Uniquely, the medal distribution was the same as it had been at the previous World Championships. And for the third successive global championship, Abduvaliyev upset the form books by beating Astapkovich. He did it in the final round, before which he was only third. “I had only four meetings before Gothenburg,” said Abduvaliyev, “so I wasn’t sure of my form.”
Astapkovich, three times world and once Olympic silver medallist said: “I must be the record holder for second places in big championships.”