#ThrowBackThursday

#TBT: Sadulaev Makes Golden Debut at '12 Cadet Worlds

Wednesday, January 19, 2022 - 08:12 By Vinay Siwach

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (January 20) – Over the years, Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RWF) has become one of the biggest names in wrestling. A five-time world and two-time Olympic champion Sadulaev has captured every possible title on offer at the senior level.

But it all began a decade back in Baku, Azerbaijan when a young Sadulaev claimed his first gold at the 2012 Cadet World Championships. The then 16-year-old won his four matches -- two via fall and two via points. Incidentally, it was his international debut as well. 

Wrestling in the 76kg weight class, Sadulaev scripted a remarkable comeback to beat Ruslan RUCHKO (UKR) by winning two periods in a best-of-three according to old rules. Despite losing the first and trailing in the second period, the Russian emerged victorious and with some ease.

Ruchko began with a big whip over in the first period and scored three points for the move in the first minute. Sadulaev managed a takedown for one point but failed to get any rolls as the period ended in the favor of the Ukrainian.

In the second period, Sadulaev was attempting a double-leg when Ruchko exposed him and scored three more points. Sadulaev got two points and while attempting a gut wrench, Ruchko held him to pin but Sadulaev survived. That gave two more points to Ruchko and a 5-2 lead. But Sadulaev finally completed a double leg and scored three points to level it 5-5. Just when it looked like the second period will end in a draw, Sadulaev scored a point via takedown with 12 seconds left to claim the second period.

While he tried his best, Ruchko could not match the pace and strength of Sadulaev in the final period and gave up a stepout. Sadulaev scored three more with a double-leg attack to lead 4-0. One more point was added for a lost challenge. A tiring Ruchko managed to score only a point as Sadulaev ran towards victory.

Sadulaev, in his trademark calmness, won his first cadet world title and announced himself on the international stage. Since then, he has moved up three weight classes and won one more cadet world title, five senior world titles and two Olympic gold medals.

The 26-year-old's first World Championships gold medal at the senior level came at the 2014 Worlds in Tashkent, Uzbekistan before he defended his 86kg title at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas, USA. He won his first Olympics in Rio 2016.

At the 2017 World Championships, he suffered his first loss at the Worlds, losing 5-6 to Kyle SNYDER (USA) in the 97kg final. But he avenged his loss at the 2018 World Championships final in Budapest, Hungary, by pinning Snyder in the 97kg final.

In 2019, he won the gold again in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan before defeating Snyder again in the final of the Tokyo Games to claim his second Olympic gold medal. The two met again two months later at the Oslo World Championships and Sadulaev once again humbled Snyder to win his fifth world title, a rare occurrence for a wrestler to win the Olympic and Worlds gold in the same year.

#WrestleBratislava

Gatsalov: Satisfied with Euros, will prepare for tougher World Championships

Thursday, April 24, 2025 - 13:29 By United World Wrestling Press

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BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (April 22) -- Khadzhimurat GATSALOV was in Bratislava, Slovakia for the European Championships as the coach if the UWW wrestlers and returned with five gold, two silver and one bronze medals in 10 weight classes.

United World Wrestling caught up with Gatsalov after the tournament and he reflected on the performance of the wrestlers and his plans for the World Championships which will be held in September in Zagreb, Croatia.

Excerpts:

- On the performance of his wrestlers

Gatsalov: Overall, we are satisfied with the results. We haven’t had a performance like this in a long time -- five gold medals out of ten, plus two silver and one bronze. That means eight out of ten athletes came home with medals. Both the coaching staff and the athletes did a great job and prepared well for this European Championships.

We were counting on four or five gold medals. The guys wrestled really well and followed the instructions. For us coaches, that’s the most important thing that the wrestler steps on the mat and follows the game plan.

- On competition with Iran and the United States

Gatsalov: I believe there’s still room for improvement. This will help strengthen both our technical and physical foundations. When I look at Iranian and American wrestling, they put a lot of emphasis on physical conditioning. We’ve never really focused on that. We’ve always prioritized technique. But moving forward, we’ll also be physically prepared to endure tough matches and handle heavy loads without wearing out.

- On Sidakov's return and performance at 74kg

Gatsalov: Sidakov just couldn’t make it happen this time, maybe it’s because they know each other so well. [Chermen] VALIEV had a very strong motivation to win. You could feel it, it was clear on the mat. But as a coach, I believe this loss will serve as a driving force for Sidakov's future wins. It’s a significant psychological moment. Honestly, it’s better to experience this now than at the World Championships or the Olympics. I think once he recovers from his injury, we’ll get back to training and keep moving forward.

- On former world champion Baev winning gold

Gatsalov: Since 2019, he hadn’t shown any results on an international level. But today, he was better than anyone. He’s been working towards this moment for a long time, training hard, and he showed solid, confident wrestling. He wrestled like a true master — precise, and without mistakes. We were genuinely very happy for him.

- On the 65kg champion Ibragim IBRAGIMOV

Gatsalov: Ibragimov demonstrated a strong performance, despite losing at the Ranking Series in Albania less than a month ago. Today, he came in well-prepared. He was in good form physically, technically, and mentally. That previous loss likely became a stepping stone toward this victory.

Khadzhimurat GATSAKOVKhadzhimurat GATSALOV at the European Championships in Bratislava. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

- On preparations for World Championships

Gatsalov: We have a clear understanding of how we’re going to prepare. I can’t reveal all the secrets of our training plan, but we know exactly who we’re preparing for. That’s why we’ll be focusing on targeted, individual work against specific opponents. Our coaching staff is strong. We have real professionals on board, including experienced coaches from the old Soviet school and younger ones who are stepping up and bringing fresh energy.

I think our wrestlers are also friendly with each other, which is very important. The atmosphere in the team is productive. We are waiting for the World Championships. We want competition on the mat with big countries like Iran, America. The Japanese have also improved a lot. Therefore, we want to compete with the strong ones, and we want to settle things on the mat.

(The interview was conducted by Karina MIRZOIAN)