Buvaisar Hamidovich Saitiev, also spelled Buvaysar Hamidovich Saytiev, (Russian: Бувайсар Хамидович Сайтиев, Chechen: Сайт КIант Бувайса) (born March 11, 1975) is a Russian retired freestyle wrestler of Chechen heritage, who represented Russia, and won nine world-level gold medals in freestyle wrestling (second highest, behind Aleksandr Medved's ten). He is widely considered as the greatest freestyle wrestler of all time.[1][2][3][4] In 2007, Saitiev, alongside Aleksandr Karelin, were voted the best wrestlers in the history of the sport by FILA.[5] He currently is an acting State Duma Deputy from Dagestan.[6][7][8]
 Saitiev in 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | March 11, 1975 Khasavyurt, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 74 kg (163 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Russia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Wrestling | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event | Freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Mindiashvili wrestling academy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Dmitri Mindiashvili | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Personal life
editIn 1992, Buvaisar left his hometown of Khasavyurt, Dagestan in order to train at a prestigious wrestling center in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. His younger brother Adam Saitiev would follow in his footsteps.
Soon after graduating from the training center, Saitiev began his quest to represent Russia on the world stage. Buvaisar has been decorated with the Order of Friendship by the Russian president. His younger brother Adam Saitiev, also a wrestler, won gold in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.
Buvaisar's life philosophy has been heavily influenced by Nobel Prize-winning poet Boris Pasternak. Saitiev repeats Pasternak's poem, "It is not seemly to be famous,[9]" before every match, and according to Buvaisar, the poem has defined his life both inside and outside of wrestling.[10] Saitiev is a practicing Muslim.
Wrestling career
editSaitiev has won nine World-level gold medals. He is a six-time World champion and a three-time Olympic champion. His senior level international career began in 1994 and continued on through the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. In thirteen years, he competed in eleven World or Olympic championship tournaments, winning nine gold medals at those events and losing only two bouts. Buvaisar won at the World championships in 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003 and 2005, and at the Olympics in 1996, 2004 and 2008.
In 1999, Buvaisar did not wrestle at the World championships, instead his weight class was represented by his younger brother Adam Saitiev, who went on to win the gold medal. Saitiev also did not compete at the World Championships in 2002. In 2007, according to media reports, Saitiev's training in was hampered by a neck injury.
Despite his success, Saitiev suffered a number of losses in his senior career. He suffered his first loss in his senior career at the 1994 World Wrestling Cup to Davoud Ghanbari.[11] At the 2000 Summer Olympics, Saitiev lost to Brandon Slay.[12] Saitiev lost to Magomed Isagadzhiev at the 2002 Russian Nationals.[13][14] Saitiev then lost to Mihail Ganev at the 2006 World Wrestling Championships.[15] Saitiev lost at the 2007 Russian Nationals to Makhach Murtazaliev.[16] He then lost at the 2008 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, also to Murtazaliev.[17]
His Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics was his last wrestling competition and the final of his nine total World or Olympic level championships.
Match results
editReferences
edit- ^ "Olympics-Russian wrestler Saitiev abandons comeback attempt". Reuters. 21 April 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ^ R, Coach Mike (27 June 2014). "The greatest wrestler ever, Buvaisar Saitiev, flattens a toddler". SB Nation. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ^ UFC Fight Night 35 fact grinder, SB Nation, Retrieved June 18, 2014
- ^ Wyman, Patrick. "Why Are UFC Champions Hanging Out With An Accused Russian War Criminal?". Deadspin. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ^ "Karelin and Saitiyev named world's best wrestlers". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
- ^ "Бувайсар Сайтиев станет депутатом Госдумы от Дагестана". Archived from the original on 2016-09-26. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
- ^ "Рамзан vs Сагид. Почему Абдулатипов провел в Думу Бувайсара, но сломал карьеру Сажида?". Archived from the original on 2018-07-08. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
- ^ Админ, Автор (20 September 2016). "Бувайсар Сайтиев прошёл в Госдуму от Дагестана". Годекан (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-05-26.
- ^ "It is Not Seemly to be Famous... Poem by Boris Pasternak". 3 April 2010.
- ^ The Silent Gladiators, p. 237
- ^ "Трижды олимпионик Бувайсар Сайтиев" (in Russian). 2014-01-10. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
- ^ Van Kley, Bryan (2012-07-10). "Gardner and Slay earned stunning upsets over Russians in 2000 Olympics". WIN Magazine. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
- ^ Павлов, Петр (2023-06-15). "Магомед Исагаджиев – тренер сборной Ирана" (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-10-27.
- ^ "Сборная Ирана усилилась дагестанцем". Махачкалинские известия (in Russian). 2023-06-26. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
- ^ "Сайтиев не выдержал темпа - Борьба вольная и женская в Красноярске на Redyarsk.Ru". Redyarsk.Ru - весь спорт Красноярска (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-10-27.
- ^ "Махач Муртазалиев выиграл у Бувайсара Сайтиева". stadium.ru. 2007. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
- ^ "Бувайсар Сайтиев проиграл золото!". Комсомольская правда. 2008-01-28. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
External links
edit- Bouvaisa Saitiev at the International Wrestling Database
- Buvaysar Saytiyev at Olympedia
- CHECHEN FIGHT CLUB
- Buvaysar's official website
- JISS Olympic Result Database information
- Chechnya Free.ru article
- Interview with Buvaisar Saitiev (in Russian)
- Flowrestling Video Interview with Saitiev after 2008 Olympics