Turkish wrestler wins gold medal in European contest

Turkish wrestler Riza Yildirim on Wednesday won a gold medal in 2017 European Wrestling Championship held in Novi Sad, Serbia.

Yildirim defeated title-holder Anzor Boltukaev of Russia 4-2 in men's freestyle, and clinched the highest award.

With the Wednesday’s victory, Yildirim became the first Turkish athlete to win a gold medal in the championships.

"This was my 20-year dream and it has come true today," he said following the prize distribution ceremony.

On Tuesday, two other Turkish wrestlers, Selim Yasar and Suleyman Atli, also won bronze medals in the largest wrestling tournament in Europe.