This was reported by Vadym Filashkin, Head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration and Chief of the Regional Military Administration.
Gold at the 12th World Games, held in Chengdu, China, in sambo wrestling was claimed by Vladyslav Rudniev, representing Donetsk region as part of Ukraine’s national team.
In the combat division, in the 79 kg weight category, our athlete first secured two victories with the same score of 8:0 — his opponents in those matches were sambists from Colombia and Uzbekistan. In the final, Vladyslav defeated an athlete from the aggressor country, competing in Chengdu under a “neutral” flag, with a score of 3:0. He celebrated his triumph right on the mat with a victorious hopak dance!
"Vladyslav Rudniev is an Honored Master of Sports of Ukraine in sambo wrestling, a five-time world champion and four-time European champion, and a scholarship holder of the Donetsk Regional State Administration.
I thank the athlete, as well as his father and coach Serhii Rudniev, for representing Ukraine with dignity at the most prestigious tournament for non-Olympic sports! Such victories are a symbol of the incredible strength, resilience, and indomitability of Ukrainians!" — emphasized Vadym Filashkin.