Xinxin JIN stood at the edge of the mat with the final minute draining away, and turned a defensive moment into the throw of the tournament. Jin Xinxin of China won 67kg gold at the UWW Ranking Series Ulaanbaatar Open on 4 June 2026, beating European silver medalist Murat Firat 8:3 in the final. It was, remarkably, his first international medal of any colour.
How the final turned
The match did not begin in China's favour. Firat got on the board first with par terre and rolled Jin for two points to lead 3-0. The Turkish wrestler, seeded and expected, looked in control. Then the order reversed. In the second period it was Jin's turn for par terre, and he managed a turn using a front headlock just before the referee's whistle to take two points and a 3-3 criteria lead.
The decisive passage came late. Firat tried to score a stepout in the final minute, but Jin planted himself right at the edge and tossed Firat for four points. The throw drew immediate protest. Turkiye challenged the call, arguing that the stepout had been scored first, but on review the four-pointer was confirmed, and Jin was awarded another point for the lost challenge, extending his lead to 8-3. The counter from the edge became the image of the day, a photograph and a clip that travelled quickly.
A debut that began with gold
The result reframes Jin's standing at once. He arrived without an international medal to his name and left as champion, upsetting the European silver medalist to claim the 67kg gold for China. The wider draw underlined the level he cut through. Iran, India and Bulgaria each won two Greco-Roman golds on the first day of the four-day tournament, and China's other podium at the weight came through the bronze medal path.
For a wrestler stepping onto the senior international stage, the manner mattered as much as the medal. Jin did not merely survive a strong opponent. He read the closing exchange, absorbed Firat's attack, and answered it with the single highest-scoring move of the bout. A three-point deficit became a five-point win inside two periods, decided by composure at the boundary where matches are so often lost.
The trajectory now has a clear starting point. First tournament at this level, first medal, and it is gold.
