Not sure if I should be happy about silver after Rio loss: Yogeshwar
NEW DELHI: Wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, who returned home emptyhanded after a first-round loss at the recently concluded Rio Olympics, says he has some good news to share with the country. But he is not sure whether to be “happy or sad”.
After reports suggested that Dutt’s bronze medal from the London Olympics may be upgraded to silver, the grappler tweeted on Tuesday that “he wanted to dedicate” the honour to the country.
The development came after Russia’s Besik Kudukhov, who finished second in the 60-kg freestyle event in the 2012 Olympics, tested positive for a banned substance.
Dutt told HT that he did not know whether he should be too elated since the news came close on the heels of his poor show in Rio.
“Don’t know whether to feel happy or sad about this news,” said the 33-year-old wrestler who lost to Ganzorigiina Mandakhnaran of Mongolia in the first round in Rio.
“The Russian who won silver is dead now. I have never thought of such things, to get benefits out of someone’s misery. But I have been told of the reports of him failing the dope test. It is not official yet.
“London was four years ago, it is my past. Now I’ve been told my medal will become silver. It doesn’t change much,” he said. The wrestler, however, felt the news will make his supporters happy.
NOT THE ONLY ONE
The International Olympic Committee has been retesting samples collected from the Beijing and London Olympics using enhanced techniques to expose dope.
Besides Kudukhov, Artur Taymazov of Uzbekistan, who won gold in the 120kg division in Beijing, and three other wrestlers have failed the tests.
The Wrestling Federation of India says they have yet to be notified about Dutt’s upgrade, but they are expecting a communication soon from United World Wrestling, the governing body.