Gadzhimurad Rashidov

Gadzhimurad Gazigandovich Rashidov (, Dargin: Гъазиганла урши ХӀяжимурад; born 30 October 1995) is a Russian freestyle wrestler who competes at 65 kilograms. He is the 2019 World Champion (finalist in 2017 and 2018) and the 2020 and three-time Russian National Champion. 2020 Summer Olympics bronze medalist at 65 kg.

Nicknamed the All-American killer, Rashidov holds an undefeated 5–0 record against American wrestlers, who combined have earned 19 All-American honors and 10 NCAA Division I National titles. He also holds wins over 11 different World and Olympic champions.

Background Rashidov was born and raised in the Gubden village, Dagestan. He started wrestling at the age of six at his home, under his father.

After finishing high school in 2011, he moved to Kaspiysk, and started training at Gamidov's Wrestling Academy, in Makhachkala. As the trips from his house to the school were too long, he switched to Kuramagomedov's wrestling academy, which is located in Kaspiysk, under Said Gireyev and his father.

Career

Age-group Rashidov was a two-time Cadet World Champion in 2011 and 2012, and a two-time Junior World Championship silver medalist, in 2014 and 2015.

Senior level

2012-2015 Rashidov made his senior freestyle debut in 2012, when he placed third at the Ali Aliev Memorial International. In 2015, after placing fifth at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, Rashidov claimed a bronze medal at the Russian Nationals, and then went on to help the Russian Team win gold at the European Nations Cup.

2016 To start off the year, Rashidov dropped down from 61 to 57 kilograms, and claimed a bronze medal from the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in January. He then became the '16 European Champion, racking up wins over Asadulla Lachinau and two-time Cadet World Champion Andriy Yatsenko. On May, he competed at the Russian Nationals, where after defeating '14 Junior World Champion Azamat Tuskaev, the Dagestan National Team decided to withdraw all the Dagestani wrestlers from the championship, after frustration due to the final decision regarding the conflict between Viktor Lebedev and Ismail Musukaev, which led to a forfeit from Rashidov.

2017 World Wrestling Championships After defeats over Viktor Rassadin of Sakha-Yakutia at the 2017 Russian National Freestyle Wrestling Championships, he competed at the 2017 World Championships in Paris. His first opponent was Jozsef Molnar of Hungary; Rashidov beat him by technical fall (11-0). In the round of eight, he won 11–0 over NCAA four-time champion from Ohio State Logan Stieber. In the quarterfinal, he rematched World and Olympic champion Vladimer Khinchegashvili of Georgia and beat him by the score, 6–3. In the semifinal Rashidov faced with his countryman from Krasnoyarsk, Opan Sat. Rashidov won the wrestling match (8-2). In the gold medal match, Rashidov lost to three-times world champion from Azerbaijan, Haji Aliyev, by pinfall.

2018 European Wrestling Championships Rashidov won European world team trials at the Ivan Yarygin 2018 and represented the Russian team at 61 kilos at the 2018 European Wrestling Championships. His first opponent was Vladimir Burukov of Ukraine, he won the match within a minute. In the second round he beat his countryman from Sakha Republic who represent the Belarus Nurgun Skryabin. In semifinals, he faced Recep Topal of Turkey and beat him by the score, 4–0. In the gold medal match, he beat Beka Lomtadze of Georgia and won the second European title in his career.

2018 World Wrestling Championships

Rashidov made Russia World Team Member and competed at the World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary. His first opponent in men's freestyle at 61 kilos was Tümenbilegiin Tüvshintulga of Mongolia where Rashidov won in close match by score 2–1. In the quarterfinals, Rashidov faced Indian national champion Sonba Tanaji Gongane, the wrestling match finished by technical superiority by Rashidov (12-0). In the semifinals, Rashdidov faced Beka Lomtadze and beat him by technical superiority (10-0). In the gold medal match he lost by 6–5 to Yowlys Bonne of Cuba.

Ivan Yarygin 2019 and new weight class Rashidov decided to compete at 65 kilos for the 2020 Olympic cycle, at Yarygin 2019 in the warm-up he got hand injury, in the first match he faced American folkstyle superstar and NCAA 3-time champion Zain Retherford of Penn State. He won the match by score (4-3), then he faced 2-time world bronze medalist Akhmed Chakaev of Chechnya and lost. For bronze medal match Rashidov faced Cristian Lopez of Cuba and won the match by score (2-1).

He made his debut at the World Championships 2019 in his new weight of class of 65 kg, in the first round he beat Haji Aliyev of Azerbaijan - in a rematch of the 2017 World Wrestling Championships' final at 61 kg - by score (4-2). In the quarterfinal, he beat his teammate Gadzhimurad Aliev (Haji Mohamad Ali) by score (9-0), in the semifinal he beat his countryman Iszmail Muszukajev in a close match (3-2), in the final match he defeated Daulet Niyazbekov of Kazakhstan and won the gold medal. At the 2020 Summer Olympics he earned the bronze medal and was runner-up at the 2024 European Championships.

Championships and achievements Senior level: 2015 Russian Nationals bronze medalist – 61 kg Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 2016 bronze medalist – 57 kg 2016 European Wrestling Championships gold medalist – 57 kg 2016 Russian Nationals 11th – 57 kg 2016 World Cup silver medalist – 57 kg 2016 Yusup Abdusalamov international winner – 65 kg Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 2017 runner-up – 61 kg 2017 U23 European Championship gold medalist – 61 kg 2018 Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 2018 winner – 61 kg 2018 European Wrestling Championships gold medalist – 61 kg Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 2019 3rd – 65 kg 2019 World Wrestling Championships 1st – 65 kg 2020 Summer Olympics 3rd – 65 kg 2024 European Championships 2nd – 65 kg

Freestyle record

Res. Record Opponent Score Date Event Location

Loss 92–13

Won 92–12

Win 91–11

Win 90–11

Win 89–12

Loss 88–12

Win 88–11

Win 87–11

Win 86–11

Sassari, Italy Win 85–11

Win 84–11

Ulan-Ude, Russia Win 83–11

Win 82–11

Win 81–11

Win 80–11

Loss

Belgrade, Serbia

Win 79–11

Naro-Fominsk, Russia Win 78–11

Win 77–11

Win 76–11

Wuhan, China Win 75–11

Win 74–11

Win 73–11

Win 72–11

Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan Win 71–11

Win 70–11

Win 69–11

Win 68–11

Win 67–11

Win 66–11

Sochi, Russia Win 65–11

Win 64–11

Win 63–11

Win 62–11

Win 61–11

Yakutsk, Russia

Win 60–11

Krasnoyarsk, Russia Loss 59–11

Win 59–10

Loss 58–10

Budapest, Hungary Win 58–9

Win 57–9

Win 56–9

Win 55–9

Warsaw, Poland Win 54–9

Win 53–9

Win 52–9

Win 51–9

Kaspiysk, Russia Win 50–9

Win 49–9

Win 48–9

Win 47–9

Sofia, Bulgaria Win 46–9

Win 45–9

Win 44–9

Win 43–9

Krasnoyarsk, Russia Win 42–9

Win 41–9

Loss 40–9

Paris, France Win 40–8

Win 39–8

Win 38–8

Win 37–8

Win 36–8

Nazran, Russia Win 35–8

Win 34–8

Win 33–8

Win 32–8

Win 31–8

Szombathely, Hungary Win 30–8

Win 29–8

Win 28–8

Loss 27–8

Krasnoyarsk, Russia Win 27–7

Win 26–7

Win 25–7

Win 24–7

Win 23–7

Win 22–7

Russia Win 21–7

Loss 20–7

Los Angeles, California Win 20–6

Loss 19–6

Loss

Yakutsk, Russia Win 19–5

Win 18–5

Win 17–5

Riga, Latvia Win 16–5

Win 15–5

Win 14–5

Win 13–5

Win 12–5

Krasnoyarsk, Russia Loss 11–5

Win 11–4

Win 10–4

Win 9–4

Win 8–4

Moscow, Russia

Win 7–4

Kaspiysk, Russia Loss 6–4

Win 6–3

Win 5–3

Win 4–3

Loss 3–3

Krasnoyarsk, Russia Win 3–2

Loss 2–2

Win 2–1

Win 1–1

Loss 0–1

Makhachkala, Russia