#development

China Establishes Capital University of Physical Education and Sports (CUPES) at BIIOS

By UWW Development

BEIJING, China (December 21) --- On the 50-day countdown to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, the Beijing Institute for International Olympic Studies (BIIOS) was officially established at the Capital University of Physical Education and Sports(CUPES). The BIIOS was approved and established by the Chinese government and was listed in the global research center directory of the IOC. The establishment of the BIIOS is a milestone for the development of China's Olympic education. In the future, it will be built as an important platform for the the Chinese sports spirit and the Olympic spirit.

At the unveiling ceremony,, ZHANG Xia United World Wrestling Bureau Member and president of the CUPES, invited important leaders from the Chinese sports circle and the education circle. Many overseas organizations and universities, including the Olympic Research Center of the IOC, the International Olympic Academy(IOA), the Russia International Olympic University (RIOU), and the German Sport University Cologne, also sent congratulations.

At the same time, when the BIIOS was established, the first important event was welcomed. National Youth Olympic Knowledge and Anti-doping Education Series sponsored by the Chinese Olympic Committee and undertaken by our university was grandly launched. This activity aims to spread the Olympic spirit to young people, and carries out anti-doping publicity. This is of great significance to the healthy development of sports in China and even in the world. 

Saitiev, three-time Olympic champion, passes away aged 49

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (March 2) -- Wrestling legend, three-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time world champion Buvaisar SAITIEV passed away Sunday. He was 49 years old and nine days short of his 50th birthday.

Saitiev was buried in the village of Novokuli in the Novolaksky district of Dagestan on Tuesday, March 4.

Saitiev, widely considered the best Freestyle wrestler of all time, was born in Dagestan but moved to Krasnoyarsk, Siberia to train at the Mindiashvili wrestling academy under the legendary coach Dmitri Mindiashvili.

The 49-year-old announced his retirement soon after winning his third Olympic title in Beijing 2008. His other two titles came in 1996 Atlanta Olympics and 2004 Athens Olympics. In 2000 Sydney Olympics, Brandon SLAY (USA) defeated him.

Apart from the world and Olympic titles, Saitiev was six-time European champion.

 

United World Wrestling President Nenad LALOVIC expressed his shock on the untimely passing of Saitiev.

"The wrestling family is in shock with the passing of Saitiev," Lalovic said. "He was a legend of the sport and we lost him at a very young age of 49. Saitiev inspired wrestlers around the world and many took up the sport because of him. It's an unrepairable loss to the wrestling community and we are with the Saitiev family during this time of grief."

In 2007, Saitiev was awarded as the best Freestyle wrestler in history by UWW [then FILA].

Wrestling majorly in the 74kg weight class, Saitiev stood at 183 centimetres and made his World Championships debut in Atlanta, 1995. A year later, he won the gold medal at 74kg at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

He became world champion in 1997 and 1998 but did not participate in 1999. He lost to Slay in early rounds of the 2000 Sydney Olympics and finished ninth.

But he captured the gold medals again at the 2001 and 2003 World Championships and returned to the top at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He became the world champion in 2005 and 2006 and claimed his third Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games.