Naidan from Mongolia wins men's 100kg judo gold. [Xinhua]

Tuvshinbayar Naidan [Xinhua]

Tuvshinbayar Naidan from Mongolia outscored Askhat Zhitkeyev of Kazakhstan in men's 100kg class judo at the Beijing Olympic Games on Thursday, winning the first gold medal his country had awaited for 44 years.

"I will contribute my historical success to my coach and parents who have given me a lot of supports," Naidan said. "Every one in Mongolia is celebrating for my gold medal.

"Mongolian-style wrestling does have something in common with judo, so I took this for an advantage and used some of them in the match."

"I have waited for a long time for this medal. I don't yet understand what happened and what is going on," said Zhitkeyev who was in his third Olympic trip.

The 24-year-old Mongolian made his way to the final by a surprise. In the first round, he ipponed two-time world champion Japan's Keiji Suzuki. Being one of the most favorites, the Japanese changed to half-heavyweight after winning the gold medal of over-100kg category in Athens.

Naidan then gave a convincing performance by stunning Benjamin Behrla of Germany and Jang Sung-ho, Olympic silver medalist in Athens, to the semifinal. He later won Azerbaijan's Movlud Miraliyev by yuko in a golden-score overtime.

"My condition wasn't bad. I don't have anything to regret because I couldn't do anything," said Suzuki who was designated as the substitute of the country's flag bearer at the opening ceremony for table tennis player Ai Fukuhara.

"I have competed with him twice and he threw me in the same way, so I'm just ashamed of myself," he added.

"Naidan is a really powerful athlete. I am 33 years old. That may have had some impact," Azerbaijan's Miraliyev, who won the bronze by outscoring Poland's Przemyslaw Matyjaszek, said.

Henk Grol, world No. 1, from the Netherlands, beat Georgian Zhorzholiani to win the other bronze medal. He upset world champion Luciano Correa at the first round.

"Bronze is nothing, and I came for gold," said Grol who lost to Zhitkeyev in the semifinal. "It was my mistake."

"It's a stupid mistake he made in the semifinal. But I am happy with his medal since he is only 23. He is a very big talent," Grol's coach Maarten Arens said.

(Xinhua News Agency August 14, 2008)