Gadzhimurad Rashidov

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.[5]

Rashidov made his senior freestyle debut in 2012, when he placed third at the Ali Aliev Memorial International.[6] In 2015, after placing fifth at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix,[7] Rashidov claimed a bronze medal at the Russian Nationals,[8] and then went on to help the Russian Team win gold at the European Nations Cup.

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.[9]He then became the '16 European Champion, racking up notable wins over Asadulla Lachinau and two-time Cadet World Champion Andriy Yatsenko.[10] On May, he competed at the Russian Nationals, where after remarkably 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.[11][12]

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 two-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.[13]

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.[14]

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).[15] In the gold medal match he lost in close match to by 6-5 to Yowlys Bonne of Cuba.

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.[16][17] He won the match by score (4-3), then he faced 2-time world bronze medalist Akhmed Chakaev of Chechnya and lost in very close match. For bronze medal match Rashidov faced Cristian Lopez of Cuba and won the match by score (2-1).

Rashidov after winning the World Championships.

He made his debut at the World Championships 2019 in his newly-adopted weight of class of 65kg, in the first round he beat Haji Aliyev of Azerbaijan - in a rematch of the 2017 World Wrestling Championships' final at 61kg - 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 Ismail Muuskaev in a close match (3-2), in the final match he will face Daulet Niyazbekov of Kazakhstan.