Mongolian wrestling coaches strip down to underwear to protest medal match

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:13 p.m. ET

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Lindsey Foltin

When it comes to memorable Olympic moments, the Mongolian wrestling coaches saved the best for last.

In one of the final events of the Rio Summer Games, Mongolian wrestler Ganzorigiin Mandakhnaran was seconds away from winning the 65kg freestyle bronze medal match when he began prematurely celebrating his victory by running around the ring. His coaches then joined him on the mat, one carrying the flag of Mongolia.

It appeared that Mandakhnaran had won the match, 7-6. But as the Mongolian team celebrated, the judges awarded a penalty point to Uzbekistan’s Ikhtiyor Navruzov, making him the winner of the contest.

That's when things got interesting.

The two Mongolian coaches tried to challenge the call, but when the judges denied them, they started ripping their clothes off in protest of the call.

One coach stripped all the way down to his underwear, while the other just removed his shirt -- and threw a stuffed animal towards the judges.

The coaches were then escorted out of the venue by Olympic officials.

It wasn't so much the celebration that cost Mongolia the bronze medal, but the act of "failing to engage," which is known in wrestling passivity, resulting in a point for the opponent. Since wrestling can't end in a tie, the winner is determined by the last person who is awarded a point. So instead of winning 7-6, Mandakhnaran lost 8-7 -- And everyone who saw the debacle won, by witnessing one of the best moments of the Summer Games.

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