Stripped back: Mongolian coaches banned for three years for Rio Olympics protest

Two Mongolian wrestling coaches who stripped off in protest at the judging at last month’s Rio Olympics have been suspended for three years, the sport’s international federation said on Wednesday.

The Mongolia wrestling federation was also fined 50,000 Swiss francs (HK$396,800), United World Wrestling said on Twitter.

Tserenbaatar Tsogtbayar and Byambarenchin Bayaraa undressed and hurled their shoes when their wrestler Mandakhnaran Ganzorig was denied victory for avoiding his Uzbek opponent in the dying seconds of a bronze medal contest.

Ganzorig, leading Ikhtiyor Navruzov by seven points to six, taunted his opponent by dancing around him in the last 18 seconds of their 65kg match and was then carried around the ring in triumph by one of the coaches.

But the judges adjusted the score to 7-7, penalising the Mongolian for ‘fleeing the hold’, and added a further point to the Uzbek’s score after a challenge from the Mongolian corner was rejected.

The two Mongolian coaches advanced towards the judges, stripped off their shirts and shoes and hurled them to the floor.