Magomed Ramazanov Delivers Historic Gold for Bulgaria, Topples Wrestling Legend

Magomed Ramazanov secured Bulgaria's third Olympic gold medal at the Paris 2024 Games, defeating the renowned Iranian wrestler Hassan Yazdanicharati in the freestyle wrestling competition in the 86 kg category.

Ramazanov's victory marks Bulgaria's first gold in men's freestyle wrestling since Valentin Yordanov's triumph at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. With this win, Ramazanov joins an elite group, as wrestling remains the most successful sport for Bulgaria at the Olympics with a total of 73 medals, including 18 golds, 32 silvers, and 23 bronzes.

The Dagestani-Russian's win is particularly historic given that Semen Novikov had previously secured Bulgaria's first Olympic title in Greco-Roman wrestling in 24 years, a gold that was the country's sole victory in the style since Armen Nazaryan's success in Sydney 2000. Additionally, Karlos Nasar had also claimed a gold medal with a world record, marking the second gold for Bulgaria in Paris 2024.

Ramazanov's journey to the gold involved a series of intense matches. On Thursday, he defeated Canadian Alex Moore 12-2, Uzbek wrestler Yavrail Shapiev 4-1, and American Aaron Brooks 4-3 with a decisive late technique. In the final, Ramazanov faced Yazdanicharati, a celebrated wrestler known for his victories in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021, and for his multiple world championship titles.

In the match against Yazdanicharati, Ramazanov dominated early on. His first successful grab injured the Iranian, who required medical attention multiple times. Despite the Iranian's efforts to counter and avoid passivity warnings, Ramazanov maintained his lead. The Bulgarian representative managed to score a significant 7-1 lead with effective takedowns and ground work, securing his gold medal as the Iranian struggled in the final moments.

Following his gold medal win in freestyle wrestling at the Paris Olympics, Magomed Ramazanov spoke about his achievement and expressed his gratitude.

"I am incredibly grateful and still trying to grasp the reality of being at the top. It was my day, and I managed to achieve everything I set out to do. We trained rigorously, and my motivation was exceptionally high, though it was a challenging journey. Facing top-class competitors, I had to overcome my own doubts to succeed. Reflecting on past mistakes, I realized how much this meant to me, especially given the hardships I faced this year, including the loss of my father," Ramazanov shared.

He also took the opportunity to express his appreciation for receiving Bulgarian citizenship.

"I feel amazing being part of the Bulgarian national team. The support I’ve received from people who followed my matches has been overwhelming. My personal trainer, who was moved to tears, deserves a significant share of the credit for this victory, as does the entire national team staff. We've proven our hard work has paid off. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Bulgaria for granting me citizenship. Although the country hadn't seen gold in wrestling for many years, it has always been a wrestling nation," Ramazanov added.

Bulgaria’s success in Paris continues with additional medals: Boryana Kaleyn earned silver, while Kimia Alizadeh, Bozhidar Andreev, and Javier Ibanez secured bronzes. Tomorrow, Bilyana Dudova will also compete for a bronze medal, and the rhythmic gymnastics team will aim for further accolades.

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