Jigjidiin Mönkhbat

Jigjidiin Mönkhbat
Personal information
Native nameЖигжидийн Мөнхбат
NationalityMongolian
Born(1941-06-01)June 1, 1941
Erdenesant, Töv Province, Mongolia
DiedApril 9, 2018(2018-04-09) (aged 76)
Sport
CountryMongolia
SportWrestling
Event(s)Freestyle wrestling, Mongolian wrestling
Medal record
Men's freestyle wrestling
Representing  Mongolia
Olympic Games
1968 Mexico City87 kg
World Championships
1967 New Delhi87 kg

Jigjidiin Mönkhbat (Mongolian: Жигжидийн Мөнхбат; 1 June 1941 – 9 April 2018) was a Mongolian wrestler. Mönkhbat is the undefeated 1968 Olympic vice-champion in the 87 kg.

Mönkhbat placed fourth in the middleweight (87 kg) division at the 1966 World Wrestling Championships, having lost the bronze medal match, however, he defeated the reigning three-time World Champion and the strongest 1964 Olympic wrestler Mansour Mehdizadeh of Iran in the first match. At the 1967 World Wrestling Championships Mönkhbat held a bronze medal after defeating Majid Aghili of Iran. At the 1968 Summer Olympics he won the silver medal in the men's Freestyle Middleweight category (87 kg), behind gold medalist Boris Michail Gurevich of the Soviet Union and ahead of bronze medalist Prodan Gardzhev of Bulgaria. However, Mönkhbat left the tournament as undefeated wrestler, his results in the Olympics were 4 wins, 2 draws, and 0 losses:

Round Opponent Сountry Results Penalties Time
1 Peter Döring Won by Points 1
2 Raúl García Won by Fall (TF) 0 (1:17)
3 Jean-Marie Chardonnens Won by Technical Superiority 0,5
4 Bye 0
5 Prodan Gardzhev Draw 2
6 Boris Gurevich Draw 2
7 Tom Peckham Won by Points 1

Mönkhbat was a State Grand Champion in bökh, a top rank in the sport, with six Naadam championship wins (1963–1967, 1974). His name Mönkhbat means "Eternal firm" in the Mongolian language.

Mönkhbat was the father of professional sumo wrestler Hakuhō Shō, who held the top rank of yokozuna in that sport before retiring. His son Hakuhō regards his six Nadaam championships as the equivalent of 36 tournament championships in sumo (as sumo tournaments are held six times a year) and used that as motivation to keep going even after passing Taihō's record of 32 championships.