Published: August 20, 2008 09:33 am      

NEW – Saytiev wins third freestyle wrestling gold

BEIJING — Russia’s Buvaysa Saytiev has won a record-tying third Olympic freestyle gold medal.

Saytiev was forced to wrestle his way back onto the Russia’s team after being beaten out a year ago by the eventual world champion,

He matched his golds of 1996 and 2004 by defeating Soslan Tigiev of Uzbekistan 0-1, 1-0, 3-1 at 74 kilograms.

The only previous three-time freestyle gold medalist was the Soviet Union’s Alexander Medved in 1964, 1968 and 1972.

Saytiev, a six-time world champion who fell to eighth in the world in 2006, regained his Olympic spot after defeating world and European champion Makhach Murtzaliev in the Russian nationals in June.

The bronzes were won by Murad Gaidarov of Belarus and Kiril Terziev of Bulgaria.