Ismael Borrero inscribed his name in Cuban Greco-Roman wrestling history by defeating Russia’s Artem Surkov to become a two-time World Champion, this time in the 67 kg division. He won the 59 kg title in the Las Vegas 2015 competition.
Once again, the wrestler from Santiago de Cuba showed his strength, overcoming the defending champion in a very even bout, in which the Cuban displayed his technical arsenal and explosiveness on the mat.
The scoreboard in Barys Arena, the event’s venue in Kazakhstan, reflected parity between the two during the first part of the fight, with a 1-0 advantage for Borrero. He increased his margin of victory in the final period with a move to push Surkov out of the circle, adding two points, for a score of 3-0.
Borrero decided the outcome in his favor with an extraordinary demonstration of defensive ability from the four-point position, having been penalized a point for remaining inactive. After the bout, he told Jit: “I don't know what else the coaches can expect from our four athletes in Greco; one already has the gold and another is on the way. This is an interesting result for wrestling.”
After his title in the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, Borrero has been indomitable, developing his mastery by studying rivals and dedicating great effort and devotion to his training, with outstanding results.
The bronze medals, according to the event’s official website, went to Frank Staebler, from Germany, who defeated Egyptian Mohamed Ibrahim Elsayed (6-5), and Serbian Mate Nemes, who defeated Denmark’s Fredrik Holmquist Bjerrehuus, 10-0.
