USA Wrestler Photo Contest
Top left: Seventh grader Alan Suares of the CT Green Knights of Thomaston, Connecticut, going for a pin in the Middle School Championships at Madison Square Garden as part of the Grapple In The Garden. Mike Patten photo. Top right: Nine-year old Anton Chacon of the Salem Elite
Wrestling Club in Oregon in action, the 70 pound champion and Outstanding Wrestler at the Battle for the Belts. Katie Palacios photo.
Bottom left: Bryson Stikkelman of Pacifica High School scores big points in a Greco-Roman event. Deanna Stikkelman photo. USA Wrestler is seeking your best wrestling photography for publication in a future issue of the magazine. Other photos may be posted on
TheMat.com or on USA Wrestling Weekly. USA Wrestling reserves the right to publish all materials submitted for the Photo Contest with no restrictions! Mail photos to: Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling, 6155 Lehman Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80918. E-mail photos to:
gabbott@usawrestling.org.
KUDUKHOV, Continued from page 26
onto leads and win by one point. He was looking to tech you. He was the perfect example of how you’re supposed to wrestle.” Kudukhov’s death also had a significant impact on another top international wrestler who trains in the U.S. Franklin Gomez, an NCAA champion for Michigan State, lost to Kudukhov in the finals of the 2011 World Championships at 60 kg/132 lbs.
Gomez, who trains with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club at
Penn State University, competes for Puerto Rico. “I was really sad and really shocked to hear the news about Kudukhov,” Gomez said. “I just couldn’t believe it. We always had great mutual respect for each other.
“Whenever I would see him, he would always say hello to me and he was always friendly to me. He was a rival, but I never considered him my enemy. I always looked forward to wrestling him.”
Gomez actually defeated Kudukhov in the finals of the Grand Prix of Germany less than two months before the 2012 Olympics. “Right after that match, I remember Kudukhov sitting in the
stands watching the video of the match on the camera,” Gomez said. “He had this look on his face like he couldn’t believe what had just happened. I’m sure he wanted to know what he did wrong and he wanted to correct it.”
Gomez drew Kudukhov in the first round of the 2012 Olympics in London, with the Russian earning a close win in what would be their final meeting. “I enjoyed wrestling Kudukhov,” Gomez said. “He was very
“I was really sad and really shocked to hear the news about Kudukhov. I just couldn’t believe it. We always had great mutual respect for each other. Whenever I would see him, he would always say hello. He was a rival, but I never considered him my enemy.” - Franklin Gomez
consistent with his style of wrestling. He stayed in great position and didn’t make very many mistakes. And he was ready to capi- talize when you made a mistake. He always wrestled hard – you have to respect a guy who wrestles that way. He was a great champion.” Kudukhov’s impact on the sport will not be forgotten. “To me, Besik Kudukhov is one of Russia’s best wrestlers of all-time even though he never won the Olympics,” Cejudo said. “He was a tremendous competitor and an incredible wrestler. It’s pretty amazing that he never won Olympic gold because he cer- tainly was good enough to do that.
“I always had great respect for him. His record speaks for itself. He will be missed.”
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