Artur Naifonov

Artur Naifonov (, ; born 10 May 1997) is a Russian freestyle wrestler, who competes at 86 kilograms. Naifonov is an Olympic Games medalist, World Championship medalist, three-time European Continental champion and a three-time Russian National champion (four-time finalist).

Naifonov is a survivor of the 2004 Beslan school siege along with his sister, both receiving shrapnel wounds. His mother was killed in crossfire.

Road to Olympic Games After coming up short and taking second place at the 2020 Russian National Championships, Naifonov wasn't able to compete at the Individual World Cup and did not wrestle again until March 2021.

In order to achieve a place on the Olympic Team, Naifonov would have to take first place at the 2021 Russian National Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Ulan-Ude. Winning all of his matches, including against 2020 European Silver Medallist, Magomed Ramazanov whom Naifonov defeated in the semi-final. At one point, Ramazanov was winning with the score 8–1, before Naifonov made a comeback to win 10–8.

Naifonov would then meet his main rival in Russia, Dauren Kurugliev, representing Dagestan, in the final. Naifonov defeated Kurugliev with the score 2–1, which won Naifonov the first place on the podium, gold medal and be invited to compete for his country at the Olympic games in Tokyo.

2020 Olympic Games Following his Russian National Championships win, Naifonov wrestled at the Olympic Games held in Tokyo. Naifonov made his Olympic debut with a win over Ossetian-Slovakian transfer, Boris Makoev and defeated him 6–0, followed by a 12–1, technical fall over Turkey's Osman Göçen, advancing Naifonov into the semi-final opposite Hassan Yazdani. Yazdani won the match 7–1; however as this match was the semi-final, Naifonov was automatically placed into a third place, bronze-medal match against Dagestan-Uzbekistan transfer, Javrail Shapiev. After controlling all six minutes in a low scoring match, Naifonov won the match 2–0, securing an Olympic bronze medal.

2021 World Championships Following his Bronze medal Olympic debut, Naifonov wanted to finish the year wrestling at the 2021 World Wrestling Championships, held in Norway. Naifonov faced Japan's Hayato Ishiguro in the round of 16 and defeated the Japanese wrestler 11–0 with advancement to the quarter-final match against Spanish representative, Taiumuraz Friev, who Naifonov beat 5–2. In the semi-final, Naifonov would, again, Yazdani and lost again, by the score 8-2 and ruining his hopes for gold.

Naifonov faced Kazakh wrestler, Azamat Dauletbekov in the bronze medal match, beating the Kazakh by 3-0 and winning his second world bronze medal.

2024 Olympic Games He competed at the 2024 European Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan and he earned a quota place for the Individual Neutral Athletes for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, but he missed these games, due to replacements by other NOCs.

Freestyle record

Res. Record Opponent Score Date Event Location Win 112-10

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Win 111-10

Nefteyugansk, Russia Win 110-10

Nefteyugansk, Russia Win 109-10

Nefteyugansk, Russia Win 108-10

Nefteyugansk, Russia

Win 107-10

Vladikavkaz, Russia Win 106-10

Vladikavkaz, Russia Win 105-10

Vladikavkaz, Russia Win 104-10

Vladikavkaz, Russia

Loss 103-11

Yakutsk, Russia Win 103-10

Yakutsk, Russia Win 102-10

Yakutsk, Russia

Win 101-10

Moscow, Russia Win 100-10

Moscow, Russia Win 99-10

Moscow, Russia

Win 98-10

Kazan, Tatarstan Win 97-10

Kazan, Tatarstan Win 96-10

Kazan, Tatarstan

Win 95-10

Kyzyl, Tuva Win 95-10

Kyzyl, Tuva Win 94-10

Kyzyl, Tuva Win 93-10

Kyzyl, Tuva

Win 92–10

Win 91–10

Win 90–10

Loss 89–10

Win 89–9

Win 88–9

Win 87–9

Tokyo, Japan Loss 86–9

Win 86–8

Win 85–8

Win 84–8

Warsaw, Poland Win 83–8

Win 82–8

Win 81–8

Win 80–8

Ulan-Ude, Russia Win 79–8

Win 78–8

Win 77–8

Win 76–8

Loss 75–8

Naro-Fominsk, Russia Win 75–7

Win 74–7

Win 73–7

Win 72–7

Win 71–7

Rome, Italy Win 70–7

Win 69–7

Win 68–7

Win 67–7

Win 66–7

Krasnoyarsk, Russia Win 65–7

Win 64–7

Win 63–7

Win 62–7

Win 61–7

Warsaw, Poland Win 60–7

Win 59–7

Win 58–7

Win 57–7

Win 56–7

Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan Win 55–7

Loss 54–7

Win 54–6

Win 53–6

Win 52–6

Win 51–6

Warsaw, Poland Win 50–6

Win 49–6

Win 48–6

Win 47–6

Sochi, Russia Win 46–6

Win 45–6

Win 44–6

Win 43–6

Win 42–6

Kaspiysk, Russia Win 41–6

Win 40–6

Win 39–6

Win 38–6

Loss 37–6

Vladikavkaz, Russia Win 37–5

Loss 36–5

Bucharest, Romania Win 36–4

Win 35–4

Win 34–4

Win 33–4

Win 32–4

Yakutsk, Russia Win 31–4

Win 30–4

Loss 29–4

Odintsovo, Russia Win 29–3

Win 28–3

Win 27–3

Kaspiysk, Russia Win 26–3

Win 25–3

Win 24–3

Win 23–3

Win 22–3

Sofia, Bulgaria Win 21–3

Win 20–3

Win 19–3

Win 18–3

Win 17–3

Krasnoyarsk, Russia Loss 16–3

Win 16–2

Win 15–2

Win 14–2

Vladikavkaz, Russia Win 13–2

Win 12–2

Win 11–2

Win 10–2

Moscow, Russia Win 9–2

Win 8–2

Win 7–2

Nefteyugansk, Russia Loss 6–2

Win 6–1

Win 5–1

Win 4–1

Vanadzor, Armenia Win 3–1

Win 2–1

Win 1–1

Loss 0–1

Krasnoyarsk, Russia