2024-09-02 18:47:37
Three-time Olympic champion, seven-time world and three-time European champion in wrestling (freestyle) Alexander Medved died 2 weeks before his 87th birthday, Belarusian media reported.
The wrestling legend was born on September 16, 1937 in the city of Belaya Tserkov, currently on the territory of Ukraine, but from a non-Belarusian family, and he himself always felt Belarusian.
As a competitor of the now-defunct USSR, Medved took the Olympic gold medal in 1964, 1968 and 1972, first winning in the category up to 97 kg, then over 97 kg and finally in the absolute for wrestlers over 100 kg. The world title was in his hands in 1962, 1963 in Sofia, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970 and 1971 again in Sofia. European champion in 1966, 1968 and 1972.
Bulgarian wrestler Osman Duraliyev was his main rival on the mat at the time. However, in all their eight meetings in the finals, Medved won.
After the collapse of the USSR, he chose to live and work in Belarus, which he feels is his homeland. He was the vice-president of the Olympic Committee of the country, and also in 2001 he was elected the Sportsman number 1 of the 20th century of Belarus.