#TBT: Tynybekova grabs historic gold for Kyrgyzstan

UNLOCK THE BEST WRESTLING CONTENT WITH UWW ! Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) earned a place in Kyrgyzstan’s sporting history as the first wrestler to win a senior world title when she captured the women’s 62kg gold medal with a 5-3 victory over defending champion Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) at the 2019 World Championships. “When I started wrestling, it was just a dream for me to become world champion,” the then-26-year-old Tynybekova said. “But today, the dream came true.” Since Kyrgyzstan made its debut at the world championships in 1994, the former Soviet republic had won nine medals---including Tynybekova’s bronze in 2017---but no one had made it to the top of the podium. Until that Friday night at the Barys Arena in the capital of neighboring Kazakhstan, where a large contingent of compatriots had made the trip and were witness to this moment of national glory. “Last year, I couldn’t participate in the world championships [in Budapest] because of an inju