#WrestleKrasnoyarsk

WATCH: '22 Ivan Yariguin Gold-Medal Finals

Monday, January 31, 2022 - 14:15 By Eric Olanowski

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KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 31) -- The Russian Federation dominated wrestling's Winter Classic in the central Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk over the weekend, winning nine of ten freestyle gold medals at the Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin.

The lone non-Russian gold medalist was Kyle SNYDER (USA). The Rio Olympic gold medalist and Tokyo Olympic runner-up won gold at 97kg and claimed his third Yariguin title. "Capitan American" downed Shamil MUSAEV (RUS), 8-3, and picked up his first Yariguin gold medal since '18.

On the women's wrestling side of the competition, Russia, Mongolia, the United States, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan shared the gold-medal wealth. Still, it was the host nation who claimed a tournament-best four titles.

Russia's four champs were Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (50kg), Irina OLOGONOVA (55kg), Khanum VALIEVA (68kg) and Ksenia BURAKOVA (72kg).

Mongolia, led by Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist BAT-OCHIR Bolortuya, won 53kg and 62kg gold. Bat-Ochir grabbed the 53kg title while SUKHE Tserenchimed (MGL) picked up the highest hardware at 62kg.

Helen MAROULIS (USA) and Patricia BRUNTIL (USA) were the United States' pair of champs. Maroulis, the Rio Olympic gold medalist and Tokyo Olympic bronze-medal finisher, earned an injury default win in the 57kg finals, while Bruntil stopped fellow American Forrest MOLINARI (USA), 4-2, in the 65kg finals.

The final pair of women's golds went to Alena KOLESNIK (AZE) and Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ). They ended the competition atop the podium at 59kg and 76kg, respectively.

Freestyle Final Results:
57kg. Ramiz GAMZATOV (RUS) df. Akhmed IDRISOV (RUS), 5-2
61kg - Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS) df.Fedor BALTUEV (RUS), 9-8
65kg - Shamil MAMMADOV (RUS)  df. Ramazan FERZALIEV (RUS), 8-6
70kg - Victor RASSADIN (RUS) df. Anzor ZAKUEV (RUS), 9-4
74kg - Chermen VALIEV (RUS) df. Jason NOLF (USA), 6-1
79kg - Radik VALIEV (RUS) df. Malik SHAVAEV (RUS), 3-1
86kg - Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) df. Amanula RASULOV (RUS), 6-0
92kg - Guram CHERTKOEV (RUS) df. Tamerlan TAPSIEV (RUS), 2-0 
97kg - Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Shamil MUSAEV (RUS), 8-3
125kg - Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS) df. Vitaly GOLOEV (RUS), 8-7

Women's Wrestling Final Results:
50kg - Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RUS) df. Anzhelika FEDOROVA (RUS), 10-0 
53kg - BAT-OCHIR Bolortuya (MGL) df. GANBAATAR Otgonzhargal (MGL), 9-0
55kg - Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS) df. Ekaterina ISAKOVA (RUS), 10-0 
57kg - Helen MAROULIS (USA) df. Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS), via injury default
59kg - Alena KOLESNIK (AZE) df. Zhargalma TSYRENOVA (RUS), 6-3
62kg - SUKHE Tserenchimed (MGL) df. Macy KILTY eelty (USA), 11-0
65kg - Patricia BRUNTIL (USA) df. Forrest MOLINARI (USA), 4-2 
68kg - Khanum VALIEVA (RUS) df. Tatyana SMOLOYK (RUS), 4-0
72kg - Ksenia BURAKOVA (RUS) df. Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL), via fall 
76kg - Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) df. Ksenia DZIBUK (BLR), 15-4 

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

Sunday, March 2, 2025 - 17:40 By United World Wrestling Press

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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.