Top Stories of the Decade

Japan's Kaori Icho Become First-Ever Wrestler to Win Four Olympic Golds

Monday, December 30, 2019 - 14:30 By Ken Marantz

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 30) -- As the precious seconds ticked down, Kaori ICHO (JPN) was not to be denied. She was on the brink of making sporting history and earning a place among a pantheon of Olympic legends, and she didn't earn all of those previous gold medals by not fighting to the final second.

Somehow, someway, Icho managed to break the desperate hold that Valeria KOBLOVA (RUS) had on her leg and spun behind for a takedown in the final seconds, giving her a dramatic 3-2 victory in the women's 58kg final at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

She had done it. Icho became the first woman in Olympic history to win four gold medals in the same individual event in any sport. It put her in exclusive company with the only men to have achieved the feat: American athletes Al Oerter (discus, 1956-68) and Carl Lewis (long jump, 1984-96) and swimmer Michael Phelps (200m individual medley (2004-16).

"All the support I received up to now gave me the power to win this gold medal," Icho said. "I'm happiest with this gold medal."

Icho had won her first three Olympic golds at 63kg. When the number of women's weight divisions were expanded for Rio, she moved down to the newly set 58kg. That didn't mean she had it any easier. Earlier in the year, she was dealt a technical fall loss by Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, ending a 189-match winning streak that spanned 13 years.

Although Koblova had lost to Icho in their only previous meeting, a 10-0 technical fall in the final at the 2014 World Championships, she was no easy opponent. The Russian was one of only three non-Japanese wrestlers to ever beat Saori YOSHIDA (JPN), having defeated her at the 2008 World Cup, and had knocked off Purevdorj en route to the final in Rio. She came out determined and ready for revenge in the Carioca Arena.

Icho gained the first point with Koblova on the activity clock, but the Russian took advantage of a rare opening to gain a single leg, fight out of a whizzer and get behind for a takedown and a 2-1 lead with :35 left in the first period. In the second period, Koblova remained on the offensive, getting deep with a double leg but Icho forced the situation into a stalemate.

With 30 seconds to go, Icho made a futile grab for a leg, and as she came back up, Koblova shot in to secure a leg hold herself. Racing against the clock, Icho grabbed an ankle and applied a crossface, and it became a matter of whether she could break the hold in time. Her leg slipped away with :06 left, and the referee flashed the 2 points that gave Icho the epoch-making victory.

After taking two years off from competition, Icho would return in 2018 to begin a quest to become the first five-time Olympic champion at Tokyo 2020. But that dream ended when Icho lost out to fellow Rio champion Risako KAWAI (JPN) for the spot at 57kg to this year's World Championships in Nur-Sultan, where Kawai's run to the gold medal clinched her place at Tokyo 2020.

Icho's bid officially ended when she did not enter this month's All-Japan Championships in either of the two weight classes -- 50kg and 68kg --- in which the Tokyo 2020 entries had not been decided in Nur-Sultan.

Throughout her career, Icho's accomplishments paralleled those of Yoshida, but because she was less outgoing of the two, she never gained the same national notoriety. Yoshida earned more world titles (13 to 10) than Icho (mainly because Icho often took time off after an Olympics), but Icho's four Olympic golds (to Yoshida's three) will forever put her in a class of her own.

Following her Rio triumph, Icho was awarded the prestigious People's Honor Award, given for achievements that inspire the nation, from the Japanese Prime Minister. That made her only the second wrestler to ever receive the honor. Yoshida had been honored after the London 2012 Olympics, where both of them won their third Olympic golds.

Obituary

Remembering Saitiev: Master on mat who inspired many

Monday, April 7, 2025 - 12:53 By Vinay Siwach

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (April 7) -- Buvaisar SAITIEV was an unknown before the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. And after that he became the legend. 

At 21, Saitiev thrilled the crowd and displayed techniques that the world thought were impossible to execute at 74kg. Saitiev would go on to win two more Olympic golds -- 2004 and 2008 -- as he became the best 74kg wrestler out there. A three-time Olympic champion, six-time world champion, and an inspiration to the wrestling world, Saitiev passed away earlier this month at the age of 49.

"Biggest and greatest wrestler" - Nenad LALOVIC, UWW President

Brandon SLAY (USA) was in that crowd at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The 21-year-old was amazed what he saw. He watched another 21-year-old win the gold medal.

"It was an honor to watch him in Atlanta," Slay said. "Then study him and compete against him four years later."

Believe it or not, that was the first time Russia won Olympic gold medal at 74kg, a weight class now synonymous with their domination, both at senior and youth level.

Buvaisar SAITIEV (RUS)Buvaisar SAITIEV (RUS). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

At the time, the U.S. was focused on defending its dominance at 74kg, with Iran also challenging for supremacy, while Saitiev had yet to make his mark internationally. The Olympic history saw wrestlers from Turkiye, Japan, the United States and Korea win gold medal in this weight class. So when Saitiev arrived, he was the underdog. In the 1996 Atlanta final, he defeated the defending Olympic champion Park JANG SOON and ushered an era of Russian dominance at this weight class.

It took a once-in-a-lifetime talents like Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) and Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) to deny the gold medals to Russia in 2012 and 2016 respectively. However, Russia is now at top. Zaurbek SIDAKOV (ROC) won gold medals at the 2018 and 2019 World Championships, 2020 Tokyo Olympics [held in 2021] before winning it again in 2023 and Russian transfer to Uzbekistan and Saitiev's student Razambek JAMALOV (UZB) won in 2024.

A little insight on how the U.S. discovered Saitiev is provided in the the documentary 'Slaying Saitiev". Pat SMITH (USA), who was wrestling at the 1995 Ivan Yarygin Memorial, recalls when he first saw Saitiev, his opponent in the final.

Saitiev had not wrestled senior-level yet internationally and was till three months away from winning his first World Championships gold. So Smith and his team thought they are favorites to win the gold medal at the Yarygin.

"I go out on the mat, I see Saitiev, the fight starts," Smith recalls in the documentary. "And right away, right away I thought: “This is the best they have.” Because the way he was punching, his movement, the way he was flowing from one position to another... he was simply unstoppable. I did some takedowns, but in the end he gave me a pretty good beating. I come off the mat, Bruce is standing there, I say: “You were wrong. That guy from the semi-finals wasn’t the best. This is the best . ” – “I didn’t even know who it was!” – “Now you know. Buvaisar Saitiev.” And two months later he won the world championship. The best wrestler I’ve ever wrestled. There’s no question about that. The best.

"He looked like a librarian, skinny, gangly. But the positions he scores from, the way he moves you around the mat... I've never wrestled anyone like that again."

Smith’s observation wasn’t just a fleeting comment. It captured the essence of what made Saitiev so formidable on the mat. Saitiev, standing at 6 feet, defied convention of a tall wrestler standing upright. He would engage in ties which forced his opponents to shoot while he was in control. Saitiev would counter rather easily and score.

Saitiev used to engage with his opponents and yet they found it extremely difficult to score a takedown on him.

Brandon SLAY (USA)Brandon SLAY (USA) over Buvaisar SAITIEV (RUS) at the 2000 Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

Slay, who defeated Saitiev at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, had to study Saitiev for years before breaking through in their Olympic meeting.

"The greatness of Saitiev came from how extremely hard it was to finish takedowns on him," Slay says. "Most of the time when people attacked Saitiev, either he scored or no one scored. And, most of the time when he attacked, he scored. That makes for a very challenging opponent to beat, which is why he rarely lost. I am so thankful I had the opportunity to wrestle the greatest wrestler of all time."

Saitiev had it all. Snapdowns, feints, two-on-one, underhooks, overhooks, defense, attack, chain wrestling, innovations, and techniques that made him score points from any positions. So many options to immobilize his opponents who would eventually break down.

On March 3, the day he passed away, the internet saw outpouring tributes to his legacy. But some of the most shared posts were his clips from various bouts on his career. A few wrote how they began wrestling because of him, others explained why he inspired them to adapt and study wrestling.

Buvaisar SAITIEV (RUS)Buvaisar SAITIEV (RUS). (Photo: United World Wrestling)

2008 Olympic champion Henry CEJUDO (USA) called him the "greatest" and he was a 'fanboy.'

"A man that was poetry in motion at its finest, and in my opinion, the greatest athlete who has ever ever lived or walked on planet Earth," Cejudo wrote on his Instagram. "I would never fanboy over anybody but Buvaisar. I was so honored of the times that I did get a chance to hang out as I had a permanent smile the whole day. Thank you for all the great years that you gave the wrestling community and inspiring millions of people across the world. I can honestly say without Saitiev I wouldn’t be the wrestler that I am today."

John DIAKOMIHALIS (USA), a wrestler known for his crafty moves and detailing of wrestling, tributed his passion to Saitiev, who himself was known as a wizard on the mat for his moves.

"Buvaisar Saitiev was how I fell in love with the art of wrestling, I wanted to be like him," Diakomihalis wrote on X. "His innovation and passion for improvement were some of the staples of how I approached learning the sport or learning anything in my life."

Saitiev had that impact on people. Jamalov, who won the 2024 Paris Olympic gold medal, was Saitiev's student. Jamalov said that Saitiev was family.

"His approach was very subtle and deep, he always knew how to choose the right and necessary words for support," Jamalov said. "Every meeting with him was unforgettable and every word of his was unforgettable. Outside of wrestling, he was very caring and compassionate towards me, he was always worried about my injuries and operations."

While Jamalov was his student, Saitiev never backed from helping any wrestler. He 'couldn't stop himself from talk to even strangers if he had a broken ear.'

 

After Tokyo Olympic champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) lost her first-ever international bout to VINESH (IND) in Paris, she talked to Saitiev who had lost in Sydney after winning Atlanta but still won two more Olympic golds.

"I had a video call with him right after the Paris Olympics," Susaki said. "Like me, he didn't do well in his second Olympics. But he won gold medals in two more Olympics. I vowed to him that I would win gold medals in two more Olympics like him to become a legend.

"He also taught me that to become a legend, I should never lose again. I owe it all to him that I was able to stand up strong after losing. Thanks to him, I decided to keep fighting to win two more Olympic gold medals. And I vowed to become a legendary wrestler like him. I won't lose anymore. I will keep winning. Your message is a treasure for my life. He is a legend and his wrestling has always fascinated me. His matches are always amazing to watch and I think he is the most talented wrestler in history."

This off the mat personality of Saitiev resonated with many, even with people outside of wrestling. He was humble, witty and respectful.

Sports Express journalist Yuri GOLYSHAK recalled his moments with Saitiev who was part of many reception after his 2008 Beijing gold medal. 

"I was sure that we would meet again. Saitiev had enough stories for ten interviews," Golyshak wrote in his tribute. "I even imagined how it would be - not in a hurry, like after Beijing. Not in a car, no. Everything will be different. I will come to his home in Khasavyurt. It will be a fairy tale. We will go to the mountains. I will understand something that I did not understand before, in this amazing, invincible man. And in life in general."

Saitiev's influence transcends mere records and titles. His tactics on the mat just when the internet era arrived gave insights into a wrestler may only be imagined. He passed on that mastery to a special few who remember him as a mentor, inspiration and the greatest ever.