Zelimkhan Abakarov

Zelimkhan Abakarov made history in 2022, securing a gold medal in the men’s freestyle 57 kg event at the World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, becoming the first wrestler to win a gold medal for Albania at the prestigious global competition. Prior to this landmark achievement and obtaining Albanian citizenship in September 2021, Abakarov established a strong foundation in his career. Representing Russia, he earned a bronze medal at the 2017 Dan Kolov & Nikola Petrov Tournament in Russe (61 kg), a bronze at the 2017 Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin, and a silver at the 2017 Alany Tournament. He followed this with a silver medal at the 2018 Ali Aliyev Tournament (61 kg) and bronze at the 2018 Russian Championships.

Later that year, Abakarov secured a gold medal at the Mediterranean Games in Oran, Algeria, competing in the men’s freestyle 65 kg event, followed by another gold at the Grand Prix Tirana. His historic 2022 World Championship gold in Belgrade (57 kg) underscored his meteoric rise on the international stage. Abakarov continued his impressive medal haul into 2023 and 2024. He earned a silver medal at the 2023 European Wrestling Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, in the men’s freestyle 61 kg category.

Abakarov’s commitment to excellence extends into forthcoming competitions, with a bronze medal earned at the 2025 European Wrestling Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia, and a silver medal at the 2025 Grand Prix Nice.