1. Early life and background
Musa Evloev's journey into the world of wrestling began in his native Ingushetia, where he developed his skills from an early age.
1.1. Birth and early years
Musa Evloev was born on March 31, 1993, in Nesterovskaya, a rural locality in the Republic of Ingushetia, Russia.
1.2. Introduction to wrestling
Evloev was introduced to wrestling early in his life. He primarily competes in the Greco-Roman style, focusing on throws and holds that do not involve attacking below the waist or using the legs. He represents the Sparta club and is coached by F. P. Avakov and V. V. Khromov. Evloev stands at 5.9 ft (1.8 m) and weighs approximately 212 lb (96 kg).
2. Competitive career
Musa Evloev has built a distinguished career marked by numerous national and international victories, consistently performing at the highest levels of Greco-Roman wrestling.
2.1. National and early international successes
Evloev quickly rose through the ranks in Russian wrestling, becoming a two-time national champion in 2016 and 2017. His early international career saw him achieve a silver medal at the 2017 World Wrestling Championships in Paris, France, where he competed in the 98 kg category and was defeated by Armenian wrestler Artur Aleksanyan in the final. In the same year, he earned a gold medal at the Wrestling World Cup held in Tehran, Iran, in the 98 kg event.
2.2. World Championships
Evloev solidified his reputation as a world-class wrestler with consecutive gold medal wins at the World Wrestling Championships. In the 2018 World Wrestling Championships held in Budapest, Hungary, he claimed the gold medal in the 97 kg division, defeating Bulgarian opponent Kiril Milov with a score of 7-2. He successfully defended his title at the 2019 World Wrestling Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, once again securing the gold medal by defeating his rival, Artur Aleksanyan, in the final match.
2.3. European Championships and other major tournaments
Beyond the World Championships, Evloev has consistently excelled in other major international competitions. He earned two gold medals at the European Wrestling Championships, first in the 2019 event in Bucharest, Romania, and then again in the 2021 championships in Warsaw, Poland, both in the 97 kg category.
In 2020, he won the gold medal in the 97 kg event at the 2020 Individual Wrestling World Cup held in Belgrade, Serbia. His success continued into 2021, when he secured another gold medal in the men's 97 kg event at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series 2021 in Rome, Italy. Furthermore, Evloev also won a gold medal at the 2019 Military World Games in Wuhan, China, competing in the 97 kg category.
2.4. Olympic Games
The pinnacle of Evloev's career to date came at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. Representing the ROC (due to WADA sanctions against Russia), he won the gold medal in the men's Greco-Roman 97 kg event, a significant achievement for the Russian athlete.
3. Recent developments and controversies
Musa Evloev's career has recently faced challenges, including a notable ban from international competition.
3.1. Ban from 2024 Olympic qualifiers
Musa Evloev was notably barred from participating in the qualifying tournament for the 2024 Summer Olympics. This decision came after he was photographed in a public setting standing near a poster that read "No to Nazism." The association with the poster led to his exclusion from the Olympic qualifying process, impacting his ability to compete for a spot in the upcoming Games. The exact context and reasons for the ban, as interpreted by the relevant sporting bodies, have been a subject of discussion within the international sports community.
4. Personal details
Musa Evloev is affiliated with the Sparta wrestling club. His coaching team includes F. P. Avakov and V. V. Khromov, who have guided him throughout his distinguished career.