Yeldos Smetov
Who was Yeldos Smetov?
Olympic judoka who won bronze medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2021 Tokyo Olympics in the men's 60kg weight category.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Yeldos Smetov (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Eldos Baqtybiaūly Smetov was born on 9 September 1992 in Taraz, Kazakhstan. A professional judoka competing in the under 60 kg weight category, he has established himself as one of the most decorated athletes in the history of Kazakhstani judo, ultimately claiming an Olympic gold medal at the 2024 Paris Games.
Smetov began his competitive career at the junior level, earning a gold medal at the 2010 World Junior Championships and a bronze medal at the 2011 edition. He transitioned to the senior national team in 2012, quickly making an impression on the international circuit. In 2013, he claimed a bronze medal at the Asian Championships in Bangkok and added silverware and gold at Grand Prix and European Cup stages in Samsun, Tbilisi, and Warsaw, demonstrating his ability to compete consistently across different competitions.
His rise to the top of the sport accelerated significantly in 2014 and 2015. Smetov won gold at the 2014 Asian Games and followed that with a gold medal at the 2015 World Championships, cementing his status as a world-class competitor. He continued his success in 2016, claiming gold at the Asian Championships before representing Kazakhstan at the Rio Olympics, where he won a silver medal in the men's 60 kg category. That performance brought him wide recognition at home and abroad, and he was honoured with the Order of Parasat, one of Kazakhstan's distinguished state awards.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Smetov returned to the podium with a bronze medal. Though he narrowly missed another silver or gold finish, the result reaffirmed his enduring competitiveness at the highest level of the sport. His consistency across multiple Olympic cycles distinguished him from many peers in his weight category.
The pinnacle of Smetov's career came at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where he defeated Georgia's Luka Mkheidze in the final to claim the gold medal. The victory made him the first judoka from Kazakhstan and from Central Asia to win an Olympic gold medal in judo, a milestone that carried significant national and regional importance. His first coach, Akhmet Zhumagulov, is credited with laying the technical foundation that underpinned his long and successful career.
Before Fame
Smetov grew up in Taraz, a city in southern Kazakhstan with a strong tradition of combat sports. Kazakhstan's post-Soviet sporting infrastructure placed considerable emphasis on wrestling and judo, giving young athletes from cities like Taraz access to structured training programmes from an early age. Under the guidance of his first coach, Akhmet Zhumagulov, Smetov developed the technical skills and competitive mindset that would later define his senior career.
His early results on the junior circuit indicated exceptional potential. Winning gold at the 2010 World Junior Championships and bronze in 2011, he demonstrated the ability to perform under pressure at international level while still a teenager. These results earned him a place on the senior national team in 2012, setting the stage for a career that would eventually place him among the elite competitors in his weight category worldwide.
Key Achievements
- Olympic gold medal, Paris 2024, under 60 kg
- World Championship gold medal, 2015
- Asian Games gold medal, 2014
- Olympic silver medal, Rio 2016, and bronze medal, Tokyo 2020
- First judoka from Kazakhstan and Central Asia to win an Olympic gold medal
Did You Know?
- 01.Smetov's gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics made him the first judoka from Central Asia to win an Olympic gold medal in the sport.
- 02.He won his first World Junior Championship gold medal in 2010 at just 17 years of age.
- 03.His first coach was Akhmet Zhumagulov, who trained him in Taraz before he joined the senior national team.
- 04.Smetov competed across three separate Olympic cycles — 2016, 2020, and 2024 — winning a medal at each Games.
- 05.He is a recipient of the Order of Parasat, one of Kazakhstan's prominent state honours awarded for contributions to the country's prestige.
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Order of Parasat | — | — |