Tiumenbayev claimed under-60 kilogram bronze at Beijing 2008 after beating Roberto Monzón of Cuba in the third place play-off.

He also claimed the 2008 Asian title in Jeju City before becoming deputy head of the Central Asian nation's Directorate for Olympic Sports.

The 29-year-old was arrested on Thursday (January 21) after his Lexus 330 car was stopped at a checkpoint in the capital city Bishkek.

He was allegedly found not to have the correct documents, after which he reportedly threatened police officers with a pistol that he did not have a licence for.

It was also alleged that he was over the legal drink driving limit, with the wrestler held overnight in a cell before being released on bail.

But Tiumenbayev strongly denies all the allegations, claiming "many of the facts and chronology of the events are not true" and that policemen were carrying out an unauthorised inspection.

"Now the public are actively discussing the conflict with the police," he said in a statement released by the State Agency of Physical Culture and Sports. 

"First, talks about the incident are untrue.

"It all started with the fact that to stop me the officer checked the documents and began to speak words which hurt my honour.

"But I did not use force against police officers.

"Talk about that gun [which] threatened the police, is not true, I am a sportsman and adhere to the principle that obtained during the training skills of use only in the sport."

He has also denied consuming any alcohol on the night in question.

Kyrgyzstan, the landlocked country which borders Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and China, achieved independence in 1991 following the break-up of the Soviet Union and first competed at an Olympics in Lillehammer in 1994.

Two other medals have since been won: bronze for under 60kg judoka Aidyn Smagulov at Sydney 2000, and silver for another Beijing 2008 Greco Roman wrestler in under 66kg grappler Kanatbek Begaliev.