyo 2020, took silver in Rio de Janeiro 2016, and is also a two-time world champion and three-time European champion.

Interestingly, beyond his athletic career, Beleniuk is also active in politics. He serves as a member of the Ukrainian parliament, representing the ruling party "Servant of the People." According to the athlete, he plans to fully focus on his political career following his retirement from sports.

Additionally, today, Ukrainian wrestler Parviz Nasibov also secured a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics in the 67 kg weight category.

It is worth noting that Cuban wrestler Mijaín López won his fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal and retired at the age of 41.