Farid Mansurov is an Azerbaijani wrestler, gold medalist of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Greco-Roman wrestling at 66 kg. He retired in 2010, after conceding jaw injury during 2010 European Wrestling Championship. In 2010—2011, he coached the Azerbaijani national wrestling team. He is the head of the sport department in The Ministry of Youth and Sport of the Republic of Azerbaijan since 2016. He is also Vice President of Youth Wrestling Federation of Azerbaijan.
Varteres Varteresovich Samurgashev is an Armenian-Russian Greco-Roman wrestler. He is a two-time European, two-time World and Olympic Champion. Samurgashev was awarded the Honoured Master of Sports of Russia title. He is a lawyer by profession, the President of the Wrestling Federation in the Rostov region, and vice-president of the Russian Wrestling Federation. Samurgashev is an honorary citizen of Russia and Armenia.
Samuel "Sammie" Henson is a World Champion wrestler, winning a gold medal in freestyle for the USA at the 1998 FILA Wrestling World Championships, held in Tehran, Iran. He was also a silver medalist at the 2000 Summer Olympics in the freestyle 54 kg category, losing to Abdullayev in the finals of that event, held in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. At the age of 36, he competed at the 2006 FILA Wrestling World Championships held in Guangzhou, China, earning a bronze medal. He was named USA Wrestling's Man of the Year in 1998.
Azerbaijan first participated at the Olympic Games as an independent nation in 1996, and has sent athletes to compete in every Games since then. Previously, Azerbaijani athletes competed as part of the Soviet Union at the Olympics from 1952 to 1988, and after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan was part of the Unified Team in 1992. Azerbaijani athletes have won a total of 42 medals at the Summer Olympic Games. The nation has not won any medals at the Winter Olympic Games. The National Olympic Committee of the Azerbaijani Republic was created in 1992 and recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1993.
Mariya Stadnik is a Ukrainian-born Azerbaijani female wrestler who won four Olympic medals, two World Championship and ten European Championship.
Khetag Gazyumov is retired Russian and Azerbaijani freestyle wrestler of Ossetian origin. Competing in the 96 some kg weight category he won bronze medals at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics and a silver at the 2016 Rio Games. He also won four gold and four silver medal at the European and world championships in 2009–2014 and a gold medal at the 2015 European Games.
Sport in Azerbaijan has ancient roots, and even now, both traditional and modern sports are still practiced. Freestyle wrestling has been traditionally regarded as Azerbaijan's national sport and today, the most popular sports in Azerbaijan are combat sportss, football and chess. Other popular sports are gymnastics, judo, futsal, weightlifting, and boxing. Azerbaijan's mountainous terrain provides great opportunities for the practice of sports like skiing and rock climbing. Water sports are practiced on the Caspian Sea and in inland waters. Competitively, Azerbaijan has been very successful at chess, weightlifting, and wrestling at the international level. Azerbaijan is also an active member of the international sports community, with full membership in the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), European Athletics Association (EAA), International Olympic Committee (IOC), among many others. It has also hosted the first European Games and 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games.
Rıza Kayaalp is a five-time world champion and twelve-time European level champion Turkish wrestler competing in the 130 kg division of Greco-Roman wrestling. He won silver at the 2016 Summer Olympics and won bronze medals at the 2012 and 2020 Summer Olympics. He is a graduate of the Aksaray University Physical Education and Sports Academy and studies his master's degree at Bozok University.
Sharif Naidhajavovich Sharifov is a Russian-Azerbaijani former wrestler of Avar descent. Sharifov finished first in the World Championships and won a bronze in the European Championships. At the 2012 Summer Olympics Sharifov won a gold medal in the 84 kg event after defeating Puerto Rican Jaime Espinal.
Arif Yadulla Abdullayev is an Azerbaijani wrestler. Abdullayev gained gold medal at the World Championship in 2003 for Freestyle wrestling organized in New York.
Geno Petriashvili is a Georgian heavyweight freestyle wrestler. He is European champion in 2016 and 2020 and world champion in 2017, 2018 and 2019, as well as a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, a silver medal 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, and gold medal 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
René Montero Rosales is a retired amateur Cuban freestyle wrestler, who competed in the men's flyweight category. He has been named a 2002 World freestyle wrestling champion; a silver medalist at the 2003 Pan American Games, and later represented his nation Cuba at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Throughout his sporting career, Montero has been training under his personal coach and mentor Filiberto Delgado for CEAR Cuba.
Haji Aliyev, is an Azerbaijani freestyle wrestler. He competed at the 61 kg division in the 2014 European Wrestling Championships and won the gold medal after beating Bekkhan Goygereyev of Russia.
Rasul Abakar oghlu Chunayev is an Azerbaijani Greco-Roman wrestler. He was born 7 January 1991 in Yeni Şərif, Balakən, Azerbaijan, to Avar parents. He is a world champion and European vice-champion in men's Greco-Roman wrestling.
Radik Isayev is a Russian-born naturalized Azerbaijani taekwondo practitioner of Lezgin origin. He won the gold medal at the 2014 European Championships Men's 87 kg, also he won bronze in 2013 World Championships. Radik also won a gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics held in Rio.
Zhan Vensanovych Beleniuk is a Ukrainian politician and retired Greco-Roman wrestler. He is a three-time Olympic medalist and won the gold medal in the Greco-Roman 87 kg at the 2020 Summer Olympics, the silver medal in the Greco-Roman 85 kg at the 2016 Summer Olympics and a bronze medal in the Greco-Roman 87 kg at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Beleniuk is also a two-time world champion, a three-time European champion and a European Games champion. In 2019, he became the first black member of the Ukrainian Parliament.
Utkirjon Nigmatov is an Uzbek judoka and Paralympian competing in the weight category up to 66 kg. He is the champion of the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games, a medalist in World Championships, winner of the Summer Para Asian Games, and a medalist in World Cup and Grand Prix events in Para Judo.
Aliaksandr Siarheyevich Hushtyn is a Belarusian freestyle wrestler. He is a three-time silver medalist at the European Wrestling Championships. He represented Belarus at the 2019 European Games held in Minsk, Belarus and he won a bronze medal in the men's 97 kg event.
Hasrat Jafarov is an Azerbaijani Greco-Roman wrestler competing in the 67 kg division. He won the gold medal at the 2023 European Wrestling Championships.
Elvira Mursalova is a Russian and Azerbaijani athlete, freestyle wrestler. Bronze medalist of the World Championship, silver medalist of the European Championship. She performed in the weight class up to 59 kg.
