Abdulrashid Sadulaev

Abdulrashid Bulachevich Sadulaev (Russian: Абдулрашид Булачевич Садулаев; Avar: ГІабдулрашид Булачил Садулаев; born 9 May 1996 in Dagestan) is a Russian freestyle wrestler of Avar descent.

Abdulrashid Sadulaev
Абдулрашид Садулаев
ГІабдулрашид Садулаев

Personal information
Full name	Abdulrashid Bulachevich Sadulaev
Nickname(s)	The Russian Tank
Nationality	Russian
Born	May 9, 1996[1][2][3] Tsurib, Charodinsky District, Dagestan, Russia
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	97 kg (214 lb)
Website
Sport
Country	Russia
Sport	Wrestling
Rank	№1 in the ranking UWW at 92kg №1 at 97kg №1 P4P FloWrestling (2015)[4] Grand Master of Sports
Event(s)	Freestyle
Club	Gamid Gamidov Wrestling Club Urojai Wrestling Club Sadulaev Sport School
Coached by	Shamil Omarov, Magomed Magomedov, Anvar Magomedgadzhiev, Sazhid Sazhidov
Medal record Representing the  Russia Men's Freestyle wrestling Olympic Games 2016 Rio de Janeiro 86 kg World Championships 2014 Tashkent 86 kg 2015 Las Vegas 86 kg 2018 Budapest 97 kg 2019 Nur-Sultan 97 kg 2017 Paris 97 kg Individual World Cup 2020 Belgrade 97 kg European Games 2015 Baku 86 kg 2019 Minsk 97 kg European Championships 2014 Vantaa 86 kg 2018 Kaspiysk 92 kg 2019 Bucharest 97 kg 2020 Rome 97 kg Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 2014 Krasnoyarsk 86 kg 2018 Krasnoyarsk 92 kg European Nations Cup 2015 Moscow 97 kg Grand Prix Yaşar Doğu 2014 Istanbul 86 kg Alexander Medved International 2015 Minsk 86 kg Wenceslas Ziolkowski Memorial XXIII 2014 Dąbrowa Górnicza 86 kg 2016 Dąbrowa Górnicza 86 kg European Championships U23 2016 Ruse 86 kg Cadet World Championships 2012 Baku 76 kg 2013 Zrenjanin 85 kg

Nicknamed the "Russian Tank,"[2][5] he is the 2016 Olympic Champion at 86 kg, a four-time World Champion (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019), four-time European Champion (2014, 2018, 2019, 2020), European Games Champion (2015), two time Cadet World Champion (2012, 2013), Golden Grand-Prix Champion, European Nations Cup winner, Yaşar Doğu winner, Wenceslas Ziolkowski Memorial winner and Alexander Medved International winner. Sadulaev became the 2014 World Champion in the 86 kg class at age 18, and Olympic champion at age 20. He is now considered the best active wrestler in the world.

He was undefeated in competition from November 2013 until August 2017. In 2014, Sadulaev was considered by many to be the most dominant wrestler in the world.[6][7] In August 2016, Sadulaev was the #1 ranked 86 kg competitor in the world, and was ranked as the #1 Pound-for-Pound wrestler in the world by Flo Wrestling.[8]

Background and personal life

Sadulaev was born in 1996 in the village of Tsurib, Charodinsky District, Dagestan, Russia. He belongs to the Avar ethnic group, he is from a devout Sunni Muslim family and is the youngest of four siblings. He did not start wrestling professionally until the age of 13, but quickly won a regional title and 300 ₽ ($4.69). After finishing the 11th grade, he began training in the Gamid Gamidov Wrestling club in Makhachkala, Dagestan's sports school of Olympic reserve. When he was 16 years old, he won the Cadet Freestyle Wrestling World Championships. Sadulaev only has two social networking accounts, on instagram and on vk. He stated that as he has no account on Twitter, other accounts existing there using his identity must be fake.[9]

Career

2014: World Champion, European Champion

Sadulaev's senior level debut was at the XLIII Ali Aliyev Memorial when he was 16 years old. He was defeated in the semifinals by Shamil Kudiyamagomedov, but ended up winning the bronze medal.[10] At the 2014 Russian National Championships, Sadulaev defeated Kudiyamagomedov and won his first national title. After the Russian Nationals, he participated at the 2014 World Wrestling Championships, where Sadulaev defeated Reineris Salas of Cuba 11–0 by technical fall.[11]

2015: World Champion

On 8 May 2015, Sadulaev won the Russian Freestyle Wrestling Nationals again and took part in the European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan, and World Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the Games he outscored four opponents 42–1 (4–0) by technical fall and won gold medal. On 11 September 2015, he won World Championships, in the final knocking down Koloi Kartoev (Selim Yaşar) of Turkey, overall scoring 47–2 (6–0) in the championships.[12] As a result he was given a Mercedes-Benz G-Class G63 and Toyota Land Cruiser 200 by Dagestani business magnate Gadzhiev brothers and Ziyavudin Magomedov.[13]

Sadulaev faced on 7 November wrestlers from Belarus, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Poland at the European Nations Cup (Alrosa Cup).[14] He beat number one Georgian wrestler Elizbar Odikadze via technical fall (11–0).

2016: Olympic Champion

On 29 January, Sadulaev was expected to participate at the international tournament Golden Grand-Prix Ivan Yarygin 2016,[15][16] but he pulled out in late January citing a minor shoulder injury.

Sadulaev returned to wrestling in the U23 European Championships in Ruse, Bulgaria on 3 April,[17] and then he participated at the Wenceslas Ziolkowski Memorial XXV on 18 June 2016.[18] At the European Championships he defeated Stefan Reichmuth of Switzerland in the eightfinals, Hungarian Gergely Gyrits in the quarterfinals, Belarussian Aliaksandr Hushtyn in the semifinals and finally Georgian Irakli Mtsituri; all victories were by technical superiority. On 18 June, Sadulaev won the Wenceslas Ziolkowski Memorial LII, beating Aleksey Mushtin, teammate Omargadzhi Magomedov, István Veréb of Hungary, Sebastian Jezierzanski and Zbigniew Baranowski, both from Poland, by technical superiority.[19]

Sadulaev competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics without Russian Olympic Trials, that news was announced by the head coach of the Russian freestyle wrestling team Dzhambolat Tedeyev.[20] Sadualev beat István Veréb by technical superiority, then Pedro Ceballos of Venezuela by points, fellow countryman Sharif Sharifov of Azerbaijan and in the gold medal match Selim Yasar, 5–0.

After Sadulaev's return to Russia, he was greeted by a rowdy welcome victory in Moscow. The Olympic athletes were also given a reception of the Russian medalists in the Kremlin, with the traditional ceremonial meeting being presided by President Vladimir Putin. The champions received BMW luxury crossovers, with the BMW X6 luxury crossovers being awarded for the gold medalists.[21] Sadulaev was also greeted as a national hero in his native Dagestan.[22] Aside from receiving financial reward for his Olympic achievements, Dagestan's Head of the Region Ramazan Abdulatipov presented Sadulaev an Akhal-Teke horse (native to Turkmenistan), which has a reputation for having speed, endurance and intelligence, and is highly valued in Dagestan.

2017: Weight class changes, WC runner-up, European Champion

Sadulaev competed in the Russian Nationals, defeating 2011 European runner-up Vladislav Baitcaev by decision (8–7). Sadulaev became the new Russian national champion in the 97 kg weight category. Before the final match he easily beat Yuri Belonovskiy, Umar Kudliev, Stanislav Gadzhiev and Tamerlan Rasuev by technical superiority.[23] As a result, Ingushetian president Yunus-bek Yevkurov bestowed him a Toyota Land Cruiser 200.[24]

At the World Championships, Sadulaev participated in the 97 kg weight category. En route he defeated Reineris Salas, Mateusz Filipczak, Elizbar Odikadze and Georgy Ketoyev. In the final he lost to Kyle Snyder in a close match. It was his first loss since 2013.

2018: World Champion, rematch against Snyder

After that he debuted in the weight category 92 kg at the Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 2018. In the final match, he beat 2012 Olympian and countryman Anzor Urishev.[25] At the European Championships he defeated his teammate Sharif Sharifov of Azerbaijan in the final match.

On 3 August 2018, Sadulaev won his fourth national title at the Russian Nationals, knocking down Vladislav Baitcaev for gold by score (8–1).[26]

Sadulaev was chosen to represent Russia in his weight class for the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, facing countrymen Magomedgadzhi Nurov, Mamed Ibragimov, Magomed Ibragimov, who he all beat by technical fall. In the semi-final he defeated Elizbar Odikadze from Georgia, and in the final in a rematch he faced American Kyle Snyder, quickly finishing him down by pin fall.

2019: European Games gold medalist and World Championships

Sadulaev won European Games in Minsk, Belarus where he didn't give up a single point. After made world team trials, he repeated the success of last year at the world championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, in the final match he beat Azerbhaijan's Sharif Sharifov by score (4-0). Unfortunately, the rematch against USA's Kyle Snyder did not take place due to the loss of the American to Sharif Sharifov in the semifinals.[27]

2020

In 2020, he won the gold medal in the men's 97 kg event at the 2020 Individual Wrestling World Cup held in Belgrade, Serbia.[28]

Championships and accomplishments

• 2012 Cadet World Champion – 76 kg
• 2012 Ali Aliyev Memorial Bronze Medalist – 84 kg
• 2013 Cadet World Champion – 85 kg
• 2013 Heydar Aliyev Memorial Bronze Medalist – 84 kg
• 2014 Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin – 86 kg
• 2014 Golden Grand-Prix Yaşar Doğu – 86 kg
• 2014, 2015 Russian National Freestyle Wrestling Champion – 86 kg
• 2014 European Champion – 86 kg
• 2014 Wenceslas Ziolkowski Memorial XXIII – 86 kg
• 2014 World Champion – 86 kg
• 2015 Alexander Medved International – 86 kg
• 2015 European Games – 86 kg
• 2015 World Champion – 86 kg
• 2015 European Nations Cup (Moscow Lights-Alrosa Cup) – 97 kg
• 2016 European Championships U23 – 86 kg
• 2016 Wenceslas Ziolkowski Memorial LII – 86 kg
• 2016 Summer Olympics – 86 kg
• 2017 Russian National Freestyle Wrestling Champion – 97 kg
• 2017 World Championships Silver Medalist – 97 kg
• 2018 Golden Grand-Prix Ivan Yarygin – 92 kg
• 2018 Dan Kolov & Nikola Petrov international – 92 kg
• 2018 World Champion – 97 kg
• 2019 European Champion – 97 kg
• 2019 European Games Champion – 97 kg
• 2019 World Champion – 97 kg
• 2020 European Champion – 97 kg
• 2020 Russian National Freestyle Wrestling Champion – 97 kg

Freestyle wrestling record

Reception

On June 2015, Sadulaev was voted best Russian sportsman of June at the TV project "Golden Pedestal" (on the now-defunct Rossiya 2), earning 55,6 % of votes and trumping Aliya Mustafina, who got 44,4 % of votes.[29][30]

References

1. "Baku 2015". baku2015.com. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
2. "Sadulaev year's". wrestdag.ru. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
3. "Sadulaev's profile at the Olympics". rio2016.com. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
4. "Freestyle Pound For Pound Rankings". flowrestling.com. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
5. "nickname Abdulrashid's". wrestdag.ru. September 12, 2015.
6. "Meet Abdulrashid "The Russian Tank" Sadulaev". wrestling-ec2014.com. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
7. "Rio 2016: 'Russian tank' promises 'I'm coming for your heads' as he grapples for gold". Daily Star. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
8. "Russian wrestlers lead first UWW Freestyle Rankings of 2015". teamusa.org. January 7, 2015.
9. "The Tank of Dagestan: Abdulrashid Sadulaev was born to be a champion". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
10. "16 old years won bronze medal". rgvktv.ru. December 4, 2012.
11. "Russia's Sadualev won gold medal WC 2014 in 86 kg category". championat.com. September 8, 2014.
12. "Abdulrashid is world champ again". vesti.ru. September 12, 2015.
13. "Foreign car worthy world champion". wrestdag.ru. December 26, 2014.
14. "Russian tank in Moscow Lights". sport-express.ru. November 6, 2015.
15. "Golden Grand-Prix Ivan Yarygin 2016". wrestrus.ru. January 13, 2016.
16. "Dagestan team train for Ivan Yarygin 2016". wrestdag.ru. January 11, 2016.
17. "Sadulaev in European U23 (program/info)" (PDF). unitedworldwrestling.org. March 28, 2016.
18. "Dzhambolat Tedeyev: Sadulaev go to Bulgaria and Poland". wrestrus.ru. February 1, 2016.
19. "Sadualev and Makhov won Poland open". championat.com. June 19, 2016.
20. "Abdulrashid Sadulaev: physical training with judokas". wrestrus.ru. March 27, 2016.
21. "Russia's Olympic champs to be awarded BMW luxury crossovers". Itar Tass. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
22. "Dagestan to meet Abdulrashid Sadulaev as national hero". Ria Dagestan. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
23. "The Russian Tank Abdulrashid Sadulaev won 97 kg Russian freestyle wrestling nationals 2017". russiawrestling.com. June 14, 2017.
24. "A little gift for Russian champion". kavtoday.ru. June 18, 2017.
25. "Sadulaev and Snyder Win Second Yarygin Titles". unitedworldwrestling.org. January 28, 2018.
26. "Sadulaev won his a fourth national title". wrestrus.ru. August 4, 2018.
27. "Sadulaev won 4th gold world medal". championat.com. September 22, 2019.
28. Shefferd, Neil (18 December 2020). "Russia close UWW Individual Championships in style with four more golds on final day". InsideTheGames.biz. Archived from the original on 18 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
29. Садулаев — лучший спортсмен июня!
30. Борец Абдулрашид Садулаев признан лучшим российским спортсменом по итогам июня

External links

• Abdulrashid Sadulaev at United World Wrestling
• Abdulrashid Sadulaev at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
• Abdulrashid Sadulaev on Instagram