Buvaisar Saitiev
Russian wrestler and politician (1975–2025) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Buvaisar Hamidovich Saitiev[a] (Russian: Бувайсар Хамидович Сайтиев, Chechen: Сайт КIант Бувайса; 11 March 1975 – 2 March 2025) was a Russian wrestler and politician. His total of nine world-level gold medals (three Olympics, six World Championships) in freestyle wrestling is second highest, behind Aleksandr Medved's 10. Saitiev is widely considered to be the greatest freestyle wrestler of all time;[1][2][3][4] in 2007, he and Greco-Roman practitioner Aleksandr Karelin were voted the best wrestlers in the history of the sport by FILA.[5]
.jpg) Saitiev in 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 11 March 1975 Khasavyurt, Dagestan ASSR, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 2 March 2025 (aged 49) Moscow, Russia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 74 kg (163 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country | Russia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Wrestling | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event | Freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Mindiashvili wrestling academy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Dmitri Mindiashvili | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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After his retirement from competition, Saitiev served as an acting deputy from Dagestan in the 7th State Duma from 2016 until he stepped down in 2021. In 2015, he became the President of the Chechen Wrestling Federation, a position he held until his death in 2025.[6][7]
Personal life
Summarize
Perspective
Saitiev was born in Khasavyurt, Dagestan on 11 March 1975, and was of Chechen descent.[8] Saitiev left his hometown in 1992 in order to train at a prestigious wrestling center in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. His younger brother Adam Saitiev later followed in his footsteps.
Soon after graduating from the training center, Saitiev began his quest to represent Russia on the world stage. Saitiev was 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.
Saitiev's life philosophy was heavily influenced by Nobel Prize-winning poet Boris Pasternak. Saitiev repeated Pasternak's poem, "It is not seemly to be famous,"[9] before every match, and according to Saitiev, the poem defined his life both inside and outside of wrestling.[10]
Saitiev had three sons and one daughter.[11]
Death
Saitiev died in Moscow on 2 March 2025, at the age of 49.[12][13] Executive director of the Russian Wrestling Federation, Makhmud Magomedov, stated that Saitiev died of cardiac arrest, and Russia's minister of sport Mikhail Degtyarev said Saitiev had been ill, frequently visiting medical centres. Saitiev's widow, Indira, stated Saitiev had fallen out of a second-storey window before his death. Russian outlet Baza reported that a janitor found Saitiev lying injured on the ground near a residence on Minskaya Street, and called for an ambulance. Baza said Saitiev later died in hospital. Newsweek stated that they could not independently verify Baza's claims.[14] Saitiev's death created an outpouring of grief. Khabib Nurmagomedov wrote on social media that "Saitiev inspired millions of children around the world", and Ramzan Kadyrov, head of the Chechen Republic, said Saitiev was "not only a legendary athlete, but also a man of high honour." Kadyrov announced three days of mourning in Chechnya in honour of Saitiev. Saitiev was a practicing Muslim and was buried next to his father in his hometown of Khasavyurt, Dagestan, following Muslim tradition.[8]
Wrestling career
Summarize
Perspective
Saitiev won nine World-level gold medals. He was 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. Saitiev won at the World championships in 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003 and 2005, and at the Olympics in 1996, 2004 and 2008.
In 1999, Saitiev 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.[15] At the 2000 Summer Olympics, Saitiev lost to Brandon Slay.[16] Saitiev lost to Magomed Isagadzhiev at the 2002 Russian Nationals.[17][18] Saitiev then lost to Mihail Ganev at the 2006 World Wrestling Championships.[19] Saitiev lost at the 2007 Russian Nationals to Makhach Murtazaliev.[20] He then lost at the 2008 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, also to Murtazaliev.[21]
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
References
Notes
External links
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