Gadzhimurad Rashidov

2.1. Junior career

Rashidov demonstrated exceptional talent from an early age, making his mark in cadet and junior level competitions. He became a two-time Cadet World Champion, securing titles in 2011 and 2012. His success continued at the junior level, where he earned silver medals at the Junior World Championships in both 2014 and 2015. These early achievements established him as a rising star in the wrestling world.

2.2. Senior career

Rashidov made his debut in senior freestyle wrestling in 2012, marking the beginning of a highly successful career. His first notable performance at this level was a third-place finish at the Ali Aliev Memorial International tournament.

The period from 2012 to 2015 saw Rashidov steadily climb the ranks. In 2015, he participated in the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, where he placed fifth. Later that year, he secured a bronze medal at the Russian National Championships. His contributions also extended to team events, as he helped the Russian Team clinch a gold medal at the European Nations Cup.

In 2016, Rashidov adjusted his weight class, dropping from 61 kilograms to 57 kilograms. This change proved beneficial as he immediately secured a bronze medal at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in January. He then went on to become the 2016 European Champion, defeating notable opponents such as Asadulla Lachinau and two-time Cadet World Champion Andriy Yatsenko. In May 2016, during the Russian Nationals, Rashidov defeated Azamat Tuskaev. However, the Dagestan National Team, including Rashidov, subsequently withdrew from the championship due to a controversial final decision regarding a conflict between Viktor Lebedev and Ismail Musukaev, resulting in a forfeit for Rashidov.

In 2019, Rashidov made a strategic decision to compete at 65 kilograms for the 2020 Olympic cycle. At the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in 2019, he sustained a hand injury during warm-ups but still managed to compete. In his first match at the new weight, he defeated American folkstyle wrestler and three-time NCAA champion Zain Retherford of Penn State with a score of 4-3. He then lost to two-time World bronze medalist Akhmed Chakaev but went on to win the bronze medal match against Cristian Lopez of Cuba with a score of 2-1.

3.1. World Wrestling Championships

Rashidov has been a consistent medal contender at the World Wrestling Championships. In 2017, competing at 61 kilograms in Paris, he secured a silver medal. His path to the final included dominant victories by technical fall (11-0) over Jozsef Molnar of Hungary and Logan Stieber of the United States. He also defeated World and Olympic champion Vladimer Khinchegashvili of Georgia 6-3 and his countryman Opan Sat 8-2. In the gold medal match, he was defeated by Haji Aliyev of Azerbaijan by pinfall.

In 2018, Rashidov again earned a silver medal at the World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary, competing at 61 kilograms. He started strong, defeating Tümenbilegiin Tüvshintulga of Mongolia 2-1, followed by technical superiority wins over Sonba Tanaji Gongane of India (12-0) and Beka Lomtadze of Georgia (10-0). In a closely contested final, he lost 6-5 to Yowlys Bonne of Cuba.

His crowning achievement came at the 2019 World Wrestling Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, where he claimed the gold medal in the 65 kg category. In a highly anticipated rematch of the 2017 final, he defeated Haji Aliyev 4-2. He continued his dominant run with a 9-0 victory over Gadzhimurad Aliev and a close 3-2 win against Iszmail Muszukajev. In the final, Rashidov secured the World Champion title by defeating Daulet Niyazbekov of Kazakhstan with a decisive 11-0 technical fall.

3.2. Olympic Games

Rashidov represented the Russian Olympic Committee at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, which were held in 2021. Competing in the 65 kg category, he earned a bronze medal, a significant achievement on the world's biggest athletic stage.

3.3. European Wrestling Championships

Rashidov has twice been crowned champion at the European Wrestling Championships. In 2016, he won his first European title in Riga, Latvia, competing at 57 kg. He secured his second gold medal at the 2018 European Wrestling Championships in Kaspiysk, Russia, in the 61 kg category. His performance included a swift victory over Volodymyr Burukov of Ukraine, a 10-1 win against Nurgun Skryabin of Belarus, and a 4-0 win over Recep Topal of Turkey in the semifinals. In the final, he defeated Beka Lomtadze of Georgia 4-1.

In 2024, Rashidov also earned a silver medal at the 2024 European Wrestling Championships in Bucharest, competing at 65 kg.

3.4. Other Major Competitions

Beyond the World and European Championships and the Olympics, Rashidov has an extensive record of success in various other prestigious tournaments:

• Russian National Championships:** He is a four-time Russian National Champion, winning gold medals in 2017 (61 kg), 2019 (65 kg), 2020 (65 kg), and 2021 (65 kg). He also secured a bronze medal in 2015 (61 kg) and a silver medal at the 2022 All-Russian Spartakiad (65 kg).
• Wrestling World Cup:** Rashidov earned a silver medal at the 2016 World Cup (57 kg) and a gold medal at the 2019 World Cup (65 kg) in Yakutsk.
• Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin:** This prestigious tournament has seen Rashidov win gold in 2018 (61 kg), silver in 2017 (61 kg) and 2023 (65 kg), and bronze in 2016 (57 kg) and 2019 (65 kg).
• Military World Games:** He claimed a gold medal at the 2019 Military World Games in Wuhan, China, competing at 65 kg.
• European Nations Cup:** Rashidov was part of the Russian team that won gold at the 2015 European Nations Cup in Moscow (61 kg).
• European U23 Wrestling Championships:** He secured a gold medal at the 2017 European U23 Championships in Szombathely, Hungary (61 kg).
• Poland Open:** Rashidov won the 2018 Poland Open at 61 kg.
• Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Memorial:** He was the winner of the 2018 Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Memorial at 65 kg.
• Yusup Abdusalamov International:** He won this tournament in 2016 at 65 kg.