Semyon Novikov from Kharkiv, who changed his sports affiliation to Bulgaria, won gold at the Olympic Games in Paris in Greco-Roman wrestling. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Zhan Beleniuk, with whom Novikov competed for a place at the Olympics, won a bronze medal. It should be noted that corruption scandals and controversial decisions deprived Ukraine of the opportunity to win a gold medal.
A privileged place for Belenyuk
According to the rules of the Olympic Games, only one athlete - the first number of the national team - can compete in Greco-Roman wrestling. Novikov, who has been representing Ukraine for years, demanded a fair selection, in particular, a face-to-face match against Zhan Beleniuk to determine the representative.
Zhan Beleniuk, the deserved champion, was 33 years old at the time of the Olympics. This is already quite a solid age for wrestling, and Beleniuk himself announced the end of his career after the Games. At the same time, the Iranian Alireza Mohmadipiani, to whom Beleniuk lost, was a young athlete aged 22.
Unfair disqualification
Semyon Novikov, who was 7 years younger than Belenyuk and had already won the title of European champion, hoped for a fair competition for a place in the Olympic team. However, according to Novikov, the management of the national team and officials did not take into account his demands and gave preference to Belenyuk without the appropriate selection.
It is known that Zhan Beleniuk is also a deputy from the "Servant of the People" faction. This raised suspicions that his status influenced the decisions of coaches and officials who decided to support him, despite Novikov's objective sports achievements.
As a result, Semyon Novikov decided to play for Bulgaria, where he got a chance to prove his superiority. And he did it, winning a gold medal at the Olympics. It was a significant victory for Bulgaria, who won gold in the event for the first time, while Ukraine lost out on potentially their fourth gold medal of the Games.
Corruption problems and non-transparent decisions in sports management became the reasons why Ukraine lost the opportunity to win a gold medal at the Olympics in Paris. Semyon Novikov, despite all the obstacles, demonstrated his skill and led Bulgaria to a great victory.
