Turkey’s Riza Kayaalp is one of the highest-achieving wrestlers of the century. A Greco-Roman wrestler, he is an eight-time European champion, four-time world champion, two-time Olympic medallist, a Mediterranean Games gold-medallist and twice-former junior world champion. Having recently turned 30, there isn’t much that Kayaalp hasn’t achieved. In 2019 he retained both his world and European championship titles, ensuring his qualification for the next Olympics in Tokyo. At the 2016 Olympics in Rio, he had the distinction of being his country’s flag-bearer.
Kayaalp was born in October 1989 in Yozgat. He currently lives in Aksaray, where he wrestles for Ankara ASKI Spor Kulubu under the tutelage of Olympic gold medallist Mehmet Akif Pirim. His first major success came in 2008, when he became world junior champion, fittingly, in Istanbul. He successfully defended his title at the following year’s championships in Ankara. That same year, he represented his country at the Mediterranean Games in Italy, winning his first world gold medal. In 2010, he became European champion for the first time. Since then, he has won gold or silver in the 120kg or 130kg categories every year except 2015, an astounding track record.
To list all of Kayaalip’s achievements chronologically would take far too long. His major achievements, such as his bronze at the 2012 Olympics, silver at the 2016 Olympics, and gold at the 2015 European Games are the ones that have gathered the most interest. The only medal it seems he hasn’t won, yet, is Olympic gold. With his place at the Tokyo Olympics assured, it may just be a matter of time.
