Zelimkhan Abakarov

Zelimkhan Abakarov was born on July 14, 1993, in Khasavyurt, Dagestan, Russia. He began his wrestling career representing Russia, competing in various tournaments. During his early career with Russia, he earned a bronze medal at the 2017 Dan Kolov & Nikola Petrov Tournament in Russe, participating in the 61 kg category. He also secured a gold medal at the Ali Aliyev Tournament in Kaspisk in 2019 and a silver in the same tournament in 2018, both in the 61 kg weight class. Abakarov received Albanian citizenship in September 2021, marking a significant turning point in his career as he transitioned to representing Albania in international competitions.

Since representing Albania, Abakarov has achieved notable success. In 2022, he earned a gold medal at the Mediterranean Games in Oran, Algeria, competing in the men’s freestyle 65 kg event. Later the same year, he won a silver medal at the 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games in Konya, Turkey, also in the 65 kg category. His most significant achievement came in 2022 when he secured the gold medal in the men’s freestyle 57 kg event at the World Wrestling Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia. This made him the first wrestler representing Albania to win a gold medal at the World Wrestling Championships, highlighting a major milestone for both him and his adopted country. He also secured a bronze medal at the 2023 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade in the 57 kg class.

Abakarov has continued to excel in European competitions. He won a silver medal at the 2023 European Wrestling Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, in the men’s freestyle 61 kg category. He followed this with another silver medal in the men’s 61 kg event at the 2024 European Wrestling Championships in Bucharest, Romania. Additionally, he earned a bronze medal at the 2025 European Wrestling Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia. He also participated in the men’s freestyle 57 kg event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.