The athlete from Kyrgyzstan competed in the 77 kg weight category in Greco-Roman wrestling, starting the competition with a confident victory over American wrestler Kamal Bey.
However, in the quarterfinals, Makhmudov unexpectedly lost to Kazakh wrestler Demeu Jadraev, but this did not mark the end of his journey — he was given a chance to continue fighting for the bronze medal.
First, the Kyrgyzstani secured a victory over a representative from Colombia, and then he was set to battle for third place against Sanan Suleymanov from Azerbaijan.
"Before the bronze match, Roman Vlasov helped me a lot. I couldn't concentrate and decided to talk to him for a bit. In just a few minutes, he gave me useful advice and got me in the right mindset. He noted that everyone expected gold from me, but I shouldn't return home empty-handed. A bronze medal is also an achievement. That's how we communicated," Makhmudov shared in an interview with journalist Tahir Gafurov.
In the end, Makhmudov won against the Azerbaijani, secured third place, and thus, the bronze medal.
