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Russian Olympic wrestling champion found drowned

A legendary Olympic champion from the Soviet Era was found dead last week.

Aleksandr Ivanitsky, a Russian freestyle wrestler who won the 1964 Olympic gold medal in Tokyo, was discovered drowned in a river after going out to collect mushrooms from a forest in the Ruza area.

Following his disappearance, a volunteer search team began looking for the 82-year-old former champion. The two-day man hunt even included police officers, divers, and a helicopter. His belongings were eventually found near a river.

“Until recently, we hoped for a miracle – but unfortunately a real tragedy has happened,” Mikhail Mamiashvili, the president of the Russian Wrestling Federation, told TASS.