Zelimkhan Abakarov

Russian-Albanian wrestler

Russia (2013–2020)
Albania (2022–present)

SportAmateur wrestlingWeight class65 kgEventFreestyleClubUmakhanov WC (им. Умаханова)Coached byMagomed GuseinovAchievements and titlesWorld finals

(2022)

(2023)Regional finals

(2023)

Medal record

Men's freestyle wrestling

Representing Albania
World Championships
	2022 Belgrade	57 kg
	2023 Belgrade	57 kg
European Championships
	2023 Zagreb	61 kg
	2024 Bucharest	61 kg
Mediterranean Games
	2022 Oran	65 kg
World Cup
	2019 Yakutsk	61 kg
Islamic Solidarity Games
	2021 Konya	65 kg
Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin
	2022 Krasnoyarsk	61 kg
Dan Kolov & Nikola Petrov Tournament
	2022 Veliko Tarnovo	61 kg
Grand Prix
	2022 Tirana	65 kg
	2023 Tirana	61 kg
	2023 Budapest	61 kg
Representing Russia
Dan Kolov & Nikola Petrov Tournament
	2017 Russe	61 kg
Ali Aliyev Tournament
	2019 Kaspisk	61 kg
	2018 Kaspisk	61 kg
Alany Tournament
	2017 Vladikavkas	61 kg
	2019 Vladikavkas	61 kg
Representing All-World Team
World Cup
	2022 Coralville	Team
Representing Dagestan
Russian Championships
	2019 Sochi	61 kg
	2018 Odintsovo	61 kg
Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin
	2017 Krasnoyarsk	57 kg

Zelimkhan Abakarov (Russian: Зелимхан Арсенович Абакаров; born 14 July 1993) is a Russian-born Albanian wrestler.^[1] He is a gold medalist at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships. He is the first wrestler representing Albania to win a gold medal at the World Wrestling Championships.^[2] He is also a gold medalist at the 2022 Mediterranean Games and a silver medalist at the 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games.

Career

Abakarov won one of the bronze medals in his event at the Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 2022 held in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. He competed in the men's freestyle 61 kg and men's Greco-Roman 67 kg events at the 2022 European Wrestling Championships held in Budapest, Hungary.^[3]

Abakarov won the gold medal in the men's freestyle 65 kg event at the 2022 Mediterranean Games held in Oran, Algeria.^[4]^[5] He won the silver medal in his event at the 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games held in Konya, Turkey.^[6] He won the gold medal in the men's 57 kg event at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia.^[2]^[7]

Abakarov won the silver medal at the 2023 European Wrestling Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, losing 5–2 to Armenian Arsen Harutyunyan in the men's freestyle 61 kg final match. He beat German Niklas Stechele with a 10-0 technical superiority in the first round, Ukrainian Taras Markovych 6–2 in the quarterfinals and Georgian Shota Phartenadze 4–4 in the semifinals and reached the final with the advantage of the last point.^[8]

He won the silver medal in the men's 61 kg event at the 2024 European Wrestling Championships held in Bucharest, Romania.^[9]

Achievements

Year	Tournament	Location	Result	Event
2022	Mediterranean Games	Oran, Algeria	1st	Freestyle 65 kg
	Islamic Solidarity Games	Konya, Turkey	2nd	Freestyle 65 kg
	World Championships	Belgrade, Serbia	1st	Freestyle 57 kg
2023	European Championships	Zagreb, Croatia	2nd	Freestyle 61 kg
2023	World Championships	Belgrade, Serbia	3rd	Freestyle 57 kg
2024	European Championships	Bucharest, Romania	2nd	Freestyle 61 kg

References

^ "Чеченские «вольники» на Кубке мира-2019 | WSPORT-SHATOY". 20 March 2019.
^ ^a ^b Iveson, Ali (17 September 2022). "Dake and Ghasempour retain wrestling world titles in Belgrade". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
^ "2022 European Wrestling Championships Results Book" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
^ "Albania Wins First Medal in Mediterranean Games". Albania Daily News. 28 June 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
^ "Wrestling Results Book" (PDF). 2022 Mediterranean Games. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
^ "2021 Islamic Solidarity Games Results Book" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
^ "2022 World Wrestling Championships Results Book" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 September 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
^ "European Championships". United World Wrestling.
^ "2024 European Wrestling Championships Results Book" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 February 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2024.