Khetag Gazyumov
Who was Khetag Gazyumov?
Azerbaijani freestyle wrestler who won Olympic gold at the 2012 London Olympics in the 96kg weight category, originally competing for Georgia.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Khetag Gazyumov (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Khetag Gazyumov, also rendered as Gozyumov, is a freestyle wrestler of Ossetian origin born on 24 April 1981 in Alagir, Russia. His full name in Iron Ossetic is Гозымты Русланы фырт Хетæг (Gozymty Ruslany fyrt Xetæg). He competed at the highest levels of international wrestling, representing both Russia and Azerbaijan over the course of his career, and became one of the more accomplished wrestlers of his generation in the 96 kg weight category.
Before Fame
Gazyumov took up wrestling in 1990, beginning his competitive career in 1994. Growing up in Alagir, a city in North Ossetia–Alania, he came of age in a region with deep wrestling traditions. His early development as an athlete coincided with a period of significant political and social upheaval in post-Soviet Russia, yet he pursued his sport with dedication, eventually reaching the elite levels of international freestyle wrestling by the mid-2000s.
Key Achievements
- Won bronze medals at both the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Summer Olympics in the 96 kg freestyle wrestling category.
- Earned a silver medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics.
- Claimed four gold and four silver medals at European and World Championships between 2009 and 2014.
- Won a gold medal at the inaugural 2015 European Games held in Baku.
- Received the Shohrat Order and the 2nd degree 'For Service to the Fatherland' order for his contributions to sport.
Did You Know?
- 01.Gazyumov collapsed after his quarterfinal match at the 2012 London Olympics due to a cardiac arrhythmia, a condition he had developed during his career.
- 02.He has competed under both Russian and Azerbaijani flags at different points in his international wrestling career.
- 03.His name is rendered differently across several languages: Хетаг Русланович Гозюмов in Russian and Xetaq Qazümov in Azerbaijani.
- 04.He won a gold medal at the 2015 European Games, an inaugural multi-sport event held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
- 05.He has been awarded the Shohrat Order as well as the 2nd degree 'For Service to the Fatherland' order in recognition of his sporting achievements.
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Shohrat Order | — | — |
| 2nd degree "For Service to the Fatherland" order | — | — |