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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Devastating loss for champion U.S. wrestler Jordan Burroughs

United States’ Jordan Ernest Burroughs, left, competes against Russia's Aniuar Geduev during the men's 74-kg freestyle wrestling competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics. (Markus Schreiber / Associated Press)
Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO – U.S. wrestler Jordan Burroughs came to the Rio Olympics expecting to build a legacy so great he could transcend his sport.

Instead, the defending Olympic and world champion was left to try and explain the unexplainable.

Burroughs, considered by many the best wrestler in the world, was stunned by Russia’s Aniuar Geduev on Friday in the quarterfinals of men’s freestyle wrestling.

Geduev, a three-time European champion ranked second in the world, upended Burroughs 3-2 in the 74-kilogram division to hand the American just his third international loss.

A devastated Burroughs was later routed 11-1 by Uzbekistan’s Bekzod Abdurakhmonov in the loser’s bracket with a potential bronze still on the line.

Geduev wound up with a silver medal, dropping the gold-medal match to Iran’s Hassan Yazdani.

“This was supposed to be my year. This was supposed to be my breakthrough performance,” Burroughs said as he wiped away tears that had mixed with blood from a head cut. “I’ve done everything right. I’ve sacrificed so much to get here. … I wanted to be among the greats. I wanted to be a Simone Biles, a Michael Phelps, nationally. I wanted to be those guys, and it’s unfortunate.”