Khetag (Hetag) Pliev
(1984)
Talented free-style wrestler(96 kg weight class)
Cadets and juniors USA National Champion (1998-2002).
Canada Cup International tournament winner(2007, 2008),
Candian National Champion (2008, 2009).
Khetag Pliev was born in Alagir, North Ossetia. He took his first wrestling lessons in a local club, when he was just six years old, with Alan Kokoev as a coach.
Later on Khetag won some Russian tournaments and was second at the North Ossetian Championship for the wrestlers of his age. It was not easy, because several of the most dominant free-style wrestling world class centers located in Russian republic of North Ossetia-Alania.
In 1998 Khetag Pliev moved to USA, where he lived with his parents and continued his wrestling career. Due to firm skills and a solid wrestling background, for the short period of time Khetag became a dominant high school wrestler first in Ohio state and then in USA.
From 1999 to 2002 K.Pliev consequently won the cadet and junior Ohio State and US national championships.
For the outstanding achievements in June 2002 Khetag PLiev was honored with LaRosa’s Award for the best high school athlete of the year. Wrestling USA magazine had ranked Khetag Pliev as the #1 wrestler in the USA in the 189” weight class, and the undefeated (41-0) Lakota East senior lived up to the billing, capturing his second straight Ohio state championship and being named Ohio’s Division 1 Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Coach’s Quote - “Without being disrespectful to the other fine wrestlers in our community, Hetag is in a league of his own. His goal of winning an Olympic gold medal is a realistic one. His wrestling skills and style reflect his Russian background. I have learned as much from him as he learned from me. I have enjoyed the experience immensely” – Bob Latessa. Wrestling Coach.
In 2002 Khetag Pliev returned to Ossetia. He kept wrestling at the high level competitions. A well-known Ossetian coach V.Bagaev took care of him. Hetag won the bronze medal at the junior Russian National Championship. He also competed at the prestigeous seniors International tournaments in Minsk, Kiev and Vancouver.
But the traumas and some subjective problems did not let him achieve the desired level in Russia. In 2005 Khetag Pliev left the country and moved to Canada.
He is young and talented, and we are sure he will achieve the main goal in his life – to become a #1 wrestler in the world.
Here are the Khetag Pliev's achievments in Canada.
At the Canadian Nationals in Calgary he got a silver medal, losing a tough final match to David Zilberman (a tree time Canadian National champion and 5-th at the World championship 2006).
In June 2007, Khetag won the toughest Canadian tournament - Canada Cup International. He was also honoured with an Outstanding Canadian wrestler's special award.
In December 2008 Kh.Pliev competes at the Canadian Olympic trials in Toronto. By that time he was considered a #2 wrestler in his weight category. Pinning Mike Neufield, Pliev then had a three match series with David Zilberman. He wins the first match, but Zilberman wins the very tough and even next one by the last winning point. And the third "do or die" match was suppose to determine who would be the winner. Both wrestlers were very tired, but Khetag had an extra match before and besides that he had flu just two weeks ago. Comletely exhausted Khetag Pliev lost a single point just seconds before the final whistle.
In March 2008 at the Canadian National Championship Khetag beats all opponents and wins the Champion's title.
In June 2008 he wins the Canada Cup International tournament for the second time and was named an Outstanding Canadian wrestler again.
And here is the latest news coming from Regina (province of Saskatchewan).
March 21, 2009.
Competing at the 2009 Canadian National Championship, Khetag Pliev bit all his opponents and won the gold medal. In a final match he wrestled David Zilberman and did not loose a single point. That was one of the most spectacular matches on the tournament. Khetag won the first period 1:0 and then the second one 2:0.
He was once again named the Outstanding Canadian Wrestler.
As Khetag said, his next goal is a medal at the World Championship in September.
Additional information is available at
http://www.cincinnati.com/preps/2002/06/23/pre_myers_pliev_win.html
http://www.cincinnati.com/preps/2001/12/20/pre_wrestlers_eyes_on.html
http://wrestlinghalloffame.org/champions/?names&wrestler=11820
