Our fellow Ossetian free-style wrestlers once again proved themselves the best athletes in this sport.  

Winning three gold, one silver and one bronze medals, they would probably be the best team representing just Ossetia at the Free-Style 2009 Wrestling World Championship in Denmark. But having dual citizenship they usually compete for the different countries.  

Khadzhimurat Gatsalov performs his attack. 

Besik Kudukhov (60 kg weight category) and Khadzhimurad Gatsalov ((96 kg) got the gold medals for the Russian National Team. At that, Kudukhov won his second gold medal (first was in 2007), and Gatsalov is now a four time world champion (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009).  

Besik Kudukhov at the worlds 

Ossetian Zaurbek Sokhiev won gold medal in 84 kg weight category, representing Uzbekistan.  

Their friend, Olympic bronze medalist Khetag Gozyumov lost just the last move to Kh.Gatsalov in a final match and got silver medal for Azerbaydzhan.  

Ibragim Aldatov was third in 84 kg weight class and won a bronze medal, competing for Ukraine. 

Khetag Gozyumov wins the match 

All this guys are ethnic Ossetians, were born and grew up in Ossetia and they are also most of the time practicing in Vladikavkaz (North Ossetia). There is the best in the world wrestling environment, good facilities and the strongest sparring-partners. That is why it is so hard to overpower Ossetian wrestlers at the world tournaments and Olympics.  

But in spite of this, any team from abroad has a chance to check the well known Ossetian hospitality, visiting North Ossetia (Russia) for a wrestling camp or just for practicing. And many of them do that. 

by Ruslan Kuchity  

www.ossetians.com 

PS. You can find more information on any of these wrestlers on the dedicated to them pages of the web site (Chapters: Olympic Champions and World Chapmions).