BY ANDREA ROMANO From Mashable

After a controversial bronze medal wrestling match in Rio, Mongolian coaches protested their disappointing result by stripping off their clothes.

The 65 kilograms freestyle wrestling match between Mongolia’s Mandakhnaran Ganzorig and Uzbekistan’s Ikhtiyor Navruzov initially ended with a score of 7-6 in favor of Ganzorig on Sunday.

Unfortunately, Mongolia ended up losing the hard-fought bronze medal after the decision was challenged by Navruzov, citing that the Mongolian athlete began celebrating with about 10 seconds left in the match rather than continuing the match with his opponent.

Judges ended up ruling in favor of Uzbekistan, who took home the bronze instead.

The Mongolian coaches, Byambarenchin Bayoraa and Tsenrenbataar Tsostbayar, understandably, were upset with this decision.

Instead of walking away, they expressed their grief by refusing to leave the mat and taking off their clothes in protest. Tsostbayar stripped down all the way to his underwear.

When tensions are running high, sometimes you just have to do anything to release your emotions. Occasionally, that involves tearing off your shirt.

The coaches’ protest immediately elevated them to folk-hero status. The audience started shouting “Mongolia! Mongolia!”

Ganzorig sat and rolled on the mat, looking shocked and deeply disappointed at the decision.

The coaches had to be escorted off the mat by Brazilian national police, according to The Washington Post. The audience cheered for them as they left.

Ganzorig might not have won a medal, but at least he inspired one of the most surreal moments of the Rio Olympics.

IMAGES:

Mongolia’s Mandakhnaran Ganzorig’s coach reacts after the judges announced that Uzbekistan’s Ikhtiyor Navruzov won following a video replay in their men’s 65kg freestyle bronze medal match on August 21, 2016, during the wrestling event of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Carioca Arena 2 in Rio de Janeiro. / AFP / Toshifumi KITAMURA (Photo credit should read TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images)
IMAGE: TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 21: Mandakhnaran Ganzorig (red) of Mongolia reacts following his defeat to Ikhtiyor Navruzov (blue) of Uzbekistan in the Men’s Freestyle 65kg Bronze match against on Day 16 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Carioca Arena 2 on August 21, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
IMAGE: LAURENCE GRIFFITHS/GETTY IMAGES

Mongolia’s Mandakhnaran Ganzorig’s coach reacts after the judges announced that Uzbekistan’s Ikhtiyor Navruzov won following a video replay in their men’s 65kg freestyle bronze medal match on August 21, 2016, during the wrestling event of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Carioca Arena 2 in Rio de Janeiro. / AFP / Toshifumi KITAMURA (Photo credit should read TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images)
IMAGE: TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

TOPSHOT – Mongolia’s Mandakhnaran Ganzorig’s coaches react after the judges announced that Uzbekistan’s Ikhtiyor Navruzov won following a video replay in their men’s 65kg freestyle bronze medal match on August 21, 2016, during the wrestling event of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Carioca Arena 2 in Rio de Janeiro. / AFP / Jack GUEZ (Photo credit should read JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images)
IMAGE: TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

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